<p>Chris, make no mistake, I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked and for most of the reasons you mentioned. Great talent. My D was spending the night in an NYU dorm (the year before she applied) and I was all alone in the city and ran to the theater at show time...sold out....actually was a night they normally do not have a show (Sunday perhaps?) but that night was a benefit for the Actors Fund and there was a cancellation seat in the orchestra and I got it. After the show, all the stars came out and addressed the audience. My child never let me live it down that I saw it and she did not but hey, she was looking at NYU, what was I gonna do all night? I treated myself as a birthday present! My kids still haven't seen it yet.
Susan</p>
<p>O no, i just meant in general, on some other message boards, not directed towards you, i was just trying to get out my view on wicked. i love it, and i saw it. i was so excited, it was my first broadway show, first time in ny, first time at nyu...and it was near the end of Idina's run, and Jennifer Laura Thompson was in it as well (i was a fan of hers from urinetown and footloose!)...but i went, and i was so sad to find that BOTH of them were going to be absent that night. i mean, i saw shoshana bean, who was definatley very good...but still...just not the same</p>
<p>chris</p>
<p>chris- i agree with you about wicked. the songs are catchy, even though the lyrics aren't the best, and overall it's something different. people need a different kind of musical every so often, and idina and kristin are both amazing!!</p>
<p>Chris, you just reminded me of a musical my D loves...Urinetown!</p>
<p>I adore the music from Urinetown and wish I could see it staged somewhere. A year or so ago (a few years ago?) it was supposed to play at a local theater/venue where traveling companies perform, and we got tickets. Alas, alack, it was cancelled. My D loves the music from this show and wants to see it. I noticed that a local PA high school (not my D's) is going to stage this in the spring, so maybe we will go to that, though it certainly won't be the same as seeing it done professionally.</p>
<p>The tough part about a thread like this is that there are so many wonderful choices for favorite musical!</p>
<p>I still have a soft spot in my heart for the musical, um, music I grew up with! My mom was a huge musical theater fan and, in fact, wrote and directed amateur musicals for charity in the little town in which I grew up in New York state. So I grew up listening to the soundtracks from the classics, from Carousel, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, etc. As a result, I could really relate to the character of Emma in the movie "Terms of Endearment." If you all will recall, she constantly played musical soundtracks! <g> </g></p>
<p>Yay for show tunes! :)</p>
<p>LD</p>
<p>I love so many musicals, but have no problems picking my favourite. It is, and always will be, my very first muscial Les Mis. If I hadn't seen that I'd never be the musical obsessive I am today.</p>
<p>Incidentally, it's both interesting and nice to see this thread showing Wicked isn't universally loved. I don't dislike it, it's a nice enough show, but I've never really understood the levels of adoration it seems to have received. My favourites are almost all quite serious shows. My mum doesn't seem to think a musical is a musical unless she cries at it :D (hence me having plenty of Les Mis music to "borrow" from her :D)</p>
<p>Wicked was a huge disappointment for me, actually...I saw it recently with Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty. Megan Hilty was GREAT, but that's about all I can say for the show.</p>
<p>It was nice seeing Ben Vereen - one of the cast members gave my friends and I a backstage tour after the show because we told him we were MT students, and I actually got to meet Ben Vereen. I shook his legendary hand!!! That was cool. But even his performance was a little scattered...I actually don't think it's his fault. The role of the Wizard is just written really badly. :(</p>
<p>If I were a Broadway producer, I would make a long-term plan to one day re-work Wicked and make it into the awesome show it COULD be. Less cheesy soft-shoeing for the show's VILLAIN and more of the sinister-ness of the book. And DEFINITELY better songs and SCENES - the dialogue is so torturous! - for Elphaba.</p>
<p>I think I will do that one day. ;)</p>
<p>For some reason I love when musicals make me cry too (which is why I loveLes Mis probably!) I think it just touches me more and I like it when I go home and keep thinking about what I saw.</p>
<p>Anyway. I saw Wicked on tour in April (Stephanie J. Block= Amazing!). It was good, but I agree that it has a little too much popularity, and frankly, I get kind of annoyed by people who say they "LOVE BROADWAY!" after seeing it. Once. And not even on Broadway. Oh well. It's good, but not God. :)</p>
<p>Know what you mean about the "LOVE BROADWAY" thing! There was some poll thing on a couple of Xmases ago on TV here - "The 100 Greatest Musicals" Here's a link to the results: <a href="http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/M/musicals/results_100to96.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/M/musicals/results_100to96.html</a></p>
<p>Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode over Les Mis? Argh! And Grease is alright, but I don't think it's anywhere near the best musical (my 2nd and 3rd favourites aren't even in the top 100!)</p>
<p>I'm all for getting more people into musical theatre, but quality MT please!</p>
<p>I'm not surprised that so much discussion followed my comment about Wicked (and Rent) not being on my list of favorites! Just to clarify, though: I don't HATE either Wicked or Rent. Both have memorable moments, and both had some outstanding performances when I saw them. But IMO they didn't go beyond that, and those factors don't add up to a great show. I'm looking forward, though, to a few years down the road when Samia gets to shake the Wicked tree and turn it into something truly fabulous!</p>
<p>Speaking of truly fabulous, all you Sweeney fans: I'm seeing it tonight in NY!!! Got tickets at TKTS for myself, H, D, D's BF and my cousin. Absolutely cannot wait!!! TKTS has been good to us on this brief visit -- last night, at the BF's request, we saw Doubt. Just great -- amazing performances, simple and excellent staging (great lighting!), and such a well-written (you go, Samia!) and thought-provoking play. Many people stayed in their seats afterward just talking about it.</p>
<p>Report on Sweeney coming soon!</p>
<p>Artsymom...enjoy!! lucky you! My daughter saw both Doubt and Sweeney Todd on Broadway this fall and loved them both a LOT. I haven't seen either, but I have a feeling you are in for a treat.</p>
<p>artsymom,</p>
<p>Have a great time at Sweeny! D just saw it last Friday as part of her Christmas present and LOVED it! She was amazed by the fact that there was no orchestra and the actors played all their own instruments! She definitely added it to her list of favorites...hope you will too!</p>
<p>kathie</p>
<p>Saw Sweeney a few weeks ago. A masterful piece of theatre!</p>
<p>Since this says PLAYS/Musicals, I have to put in a shout out for both The Pillowman and Arcadia.</p>
<p>I also love Ragtime. There are so many stellar songs in that show and the OBC is great.</p>
<p>Did anybody else not like The Producers or was that just me?</p>
<p>Will tell you in the next week - going to see it with my mum hopefully :D</p>
<p>Are you all talking about the new Producers movie? I've never seen it on stage, but I found the movie to be very light-hearted and entertaining. I was glad to see those 2 guys in the movie who were such a success on Broadway.</p>
<p>I thought the producers movie was well done, but I enjoyed the stage version a lot more!</p>
<p>ok, now to Wicked - I would love to see a darker version as someone said, but it just shows you the Disney-ization of broadway. I mean I know Disney has nothing to do with it, but I mean Disney's affect on b-way. I think wicked is a good show, but they learned from disney that it has to be a spectacle and everyone has to leave feeling happy to be successful. And look, it has worked for wicked. I think its safe to say that if wicked followed the book more closely, it wouldnt have been as successful. Its just kind of sad what is happening to broadway. I mean there are so many wonderful shows out there that never get seen b/c they don't sell! But "money makes the world go 'round"...lol...im such a nerd!</p>
<p>on to doubt - simply amazing. Cant say much else...everything about it is wonderful. The set, lighting, writing, performances...ugh...beautiful show!</p>
<p>I also loved the revival of Who's affraid on virginia wolf! again, everything about it was incredible!!! Kathleen turner was just incredible, as was bill irwin!</p>
<p>ok...I have so many favorite musicals and plays, I can't even begin to list them. I think my favorite changes every week. Right now its assasins, kiss me kate and sweeney...speaking of sweeney, im seeing it in feb...i am really excited!! heard its incredible! </p>
<p>alright, im done for now</p>
<p>My Sweeney report after seeing it this past Wednesday night: Five of us went, four who already idolized the show and one (my D's BF) who had never seen it. All five of us were mesmerized, captivated and all such other words, not to mention blown away by the talent of the performers not only singing but playing the famously difficult music. BUT...the four who had seen "traditional" productions agreed that we still preferred those. We thought the small cast (10 vs. the usual 30), and small number of instruments unavoidably reduced the show's typically incredible power, no matter how amazing the performers were. Also, the staging took away a lot of the usual visuals, and we missed them. And as they played their instruments, the performers weren't always focused on each other as much as they normally would have been. As for specific performers: Michael Cerveris is fabulous, but I think the production cut into the power and menace of his Sweeney. Patti Lupone...well, she's Patti Lupone, of course...her Mrs. Lovett was wily and very sensual (as my cousin said, "very Kurt Weill") instead of batty and twisted. I think I prefer batty and twisted. I thought Lauren Molina ad Johanna, Manoel Felciano as Tobias and Alexander Gemignani as the Beadle were especially wonderful. One other interesting point about the way this is staged, with the actors playing instruments: my cousin, who plays keyboard for a hugely successful Broadway show, asked: "Except for money considerations, why do it this way?" Obviously, she has a very personal perspective on the matter, but I think it's a good question, and I'd love to hear what others think. All that said, the BF -- the "Sweeney" virgin in our group -- absolutely loved it and said he was glad he'd seen this version first. Ah, your first time is always special, isn't it?</p>
<p>Great review Artsymom! I have tickets to see this production on Jan 18 and can't wait! My D saw it over the break and LOVED it! Said it was the "most committed ensemble work" she had ever seen. She was so impressed at how it WASN"T the Patty Lupone show (who she really likes, by the way). She too spoke very highly of Lauren Molina and Alex Gemignani (sp?) and swore it wasn't just because they are both UM MT grads (blame the shameless promotion on me, the unstoppable UM booster!) It was the first time I've ever heard her speak longingly about the ability to play an instrument. She did take piano lessons when she was 6 or 7 but had neither the patience nor the time for it when her dance training started to require more time. She really values the piano training she had last year at school and I know she would like to find time to continue it at some point now. I do so love the original Sweeney, so I'm curious about what my reaction will be. Again, can't wait!</p>
<p>With regard to your cousin's questions about why the "need" to remount this show in this way, I remember reading a fabulous article about this in the NY Times either just before or just after the show opened in NYC (after coming over from Great Britain where it originated) and if you or she can google it or check the NYT online serach engine and find it, I think it might help you make sense of the choices made in this production. Quite enlightening as I remember.</p>