Billy Elliot

Over the summer i had the chance to see Billy Elliot in London. The plot of the overall show was lacking in substance however the dancing certainly remedied that. The group numbers were very well choreographed and the songs by Elton John were all very well written. The power of the Ensemble was lacking and it was very hard to hear them in many cases. The set and the lights were very well done and the theatre was very nice. Overall, the show was good, but not great. I would say the vocals were the downside of the performance while the dancing captivated the Audience.

Set against the background of the 1984 Miner's Strike, Billy Elliot is an 11 year old boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family's set ways, inner conflict, and standing on his toes! In a northern England mining town, miners are on strike and the atmosphere is tense. Eleven-year old Billy Elliot, whose father and brother are participating in the strike, whose mother has died quite some time ago and whose grandmother is not completely aware of what's going on, doesn't like the brutal boxing lessons at school. Instead, he falls for the girls' ballet lessons. When his folks find out about this unusual love of his, Billy is in trouble. Being supported by the ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson, he keeps on training secretly while the work situation as well as the problems at home get worse. Finally, Mrs. Wilkinson manages to get Billy an audition for the Royal Ballet School, but now he also has to open his heart to his family.

Hairspray

Last Summer Hairspray was at the Luxor in Las Vegas. I am not one to go to big foofy musicals like hairspray but I went with my family and enjoyed it. The overall quality of the show was somewhat mediocre and juvenile however it kept the audience entertained and constantly laughing. The cast was the original Broadway cast and they were all very talented. The most impressive part of the show was the choreography. The dance routines and general movement on the stage was very together. If you are looking for a fun entertaining show to see with the kids Hairspray is a good choice. If you are looking for a night of good solid theatre DON’T GO.

Synopsis:

'Pleasantly Plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

Mamma Mia!

Last summer I went to see Mamma Mia! on Broadway. With a deadly combination of a satirical greek wedding and music by abba, this musical is outstanding. The show, a comedy, nails all the aspects of "rolling them into the aisles." All the vocal talent was divine and the ridiculous antics of a greek bride-to-be is guarenteed to bring about uncontrollable laughter. Truly a new classic, Mamma Mia! is a must see story about the life of a Greek fiance and the impact of her friends and family on her wedding.

Synopsis:

The story takes place on a mythical Greek island in the present day, and centers around a young girl named Sophie who dreams of a white wedding, with her father giving her away at the altar (I HAVE A DREAM). Problem is, she doesn't know who her dad is - and she's getting married the next day. As the show begins, she explains to her chums that her mum, Donna, fell into the arms of three men within a short space of time. So she's got three possible dads, and has invited them all to the wedding (HONEY, HONEY).

The Phantom of the Opera

Over Christmas I was able to attend a performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Having grown up in Las Vegas I have noticed that Broadway shows have never been successful, yet for some reason Phantom had been. I was curious at how this show could be different from others so I went. The theatre was gorgeous and the set design was unbelievably impressive. The ensemble was first class and the show never ceased to be great throughout the performance. The Music was outstanding and executed with a lots of emotion and class. The leads were all great actors and actresses and all had very large vocal ranges. However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the performance was the technological feats. The movement of the scenery and the stage was very impressive and the lighting was superior to any show I have seen. I would recommend this Broadway classic without a thought to anyone who is interested.
Synopsis:

'The Phantom of the Opera' tells the story of a young chorus girl, Chirstine - a young talented singer who, with the right training, could become world famous. While rehearsing at the Opera Populaire, where weird and unexplainable things happen, she captures the attention and the heart of The Phantom, or as the Opera Populaire call him...The Opera Ghost. But he is no ghost - he is a disfigured musical genius who has hidden away for years to avoid the cruel stares of strangers. With the Phantoms help, Chirstine becomes the venue's leading lady, but tragedy awaits as the young soprano has fallen for the charms of handsome noble Viscount Raoul De Chagny, not realizing her Angel of Music is deeply in love with her. Insane with jealousy and unable to see the object of his affection, and ultimately is obsession, in the arms of another man, The Phantom kidnaps Christine - unaware of the lengths Raoul is prepared to go to get her back.

The Producers

This past christmas, I had the pleasure of seeing my all time favorite musical on broadway, The Producers with Tony Danza as Max and Roger Bart as Leo. The show was nothing but fantastic and musical numbers were melancholic and hilarious. The only weakness that this show displayed was on Danza's part. Being a T.V. junkie for the larger chunk of his life might have something to do with his lack of vocal talent. Also, his acting wasn't up to par and certainly not what it used to be. Other than that, a definite must-see!

Synopsis:Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) and Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick), a scheming theatrical producer and his mousy CPA, hit upon the perfect plan to embezzle a fortune: raise far more money than you need to produce a sure-fire Broadway flop and then (since no one will expect anything back), Max and Leo can pocket the difference. To do this, they need the ultimate bad play, which they find in the musical Springtime for Hitler, written by neo-Nazi playwright (and pigeon fancier) Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell). Their plans come to naught and the duo is taken completely by surprise when their new production is hailed as a toast-of-the-town hit

AIDA

The Chase Collegiate School, which is the high school which we attend, is putting on the show Aida this spring. In preparation for the performance we went to the Palace Theatre to see the national tour. The show was good overall. The music was great and the performances by the leads were strong for the most part. The set though very simplistic, fit the modern nature of the shows ideals. The actress who portrayed Aida was good and had a nice and powerful voice. The actor who portrayed Radames had a very impressive voice and fit the role well. The part of Amneris although played to be a little to ditsy in nature pulled of the character with style. The actor who was Zoser was unfortunately the only one with a weaker voice and mediocre acting skills. The costumes were great and the lighting was unbelievable! Elton John does a great job with providing spectacular music and Tim rice does well directing such a powerful musical. We would always recommend this show without reservation and look forward to performing it this spring.

Synopsis:

The story is based on the legendary tragedy of Aida, a Nubian Princess who is taken as a slave by Radames, a conquering Egyptian soldier, and given as a handmaiden to the Pharaoh's daughter. Aida soon finds herself in love with Radames and is torn between love and duty when the Nubian slaves look to her to lead them to freedom. Directed by Robert Falls and choreographed by Wayne Cilento, Aida won several 2000 Tony Awards: Best Actress in a Musical, Heather Headley; Best Scenic Design, Bob Crowley; Best Lighting Design, Natasha Katz; and Best Score, Elton John and Tim Rice.

Hair

We recently went to see a national tour of the performance Hair at the Warner Theatre in Torrington Ct. Neither of us new anything about the show except that it was during the peace movements around the time of the Vietnam War. So we went into it with an open an mind and left at intermission with a shocked one. Upon entering the theatre the cast was on the stage dressed in hippie apparel and smoking. In the background was a slideshow of soldiers serving in the War. The lights went down and the characters began to introduce themselves to the audience by doing a short scene and then singing a song that related to their character. Lots of the show was very inappropriate and unappealing. Overall we can only describe this performance in one word, travesty. The individual performances were all mediocre and the only decent actor played Claude who gets drafted to be in the military. The show was very repetitive and all the songs began to sound the same after the first few. A select few songs were decent however the ensemble was not very strong. Our feeling is that a show like this, that is so specific to a time period and lifestyle is not fit to be performed in this day and age. Any person that is from this generation would have felt out of place and awkward in the audience. Neither of us had ever left a show at intermission, but in this situation we could not have made it through the second act comfortably. Overall the performance was poor and depending on your individual taste you may or may not like the plot and the music.
Synopsis:
Hair re-creates the colorful counter-culture world of the 1960's set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Its main character Berger, leader of a hippie "tribe" based in New York's Central Park, takes draftee Claude under his wing and on a "trip" through New York City where Claude experiences the psychedelic and "free-love" world of the 1960's. The show really shows life during the hippie movement. The musical features book and lyrics by James Rado & Gerome Ragni, and music by Galt MacDermot. Anthony Jackman directs, with musical direction by John Thomas and co-direction/choreography by Bart J. Murell.

Man of La Mancha

This last Weekend we went to see the very well known Man Of La Mancha at the Palace Theatre in Waterbury Ct. We bought tickets at the door and luckily we got 4th row seats. The set was incredible and was very realistic to the time period. The main set remained the same throughout the entire show which contributed to the mysterious and delusional affect of the performance. The actor who played Don Quixote did very well at attacking the emotional and crazy side of the character and the only disappointment was his voices lack of overall strength. He put on a very convincing and honest performance. The comedic actor who played the role of Sancho stole the show with his wit and very pleasant voice. The ensemble was strong vocally and the choreography was very well put together. The script was superior to almost any Broadway show we have seen and the actors all executed very powerful memorable performances. Overall the show was very good and we would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing it in the future.

Synopsis:

Man of La Mancha is a comic tragedy of mankind's struggle to better both himself and the world in which he lives. Cervantes and an associate are brought to prison to await a hearing with the Inquisition. He is set upon by the prisoners, who decide to hold a mock trial in order to find him guilty and steal all his possessions. Cervantes presents a play as his defense, to give the "jury" insight into the "crimes" of which they accuse him. They agree and become actors in his play. Cervantes plays Alhonso Quiana, a man who has set his own reality aside and become Don Quixote De La Mancha. Cervantes’ story becomes an inspiration to pursue our personal quests with unfailing dedication, unbridled optimism, unwavering courage, and unparalleled chivalry.