On Friday, I decided to hop a Megabus to New York City.
I find it amusing that one of my old Lollipop Tuesdays (taking the Megabus) was the vehicle (Ha! HA!) for my new Lollipop Tuesday: seeing a Broadway show.
I’m so tickled that I’ve picked up a few noobs this week and so allow me to direct you to the top of this page where it says “What’s Lollipop Tuesday?” You can click there if you’d like. Or you can wander on in confusion. The Jackie Blog is your oyster, noobs.
On to the matter at hand. Having gone to one of the best conservatories in the country for performance, I have always felt like a bit of a fraud for the fact that I’ve never seen a Broadway show. Well, I kind of saw one once. It was called Lestat, and I went to a preview. It was a vampire musical with a score by Elton John. Allow me to repeat that: It was a vampire musical with a score by Elton John.
It was obviously awful. There’s something about a vampire singing ballads that I just can’t get into.
I decided not to count it, for fear I lose my faith in Broadway forever. Then, this past weekend, I scored some half price tickets to Chicago, which had, in my opinion, all the elements that one expects from Broadway: catchy songs, attractive (scantily-clad) ladies, and a whole big dose of pizzazz. I was totally stoked to finally be seeing my first show and could barely contain my urine.
I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but I was underwhelmed. Maybe it’s because the show has been running for so long, maybe it’s because the cast went out drinking heavily the night before. Maybe it’s because I went to a school that had amazing dancers and so I expect cleaner lines and more energy. I expect people to look like they’re having fun up there. Especially on a Saturday night with a full house.
But they weren’t. And so neither was I. There were, of course, some good parts sprinkled in there. But when the entire set is just the orchestra on stage and there are no costume changes, there had better be some damn fine performing. Without anything to look at besides the actors, there’s nothing to distract me when they suck. I actually started to get sleepy at the end of the first act and almost dreamed of the money I’d spent running back into my pocket.
But hey, I’m glad I went. Very glad. After all, John O’Hurley was on that night. There’s nothing like getting to see the guy who played Elaine’s boss in Seinfeld do a good Broadway tune.
Speaking of which, perhaps it wouldn’t have hurt to have one of those leggy ladies do the Elaine Dance. Theater gold. ♣
The Jackie Blog 
When we lived in New York I did catch a number of Broadway Shows. My list of favorites:
Lion King. A must see for the whole world.
Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel.
Chorus Line
Oklahoma
Any others have faded from memory, but I’d see these over and over again, money and opportunity permitting. Do try to catch Lion King. I wish the closing parade of animals was as rich as the opening parade, but that is just my eternal nit picking. It is a wonderful show on stage.
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I would love to see Lion King. Don’t think I’ll ever see Chorus Line – the story’s pretty boring compared to the other things I could see 🙂
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Aw, I’m sorry the play was disappointing. How far do you live from New York?
I gotta admit, when we saw Mary Poppins on Broadway this summer, I was a little disappointed. The set, music and dancing were wonderful, don’t get me wrong! But they apparently felt obligated to make the story-line more modern, so added some annoying sub-plot about Mr. Banks’ troubled childhood with rigid parents, and Mrs. Banks being unfulfilled. Lame!
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Aw, Peg, nobody warned you! The Broadway version of Mary Poppins was deliberately darker than the Disney pep. I would imagine that anyone who went to see it expecting the tried and true would have been let down. Bummer! Jackie, if you get to go back, I recommend seeing the fresh run of “Follies.” It’s a revival, but Ms. Bernadette Peters still shines. I saw it before it went back to the Great White Way, in its first run at the Kennedy Center when I was visiting DC. I think you’d like it.
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I love Bernadette Peters! Bet she was great. And I forgot to give props to the Elaine dance – probably the ultimate in party humiliation.
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Note taken – I hope I can see something again in the spring 🙂
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In my few experiences with Broadway I’ve come to the conclusion that it is generally overrated. HOWEVER, I do agree 100% with Katherine- The Lion King is so. amazingly. wonderful. It was so fantastic that I cried at the sheer beauty of it. Then I went and saw it again in Philly. And then I cried… again. So. Amazingly. Wonderful.
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But also full priced. Want to see it someday for sure. But I had to go off the halfsies this time around 🙂
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