| Brief reports on 10 shows in 6 days | |
| Last Edit: Ann 09:14 am EST 11/11/24 | |
| Posted by: Ann 08:57 am EST 11/11/24 | |
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| Thought I would come in on election day and have a nice diversion while votes were being counted, then be in the city to enjoy a great feeling of celebration. Well, the shows were good. And no replacements. * The Blood Quilt at Lincoln Center: really enjoyed this family saga set off the coast of Georgia. Wonderful cast playing women with vivid personalities. Sat front row center, right in front of a popular special effect. * The Hills of California: similar in its basic story (sisters, dead/dying mother, wrongs, secrets, abuse) to The Blood Quilt, but set in England in 1976 with flashback scenes in 1955 (basically, the time of my birth to the year of my college graduation, so relevant to me). Another great cast and a compelling story that builds right to the end. Hard for me to compare to The Ferryman, as they are so different, but I loved both. My new favorite Broadway seat: C2. Happily used the listening devices and had no problem understanding the dialogue (I usually use them for my own needs anyway, if I'm not sitting close, but close and assistance was probably necessary here). * Maybe Happy Ending: Again, seat C2, which worked great. Fun, light, charming, with a catchy score and fine performances. Robot romantic comedy. Seems maybe a bit slight for Broadway, but lots of fans so far. Happy for the reduced preview period prices. * Oh, Mary!: What more can be said - hilarious, clever, best cabaret medley ever (please, a Tonys show performance), brilliant performances. Sat first row left side mezzanine (A17, which was just fine and reasonably cheaper than orchestra seats). * Death Becomes Her: I don't always go for movie musicals, but wanted to see this cast, and they are great. I'll say the same I said for Back to the Future: if you think you'd like a musical version of the movie, you should love this. There is a lot of yelling and loud singing. Hilty and Simard are in fine voice and very funny with the comedy - especially Simard, who has a character with more range. I was not so impressed with the special effects, but hard to compare to what a movie can do. And the stunt/double work - maybe it's supposed to be obvious and funny for being obvious, but overdone for me. * Shit.Meet.Fan.: or God of Carnage.Hit.Fan. I didn't even notice who was in the cast before getting there, but kind of star-studded. And they're all pretty good. Hard to fully embrace because of so many unlikeable people, all done wrong and have done wrong. Beautiful set. Kind of one-scene cinematic. * The Counter: my favorite genre, dramatic play, so I was already in. And it's well done, compelling, and emotional. Very short, one hour 15 minutes, but the characters go a long way. Fine cast. There was a talkback with the cast afterward, which was informative (but oh, so many rules about questions laid down by Roundabout reps). Extreme cell phone disruptions - three, include two by the woman sitting next to me. Really annoying. * McNeal: I really liked this play. Well, until the end, which I don't think I really get (and, yes, I fell for the "trick" and I was right in the front). Robert Downey Jr. is a fine stage actor. It is a drama with some light moments, but Andrea Martin was in a comedy (still enjoy her every minute). New experience of watching audience member next to me turn around during bows to get a selfie with the cast. * Ragtime: stunning, rapturous, too relevant. A real highlight among highlights at City Center. Sat center front row, which really locked me in (though I couldn't see when people were standing). * Hold on to Me Darling: hadn't seen the play before - it is a really good play. Adam Driver is quite good, but not quite right for the role, to my eye, though I can't explain why. The rest of the cast are great. And sets upon sets. I sat on the side aisle second row mezz and the railings are much more manageable there. Listening device came in handy here, too. I'm very sorry you're having a drought, but I was grateful for the spring weather and no rain until last night. |
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