Current Broadway/Off Broadway plays
 

I will be making my annual trip to New York next weekend and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for current musicals/plays. I haven't been able to find a copy of TimeOut at bookstores here in Dallas (I used to be able to buy it at any Barnes and Noble) and the TimeOut website leaves alot to be desired. Anything else going on in the city lately of interest?

I've heard good things about "What the Butler Saw" (off-Broadway).

PlayBill Magazine and the Village Voice have the listings and are available at:
http://www.playbill.com/
http://www.villagevoice.com/

Don't forget about TKTS, the half price ticket booths. There are two in Manhattan; at Times Square and in the World Trade Center (Bldg #2). Remember the TKTS in the WTC opens an hour earlier, sells next day matinee tickets AND has a Krispy Kreme nearby for something to munch on while in line. Both locations take cash and travelers checks only. Here is a link that usually has the shows available half-price the previous day (I think they took the holiday week off): http://newyork.citysearch.com/E/V/NY...48/79/cs1.html

I don't know when Witches of Eastwick will make it to NY, but I just saw it in London and it was fabulous. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If you're into musicals, The Full Monty has received some buzz, although I haven't personally had the chance to see it yet.

I finally saw Jane Eyre last Wednesday and loved it. There are hints of Les Miserables, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast in it. The music and performances are wonderful (Marla Schaffel and James Barbour are so intense). The sets are on the minimalist side, letting the story and music capture the imagination.

Seussical is the other major musical this season. I wasn't too impressed by the number they performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I've heard from some people who like it, and others who haven't.

-StageDoor

I can't recommend strongly enough "Blue Man Group" at the Astor Place Theatre. Several of us FTers met and saw the show (albeit in Chicago, but the shows are quite similar) and all were "blown away."

It is unique in every sense -- a combination of intriguing music, performance art, intellectual critique, vaudevillian slapstick, amazing feats, clever insights, and an unbelievable degree of enthusiastic audience participation. Let there be no doubt, absolutely every audience member will participate in some fashion, whether it's the 20-something woman invited on to the stage, or the 75-year-old grandmother belting out the words to Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."

To quote the most descriptive review I've seen -- "If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then there aren't enough words in the English language to describe this show." For more details click here. And no, I don't have anything to do with them, other than being a fan.

[This message has been edited by Ken hAAmer (edited 11-29-2000).]

Thanks for all of the advice. Ken, I have seen Blue Man Group twice. Once in New York three years ago and again in Chicago this past summer. It's a fantastic show. The only thing I was disappointed with on the Chicago show was that it was the exact same show I saw three years ago. Any other advice? I think I will try to see the Idlewild bar while I'm there. Thanks, James

There's always more to see than you can find time or money for, but my latest raves are for these two shows:

Seussical the Musical is fantastic! I, too, watched the Macy's parade and thought the number the Seussical cast did was less than inspiring. But when I saw the show earlier this week I was really blown away - it's incredibly creative, fun, and fast-paced. This is a show that kids & adults will both love.

Dirty Blonde is a play about two fans of Mae West who meet at her gravesite. It's not a musical, but has a few songs thrown in here and there. The 3-person cast is fantastic and wonderfully funny. Even my "non-theatre" friends raved about this one for days.

I'm just back from NYC, and saw The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (comedy with Linda Lavin) and Proof (interesting and very well-written drama with Mary-Louise Parker, who can do no wrong). Both very recommended if you're serious about good theatre.

On a weekend visit last spring I also caught Contact (the dance musical that even people who hate dance will enjoy), Dirty Blonde (as noted above, funny, sassy, and surprisingly moving; Claudia Shearer stars as well as authored it), Copenhagen (talky and cerebral, but excellent and they cover the little bit of physics you need - its three characters are physicists, but it's "about" finding truth and subjective reality), and Fully Committed (a hilarious one-man satire of the restaurant industry). Also caught two plays that have since closed.

All of these except Contact are likely to be on half-price at TKTS. The downtown location opens at 11:00am and sells both matinee and evening tickets all day; the 47th Street location opens at noon for matinees and 3pm for evening performances. Plus the downtown location lines are likely to be significantly shorter.

[This message has been edited by johna (edited 12-04-2000).]

My wife and I are going to see Contact next Thursday. -It came highly recommended, but I know nothing about it.

-KP headed to Broadway

Thanks again for all of the recommendations. Last weekend I saw Cobb off-broadway. It's very good and if your a big baseball fan like me I would highly recommend it. This was the only choice of mine that I could get at the half-priced booth. I really wanted to see Proof or What the Butler Saw but New York is just to popular these days and I just refuse to pay full price. Thanks again.