Broadway and Beyond

[thirtythree]

Yeah, I'm not really feeling Spring Awakening. The music is catchy but gets old, and the story sounds completely pretentious (I know it's based off a novel, but still).

I wanna see more contemporary musicals be like Urinetown; nothing dramatic, just fun, good humor, good soundtrack, well-designed.

[heyalice]

I loved GREY GARDENS and am happy I got to see it now that it's closing. I want to purchase the Broadway cast recording and the song 'Another Winter in A Summer Town' isn't on it. Does it go by another title?

[hellsbells]

So glad I wasn't alone on my Spring Awakening opinion! I was sort of nervous about stating it seeing as how it is the BIG MUSICAL of the year!

Thirtythree... I loved Urinetown. It was a fun, yet small, show that really had great music.

I haven't seen Grey Gardens, though my friend who is visiting went to go see that on Friday night. She loved it. For some reason, it just didn't appeal to me, so I never went ahead and booked tickets for it. Now I sort of regret that, as I've heard some really good things about it, and it's shutting down this week.

[Deleted]

Not sure if anyone else caught it but MTV is airing Legally Blonde the musical all weekend. I caught it earlier today and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Some of the songs are very peppy and cute. It's not groundbreaking but enjoyable. I liked it better than Spamalot and Wedding Singer if I compare it to movie-based musicals.

[proper stranger]

Same here. I tuned in last night, just because I felt like I should support musicals--any musicals--being shown on TV. I thought it was a neat thing for MTV to do and I'd love to see more shows on TV (other than the occasional PBS airing).

I was pleasantly surprised, though, with Legally Blonde--I thought it was really cute. The cast had a lot of energy and I can see how it would be fun to see live. I've had the tune of the "Oh My God You Guys" song stuck in my head all day.

Only complaint? Those girls hosting the broadcast were TERRIBLE and had no personality between the three of them. To irritate me even further, one of them referred to the cast recording as the "soundtrack", thus committing one of my musical geek pet peeves.

[Deleted]

Yes, they were absolutely terrible. Also, completely unnecessary. Why couldn't the girl playing Elle have done pre-taped intros? Why the hell do I care about the girls from Laguna Hills or whatever the hell they're all from.

The first act is much better than the second act (the gay or European song really got on my nerves) . . . I also liked "Oh My God, You Guys!" and "Right in front of you" (or whatever the second one was called).

Also, I was reading about the stars online and it cracked me up that the guy playing the Luke Wilson character has "He is best known for appearing in and singing in an ebay commercial". But yeah, as soon as I read that I remembered the commercial.

[tamaradixon]

Just bought the cast recording to "Xanadu". That show is so much fun. Done very 'tongue in cheek'. Cheyenne Jackson is hot. That is all.

[Deleted]

Ooh, I really really want to see that! Mostly because I love ELO.

[Deleted]

Mark Rylance's Tony acceptance speech:

“When you’re in town wearing some kind of a uniform is helpful. Policeman, priest, etc. Driving a tank is very impressive or a car with official lettering on the side. If that isn’t to your taste, you could join the revolution, wear an armband, carry a home-made flag tied to a broom handle or placard bearing an incendiary slogan. At the very least, you should wear a suit and carry a briefcase and a cellphone. Or a team jacket, a baseball cap, and a cell phone. If you’re in the woods, the back country, some place far from any human habitation, it is a good idea to wear orange…and carry a gun and, or depending on the season, a fishing pole or a camera with a big lens. Otherwise…I will wrap it up now very quickly…otherwise it might appear that you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re just wandering the earth, no particular reason for being here, no particular place to go. Thanks very much for this.”

Now that's a cool acceptance speech (actually a prose piece by Minnesota poet Lewis Jenkins), so much more interesting than the usual Huge List O'Thank Yous. Doesn't look like he credited the author, though.

The My Fair Lady tour that came thru Denver recently was a great production to take the whole family to. My wife, 15-year-old son and I have tix to Sweeney Toddthis weekend (we're leaving our 9-year-old with her grandparents for that one).

[Wol]

While I loved Mark Rylance's speech, I would have liked to hear him talk like himself. Cause he's Mark Rylance and I'm a Shakespeare geek.

I liked Tracey Letts' speech, too.

Duke of URL, how did you like My Fair Lady? I think you saw the same tour I did last weekend in SoCal. I was very meh on it, but saw the standby for Eliza, so maybe that made a difference. Thought the Henry Higgins and the Freddie were wonderful. Slightly OT, but we went to Denver last summer for the first time to see the pre-Bway Little Mermaid tryout. Wonderful city, I'd move there in a heartbeat if we could find jobs.

Is anyone watching the wretched Legally Blonde reality show on MTV? It's appalling, but theater geek that I am I am hooked.