Broadway musicals

[Trebs]

It can be stereotypical, but I am definitely a HUGE fan of Broadway Musicals. Dan likes a few - rare few unfortunately.

 

Right now, I'm sitting with earphones on listening to "Spring Awakening" - one of my MAJOR favorites. When I first got the CD, I listened to it over and over and over and (well - you get the hint). DROVE Dan crazy - "Oh - that one again"... Previous favorite was Wicked, which thankfully was one that he DID like (and that we got to see in LA a couple of years back).

 

One of the other current favorites to me is the new version of Company - with Raul Esparza. The original Company was FANTASTIC - but this version was much deeper and richer - and made even more so when I was able to get the Blu-ray DVD of the production. I wish more shows would release production DVD's. Rent's translation to DVD was.... eh ... ok. But to have been able to see the original in New York was so much more, even though I was there on a night when Mark was played by an understudy (but most of the other original cast was on hand). What I wouldn't give to have access to the Lincoln Center's archives and be able to watch all of the various original productions from over the years. I once chatted with someone I met via an online game who was a Equity/guild member and producer and DID have access - I offered to be his houseboy to just be able to go with him to those archives. He did expose me to two musicals I wouldn't have checked out on my own, Working and Side Show - BOTH fantastic (the LA Theatre Works version of Working is my favorite).

 

I could go on and on - from the productions I've been fortunate enough to see, to the various movies and CD's that are out there... Sondheim, Schwartz, Bernstein, Rodgers&Hammerstein... So many things to be passionate about...

 

Um - that is - if anyone else is interested in chatting about it...

 

Chime in - let''s here your two cents :-)

[Graeme]

For a short time, my wife and I would go to the theatre on our anniversary (that stopped when we had the boys). We saw Starlight Express in London, which was a highlight. Unfortunately, the show had no real musical hits, but we got seats right in the middle of the track and it was absolutely fantastic. Other than that, we've mainly only seen big name productions -- Sunset Boulevard, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of Penzance, etc.

 

We saw Wicked earlier this year, and we're going to see Billy Elliot for my birthday. We're still tossing up if the boys are old enough to be subjected to... er... educated about the theatre, but for now we're leaving them with their grandmother while we go out for the night.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Graeme

[LongGone]

Les Miserables -- the best all around

Billy Elliot (London) -- effing amazing and my favourite but probably beyond many Americans. Maybe the NY version is better

Avenue Q -- very fun but 'good' isn't a proper word

Phantom of the Opera -- an old stand by but getting tired

Mamma Mia -- everyone needs CAMPY theatre sometimes

Jersey Boys -- a play I wanted to hate SO much and fell in love with in spite of my feelings and considering how stubborn I am...

[MikeL]

Les Miz (London)

Starlight Express (New York)

Phantom of the Opera (National touring company)

 

I guess anything by Andrew Lloyd Weber; I think I've seen them all.

[Trebs]

Chatting with someone about Broadway and he reminded me of all of the various Disney musicals as well - which made me pull up "Hunchback of Notre Dame" - listening to "Out There" - makes my eyes water... Sooo many great memories. Not only of the movie - but Disneyland did a "Festival of Fools" stageshow that ended in early 1998 that I LOVED. And sooooo miss that show. December of 1997 I took a week and spent it at a friends - and just went to the Park every day to see the show over and over again...

[Former Member]

Evil Dead the Musical: the name is enough for me

Cats

Les Mis

Wicked

Footloose (and will see it again when its redone in 2010)

Shout

Pirates of Penzance

 

but my main focus (adn profession) is writing/acting for live dramatic theatre (as the producer terms it)

Edited March 31, 2009 by Nikolai

[Palantir]

Godspell

Hair

 

What a revolution (revalation?) these two were in their day!

I don't know about the Broadway bit for them but they're my definitive musicals.

 

Iarwain

[Sir Galahad]

Am with the Raccoon on Mamma Mia.

 

Mamma Mia - Totally camp & sooo out there!

Thriller - Yeah it made it to Londons West End, very cool.

Hairspray - Are you seeing a trend yet?

We Will Rock You - Just a totally amazing performance

Chicago - My Ma wanted to see this, but I loved it.

[Adrian Michaels]

Well well well. I'm so excited about this thread!

 

Musical theatre has basically been my life for YEARS, even though I'm taking some time off to do the Poli Sci track right now.

 

Shows I've seen recently (I can't really keep count anymore.)

Spring Awakening (21st birthday present from my ex-bf...really awesome show. I've loved the music for a quite a while now)

My Fair Lady

Miss Saigon

The Last 5 Years (BEAUTIFUL!)

Throroughly Modern Millie

 

Shows I've done:

Guys and Dolls

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Probably my favorite show to do)

Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye)

Working (Great great songs)

Once Upon a Mattress

Jesus Christ Superstar

West Side Story

Gypsy

 

Those are just the musicals. I've been in quite a few plays, as well as helped out my high school with lots of stuff.

[Johnathan Colourfield]

Hey

 

people who are interested in musicals

 

Ive been in too many

these are my favourites

 

Captain in Sound of Music

Tony in The Boyfriend

Company in Spend Spend Spend!

Dick Wilkins , Jollygoode and Topper in Scrooge!

Footman in My Fair Lady

 

Auditions coming up lol

 

Fagin in Oliver

Tony in Copacabana

 

And OMG!!!!!!!!!!

 

Scrooge in Scrooge! My Theatre School December Production Rocks!

 

and working backstage at school in Grease Is The Word

 

and i've done so many variety shows its unbelieveable

my favourite was a show called "Love Is All You Need" where i played the groom in the proposal scene. it was a fun show to do

I dont think its available anymore to do though

 

I also love the musical "Company" Angel is amazing in "Another Hundred People". I love her voice so much

What do you guys think of her?

 

Oh and i doubt you have heard of Spend Spend Spend based on a woman who won the pools and lost it all Was very fun and very sexually themed lol British musicals are basically just full of innuendos

 

Johnathan xx

[JamesSavik]

would rather go fishing.

[Benji]

Hahaha!! I'm kinda with you there James, but I loved Cats, Phantom of the Opera and a few others...........

[KJames]

I also loved Cats, Phantom' and also Chicago--which was great in London, then 2 days later we were in Orange County, California, for our local subscription....London's performance was much better and Rob got into the Theatre for free...I had to pay! But it was worth it!

[AFriendlyFace]

Oh my gosh, Trebs, you're a mind reader!

 

I've been thinking I wanted to start a thread about musicals for the last several days!

 

Unfortunately I've seen precious few actual plays. I'm not sure why; I adore musicals and Houston has an active theater life. For whatever reason I just never get around to going to see them though. I was thoroughly ticked off because I missed Avenue Q last year. Didn't know it had even come to town until the last day it was performing.

 

A friend of mine has been waving about Spring Awakening.

 

Anyway, I generally get my dose of musicals from movies, not plays. Lately I've been absolutely obsessed with the song Little Priest from Sweeney Todd; it's such a delightfully macabre song.

 

Over big favourites of mine include Rent, Chicago, My Fair Lady, Singing in the Rain, Hairspray, and the Producers. I've also been dying to see Wicked!

 

 

-Kevin

[Adrian Michaels]

Unfortunately I've seen precious few actual plays. I'm not sure why; I adore musicals and Houston has an active theater life. For whatever reason I just never get around to going to see them though. I was thoroughly ticked off because I missed Avenue Q last year. Didn't know it had even come to town until the last day it was performing.

 

I know what you mean! It was in Milwaukee this winter, and a bunch of my friend went... but I was out of town the weekend it came through.

 

I'm still a little bitter about it. *grumbles*

[canundra]

It can be stereotypical, but I am definitely a HUGE fan of Broadway Musicals. Dan likes a few - rare few unfortunately.

 

Right now, I'm sitting with earphones on listening to "Spring Awakening" - one of my MAJOR favorites. When I first got the CD, I listened to it over and over and over and (well - you get the hint). DROVE Dan crazy - "Oh - that one again"... Previous favorite was Wicked, which thankfully was one that he DID like (and that we got to see in LA a couple of years back).

 

One of the other current favorites to me is the new version of Company - with Raul Esparza. The original Company was FANTASTIC - but this version was much deeper and richer - and made even more so when I was able to get the Blu-ray DVD of the production. I wish more shows would release production DVD's. Rent's translation to DVD was.... eh ... ok. But to have been able to see the original in New York was so much more, even though I was there on a night when Mark was played by an understudy (but most of the other original cast was on hand). What I wouldn't give to have access to the Lincoln Center's archives and be able to watch all of the various original productions from over the years. I once chatted with someone I met via an online game who was a Equity/guild member and producer and DID have access - I offered to be his houseboy to just be able to go with him to those archives. He did expose me to two musicals I wouldn't have checked out on my own, Working and Side Show - BOTH fantastic (the LA Theatre Works version of Working is my favorite).

 

I could go on and on - from the productions I've been fortunate enough to see, to the various movies and CD's that are out there... Sondheim, Schwartz, Bernstein, Rodgers&Hammerstein... So many things to be passionate about...

 

Um - that is - if anyone else is interested in chatting about it...

 

Chime in - let''s here your two cents :-)

 

Spring Awakening was the very first show I saw on Broadway. I had bought the CD recording a month prior and had listened to it nonstop. I loved the CD, and the play was much more than I expected. I was just blown away by the entire production.

 

Saw Spamalot next. Hilarious.

 

It's disappointing how few Broadway shows I've seen, considering my proximity to the Great White Way.

[redlightfeeling]

I know this post is a little old, but I HAD to comment!

 

Whoever mentioned The Last Five Years was right on track. Its such a beautiful song cycle. Jason Robert Brown is getting pretty big too.

 

Also, if you're into cute coming out stories, find Bare. Its about one guy who's in the closet and one who isn't. They go to a catholic school. It's a little rough around the edges, but it makes me smile.

 

Last one, Songs from an Unmade Bed. Really really cool. Its one lyricist with 18 composers each composing a different song. Just like Last 5 Years, it not a musical, more like a cabaret song cycle, but its funny and the music is awesome. Its about an older gay man living in New York who is slightly bored with his life.

 

I also really liked Once on this Island, but that might not be for everyone. Its kinda carribean though.

 

Tell me if you decide to listen to any of these.

 

Anyone else have any recommendations on musicals that aren't as mainstream?

 

I'm dying to see Company! I don't want to get the soundtrack until I've seen it live though...

[Former Member]

Been in Les Miserables favourite song "On my own" & "A Little Fall Of Rain" totally had a crush on the guy who played Marius.. ha ha lots of good memories in that play. Me doing costume changes down to my boxers and almost getting kicked out of the play because there was girls in the room and they were really strict catholic parents. Sorry i had so many parts that once i got backstage the clothes had to come off and more had to go on ha ha ha. Theres lots of time's i'll go walk around town at nighttime in the middle of the night and play "On My Own" on my ipod. Yeah i'm a hopeless romantic lol.

 

Guys and Dolls was fun too. I was the 1 guy in the Salvation Army lol oh and got to sing in the wings too for all the other songs background lol.

 

Mamma Mia is by far my favorite musical cuz it's just upbeat and really campy and everyone knows Abba songs. I kept going to the movie store and renting the movie till eventually i found a copy to buy lmao. Great now i got the whole thing stuck in my head.

 

"Mamma Mia here we go agian my my just how much i missed you". My favorite song is "The winner takes it all" with "Does your mother know that your out?" second.

[DragonFire]

Am not really a great fan I have to say, but was dragged along to see Mamma Mia in London. Amazing show...then I love ABBA anyways.