Broadway Blizzard Bash at the Belasco (or, the time I saw Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

          So, I was entirely certain that our tickets for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown were for 8 pm this past Sunday night. The musical theater gods must really love me, because my friend Cliff and I got to the Belasco Theatre at 6:55, thinking that we were there plenty early and would be able to walk around outside in the snow for awhile before the show started. When I picked up my tickets at will call, I realized that the house was open and people were seated. That’s when I noticed that the show was actually at seven, and we had made it just in time. Phew!
          It also happened to be incredibly fortunate for us that we were seeing the show at the height of the snowfall and wind right in the middle of the blizzard. We got an incredible price for tickets – balcony seats for $36.50! When we showed the usher our tickets, she said they were moving everyone down to the mezzanine, so we sat in the fourth or fifth row of the mezzanine, just left of center. Thanks, snow!
          The first thing I noticed was that the Belasco is absolutely gorgeous. It was by far the most beautiful theater I’ve ever been to, and that’s saying something. I absolutely loved the murals on the wall, the plaster work, and the light fixtures, which were recently restored. I really felt like I was somewhere truly elegant.

          There were several people out of the show (I think there were four inserts in my Playbill), but that was totally understandable considering the weather and the fact that it was the day after Christmas. However, out of all the “stars” we wanted to see, the only one who was out was Sherie Rene Scott. Sure, we were a little bummed, but her understudy was really great, and there were still plenty of other big names there: Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Justin Guarini.
          So, my two favorite things about Women on the Verge… were Laura Benanti and the scenic design, in that order. Laura Benanti made that show, period. She was so amazing. Absolutely everything about her performance from her acting and singing right down to her walk were absolute perfection. She was hilarious and still believable. The show itself was good, but Laura Benanti was great! Hers was far and away the best performance of the show. I also enjoyed Danny Burstein, who was charming and hilarious. Cliff and I were pleasantly surprised by Justin Guarini. I mean, we knew he could sing, but he far exceeded our expectations.
          I can imagine that it’s difficult, in terms of the set, to translate something which was originally a movie onto the stage. Movies go back and forth between different locations all the time, whereas musicals tend to stay on the same set for longer. However, I was ridiculously impressed with the set design of Women on the Verge…, which used a lot of projection onto the back wall and three conveyer belts (or “moving sidewalks”) to move set pieces into and out of scenes. I loved the way the sets moved in and out and how the movement of the sets was reflected in the blocking of scenes and transitions.

          So, Cliff and I were the only two people who stayed at the stage door to meet the cast, which is understandable considering the blizzard conditions. However, we're huge Laura Benanti fans and she was so great that we just had to meet her and tell her how awesome she was. We got several comments about how we were nuts for waiting out there. They were probably right, but we didn’t care. We met Justin Guarini, who was so incredibly sweet. The inserts fell out of my Playbill, and he picked them up for me, and he was happy to autograph our Playbills for us. Laura Benanti couldn’t believe we waited in the snow, but we told her we just had to see her to tell her how much we loved her. She couldn’t have been nicer! She seemed to be genuinely flattered that we were there and that we loved her so much. Had conditions been better, we would have loved to have gotten pictures and chatted a little more, but it was so miserable out that we were just delighted to see her.


 

The blizzard just got all sexypants

                 Okay, confession time: when I saw that Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was going to close, I was on the brink of tears thinking that I would never be able to see it.  Cut to yesterday, just barely beating the snow into NYC, sitting in the orchestra at the matinee of that very show.

                Oh.  My.  God.  It was so freaking amazing.  I’m so ridiculously glad that I got the chance to come to NYC with one of my very best friends to see some of the best of Broadway.  This was only the fourth show I’ve actually seen on Broadway (the first three being Ragtime, Rent, and Hair).

                So, why was I so stoked by this show?  For one, the Broadway experience alone is unreal.  I loved going to the stage door and meeting the stars (including Ben Walker!).  Sitting in the orchestra in the intimate Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre among theater fans of all sorts was perfect.  The other thing which got me ridiculously stoked was the show itself.  I know it got plenty of awesome buzz, but I was desperate to see it for myself.  I was slightly worried because emo is so the opposite of my usual taste in music, but the songs in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson are transcendent of categories, and are so damn catchy!

                Right when I walked in to the theatre, I was in awe.  The lighting design was spectacular, and there was a large animal hanging from the mezzanine!  I was immediately brought into the show by the red lights everywhere and the fact that there was no curtain, so I could take in the awesome set before the show began.

                I was a tad bit disappointed in the audience.  The show is so intelligently written and is woven with pop culture references.  Yet, I felt like sometimes I was the only one laughing.  For example, there’s a point in which Andrew Jackson tells Black Fox not to go chasing waterfalls, and to “stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.”  I, of course, cracked up at the reference to the TLC song, but I didn’t hear many other chuckles from around the theater. 
            During the show, I couldn't help but love how the actors committed to every comedy bit, from extremely realistic deaths at the hands of invisible arrows to knowing exactly how long to hold a pause until it becomes funny again.  I thought their timing was impeccable and even though the characters are pretty out there, the commitment to each character made them real.

                We scoped out the theater before the performance, and located the stage door (which the Jacobs shares with two other theaters).  At the stage door, the cast was so gracious and kind enough to sign playbills and take pictures in the bitter cold.  We were wondering where all the women were, but we think at least one couldn’t come out because she remained on stage face-down after the curtain call, the victim of an invisible arrow.  She was probably still on stage, right?

Seeing Young Frankenstein with my favorite theater companion

                So, I’ve decided to admit it to myself: I still hate the balcony.  But, what I’ve realized is that I love theater more than I hate the balcony.  It sounds silly, but it’s the truth.  Sure, I’d so much rather be in the front row than the back row; I’d also rather be in the back row than not in the theater at all.

                I promise this is going somewhere.  I sat in the back row again.  I got student rush tickets for a Saturday matinee (of course) of Young Frankenstein at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  My date for the show was my wonderful father, who was in town for a father/daughter extravaganza weekend.  I used my student ID to buy the $12 tickets, and my dad bought the beverages.  My dad was my theater companion throughout my childhood and adolescence, so it was great to be back at the theater, just me and him.

                So, even though we were in the very back row, the show was super.  My father and I both enjoyed it very much.  It turns out that we were the perfect theatergoing team for Young Frankenstein because the show has such an array of pop culture references, we were able to fill each other in.  He would turn to me and whisper “Jimmy Stewart,” and I would turn to him and whisper “Fergie.”  And while it was appropriate for my father and I to attend together, there were some especially young folks in the seats in front of us (parents and two kids, both younger than eight), and I think the subject matter was a little mature for them.  I cringed when Elizabeth says “tits” about 87 times in a row, hoping that the children wouldn’t be scarred for life.  Well, they seemed to handle it fine, and stayed for the entire show (and were quite well-behaved!), but I think I would advise parents not to bring kids younger than middle school to Young Frankenstein.

                I haven’t seen the movie, and was almost entirely unfamiliar with the show.  I knew that “Puttin’ on the Ritz” was in it, but that was the extent of my knowledge.  My dad had seen the movie.   I felt that the show was classic and contemporary, and my dad said that it was a great adaptation of the film.  His quote was “you know the lines, but you still laugh.”  That’s the best kind of humor – when it never gets old.

                I really wish I could have seen the show when it was in New York, but I’m so glad I got the chance to see it here (even from the balcony).  I hope it gets revived sometime on Broadway, because I don’t think it really got the appreciation it deserved the first time around.

                And, I’m working on learning to love the balcony.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

The ghosts of Triad Stage

                I have a confession to make: I don’t understand how someone could not be obsessed with the theater.  It’s just so awesome.  Why isn’t it everyone’s favorite thing?  Okay, okay.  I know, everyone is different and that’s really awesome, and it’s what makes the world go ‘round.  Also, if everyone only loved theater, there would be nothing to make theater about.  But still.  My best friend, who I love dearly, doesn’t love the theater.  She thinks it’s fine.  But she doesn’t love it like I do.  Nonetheless, I asked her if she would be interested in seeing A Christmas Carol at Triad Stage, which is in Greensboro, where she lives.  She said yes!  Hooray!

                I really like Triad Stage.  This was my second show there, the first being Educating Rita.  I admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve partaken of A Christmas Carol – I read the book with my dad when I was a kid, but I have to admit that most of what I remember about the story is from (my secret favorite version) A Muppet Christmas Carol.  I was excited to see what Triad Stage would do with the story.

                So, overall, the production was AMAZING.  Get yourself to Greensboro immediately and see it – you won’t regret it.  And I’m proud to report that my best friend, who was willing to go to the theater with me on my recommendation of Triad Stage as excellent, enjoyed the show very much.  She found it as haunting and profound as I did.  Days later, I’m still thinking about elements of the show.

I think the Muppets may have clouded my memory from the fact that A Christmas Carol is, ultimately, a ghost story.  A ghost story with a happy end, sure, but a ghost story no less.  Triad Stage presented it unapologetically as such.  Kudos.  There were some small children in the audience, who had to have been scared by some of the elements.  I know this empirically because I, a 24-year-old, was scared.  I completely, 100%, do not believe in ghosts, and yet I found the show eerie and resonant.  At the very beginning, the narrators (a woman and a group of beggar children) talk about ghosts – the woman says “you may not believe in ghosts,” and then all the children turn and say “we do.”  Goosebumps ran up my arm.  Jacob Marley scared the daylights out of me.  That is one talented actor!

                As much as I still love the Muppet version of Dickens’ holiday tale, the creepy, haunting elements of it make it so much more powerful.  It’s not just about appreciating Christmas and those around you (including the less fortunate).  Representing it as the true ghost story it is makes it serious social commentary on those who refuse to see the world for what is it: a place of immeasurable woe and limitless joy.  Scrooge cuts himself off from both compassion and indulgence, which, as Jacob Marley makes quite clear, is disastrous.  In order to lead a fulfilling life, one must allow themselves to care for those less fortunate and to delight in their own life.  These lessons truly came to life at Triad Stage – the gravity of the story’s lessons were accurately represented by the haunting and real nature of the ghosts.  And it is painfully obvious that these lessons aren’t just for Ebenezer Scrooge.

Well done, Mr. Dickens.  And well done, Triad Stage.

A Night at the Symphony… and the Theater!

                I have a confession to make: I like classical music.  I’ve only ever confessed that to my parents and one friend.  I’m not embarrassed about it, it just doesn’t usually come up.  I’m even a member of the Triangle’s classical music station.

                So, when I saw that the PlayMakers Repertory Company was teaming up with the North Carolina Symphony for a production of Amadeus, I was excited.  When I saw that they got Michael Urie to play the title role, I was beyond stoked.

                So, my seat was in the row GG, the very last row of the orchestra, but it was still a great seat.  It was in the concert hall at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.  I’ve never been in the concert hall before – it was very nice: not too big, not too small, with a very intimate feel.  The only thing that was strange about seeing a theater piece in a concert hall was the acoustics.  While the orchestra sounding AH-mazing, listening to dialogue in the concert hall took a little getting used to.  I didn’t particularly mind, though.

                Anyway, the show was fabulous!  I loved every minute of it.  I thought that the role of Salieri exquisitely crafted, and that Michael Urie was phenomenal as Mozart.  It was a really cool experience to see a theater piece performed on the same stage as a symphony orchestra.  It worked really well, and the orchestra sounded amazing.  I was impressed at how well the two elements (the play and the orchestra) were woven together to create one seamless evening of remarkable entertainment.  There was a Q&A with some of the folks from the show after the performance, which was way fun.  I learned that the previous night was the first and only time that they did an entire run-through without stopping with all of the elements of the show present (the singers, the actors, and the orchestra).  It was so phenomenal that my jaw literally dropped when they told me that!

                I was even more pleased to see that the audience wasn’t populated solely by older folks, and that I wasn’t the only young adult in the audience.  Sure, all the young people were in the cheap seats with me, and one or two of them were wearing jeans (which were more than compensated for by the number of folks in suits!), but we were there!  I’ve never been to a symphony performance before (unless you’re counting Peter and the Wolf as a child), but I was worried that the young adult crowd was going to skip out on this wonderful theatrical opportunity because they were worried that the symphony would be boring.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Sure, most of the people there were the folks I had expected to see, but I was proud of the young adults of the Triangle for showing up for great art.

Walter Cronkite is Dead, and I’m an Old Matinee Lady at 24

                Where are all the young people?

                Let me back up a little bit.  Last weekend, I went to the Signature Theatre (winner of the 2009 regional theater Tony Award!!) in my hometown of Arlington, Virginia to see the world premiere production of Walter Cronkite is Dead, written and directed by Joe Calarco.  I went to a Saturday matinee with my parents.  I have a confession to make: I was the youngest person in the theater by about 30 years.  Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but there weren’t very many people there in the under-50 set, much less in their mid-twenties like me.

                Am I an anomaly that I like to go to matinees?  Are all the twenty-somethings going to the evening performances?  This isn’t the first time that I’ve noticed the age of those around me at a matinee.  I really hope that young adults aren’t avoiding the theater completely.  I’d love to hear input from frequent matinee-ers like myself and people who work in box offices around the country – is it just that young people aren’t going to matinees, or are they skipping the theater altogether?

                Yes, I realize that I haven’t actually talked about the play yet.  Thanks for your patience.  Well, the play was good.  There was a lady two rows behind me who, judging by the volume of her laughter, thought it was the best thing she’d ever seen.  While it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever seen, I really enjoyed it, and it was certainly a worthwhile theater experience. 

The basic premise is that two women are stuck in an airport.  It’s just a two-actor play, a concept with which I recently had a wonderful experience.  It’s hard to write, act, direct, etc. for just two actors, and my respect for those who tackle two-actor pieces is growing exponentially.  Despite understanding how difficult it is, I totally see why people do it – the potential for powerful theater is great. 

I thought the direction of the play was its best feature – the way the script was conveyed on stage was impeccable.  Could that be because the director was also the playwright?  Perhaps.  Who knows?  I was a little taken about by how realistic the portrayal of the southern woman tourist was.  Perhaps since I’ve lived in North Carolina for almost a year now, I’ve stopped noticing the eccentric quirks of that certain breed of Southern woman, opting to only see the delightful qualities – but I must say, it was dead-on.

So, all in all, it was a good experience.  But seriously, twenty-somethings: go to matinees every once in awhile!  You’ll like it, I promise.

The Perfect Gift for Any Broadway Fan!

If you’re searching for the perfect gift for your favorite Broadway fan this holiday season, this list is exactly what you need!  Trust me, I’m an expert; most of this list is copy-pasted from my letter to Santa.

This year’s hot items:

• The Be a Broadway Star board game: The perfect gift for anyone who practices their Tony Award speech in the shower with a shampoo bottle as a substitute Tony.  A description of the game, provided by the website: “You'll start out in acting school and work your way up to the top, buying pictures and resumes, earning your "Equity" card, getting an agent, going to auditions, going to more auditions, and maybe even winning a Tony Award!”  Cost: $35
• Stephen Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat: the book of the season for any fan of musical theater, particularly for the Sondheim fan in your life.  It’s the definitive book of Sondheim lyrics, annotated by the man himself, and includes tons of behind-the-scenes photos and information.  It’s sure to please even the pickiest Broadway fan.  Cost: $22.90 at Amazon
• Dance on Broadway game for Wii: This Wii game teaches you the choreography as players dance along to 20 of their favorite show tunes.  It’s great Broadway fun and an enjoyable workout all in one.  Note, if you’re getting this for someone like myself, you’re going to have to buy a Wii to go with it.  Cost: $16.73 on Amazon.
• Patti LuPone's Memoir: Chances are high that the Broadway fan in your life pre-ordered this and read it cover-to-cover the day it came out.  On the off chance that he or she has been holding out for the paperback edition, go ahead and give the gift of the life of one of Broadway’s biggest starts!  Cost: $14.38 at Amazon.

If money’s no object:

• For the Broadway fan who has everything, how about investing in his/her name in the Spring 2011 production of Godspell!  How cool would it be to be an actual Broadway producer?  This is a gift that’s sure to be a big hit – especially since all producers get their names on display in the theater.  Cost: $1,000 and up.

If you’re on a budget:

• Get crafty!  If you’re like me and you don’t have a whole lot of money to spend this holiday season, make something!  Use your imagination!
• If you want, you can borrow an idea I’ve used for decorating my apartment.  If you have a bunch of those flyers they hand out advertising Broadway shows, they make great collages!  Just buy a cheap frame at your local craft store, and arrange/glue the flyers.  You can make a collage with a bunch of shows, or choose your gift recipient’s favorite show.  I’ve included pictures of the ones in my apartment.  If you don’t have any of these flyers on hand, you can get a bunch pretty cheap on eBay.  There’s a whole section in theater memorabilia just for ads and flyers.  I was able to get a collection of about 75 flyers for about $5.  This is especially handy if you live far from New York City.

For the activist in your life:

• One of the great things about the Broadway community is the commitment to charity, from the biggest star right down to the fans.  A perfect holiday gift would be a donation in your loved one’s name to a Broadway charity.  Don’t know any?  Try these: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Impact, and Broadway Barks.
• Is your gift-ee a hardcore fan of a particular Broadway star?  Do a little research, find out what charity their favorite star loves, and make a donation to that charity.  For example, if your loved one is a huge Kristin Chenoweth fan, consider a donation in his/her name to the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
• If your loved one is already a proud supporter of one or more of these wonderful charities, give them a way to show their support and pride!  Try a BC/EFA tote bag or a Broadway Impact t-shirt?
• What better way to get in the spirit of the holidays than to sign up as a potential life-saver?!  Leukemia has been in the news around Broadway lately.  Go ahead and sign yourself and your gift-ee up as bone marrow donors.  It only takes a minute, you’ll feel great, you could save someone’s life, and best of all, it’s free!

For the collector:

• If you want to get the perfect piece of Broadway memorabilia for your Broadway fan, check out eBay!  You can find tons of good stuff on ebay.  My personal favorites are the BC/EFA auctions, which are always packed with great stuff.
• Don’t forget about the Playbill store!  They have Playbills from current and past seasons, and nifty Playbill storage and display options!
• There’s also lots of fun Broadway Christmas stuff out there.  My favorite?  The Chita Rivera ornament. 

The obvious:

• I feel silly even mentioning this, because it seems obvious, but the best gift for any Broadway fan is, of course, tickets to a Broadway show!
• Not sure which show to see?  TKTS offers gift certificates, and a good old-fashioned home-made coupon saying “I’ll take you to the Broadway show of your choice” can’t possibly fail.
• Not in New York City?  A trip to NYC is always a great gift, but a less expensive option is a night of awesome regional theater or a national tour.  Most theaters around the country offer gift certificates, but many require you to purchase them in person at the box office.

Hopefully this told you everything you needed to know to get the perfect gift for your favorite theater nut.  Whatever you decide, don’t forget your Broadway wrapping paper!

Braving the Balcony for Billy Elliot - Twice!

                I have a confession to make: I despise sitting in the balcony and mezzanine.  I live for orchestra-level seats.  I guess I just like to be as close to the action as possible – I don’t like not being able to see facial expressions.  I know people who prefer balcony seating; they enjoy looking down onto the stage.  I suppose I just have expensive taste, which is particularly unfortunate considering I’m constantly in search of thrifty theater.  My mother once told me something to the effect of, “it would be a lot easier if you weren’t such a snob about it.”  Thanks, mom.  But realistically, she has a point.

                My budget recently forced me to decide between seeing the national tour of Billy Elliot at the Durham Performing Arts Center from the upper balcony or not seeing it at all.  I chose the upper balcony.

                Ever since sitting on stage at Spring Awakening and dancing on stage at Hair, no seat in the house is close enough for me.  I realize that I’m ridiculous.  Yet, sitting in the upper balcony was hardly the nightmare I had feared it would be.  Initially, when I sat down in row L of the balcony, my first thought was “Dear God, I’m going to hate this.  The actors will all look like ants!”  Thankfully, I was wrong.

                In fact, there are actually some benefits to having the “cheap” seats!  (I put “cheap” in quotation marks because my ticket was still $30.)  While there were a few times when I was frustrated that I couldn’t tell which actor was speaking, I found myself actually appreciating the balcony’s vantage point, especially for a show with so much dancing.  I loved watching the numbers with the ballet girls from up high, and I don’t think the profundity and emotional impact of the show (especially the “Angry Dance” and the part with the older Billy) were at all dampened by my distance from the stage.  Even though I couldn’t see the actors’ faces so well, I still bawled during Billy’s response to his mother’s letter.

                Don’t get the wrong idea here – I haven’t changed my ways or anything.  I still would so much rather be in row A than in any tier, mezzanine, or balcony.  But, I’ve opened my eyes to the fact that sitting up high doesn’t suck as much as I thought it would.

                I have another confession to make: I’m a repeat attender.  I like to see certain shows (cough, cough Spring Awakening) again and again.  I’m not sure why, but I think part if it may have to do with where I live.  Not living in or near NYC, I get limited opportunities to see kick-ass Broadway shows, and I don’t have much in the way of options.

                When a national tour comes to town: a) the dates of that engagement are pretty much my only chances to see that production (with the Broadway creative team, etc.), and b) it’s the only thing around – it’s not like in NYC where you could choose from 30 Broadway shows any given day.  I often feel like I have to really make it count.  If I like a show, I’m probably going to see it again.  Thus, I’ve been known to see the same show multiple times in one week.

                Thanks to DPAC’s student rush tickets, I was able to see the show a second time for $22.  Since the touring company of Billy Elliot has five actors who take turns playing Billy, I didn’t want to miss the chance to see another Billy.  It paid off.

                The first Billy I saw was good, but the second one was great!  He’s already been Billy on Broadway, and he was awesome.  Despite the fact that there were 98 stairs (I counted!) between the orchestra level and my seat in the very last row of the 2,800-seat venue, I was blown away.

                I don’t want to be negative about the first Billy I saw (and I’m not going to name names), but his cockney accent needed work (though it was clear he’d been working hard on it – keep it up!), and his singing was good but not great.  I don’t like saying bad things about anyone, especially young performers, especially since this “not as good” Billy was a squillion times more talented than I’ll ever be.  It’s just that Billy #2 was a little more seasoned as a performer, and it was noticeable.  To make a long story short, going back was quite worthwhile.  Except for the teenage boy and his mom next to me, who made plenty of comments quite loudly.

The Time I Danced On Stage At The Kennedy Center (Hair!)

                I have a confession to make: Hair makes me giddy.  Bouncing up and down, squealing like a pre-teen girl, willing to do anything for tickets giddy.  I've already confessed to owning six different recordings of Hair, to naming my cat Frank Mills, and to being an all-out Hair freak.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my Dos and Don'ts for seeing Hair.  To say I was excited about seeing the touring cast of Hair this past Saturday at the Kennedy Center would be the grossest of understatements.

                I saw the show last December in NYC with my mom.  We drove up from DC for a matinee.  It was magical.  It really got my musical theater flame going strong, and is almost singlehandedly responsible for my current musical theater junkie status.  When I left the Hirsschfeld Theatre, it had just begun to snow in Times Square (a magical continuation of the snow on stage at the end of the show), and I haven’t shut up about Hair since.

                I got a great deal on my ticket to Hair at the Kennedy Center: I got my mom to pay for them.  I went with both of my parents – it was my dad’s first time seeing the show!  Before the show, I walked up to the merchandise booth on a mission: love beads.  I bought the beads, put them on (the perfect complement to my “Let the Sun Shine In yellow” shirt), and proceeded to my seat.  As always, I read the playbill very carefully.  I love that the cast bios for Hair aren’t your typical playbill fare.  Many include the performer’s astrological sign, love for their tribe, and marriage equality enthusiasm.  Every playbill should be so cool.

                Highlights of the show: the really hot blonde guy tribe member with glorious abs, having a tribe member play with my hair during the title song, seeing an actress bump into a banister while running around the darkened house (the beauty of live performance, folks!), Berger needing to use his back-up lighter (seriously, live theater is the best!), getting goosebumps while the cast walked by me singing “Let the Sun Shine In” a capella while walking out the back of the theater, and dancing on stage with the tribe.

                It was so awesome being on stage at the Kennedy Center!  I loved it so much!  The cast members kept coming up to me, giving me hugs, dancing with me, and saying in-character things like “thanks for coming, sister.”  There was a really old man (at least 80 years old) who came on stage, which was surreal.  It was the perfect example of how Hair reaches all different people.  As I was leaving the stage after the dance party, I stopped for a moment, turned back toward the back of the stage, and soaked in the moment, just absorbing the sheer awesomeness of the experience.  One final tribe member gave me a big hug, chock-full of hippie love and said “thank you.”  To this, I quickly replied, “thank YOU!”  There simply aren’t words to describe the amazingness.

                I returned to my parents, waiting in row AA, both exclaiming how cool it was to see me on stage.  My dad said, “wow, you hugged the whole cast!”  I was still beaming.  I couldn’t stop squealing for at least the next hour.  My mom laughed when I asked “can we come back for tonight’s performance?”  She thought I was kidding.  While we didn’t go back that night, she and I are hoping to go again later this month.  I already have tickets to two performances when the tour rolls into Durham in May (and I’m buying a ticket to a third performance when I’m at the box office tonight), but the thought of waiting all the way until May to see Hair again makes me die a little inside.

An understated note of caution:

The cast:

Hair Tour Website - buy your tickets now!

The DOs and DON'Ts of Hair!

                As a self-proclaimed Hair enthusiast (come on, my cat’s name is Frank Mills), I took it upon myself to create this fun, yet informative, list of DOs and DON’Ts for seeing Hair when it rolls into your town.

DO splurge on orchestra-level seats, especially ones on the aisle to get the best possible interactions with the tribe.

DON’T French-braid your hair or get a fancy up-do.  If you wear your hair up, the tribe can’t mess with it during the title song!

DO have fun with fashion.  While not ignoring theater etiquette, feel free to throw on your hippie skirt, your love beads, your tie-dye.  Just try to keep it all on at the end of “Where Do I Go?”.

DON’T be inhibited or shy.  The cast thrives on an enthusiastic audience, especially those who aren’t afraid of a little good-natured mocking.

DO get to the theater on time – or you may be called out in front of a packed house.  Plus, it would be tragic to miss the opening number.

DON’T forget to buy a copy of the cast recording before you leave.  You’ll want to re-live the experience again and again.

DO dance on stage with the tribe.  The post-curtain call dance party is ridiculously fun, and you don’t want to miss it.  What other show lets you do that?

Have fun!

Website for Hair on tour  - get your tickets now!

The Ultimate Thrifty Theater: Fences for Free!

                Two straight plays in one week?  Is this a case of a musical theater junkie gone mad?  Fortunately not – I’m just getting back to my roots.  Oh, and taking advantage of a killer thrifty theater opportunity!  A friend said to me one night in class “Hey, you know about theater, right?  What do you know about this free night of theater thing?”  I hadn’t heard of it before, but it sounded right up my alley.  I told her to email me a link, which led me to Free Night of Theater, which you must check out immediately.  Right then and there I signed up for a free ticket to Fences at the PlayMakers Repertory Company, a professional theater located on the campus of UNC in Chapel Hill.  When it comes to thrifty theater, there’s nothing better than free, especially for high quality productions like this one.

                As usual, I’d like to air my grievances first, just to get them out of the way.  The list is short, and they’re not actually about the production itself.

                Firstly, even if you are a college student, basketball shorts and a backwards ball cap do not constitute appropriate theater attire.  Just put on pants and take off the hat – am I asking too much?

                There were a lot of students at this performance, which is fine.  In fact, I think it’s beyond great.  However, I’m a little frustrated with whichever professor asked them to take notes during the performance.  They all used their cell phones as flashlights to see what they were writing while the performance was in progress.  Way distracting for those of us in the audience with ADHD.

                Whew!  Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can get to the good stuff – and there’s plenty of that!

                Right off the bat, I’d like to give the PlayMakers Rep an A+ for their late seating policy.  On the tickets, they’ve printed “No Late Seating.”  What’s even better is that they follow through on that.  I’ve had too many opening scenes ruined by latecomers.  At the PlayMakers Rep, they’ve got chairs along the back wall of the theater, and discreetly, during a blackout, they let latecomers enter through a rear entrance (the main entrance is in the front), and sit in these chairs.  No entire rows have to stand and hear 15 “excuse me”s as folks make their way to center seats five minutes into the show.  This makes me want to drop everything and write a really mushy love letter to the PlayMakers Rep immediately.

                Also, the production was fantastic!  I loved how the set (which was the outside of a Pittsburgh house) included a view into the kitchen so we could see Rose hard at work.  I was quite impressed by the cast’s resumes – plenty of New York actors doing spectacular work right here in North Carolina!  It was everything I could have hoped for, short of Denzel Washington.  I was particularly impressed by the actor playing Gabe – I was moved by his performance, to the point of tears in the final scene.  It’s such an intense role, which could have been portrayed any number of ways, but I’m immensely pleased with the acting and artistic choices which went into shaping this incarnation of Gabriel.

                This was my first August Wilson play – and I promise it won’t be my last!  I was consistently engaged intellectually with the text, and there were two things which are still on my mind, days later.  The first is Cory.  On an emotional level, I just wanted the kid to be able to play football, to enjoy his youth.  However, it’s hard to deny that Troy knows a harsher reality, and one can see why he’d want to protect his son from some of the world’s ugliest truths.  But still, it breaks my heart.

                The other thing which has been on my mind is Rose.  There’s a line which is still echoing in my head: “What about me?  When’s my time to enjoy life?”  Sure, Troy’s been dealt a tough hand, but Rose had the added pressure of being a woman.  I don’t think Rose gets nearly enough credit for how she lives her life.  Save for little Raynell, Rose is the only female character.  I think what’s most important in understanding Rose is what we don’t see.  We’re privileged to a lot of Troy’s personal life, discussions with friends and so on.  The social structure is clearly depicted as a man’s world.  The character of Rose doesn’t get to chat with friends, drink gin, or ask for a promotion.  In fact, when she left to take the cakes to the church for the bake sale, it suddenly occurred to me that that was the only time she’s even left the house!  I’m going to continue to ponder August Wilson’s social commentary on the intersection of race, class, and gender as presented through Rose.  I’ll let you know if I make any breakthroughs.

                Overall, I give this theater experience a big thumbs up.  PlayMakers Rep, you can expect my call for tickets to Angels in America – I’m even going to pay!

The Musical Theater Junkie Takes in a Straight Play - and Loves It!

          I have a confession to make: it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a straight play.  The last one I saw was Twelfth Night over a year ago!  The last non-Shakespeare play I saw was Shaw’s Major Barbara several years ago at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC.  I’m not sure why it’s been so long.  I mean, clearly my passion is in musicals, but I love theater in all its forms.  For crying out loud, my senior seminar as an English major in college was restoration and 18^th century British drama.  It had been far too long sing I partook of a straight play.

                Cut to yesterday, and me at the Sunday matinee of the Triad Stage’s production of Educating Rita.  There are three reasons why I decided to see this production:

1)      The Triad Stage was recently named by the American Theatre Wing as one of America’s top ten most promising regional theaters.  That’s no small feat!

2)      When I went to the Triad Stage website, there was a discount code on the front page for $10 of tickets to Educating Rita.  For someone in constant search of thrifty theater, that was the golden ticket.

3)      There was a talk-back after this performance with a professor from Wake Forest University, and I really miss the academic side of theater.

Not to mention, my best friend lives in Greensboro, so dinner with her would make the 90-minute drive each way all the more worthwhile.

                To quote Janice from Friends, “Oh. My. God.”  The play was brilliant!  I loved it!  Upon entering the theater, there’s a sign that warns patrons that this production contains adult language and many books.  I’ve found heaven.  At first, I was a little worried that the books they referenced would be books I hadn’t read and didn’t know anything about.  Luckily, it just so happens that all of the books they discussed at length were ones I had been assigned as an undergrad, even Rubyfruit Jungle, believe it or not!

                I don’t think I’ve ever before seen a play which only had two actors, and these two were phenomenal.  I was engaged for every single second they were onstage.  I cared so much about the characters, and even more, I was developing all kinds of ideas and theories about the characters and the story as the play went on.  I was in full-on “English major mode” and loving it!  I don’t want to ruin the plot for anyone, but I will say that I have some well-developed theories about the role of Rubyfruit Jungle in the play and why I think that literary allusion is, in fact, far more significant than any of the high-brow English literature which Rita studies.  Especially since Frank, her tutor, reads (and enjoys) the Rita Mae Brown novel.  I’d love to just sit down over a cup of tea and just talk about the play for hours.

                That’s why I’m so glad that I attended the talk-back afterward.  It was so wonderful to be around people who cared as much about the play as I did and had the chance to talk about it!  Needless to say, I’m buying a season pass for the rest of the season, and I’m getting all my tickets on the day of the talk-backs!  If you’ve never attended an event like that, do it now!  It was so rewarding.

                I’ve been rambling.  But amazing theater does that to me.  I think the American Theatre Wing was right on the money picking the Triad Stage as one of America’s most promising theaters!

 The Triad Stage Website