The Submission

Have you ever been to a show that really tugs at your heart strings? One that makes you reevaluate yourself and your environment? One that sticks in your head, lines ringing in your ears, inescapable concepts that continually haunt you? What about a show about ignorance, racism and homophobia all at the same time? Have you ever left a theatre afraid to speak? afraid of what it is you were gonna say? with a sense of self-awareness that you had never felt before? trying to mull over what it was you just saw while your head was still spinning?

One of most incredible, astounding, indescribable shows I've ever scene. The Submission was a theatre experience that I had never had before. It's beyond anything that I can describe, but I'll try to do so anyway.

Unfortunately, this show closed a while back so none of you will have the chance to see it for a while, so hopefully none of you will be upset at my complete spoilers.


Before I tell you all what this was about, I sorta just wanted to state the obvious. The whole cast was absolutely phenomenal. Jonathan Groff was in this show. The sweetest Broadway actor I've ever met. Honestly. He was swarmed by fans after this draining performance and still posed for a picture and the end of it all. :)

My friend Vera, Jonathan Groff and Me

Fan girl moment over. Time to get serious.

This play was about a "very white" and "very gay" playwright who submits a play to a festival and gets chosen. The problem is, he submitted it as a black woman because of the sensitive subject matter of the play and didn't want to be accused of being racist. To avoid any issues of this kind, the playwright hires an actress to play the "playwright". With his ultimate intention of getting his play produced, the playwright completely disregards the feelings of the woman he hired, his boyfriend and his best friend. His play is found out to be about a black family in the projects filled with racial stereotypes, and when asked by the woman to take the N word out of one scene in which it is said 37 times, he blatantly refuses. His argument is that his being gay and discriminated against is the same as racism and that he can say what he wants in his play because he knows how it feels. The two decide that at opening night of the play at which the playwright is asked to say a few words, the woman he hired will reveal to the audience that he was the true playwright. When things don't go according to plan and she does not reveal to the audience that he was the true playwright, he loses it and fights with her. After yelling about all the unresolved issues that the two had between them over the course of the show, she screams, "F****t!" and he retaliates, "N****r!"

The play ends with the playwright sitting in Starbucks a few weeks later. He gets a phone call, assumed to be someone asking him out on a date. He's asked about what type food he wants for that night. The call ends with him saying, "Ew, no. Isn't that Pakistani? Let's go somewhere normal."

Until that last line you side with him. You pity him, until you realize that he's just another ignoramus.

I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on this play, thinking about it too much keeps my head spinning.
It was an incredible reminder of what each and every one of us is capable of as well was how powerfully something can be expressed through art.

It's.....

A show that I had truly wanted to see for months now. I had gone to the theatre about 4 times to rush tickets, with no luck each time. One day, however, I found a $20 bill in a taxicab and it was destiny, I knew exactly where I was gonna spend it. I woke early the following morning and got to the theatre at 8:30am. On a day with both a matinee and night show, I was sure that I'd be successful in my endeavors. Of course, I was, and as expected, the show was... (This is my attempt at a corny segue into my review)

Delightful. The cast especially. Everyone knows Sutton Foster won a Tony for this role, so I had extremely high expectations for her. Yet she still exceeded them. From the very second she walked on stage, she was radiant. She had a beautiful voice, was amazing in her acting and comedic timing and wow, can she dance! The company number 'Anything Goes' was one that I had watched countless times online, I practically know the choreography. Not even mildly being a performer, I must say, seeing the entire cast of that show tap their hearts out in sync was incredible enough, but that wasn't even the finale! They still completed another act flawlessly. Not to mention, Sutton's solos during that number. To put it simply, it is beyond me how someone has the physical capability to do that.

Joel Grey and Sutton Foster
(I found this funny)

Joel Grey was yet another incredible cast member. As I had posted about, I saw the Normal Heart, a breathtaking, touching and devastating play about AIDS, which happened to be directed by this amazing performer. Of course, I had only been convinced of his directing skills at the beginning of this show. He, like the rest of cast, was absolutely hilarious. The overall comedic timing was indeed perfection, however his being 79 made things all the better. Not only was it astounding that he was on stage or the majority of the show, but he had some dance solos of his own in the epic 'Anything Goes' number.
Delicious. The story was extremely sweet and entertaining. Cliche done right. Okay so maybe is was the average love triangle, SPOILER ALERT, everything works out for the best, but I didn't sit there thinking 'Really? This AGAIN?'. I wasn't thinking at all in fact. I was merely enjoying myself. I walked out of that theatre with a smile on my face. I felt happy, and a bit starstruck. I still have a hard time coping with that tap number.

Colin Donnel and Sutton Foster

Deluxe. The music was rich. Of course, I love innovative, different, rock musicals. However, nothing ever amounts to the classics. I sometimes have those 'why wasn't I alive in the 30s?' Moments, but that's what this show was, in a nutshell. It was a classic, stereotype of a musical, with the perfect amount of jazz hands, I might add.

De-Lovely. That's the word I was looking for. Anything Goes was de-lovely.


For those of you who have seen the show, I hope you enjoyed my corny segue for this review.

For those of you who haven't,

One more fun experience at this show to share:

When I was at the stage door, everyone was so nice and so chatty, which I love. Of course, me and my mourning the closing of Catch Me If You Can, saw none other than Jay Armstrong Johnson hanging around the Anything Goes stage door! I didn't have the opportunity to say hi and tell him I was a huge fan, but it was exciting nonetheless. 

When you're an Addams?

So I saw the Addams Family a while back, a show that I must admit, I had little to no interest in seeing, before Brooke Shields joined the cast, that is. The thing is, when someone like Brooke Shields is in a show, when she's not on stage it gets pretty boring very easily. I got amazing seats, so it wasn't my bad view that got in the way of my attention span, and Brooke Shields wasn't even the gripping one in the show.

Brooke Shields, Rachel Potter and Roger Rees

Rachel Potter. Wednesday. She has one solo. ONE. With a voice like that, I'd say the entire show should be structured around her. Before her song, which was early in the show, you could feel people around you fidgeting and sort of restless. When she started to sing everyone fell silent, sat still and just watched. By the final belt of her song, almost everyone was on their feet. The applause was far greater than that at the end of the show. After that, however, it was downhill.

Heidi Blickenstaff was also amazing. Her solo was another jaw-dropping performance not to mention her absolutely ridiculous character, a seemingly clean cut but actually sex crazed mom.

Of course, I had to pity the acts to follow hers, for none were nearly as good. Jackie Hoffman, however, did come very close. She was simply hilarious. I mainly new her from 30 Rock and the Billy Green web series (If you don't watch these, check them out!), so when I realized that I was watching her, I immediately became more interested. Hilarious (I know, I said that already, but I really can't describe it in any other way). She said one thing about John Lennon and I was gone. Talk about comedy in the theatre....
Still, it wasn't her celebrity that kept me interested, as I can prove through my lack of interest with Brooke Shields. It's not that Shields was bad, but more like Jackie Hoffman, Heidi Blickenstaff and Rachel Potter are exceedingly tough acts to follow. I still did very much enjoy seeing her in this production.

If curious about seeing this one, don't have too high expectations. The cast is alright, excluding Potter, Blickenstaff and Hoffman. It's definitely worth seeing just for them.

Pictures from Broadway.com

How to Succeed: Endeavors at the stage door, and MORE. Part III

How to Succeed. Again.

So I know I had only seen the show once, but I have been outside of the stage door many times- and not for the same reason as many. I may have once been a Daniel Radcliffe freak, but seriously, who hasn't? We have all found ourselves crazy about the once-boy-wizard/nude-horse-lover. Still, something about the phenomenon behind this extremely talented young man confuses me. The constant screaming and crying? Really preteen girls? Always on and on about Harry Potter, not about the more intellectual and important things Daniel had done. Please keep to Justin Bieber, he at least sounds like you and doesn't make any drastic career moves anyway.

Anyway, no tangents about less than Broadway talent on this blog. As I was saying, I do love Daniel and all, but the solidity behind a triple threat Broadway actor a bit more incredible to me. Said Broadway actor is Christopher J. Hanke. As Bud Frump he is absolutely amazing. I could very well be the biggest Harry Potter fan on earth and I still find Hanke's character by far the most appealing and fun to watch. Every time he's on stage he has his timeless expression of resentment to the growing success of J. Pierrepont Finch (Radcliffe's character) and though every time Finch succeeds and looks adorably at the audience with that sly smirk etched across his face, nothing amounts to the expression on Frumps face at the end of the amazing number Brotherhood of Man. Hanke is so extremely talented, I wish it was displayed more in his role as Bud Frump.

Another thing about Hanke. I have gone to the stage door of the Al Hirschfeld theatre a bunch of times in hopes of meeting this talented guy, every single time he doesn't come out. Only once had I actually had the pleasure of meeting him and taking a picture, unfortunately the camera I was using was all out of film! This time, I had actually gone to see the show a second time and Hanke hadn't come out so I decided I'd leave him a note telling him how much of a fan I was and how sad I was to not have had the chance to see him this evening. I also referred him to this blog due to my avid theatre blogging. I knocked on the stage door and asked the new stage doorman to give it to him. I really don't know if he'll ever get it, it'd be really cool if he did though! It'd be even cooler if he checks out this blog so shout-out just in case he ever reads this post.

Just to note: Daniel is leaving the show January 1st and then being replaced by Darren Criss for two weeks. I must say, it's as if in auditions they were looking strictly for harry-potter-ness. Daniel Radcliffe was the face of the whole franchise and Darren Criss played Harry in a Very Potter Musical.

Go see this show. Really a great one!

I hate goodbyes.

I just want to apologize for yet another Catch Me If You Can post. Then again, I shouldn't be apologizing- it is a great show. Still, I'll even admit I have gone a bit overboard. (When Tom Wopat, Frank Abagnale Sr., tells you you need to get a life, you know you're a bit crazy).

Cut me some slack! It was closing day today!

Now the most incredible performance one will ever see is a closing performance of a great show whose run was cut short. I'm not saying this was the greatest show I've ever scene, because it's not (Next to Normal still holds that place in my heart) but I must admit, during this performance I could feel the energy, the "going-all-out" of the performers in the same way I felt it at N2N's closing performance, but this had this lack of satisfaction for it's run- which in a way added to it's energy. I do understand why it was cut short. The past three times I have gone to see it, it wasn't even close to being sold out. What I don't understand is why that is. It's such an uplifting show with performances by some of the most incredible Broadway performers I've ever seen. At this stage door, I would tell everyone I was so sad to see it go and they would all say "Me too," not "It was time" like the cast said at N2N.

I do have to say, this performance was definitely satisfying. Even from all the way in the nosebleeds. Row T, Seat 7, Mezz. I felt the energy. From the very beginning you could feel that no one, not a single performer or anyone (including the audience) was holding back. Nine times seeing the show, and this made me feel like I was seeing it for the first time all over again. Act I went by far too quickly and during intermission I was dreading what was yet to come. This show made me so happy and it was seemingly unfathomable that it had one more act and then would be over. Still, all good things must end.

Act II began and of course, none other than Marc Shaiman was on stage! After that the show went on as usual. The normal hyperventilating during Seven Wonders because of Aaron Tveit's lack of clothing- and he can sing too! Then the tears at the end of Kerry Butler's chillingly beautiful Fly Fly Away. And not even to bring up how much of a wreck I was at Goodbye. That song makes me sad already because it leads to the end of the show, but for this entirely phenomenal number, I was only thinking about how this was actually goodbye. And boy! Aaron Tveit really did not hold back! I thought he was phenomenal normally but it was nothing compared to this. And it's safe to say that he finally got some recognition that he deserved from the very beginning: a full house standing ovation at the end of that song. His face as he was tearing up staring at Norbert Leo Butz, who was just smiling at him is his natural fatherly fashion as Carl Hanratty. You had this sense of Norbert saying "I told you that you were incredible, and no damn Tony committee can say otherwise". (Okay, I really don't know if that's interpreted correctly, all I know is that that is what I was thinking).

Marc and Scott at the curtain call

Thanking Aaron for being incredible

Once the show was over, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman came on stage and made a little speech. Marc told this beautiful story of how he was helping a kid who come out and spoke a bit about Catch Me. I always love those sentimental speeches. Finally, the show had finished and it sure had a happy ending. I got out to the stage door, chaos almost reaching the point of How to Succeed (Damn teenage girls are CRAZY. Hehe). I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of cast members (also Marc and Scott and Jerry Mitchell! and Jack O'Brian walked by me.) about how amazing the are, Brandon Wardell actually stuck around to have a conversation with me witch was pretty cool. Then, after basically everyone left, I broke out into song and sang that one line of Goodbye, "The show is done now!" then my friend Anna slapped me. Just a quick shout-out to her: Thanks, I needed that. I stuck around for quite a while afterwards talking to people coming in and out of the stage door. Though I couldn't go backstage because they were cleaning up the set, I did manage to pull off a lot of souvenirs. I got various props, Tom Wopat's door sign, a music book from the orchestra and the Catch Me book that people can buy. Oh, and a lot Rachel de Benedet's old stuff.

It was yet another very successful day at the theatre. I promise this is my last Catch Me post for at least a few months now!

I'd say catch it, but you can't.

Catch it before it closes

Catch Me If You Can. I may not have mentioned it yet, but I absolutely love this show. As of recently, I have scene it six times. SIX. And I must admit, it should be seven. Because I had gotten selected for Catch Me's blogger night on the 18th- a small contest for two free tickets to the show. I, however, was going to be on a plane at the time, so I couldn't go.

Still, the last times I saw the phenomenal show, I had the pleasure of seeing it with the understudy for Brenda, Alex Ellis, and Carl Hanratty, Joe Cassidy. Both amazing.

Joe Cassidy.
Let's just say Joe Cassidy really has some big shoes to fill. Norbert Leo Butz is a bit of a legend (to put it lightly) and won a Tony for this role, I'd be a nervous wreck if I were Joe- not to mention I saw him his first night on as Agent Hanratty. He was an absolutely wonderful performer, one of the things that was a bit off from the average "Norbert-esque" just because when Butz was talking about the role in an interview, he said it to be not one for singing and dancing. I don't imagine Agent Hanratty to be a good singer or dancer, I think of him to be this shlumpy, short, quirky, uncoordinated, lonely guy. Joe Cassidy was a bit too good on his feet, a bit too coordinated, not to mention tall. Then again, I must mention the "Don't Break The Rules" number with this guy. Truly great. Still, the dynamic was thrown off because they were missing one male ensemble member so, especially in the beginning, there was a gaping hole in the choreography. Still, another thing worth mentioning, the chemistry between Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz is like nothing I have seen before. The energy that they give off from each other, the authenticity that you feel when you see them perform together is incredible. In all the shows that I have seen in the past months (14 to be exact), I haven't experienced something like this. And this is the final reason that Norbert's shoes are so hard to fill, and unsurprisingly- Joe didn't quite fill them.

Alex Ellis.

Aaron Tveit as Frank Abagnale, Jr. and Alex Ellis as Brenda Strong

Well, since I first heard she was the understudy for Brenda, I had been dying to see her perform. I really always liked Alex from all the Catch Me vlogs, and I had also seen a video of her performing Fly Fly Away, in which I thought she was brilliant. Needless to say, she definitely lived up to that in her performance as Brenda. Though Kerry Butler is absolutely amazing, I found that Alex Ellis has a very similar atmosphere to her. The only thing that I really missed about Kerry was the joke about the other nurses being so very tall. Unfortunately, Alex couldn't make that joke because she was just as tall as the rest of them.
Also, thought I'd not that when she and Aaron were singing Seven Wonders, Alex nearly fell off of the bed. Ah- I live for those moments in live theatre.

Finally, in all the Catch Me performances I've seen I've never had the pleasure of seeing Jay Armstrong Johnson, who I've heard such great things about. Hopefully one day in the near future, I'll have the pleasure of having that experience.

Another thing worth noting, in the most recent performance I saw, Norbert completely smacked Aaron in the face with his tie during Strange But True, and the reaction of everyone on stage (especially Aaron) once again reminded me why Broadway is brilliant.

"I GOT MEMPHIS!"

A very long four weeks that felt like a period of withdrawal from my addiction to Broadway shows has recently ended. Last week I saw Catch Me if You Can for the fifth time. Yes, it was amazing as usual. Anyway, that is clearly not what this post is about. So to begin,

Memphis. A show that I had been trying to get tickets to for ages and finally managed to pull off in the eleventh hour. Okay, so maybe I wasn't the one to pull them off. Props to my friend Alice, who, while I was sulking and non-optomistic about getting tickets to show after many failed attempts at student rush tickets, called me up and yelled, "I GOT MEMPHIS. MEMPHIS!"

Now what to discuss first... the story, the talent, the music, the stage door? All of these were simply amazing. The story was basically the birth of Rock n'Roll. Huey, played by Chad Kimball, is a sort of misfit in his white society because of his adoration for the "colored music". When he tries to become involved in an African American underground club he isn't the least bit welcome because of the terror that the average white folk cause. He wasn't trusted, and falling for the club owner's sister, Felicia, didn't really help things. Huey makes the "colored music" big and makes Felicia, played by Montego Clover, a star because of her incredible voice. The story goes on to have both Felicia and Huey become successful, but are then faced with an awful dilemma: to go to New York, a place where Felicia would definitely thrive, or to stay in their home town, Memphis.

Onto the talent. Chad Kimball. What can I say? He did get a Tony nomination for his performance, and it was definitely well deserved. He played this seeking-to-be controversial, sometimes perverse character, but there was something about his perverseness that was extremely gripping. Whenever he was on stage it was impossible to look away, and it wasn't just because of his completely insane outfits.
Montego Glover. Now it goes without saying that in a Broadway musical, all the performers will be absolutely brilliant. Yet when going to a show, we still get blown away. Still, nothing compares to the voice of Montego Glover.
Nancy Opel- another cast member that deserves noting. She had the ability to make you absolutely despise her one second but make you genuinely forgive her the next, not to mention how hilarious and nice she was at the stage door, telling us all about ridiculous things people sitting in the front row were doing.
Finally, huge kudos to Rhett George, the understudy for the role of Delray. Really amazing job.

Montego Glover as Felicia and
Chad Kimball as Huey

Now, as you all know, the stage door is one of my favorite parts of Broadway, and this stage door experience was one of the nicest I've ever had. First, a huge number of people in the show came out to sign. This is definitely the most full playbill that I have. They didn't just rush off, they actually stuck around to actually have a two-way conversation, which was extremely nice of them considering how exhausted they must have been.

Really great show. I'd say its 100% a must see.

The Normal Heart

As I walked silently out of the Golden Theatre, I thought about what I was going to write for this post. Normally I discuss the incredible cast, the synopsis, the stage door. However, this phenomenal play is far above that.

Once a show ends, many normally start talking and mingling with the rest of the audience. Not this time. After the applause everyone walked slowly in silence, which was broken by the many people still in tears.

This play is about the AIDS epidemic, or I should say, the beginning of it. "Please know that everything that happened in The Normal Heart actually happened" Larry Kramer writes in the letter that was passed out as everyone was leaving the theatre. This play is about the fight for the many gays to gain recognition from the government. It's about people not giving a damn about this disease when it was still believed to reside only in gay communities. It's about family. It's about denial. It's about ignorance. It's about love, finding it, and having it taken away from you.

Most of all, this play is about recognition. Recognition for the terror that our fellow human beings went through in the early 80s and recognition for the fact that AIDs is still a plague today, though many people fail to refer to it as such.


".....Please know that AIDS is a worldwide plague.

       Please know that no country in the world, including this one, especially this one, has ever called it a plague, or acknowledged it as a plague, or dealt with it as a plague. 

       Please know that there is no cure. 

       Please know that after all this time the amount of money being spent to find a cure is still miniscule, still almost invisible, still impossible to locate in any national health budget, and still totally uncoordinated.

       Please know that here in America case numbers continue to rise in every category. In much of the rest of the world—Russia, India, Southeast Asia, Africa—the numbers of the infected and the dying are so grotesquely high they are rarely acknowledged. 

       Please know that all efforts at prevention and education continue their unending record of abject failure.

      Please know that there is no one in charge of this plague. This is a war for which there is no general and for which there has never been a general. How can you win a war with no one in charge? 

      Please know that beginning with Ronald Reagan (who would not say the word 'AIDS' publicly for seven years), every single president has said nothing and done nothing, or in the case of the current president, says the right things and then doesn’t do them. 

      Please know that most medications for HIV/AIDS are inhumanly expensive and that government funding for the poor to obtain them is dwindling and often unavailable. 

      Please know that pharmaceutical companies are among the most evil and greedy nightmares ever loosed on humankind. What 'research' they embark upon is calculated only toward finding newer drugs to keep us, just barely, from dying, but not to make us better or, god forbid, cured. 

      Please know that an awful lot of people have needlessly died and will continue to needlessly die because of any and all of the above. 

      Please know that the world has suffered at the very least some 75 million infections and 35 million deaths. When the action of the play that you have just seen begins, there were 41.

      I have never seen such wrongs as this plague, in all its guises, represents, and continues to say about us all." - Larry Kramer, excerpt from the letter that was handed out.

The words of this play are still ringing in my ears, and so they should. Beyond the fact that play itself was incredibly well done, it is a true story. I did not live through that time period. I really knew little about the terror that so many people went through at that time. And though I'm sure I still understand little about the constant fear, hurt and loss that so many went through, I think this play gave me a little taste. 

This will be my last post for a while. I'm going away for the summer, but when I come back I can promise posts on Memphis, The Motherfucker with the Hat and Hair!

The 1st Annual Bombers Boomers Broadway Celebrity Softball Games

Wow. That was a mouthful. Today was a day I had been anticipating for quite a while now. It was the day I would attend the 1st Annual Bombers..... I must say, when I decided I was to be in attendance I really had no idea what it was, aside from the fact that the money went to charity and it had Broadway people playing softball at Yankee Stadium. Yes, that is enough to make me want to go.

Aaron Tveit singing the Star Spangled Banner

I got there at 10am this morning to be surprised with a wonderful continental breakfast and great coffee, the only thing I really need in the morning. Of course it did help that when I got outside and sat anywhere I felt like in Yankee Stadium, the weather was beautiful and Aaron Tveit sang the Star Spangled Banner. Not to mention Rachelle Rak, Alex Ellis, Dominic Scaglione, Jr., Matt Bogart, Mitch Jarvis, Tom Wopat and many other Broadway people that I admire were there, nonetheless playing softball! I happened to be rooting for the Broadway Bombers, mainly because Catch Me if You Can is my favorite current Broadway show and that was team with the Catch Me people. Still, the Bombers suffered a sad defeat. Congrats to the Times Square Slammers though! And yes, it was still fun to watch.

Aaron Tveit

Dominic Scaglione, Jr. at bat

After the Broadway game ended, the Boomers-Bombers game was set to begin. These teams consisted of various famous people from various places, most of whom I had never heard of (excluding Edie Falco), so I found that game much less interesting. It was during this point in the day that I decided to relax in the air-conditioned Legends Suite, where the event took place. I am so lucky to have been in the Legends Suite once before due to my friend and her extra ticket and once you see a Yankee game there, you can't really go back. Still, I just hung out there for most of the time, lots of the Broadway players were filtering in and out so it was nice to see them, and the food was delicious.

Edie Falco at bat

After the second game ended, there was a reception with more food and drink. Honestly, I am astounded that I did not explode at some point throughout the day. I sat down, got some food (yet again, I might add), listened to nice Jazz, and drank water in a wonderfully air-conditioned room filled with incredibly nice and talented people following two celebrity softball games. Yeah, it was a good day.

Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo

For some reason, I always think of Robin Williams as that guy from RV, that incredibly stupid movie that I saw on a plane once. I think that was the first time I saw him in a movie, something I am slightly ashamed of. Still, since then I have watched a lot of his other work to learn that he is not "that guy from that stupid movie that time" but an amazing actor. Mostly I learned this from his phenomenal performance in Good Will Hunting, one of my favorite films. And then I saw him on Broadway.

One of my favorite things to do is see screen actors come to Broadway, to see an actor that you know from somewhere in a completely different setting. And honestly, Robin Williams was great as the Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo.

Bengal Tiger was a play about the current war in Iraq and how it has affected everyone there, the soldiers, the civilians and of course, the Bengal Tiger. It was told, for the most part anyway, from the perspective of this tiger who died and is now on his path of redemption so he can escape the terror of the world around him. Throughout his path of redemption he encounters various people and situations only to have his final epiphany and the end of the show.

Robin Williams as the Bengal tiger

Honestly, I think the show was incredibly clever. First, the overall premise, the chaos of the war interpreted through various people's stories, and mainly based around the death of this tiger. Everything, down to the last word was just smart. Even at those moments when you started laughing because of the show's comedic outlet, right afterwards you were left thinking. I left the theatre lacking my usual stage door excitement/"let's meet the actors" mood, but more of just wandering around thinking about what it was I just saw.

And I find it fascinating when a relevant and controversial topic is used to create some art form. It really shows our ability to understand and cope with various problems in any way we know how.

The View from a Broadway Stage

Yes, indeed. I managed to get myself up on a Broadway stage. Something I never thought would be possible because my lack of performing skills (I may have mentioned them before). It was glorious. I attend these shows on a weekly basis seeing all the magic occur, the sets changing before our eyes, emotions flying in all directions.

It all began many weeks ago. An average night at the theatre, heading off to see How to Succeed. My friend Alice and I just stood behind a barricade, watching longingly as the lucky people, friends of the theatre we call them, were aloud inside the stage door. Oh, what we would give to be a member of that somewhat exclusive group. It was that night that we swore to return and one day be aloud back stage.

Alice and I waited about a week. We went back to see Daniel, but also to drop hints about our admiration towards the show to anyone who would listen. One of those few listeners was the stage doorman, and we knew that he was our key. To befriend him was to befriend the guardian of the door behind which the magic of Broadway lies. It was all we wanted.

It was this past Tuesday that it happened. After seeing Baby It's You! I realized it was not very late and maybe we ought to run over to How to Succeed and catch a glimpse of Daniel, and maybe even get a picture with Christopher J. Hanke (something I must say, I'd very much like). We got there telling all we could about our endeavors by this stage door, especially how we got Daniel Radcliffe's pen, currently in my friend's possession. Then the average chaos happened, but Hanke never came out. Alice and I thought we'd wait. We and a bunch of other fans stood outside conversing with Neil, the stage doorman. It was just by chance that his companion's name was Sophia, very similar to my name, and we spoke about that for a while. Finally, Neil said "Sophia, how 'bout you take them backstage." Of course, Alice and I thought he was joking, but she opened the door and led us back there. We saw everything.

The view from a Broadway stage:

Daniel Radcliffe's dressing room door:

We even got to go inside the elevator in the show and take a picture!

I really need to start bringing a camera to these shows, my
cell phone is terrible!

After hanging out, just standing on the stage talking for a while, we decided we'd leave. And so we emerged from the stage door, victorious!

Okay, yes. That was a bit dramatic, I admit. I sort of just needed to tell the story like that from keeping myself from banging my head into a wall out of sheer excitement leftover from that night.

Following that night, Alice and I went back to the stage door to bring Neil and Sophia chocolates as a gift. Though we know that chocolate hardly measures up to that amazing experience, it was the least we could do.

GUEST POST: The Importance of Being Earnest

A play that jokes about a now defunct system of social class, yet still manages to resonate a hilarious chord with its audience, is truly one worth seeing. The production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest by the Roundabout Theater Company is not only sidesplittingly funny, but still manages to remain poignant and relevant over a century after it was penned. 

A Tony winning Brian Bedford (and aptly so might I add) reigns supreme as Lady Augusta Bracknell, a rank obsessed mother whose approval is necessary to facilitate the marriage of several key couples. Meanwhile, the exploration of the utility, as well as function, of truth in modern society ranges from absurd rhapsodizing to hard-hitting mantras that leave the viewer pondering what exactly is the importance of being earnest. 

Accompanied by breathtaking sets and a sublime cast, The Importance of Being Earnest is aggressive in its perfection: it grabs you from the very beginning and never relinquishes your attention, despite two intermissions. This flawless production will leave you speechless, tears coursing down your cheeks as a result of intense laughter. If you are going to see one play this summer, make it The Importance of Being Earnest.


This incredibly written review is by Penina Kessler. When she becomes a published and renowned theatre critic, the best in all New York, all of you can say you read her very first here!


... I don't think I'll have the audacity to ever write again because I know that I will never be able to measure up to her amazing skills.

Baby It's You!

I must admit, I have been getting a bit spoiled with my incredible student rush seats, so when I got rear mezzanine for Baby It's You! I must say I was a bit disappointed. Then again, you get what you pay for- most of the time anyway.

Synopsis: This is the story of Florence Greenberg, a Jewish women from New Jersey yearning to work in the music business. She finally gets out of her house after discovering and managing the Shirelles and founding two record labels. The show is interestingly not so much about her managing this incredibly girl group but more about Florence herself and her development as a character along the way.

Obviously, there is a lot to this woman's life and it is hard to cover all of it efficiently and tastefully, and I must say that this show did that sufficiently well. Still, I personally found the changing relationship with her kids the most interesting, so once I left the theatre when the show was over, I sort of had this feeling of "What ever happened with that?"

Now the two extremely tall people sitting in front of me making out for the majority of the show (until an usher told them to stop) may have had something to do with the fact that I wasn't entirely engrossed, I sort of felt like there was a bit too much going on at once. There seemed to be so many little tangents occurring around the central premise of Florence and her love interest. Then again, maybe that's how the life of Florence Greenberg really played out. Who am I to say?

Still, it may have just been that exceedingly aggravating couple sitting in front of me that ruined my attention span.

On top of that, this show is described as a "Boomer's delight", unfortunately, that does not include me. I could definitely see how a person from the baby boomer's generation would have enjoyed the show more.

And now the cast:

Beth Leavel. Amazing. She portrayed the whole "Oy-Vey", Jewish housewife thing perfectly - trust me, I would know. She had a wonderful voice and an extremely gripping stage presence. No wonder she was nominated for a Tony this year!

Everyone on Broadway is incredibly talented and these performers were no exception. The whole cast was full of amazing singers, wonderful actors and incredible dancers.

It was truly a fun show but nothing was as amazing as the fact that it is a true story!

My most recent Broadway endeavors.

"The right place at the right time"
Somehow this idea never really seemed to apply to me. Recently, however, I have seemed to be extremely lucky, Broadway-wise, in encountering stars. My most recent Broadway endeavor occurred whilst waiting to meet my family to go to Radio City to see Cirque du Soleil, Zarkana, which was great. It's fun to see a circus that actually has an interesting story with live music, not just a bunch of circus acts. Still, nothing beat the incredible set and the amazing theatre. If you get the chance, definitely go see this.

Slight tangent, back to my endeavors.

Radio city is on 50th and 6th so I decided I might as well hang out in the one place I was bound to run in to the Broadway stars within that area. It also just happened to be 6:15pm, roughly when all the performers go out between their matinees and night shows. I went to the Starbucks on 52nd and 8th, half a block from Jersey Boys and Catch Me If You Can. I was just lucky that it was such a hot day and everyone was trying to get inside where there was air conditioning. While on line at Starbucks getting the most refreshing drink I know of, a passion iced tea, none other than Dominic Scaglione Jr. walked in. He was Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys! (Or at least in the production I saw) At first I wasn't sure, but I finally I decided that it was actually him. Still, I have yet to figure out how to pronounce his last name so I was not sure how to approach him. While deliberating, there were these two little girls by the window waving to the people on the outside. For those of you who are New Yorkers, you know that that is something definitely in the ordinary. Of course, only in the place that I was would these little girls wave to Aaron Tveit as he was passing by and then ask "What if we waved to someone famous without realizing it?"

Anyway back to Dominic, the story about Aaron yet to come. I finally decided to just ask him if he by any chance played Fankie Valli in Jersey Boys, which he of course said yes to and we had a short conversation while I told him how wonderful he is. He then asked my name (something that really makes me happy about Broadway stars, it actually makes you feel like they care) and in anticipation of the awkward moments to follow if I were to continue to hang out in that Starbucks, I left.

The moment I stepped outside, a gust of heat hit me, followed by a long minute of lightheadedness and me having to lean against a street sign to actually be able to start breathing again (what can I say? I'm more of a winter girl). Of course standing 10 feet from me is Aaron Tveit talking on the phone, another thing that didn't quite help with the whole lightheaded and breathing thing. I walked across the street planning on heading over to Radio City, but still unable to. I needed water. I went back to the Starbucks to buy myself a water bottle to help me last the longest four block trip I have ever been on and of course, I see Jay Armstrong Johnson and once again Aaron Tveit. After a few long moments of hesitating I decided I'd walk over and say hello after I had gotten some water. Of course when I got to the register the cashier made a big fuss about how I was just in here and if she needed to check my ID. By the time I had bought my water, they were both gone.

Still it was cool to just see them and have the chance to talk to Dominic! Let's hope I continue to be this lucky when it comes to theatre.

Sidenote: I hate to overshadow my Tony's post with this one seeing as that one is a bit more significant. I just thought I'd share this experience.

The Tonys

Needless to say, the Tonys were on last night. Sadly, I have no television, I have been roaming the internet to find some video of the entire thing (still no luck, if you find one let me know!). Because of this, I cannot really comment on how they were. All I know is that in the opening number Neil Patrick Harris was incredible. From what I saw I think it's safe to say he was nowhere close to the train-wreck James Franco and Anne Hathaway were at the Oscars, then again, this is Broadway.

Because I am so lucky to actually live in New York City, I actually took a trip down to the beautiful Beacon Theatre to check out the most glamorous night in the theatre world. It was surreal. Honestly, New York city is a hell of a crazy place but surely it's not everyday you go walking down 74th Street and Broadway to see people strutting about in ball gowns. I just sort of lurked watching Broadway royalty strolling about. Okay, so maybe I didn't see anyone I recognized but all the same, I'm sure many of the people I saw contribute somehow to the theatre, making them royalty.

Honestly, it's my dream to just get all glammed up in a beautiful gown, a sophisticated pair of pumps, get my hair done and wear an extraordinary amount of make-up, to go into a beautiful theatre and be surrounded by people who work hard to make an idea on a page a reality that we all then get to be a part of.

While creeping outside of the Beacon, I merely stared longingly at all the people who looked not much older than me jumping up and down in excitement walking to the "special" side of the street, closed off to pedestrians. I think this dream of mine is a tad too far fetched due to my utter lack of any performing talent as well as knowledge of the many other components of theatre, but hey, one can wish right?

I must say it was really weird. I mean, I watch and anticipate the Oscars religiously, the big movie buff I am, and it just seems like another world. It's strange to think the Tonys are roughly the same thing just another community of the art world and it's happening down my street! (Over exaggeration. I don't live that close.) It's funny in a way. I longed to see all those stars and converse with them about all the good they do and how incredible they are, but I can just hop on the train and tell them whenever I want!

Enough of my desire to be one the lucky people attending the Tonys, and on to the winners themselves.

The Book of Mormon. 9 Tonys, virtually everything it was nominated for. Okay, so I have yet to see this supposedly incredible show, and sorry to say, it will most definitely be a long time until I do so due to it's now new hype- also it has no form of general or student rush no matter how much I wish it did.  Still, money does not grow on trees- and neither do tickets, I hear it's sold out for months! The one thing I have been able to do however, is listen to the songs and watch the videos. I, however, have been doing this sparingly, I really don't want to know too much about the show. I know enough to understand that it is a show that makes fun of religion, and I must say, being the somewhat rebellious teen that I am, there is hardly anything I find funnier. Please god, let me win the lottery to the Book of Mormon.

Norbert Leo Butz. Yes, I am aware that I may have mentioned my outrage that Aaron Tveit was robbed again of a nomination, but Norbert, you were truly amazing and definitely deserved this win. His role is quite complex and not to mention "Don't Break the Rules". I think this video says enough. And yes, I am devastated that Aaron only got 30 seconds of stage time. Really Tony people?! You can't even let him perform?

Anything Goes. This is another show that I have yet to see. Also, yet another one that is almost impossible to get cheap tickets to. I got to the theatre at 11am on a day that had both a matinee and a night show and they were all out of rush seats. This show has a Tony winner as the star as well. Congratulations Sutton Foster!

John Larroquette. I must say he is absolutely delightful and incredibly funny in How to Succeed. Honestly, winning a Tony for your Broadway debut? That's impressive.

John Larroquette (right) as J. B. Biggley in
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

The rest of the shows I still have to see and know far too little about to comment on. All of them are now on my wish list and I hope to see them and post on them as soon as I can!

Rock of Ages

Storyline: So basically, a young man from Detroit who wants to be a rockstar and a girl from a small town who wants to be an actress and are in Hollywood trying to achieve their dreams. Surprisingly, they fall in love and there's conflict. At the same time, an evil German developer and his son, Franz, try to reconstruct the sunset strip and they are trying to demolish the Bourbon Room, where our story for the most part takes place.

What can I say? It's a true example of how important each and every component of a musical is. For instance, the cast was amazing, the set was hilarious, the music was great, but the story was incredibly cliche, and it's the story that is the basis for the rest of the production. Okay so maybe there were a few funny moments, but they were the type of funny moments that you see in those ridiculous movies that are funny for a second and then they just seem absurd. The essence of a great comedy is that of an over-exaggeration of a truly serious subject. In this show, the serious subject, had little impact on what seemed like the main story, or the love story, which consisted of two people trying to achieve their dreams and then, SPOILER ALERT, they find out that what they really want is love and, unexpectedly, everything works out for the best! Alright, so even the narrator recognizes the fact that it was incredibly cliche. He even says, "Betcha didn't see that coming!", one of the few really funny moments of the show. Still there was more about the show that didn't quite appeal to me.

If it wasn't the uninteresting story line that didn't intrigue me, it was the far too many "Huh?!" moments. From the very beginning of the show, I just kept thinking "What the what?" It all began with the very first scene when one of the guitarists came to the very front of the stage and just stood there playing in slow motion while smiling and making eye contact with the audience for what seemed like an endless amount of time. I must say, for a show that seems to be aimed at middle-aged, single women, this show had far too many stripper dances. Then, there was the "coming out" of two characters who had shown such an obvious attraction to women throughout the entire show. That was just plain random.

Still, nothing beats the outrageousness of the final number "Don't Stop Believing". It started out cheesy, but sweet all the same but as the song went on, it just got stranger and stranger. Out of nowhere, the lead girl comes out and she's pregnant! Alright, so even if there was no mention of wanting kids or anything having to do with pregnancy in the entire show, I guess it sort of make sense. I can however, tell you what doesn't. When completely out of the blue, she's holding a plastic baby in the air and a "Lion King" sort of sequence occurs. Keep in mind, "Don't Stop Believing" is not a very long song so all of this sort of happened rapidly, while simultaneously, one of the guys who died in the show is walking around the audience in this unbelievable golden angel suit while another just in underwear! Throughout this entire number, I was legitimately just thinking, "I do not comprehend what is going on."

I do have to admit though, there was one part of the show that I truly enjoyed. Franz. A German boy with a dream of having a candy store (trust me, this actually does fit into the storyline). This one number "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" is pure brilliance. Out of nowhere (as usual) Franz rips off all his clothes to reveal a blue sparkling unitard and sings with a German accent. Honestly, it was hilarious. Cody Scott Lancaster, great job. His performance was by far the most entertaining. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the cast was wonderful, the music was obviously fantastic, the only problem was the story.

My friend Vera and me with Cody Scott Lancaster at the stage door

Like I said, the show was aimed toward single, middle-aged women, something that I am proud to say I am not. At the stage door this one lady walked up to the guitarist whilst referring to him as her new "Rockstar boyfriend" and just said, "You are so hot." I'm a teenage girl and I wouldn't even do that. What does that tell you? I guess it's sweet that these women got another chance at their childhood, they probably appreciated the show more than I did. And maybe one day I'll think back to that show and appreciate it way more, but until then all I can say is, "What?!"

Something funny:

Inside the Helen Hayes theatre

I don't know why I found this so hilarious, but inside the theatre they had bras hanging everywhere.

West Side Story: A Bronx Science Production

So recently my high school put on a production of West Side Story for our spring musical. Honesty, I am slightly ashamed to admit I did not know what it was about until one of my friends told me. And though it is not public theater, it was definitely a performance that's worth giving recognition to.

I had never seen West Side Story and some of my friends had pulled off some lead roles in the show so I had been anticipating it for weeks (Mostly because many of them were inconspicuously dropping hints that the show was going to be amazing). My friends were of course aware of my current Broadway frenzy and had to remind me many times not to have too high expectations. Still, the performance exceeded them. The entire show was well done, obviously the story is riveting and the music is wonderful, but I really need to make a huge shout-out to the cast. It's truly amazing how incredibly talented a group of high schoolers can be.

The entire cast

The thing about high school productions is that you have really little control over casting. There are only a handful of amazing singers, dancers and of course actors and an even smaller group who have the courage to audition, let alone perform in front of our school. Still, something tells me it was little more than just luck that made our cast so incredible.

Shanti Kumar and Shawn Geller as Maria and Tony

First, Maria and Tony. The two who played them (in the production I saw) had incredible chemistry, were phenomenal singers, and overall performed so well. In the auditorium filled with fidgeting teenagers, both of them had this strange ability to cause everyone to get quiet and still the moment one of them opened their mouth to sing. When Tony died and Maria made her final speech while holding the gun that was used to kill him, I was legitimately brought to tears.

Finally, apart from the incredible cast, the other thing that stood out to me was the choreography. West Side Story is a very dance dependent musical and in the numbers where virtually everyone was dancing, everyone was really great. Okay, so maybe the whole "synchronized" thing didn't really work out, but it added more the the show. I mean, a show about disputes between gangs and such, how much organization and synchronization actually is realistic?

And lastly, one of the greatest scenes (dancing-wise anyway) is in the ballroom right before Tony and Maria meet, when Anita and Riff's girlfriend, Velma, have a "dance-off" there were these two incredible lifts done by Anita and Velma. Honestly, I am astounded that this show was put together in only three months!