There's no such thing as too much Spring Awakening!

                I’m going to apologize in advance for how long this blog post is.  I have a lot to say.  Bear with me, it’ll be worth it.  It’s pretty evident that I love Spring Awakening.  It’s my favorite musical.  I saw the first national tour four times: twice (from house seats) in Durham, and twice (from on-stage seats) in Greenville, SC.  I can’t ever seem to get over how awesome it is.  So, I bought myself an on-stage seat for each of the three performances of the second national tour’s gig here in Raleigh.  So awesome!

                I was unsure of what to expect, exactly, in terms of how things would be different, since the second national tour is non-equity.  I know that traditionally, sets and lighting are scaled down for non-equity tours, due to the fact that they do much shorter engagements, often lasting only one performance, and need to be able to take apart and rebuilt the set very often.  I once saw a non-equity tour of Hairspray and the set was practically non-existent!  Luckily, Spring Awakening doesn’t have a particularly involved set – however, the complex lighting is crucial to the design.  There were only a few things which were different.  They kept all the brilliant lighting.  The side walls became imaginary walls with lights and pictures midair, and one row of stage seating was removed.  The stage didn’t move, and there was no elevated hayloft.  The back wall was the same, and the set had the same feel as the first national tour.  I feel that nothing essential was compromised in terms of the set – especially since all the lighting was still present.  The only thing I truly missed was the fog for “Those You’ve Known.”  I don’t see why they couldn’t travel with a few fog machines.  Oh, well.  The show was amazing – fog or no fog.

                I was quite disheartened by the low attendance at all three performances.  The house was barely even half full on Saturday night, and that was the largest audience of the three performances.  It’s clear that live theater is a tough sell, especially for performances which aren’t part of someone’s season tickets.  It also appears that people are still unwilling to step outside their comfort zones – and I’m most disheartened by the fact that people will leave Spring Awakening during intermission.  It’s not a cultural experience unless you experience all of it – and you miss out on a lot by missing Act II.  This being said, I do have to mention that Spring Awakening is not a show for everybody.  For example, I don’t think it was appropriate that there was a four-year-old girl in the audience.  I saw her sitting there the entire show – inappropriate!  For the price her mom paid for the ticket, she could have easily paid for a babysitter!  No small child needs to see simulated sex or hear a musical number called “Totally Fucked.”  So, in summary: go see Spring Awakening, but leave the little ones at home.

Despite the low attendance, I was quite encouraged by the enthusiasm of the small crowd.  The audience at all three performances was excited, energized, and engaged (excepting, of course, those who mistakenly chose to leave at intermission).  There was plenty of cheering, applauding, and head-bobbing – and a standing ovation every time.  Those who were there truly appreciated and enjoyed the show.   On stage, the energy was palpable.  I couldn’t help but nod along, tap my feet, and get really into the musical numbers. 

In addition, there was a tight core group of stage-sitters, and we all got to know each other pretty well over the course of three performances.  What I love about Spring Awakening is that I knew beforehand that I wouldn’t be the only person with stage seats for all three Raleigh performances.  This show creates such a loyal, dedicated following.  Sitting on stage was such a blast – I loved it so much!  It’s the coolest way to experience such an amazing show.  The experience was made that much better by Paris, the adult women understudy and assistant company manager, who was in charge of on-stage seating.  She was, in a word, awesome.  If you’re with the production company, give Paris a raise – the fans demand it!  She helped get us and the crowd pumped up and reminded us that it’s up to us to create the energy for the show.

Having seen the show several times before, I took the opportunity of sitting on stage to glance out into the audience every so often.  I’m glad I did.  On Saturday night, I couldn’t help but watch an older gentleman (probably in his sixties) who was so into the show.  I first noticed him during “Left Behind.”  I couldn’t help noticing the fact that he was practically sobbing.  He was clearly very affected by (SPOILER ALERT!) Moritz’s death.  And then, throughout the rest of the show, I couldn’t help but peek over at him.  He absolutely loved ”Totally Fucked,” he was grinning ear to ear during “Song of Purple Summer,” and he was giving perhaps the most enthusiastic standing ovation of all during the curtain call.  I’m so glad I got this window into someone’s Spring Awakening journey.

My friend Caleb and his boyfriend Sean came up from Savannah, GA to see the show on Friday night.  Caleb had never seen Spring Awakening before!  I love getting to see how much Spring Awakening virgins love the show, but I will admit that it was very hard for Sean and me to not give away important details beforehand.  I am overjoyed to report that not only did it blow his mind, but his world was rocked so hard that he got tickets for both Saturday performances as well!  I told him he would love it, and I was right, of course.

Spring Awakening has such a reputation for fan loyalty and cast gratitude.  The three of us were at the stage door after each performance, just to chat with the cast and tell them how much their performances meant to us.  The sheer amount of talent in this non-equity cast blew my mind.  They were such an amazing group of talented young performers.  Caleb and Sean kept talking about how great they were.  I’m not exaggerating here: the talent of this cast as a whole was Broadway-caliber.  They brought their own new quirks to these roles, and did such a good job.  I loved all the little things they did – the girls nodding in unison as they tried to convince Wendla to attend Greta Brandenburg’s wedding, the boys’ on-beat glances at one another when Melchior stands up to Herr Sonnenstitch.  They were so genuinely nice at the stage door, and it was so cool to talk to them about the show.  I could tell that they were truly grateful to be in such a groundbreaking piece of musical theater.

I had been vacantly pondering getting a Spring Awakening tattoo for some time now.  I have other tattoos, but none which are musical theater related.  However, between the Saturday matinee and evening show, Caleb, Sean, and I walked past a tattoo parlor in downtown Raleigh, and I decided to go for it.  I’m so glad I did – it really sums up the meaning of the show, and how I want to incorporate those lessons into my life.  After the evening performance, I was able to show it to some of the cast members, which I thought was pretty neat.  I guess I’m now committed to being a theater nerd for life!

Filling big shoes: The national tour of In the Heights

                Okay, I admit it: my obsession with theater has gotten serious.  I told my mom I was only seeing In the Heights on tour at the Durham Performing Arts Center twice, so she wouldn’t remind me about being responsible about saving my money.  I saw it three times.  Don’t tell her.  I was in the front row twice, and the other time I was in the second row.  But it was so worth it.  I also spent a sizable amount on merchandise.  I don’t regret any of it.  I loved it.  I got to see one of my very favorite musicals three times (for a total of four), and I got to talk to some truly awesome theater fans.

                To be honest, I was hesitant at first to even see the national tour.  I just saw it on Broadway in December, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson, and other original cast members were there.  It was so amazing and I was worried that with this entirely different cast, I wouldn’t love it as much.  But the second I heard “lights up,” all that worry melted.  I was instantly immersed in that world, and I loved every second of it.  It was a testament to the material itself – as long as there are quality actors, it will be amazing!  I mean, clearly it was amazing enough for me to buy tickets to two more performances.  The actors had some big shoes to fill – I mean, it’s tough to take on a role which was originated by the super-talented Lin-Manuel Miranda.  I must say, Joseph Morales and the other actors filled those big shoes wonderfully!  I didn’t find myself missing those actors I had seen in New York at all.

                In addition to the amazing talent on stage, I met some really cool people in the audience.  At the Wednesday performance, my first of the week, I was sitting next to an older couple who were a little nervous about whether or not they would like the show.  However, they told me that their grandson goes to Wesleyan University (alma mater of Mr. Miranda himself), and he had seen the show in New York and insisted that they see it as well.  I told them that it was one of my three favorite musicals, which is saying something because I see a lot of shows.  I told them it would be different than musicals they’d seen before, but that In the Heights is high-quality, Tony Award-winning theater.  After that, they seemed prepared to see it.  I’m happy to report that they really enjoyed it!  On Sunday night, I met up with a gentleman who has season tickets at DPAC, had seen the show on Wednesday, and just had to see it again.  There were two ladies there who really love theater, and were eager to hear my opinions on In the Heights, especially about seeing it on tour and in New York.

                My favorite people I met were an older couple sitting behind me.  They were a Cuban-American couple who gave me new insight into the show.  Since they are fluent speakers of both English and Spanish, they wanted to know how the show was for someone who doesn’t speak Spanish.   I told them that I grew up in an area which had a sizeable Spanish-speaking population, and I had picked up enough to generally understand the Spanish in the show.  They said they loved being able to understand the whole thing.  I had already known that the actors take care to pronounce things using the specific accents of their characters’ regions, but I learned something new.  This couple told me that even the music itself fits the characters’ countries – like when Abuela Claudia sings, the music sounds Cuban.  When Daniela sings, the music sounds Puerto Rican.  I don’t know the difference between Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican music, but it was so cool to hear, from people who know, about the music in the show reflecting the different characters’ national heritages.  I have even more respect for the genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda.

                I think that now it’s safe to say that I will never, ever, ever get tired of In the Heights.

Pondering Life and Death at Triad Stage

                It’s no secret that I love Triad Stage.  They consistently put on high-quality theater, and my most recent visit to Greensboro proved no different.  I went this past weekend to see The Sunset Limited, a Cormac McCarthy play, and the talkback after.  It was great.  Also, having season tickets to Triad Stage is a great excuse for me to visit my best friend, who lives in Greensboro.

                I think it’s time you knew about the thing that really gets under my skin.  My secret pet peeve is when actors pretend to eat and drink while on stage.  I can’t stand it when I know that there’s not actually any coffee in their mugs or soup in their bowls.  It bothers me to no end.  I realize that I shouldn’t let it get to me, but I do.  I really do.  That being said, I have to hand it to Triad Stage for avoiding committing this faux pas.  The thing I perhaps loved the most about the show was that the kitchen on stage was a working kitchen, the characters actually made and drank real coffee, and cooked and ate real food.  Thank you!  I realize that this may seem small, but to me, it’s important.

                So, the show was interesting.  I don’t have a lot of insight this time into the subtext of the play – I think it pretty much speaks for itself.  I have a very firm opinion about what happens in the moments following the conclusion of the play, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.  If you really want to know what I think about the matter, send me an email.

I think the way the actors brought the characters to life was phenomenal.  There was so much text for them to memorize, and very little in the way of movement about the stage.  With a two-character play, the chemistry between the two characters/actors is essential.  These characters were believable without being dull.  Bravo.

I absolutely loved the talkback – it really helped me wrap my head around the play and the production.  I recommend that anyone buying tickets to a Triad Stage show get tickets for the performance with the talkback.  You won’t be sorry.

The Threshold of Revelation - Seeing Angels in America at Playmakers Rep

                When I saw that the PlayMakers Repertory Company was doing Angels in America, I knew without hesitation that I had to be there.  I saw their production of Fences, and absolutely loved it.  I had never seen Angels in America performed on stage, and I was chomping at the bit for an opportunity to do so.

                Several years ago, I saw the HBO movie, and my then-roommate and I still can’t get over the fact that Meryl Streep was the rabbi.  I didn’t remember too much from it, except I remembered the line “my religion doesn’t believe in Mormons,” because I thought it was pretty hilarious.  I also remembered Patrick Wilson, because ever since then, I’ve had a huge crush on him – but I think the rest of America has, too.

                Back in December, when I was planning my whirlwind trip to New York City, there was a brief moment in which my friend Cliff and I thought we would go see Angels in America Off-Broadway.   Of course, tickets were sold out, and the way their schedule was running, we wouldn’t have been able to see both parts in order anyway.  But, when I was at PlayMakers Rep, it was like the distance between New York and North Carolina dissolved, and the difference between regional and Off-Broadway disappeared.  It was apparent from the get-go that I was seeing high-quality theater.

                First of all, the set was spectacular.  Appearing minimalist at first, it became clearer as the course of the play went on that it was a carefully thought-out design which really provided a lot for the telling of the story.  I really like how the pieces of the set slowly come apart, showing at the same time this sort of paradox between destruction and revelation.  The scenes change rapidly in Angels in America, and I appreciated how smoothly the actors and the set transitioned between scenes.

                I think my absolute favorite thing about this production was the sound.  I’m not a technical theater expert or anything, but I thought the placement and content of the sound design was phenomenal in what it brought to the show.  The set was pretty minimal, so sound was what really defined place for me.  The city noises, the nightclub music, all of it was perfect.

                Of course, the acting was great.  It is shows like this that make me wish I were an actor – I’d give anything to be onstage in a production like this, bringing these amazing characters to life.  All of the characters were so believable, which is tricky in a show like this.  The characters could easily be portrayed as over-the-top or larger-than-life, but the actors in this production were so controlled and tuned in to who these characters really are.  I appreciated their attention to Kushner’s words, and it was obvious that a lot of thought and work went into bringing those words to the stage.  I also appreciate the amount of time it must have taken to memorize all those lines!

                 I also loved the inclusion of the AIDS quilt in the lobby.  I grew up in DC, so my parents took me to see the AIDS quilt on the national Mall when it was there in 1996.  I was only ten, but I knew I was seeing something important.  The AIDS quilt is such a fascinating piece of American history, and I’m glad that a part of it was able to be in the lobby of the theater.

                So, all in all, this production of Angels in America is must-see theater.  I logged a total of 120 miles traveling to and from the show (30 miles each way, two round trips), and each mile was completely worth it.  It was all the little things that made the show remarkable.  Of course, the acting was great, something I expect of PlayMakers Rep, and the writing was great, but I knew that already.  It was the details that made it stellar – the subtle scenery, the sound cues, the scene transitions, the lighting, the AIDS quilt in the lobby… the list goes on.

The Lion King at DPAC!

            I have been remiss about posting lately, but I have good excuses.  January was a slow theater month for me.  After my Broadway whirlwind at the end of December, I didn’t have any theater tickets at all until January 26^th, which is when I saw The Lion King national tour at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  Also, I’ve been so busy that I’ve been falling asleep before 9 pm most nights – atypical for a theater devotee, I’m sure.

At first, I was skeptical about whether I actually even wanted to see The Lion King.  I think the Disney production credit through me off track, and I was worried it wouldn’t be entertaining for adults.  Logic set in, however.  I thought to myself, if I love Ragtime, and this show beat Ragtime for the 1998 Tony Award for Best Musical, then it has to be beyond amazing.  I’m so glad I listened to logic. 

Anyway, after my recent revelation that I’m totally willing to pay the extra $60 for orchestra-level seats, I managed to get a killer seat for The Lion King, right in the front row, in the center section on the aisle.  It was awesome, and also a little bit scary.  I’m sure I looked quite silly with a giant grin on my face for about the first thirty minutes as I tried to take in the splendor of the show.  When the curtain came up, it seemed like Rafiki was singing right to me.  I could see everything so wonderfully.  I loved every second of it.  Except for the hyenas – they were slightly frightening.

                Sitting in the front row was perfect and completely worth every penny I spent!  There were only one or two occasions when I thought that sitting a little further back would have been beneficial, specifically to see the tableau created by the masterful puppetry, but overall, I wouldn’t have traded that seat for anything.  Simply put, it was phenomenal.

                I keep wanted to compare the quality of The Lion King to other shows I’ve seen, but I really don’t have a basis for comparison because it is such a different kind of musical than anything I’ve seen.  I suppose I could try to compare it to Avenue Q because they both have puppets, or to another musical produced by Disney.  Ultimately, comparisons of this nature are unfair to both parties because what The Lion King offers is truly unique.  I was in awe of the bird puppets flying inches above my head, startled by the giraffes who leaned all the way across the orchestra pit to look me in the eye, dazzled by the wickedness of Scar, touched by the friendship and love of Simba and Nala, and I identified with the quest for belonging.

                I can’t wait to see it again.

A Broadway dream come true! In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda!

                Okay, so I have a confession to make: I listen to the cast recording of In the Heights in my car a lot, and I do all the parts.  At once.  I know pretty much the entire thing, and I do the whole opening number when I need to get pumped up on the way to work.  I probably should be embarrassed about the amount of rapping I do in my car, but I’m not.

                When I saw that In the Heights would be closing, I was bummed.  I hadn’t gotten to see it on Broadway, and even though I already have tickets to see the national tour when it comes to the triangle in February, I was still wishing that I had had the chance to see it on Broadway.  When Cliff, one of my best friends, asked if he could take me to NYC for a day or two after Christmas, I was stoked.  However, I knew Lin-Manuel Miranda would be back at Heights, so I was fairly certain we wouldn’t be able to get tickets.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: best blizzard ever.  On the morning of the 27^th, I went to the Richard Rodgers Theatre to see if they had seats left for that evening’s performance.  The wonderful man at the box office told me to go to TKTS, and that they would have better seats there.   I was a little worried about getting seats from TKTS, since we had tickets to a 2:00 performance of Billy Elliot, but he assured me that if they were out, he would still have some seats left that I could buy from him.  I also double-checked with him to make sure Lin would still be there, despite the weather conditions.  With a chuckle, he told me that Lin would definitely be there.  So, I’m still not sure if I love New York people (in general), but I definitely love Broadway people.

                After Billy Elliot, Cliff and I went to TKTS and got great seats, in the third row of the mezzanine of the Richard Rodgers Theatre.  Thanks, snow!  I was so excited that I could barely contain myself.  I may have squealed once or twice.  I get giddy about great theater, and I was so beyond amazed at my great fortune to see one of my favorite shows with so many of its original cast members.

                After sitting down in my seat, the man behind me (who, by the way, talked throughout the show) wanted to know what the show was about.  He and I got into a long conversation, which involved him not believing me that Wicked didn’t win the Tony Award for best musical (I told him to trust me on this one, I can name all the Best Musical winners), and explaining to him why I loved this show so much, even though I hadn’t actually seen it yet.  Except for when they talk during the show, I love theater audiences who engage with one another and share their love of the art.

                So, the show was phenomenal!  I knew it would be great, but I was straight-up blown away.  I already knew exactly what would happen, and it was like it was all new.  I was literally grinning from ear to ear the entire first few numbers.  I had to grab Cliff’s leg several times just so I could attempt to contain my excitement.  There was so much that I got to experience on stage which was beyond what you can tell from the cast recording.  In the opening number, and throughout the show, you can see the people of Washington Heights getting ready for the day and going about their lives through the windows of the buildings.  I loved that.  I loved the choreography and how it really helped not only to enhance the music, but to really tell the story of all these people.  Sure, it’s a story about Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, Nina, and those characters I love, but it’s also a story about all the people who live there, and the choreography and ensemble really drove that point home for me.

                After the show, I was still reeling from the energy and excitement of seeing In the Heights on Broadway.  Cliff and I went to the stage door and were amazed at the generosity of the entire cast.  Sure, the blizzard itself had stopped, but it was still cold and windy out, yet almost every cast member came out to talk to fans at the stage door and take pictures with us.  They were genuine and gracious, and so delighted to see their fans.  I got my playbill signed by so much of the cast, and got pictures with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Chris Jackson!  I chatted with the cast, told them how much I loved it.  When Lin was signing my Playbill, I told him that I do all the parts in my car.  Always hilarious, he told me to keep my eyes on the road.  I also (kidding, of course) told him that if he needs anyone in the next two weeks, I know all the parts, and I’m free to step in.  He was so generous with his time, interacting with fans, and I still can’t get over the fact that I met him and the rest of the cast.   It was also cool for me to get to talk to other fans, find out how they came to love In the Heights, and share our stories with them.  Broadway fosters such an incredible community, and I’m so glad to be able to engage with that community, even just from a fan perspective.

                My favorite thing about Broadway is that once these stars, even the big ones with Tony Awards and everything, finish signing Playbills and taking pictures with fans, they walk off down the street and head home, just like anyone else.  Two of the ladies from the cast walked across the street to grab a slice of pizza.  I told Cliff that I was suddenly craving a slice of pepperoni, but he told me that we’re not allowed to stalk the actors.  I wasn’t really going to stalk them, but my point is that it’s just so cool that at any given pizza place in the theater district, you could run into a Broadway performer.

Billy Elliot in the blizzard!

               Generally, most Broadway shows are dark on Mondays.  However, on holiday weeks, most theaters rearrange their schedules.  New Year’s Eve in NYC is so crazy that most shows cancelled NYE shows and added them on the 27^th, a Monday.  Some shows even added a matinee.  That’s how my friend Cliff and I ended up at a rare Monday matinee of Billy Elliot.

                Thanks to the best blizzard ever, many people couldn’t make it into the city for shows, so we got amazing seats from TKTS in the 10^th row of the Imperial Theatre.  Snow rules!

                I saw Billy Elliot twice before, on tour.  My seats were in the balcony, in the very last row of a 2,500-seat theater.  This experience was way better, and proved to me that my disdain for the balcony of large theaters is well-founded.  Sure, I may have paid $60 less for that ticket, but I decided that I’ll always be willing to pay the extra money for an awesome seat.

                Throughout the performance, I couldn’t help but notice the things that were different between the Broadway production and the national touring production.  The most obvious thing was, of course, the size of the theater.  The Imperial was so much more intimate than a tour setting (although, I must say, the Imperial Theatre has ridiculously small seats!), which made me feel so much more connected to the show.  Additionally, since the set for the touring production has to be designed to move on a fairly frequent basis, a lot of it would slide it from the sides, whereas in the Broadway production, many of the set pieces rise and lower from below the stage.  I absolutely loved it on a slightly smaller stage, in a more intimate setting.

                The most important thing was that I could really see the characters – I could see their faces, I could tell who was talking, and I could see plenty of details which I missed from the balcony of the Durham Performing Arts Center.  I had no idea that the ballet girls held little birds, I couldn’t tell what Tony gave Billy to put in his suitcase… all those nuances were lost on me in that huge theater.  I’m so glad I got to see it in the type of venue for which it was created.  Don’t get me wrong, I think national tours are so amazing, and it’s so important to bring Broadway-quality shows to all of America.  I love seeing tours, and I love the Durham Performing Arts Center.  There’s just something about Broadway that is magical.

                The show was so wonderful, and I enjoyed it immensely, even knowing the show as well as I do, having seen it twice before.  My friend Cliff is quite familiar with the film, so he was telling me what he wished made it into the show from the film.  It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie, so I wasn’t as concerned about that, although I am always fascinated in how adaptations vary from their source material.  Even knowing the film as well as he did, Cliff really enjoyed the musical – I knew he would.  The music is so catchy (I was singing “Solidarity Forever” for hours!), and the acting was phenomenal.  There were a few actors out, probably due to a combination of snow and the holiday.  At first I was a little bummed that Emily Skinner wasn’t there for that performance, but her understudy (Liz Pearce) was amazing.  I was glad I got to see Gregory Jbara and Will Chase, and Jacob Clemente was a great Billy.  My favorite character, of course, is Michael, and I’m so glad I got to see his big number from row K, instead of from miles away.  I'd still rather sit in the balcony than nowhere at all, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm an orchestra-seats kind of girl.

                So, all in all, the tour is fantastic, but Broadway is magical!