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.