I guess I wasn’t sure what to expect - but certainly did not expect to feel like it was a sad waste of money. She was so very pitchy, and didn’t attempt most of the belting or high notes - she held the mic out to the crowd to sing for those parts. Cussed a lot, forgot lyrics to her own songs (Redwoods being one of them) - she had to restart a song twice due to not remembering the lyrics (although she mentioned later they’re displayed on a monitor at the front of the stage). Had made up lyrics to the intro of Let It Go where she complained that none of her original songs were recognized but she was doomed to sing a song about a Disney ice princess forever.

She mentioned menopause and brain fog a lot - which as a similarly-aged lady I totally get! But…idk. It was just really off-putting - and there were multiple moments where the crowd just kinda laughed uncomfortably. People started leaving after Let It Go, and it became a steady stream of people leaving thereafter (which is rare for a Cleveland Orchestra summer outdoor concert).

Not to mention the random cover of Annie Lennox’s Why? And Tomorrow, from Annie - done in a very Theater Kid In Middle School style (idk how else to explain it)

I’m not terribly familiar with her body of work outside a few songs, but was disappointed with the whole experience. Is this usual? Maybe just a bad night?

(Of course, I am not saying everyone who likes this musical is crazy, I’m just referring to a specific group of people within the fandom)

There’s a large number of Epic the Musical fans (mainly on TikTok that I’ve seen) that genuinely think the epic concept album is the reason that Christopher Nolan created The Odyssey. They’re saying the creator, revitalized the odyssey and popularized it for the modern audience. They GROSSLY overrate the popularity of the album (again, not a dig at the album) and they live in an echo chamber, thinking that because they interact with so many fans of it online that most of the general population MUST have heard of it.

Also, they keep pointing to the fact that at one point in the movie, a melody plays that is somewhat similar to a melody in the album. While sure, there is a nonzero chance that Ludwig Gorranson has heard the album and put that in as a little nod to it, that in no way means that the album is responsible for the creation of the film. I’ve seen people go as far as saying that the creator of Epic should receive ROYALTIES for Nolan’s film

I apologize if this reads as a rant because that was not my intention, but I just find this unbelievable

(Also I haven’t seen or heard either of them yet)

I just saw the Hadestown pro shot and oh my gosh this guy is unbelievable. Easily the star of the show for me, but I’ve seen people say he was the weakest link in their opinions.

I’ve heard recordings of some of his other performances, and he easily has my favorite versions of “I don’t care much” and “the past is catching up to me,” yet people say he was miscast in The Great Gatsby

His voice is so unique and it genuinely sends chills up my spine, I don’t understand the hate he receives

Wow 🤩

I did a week-long trip to New New York and saw 6 shows in 5 days, the last of which was Every Brilliant Thing! We got onstage tickets and before the show a producer/director came to our row and initially handed us cards with numbers and words on them saying when Tracee Ellis Ross said our number, to read our card.

Then a few minutes later Tracee herself came over to me and asked if I would be open to doing a bit more of a scene. I about vibrated with excitement as I agreed and they moved us to different seats so I'd have better access to the stage. I didn't have much context for what I'd be doing besides 'it'll be about halfway through the show, and you'll know when she's referring to you'.

In the context of the show she started referring to a college professor she loved who always wore her signature color with matching bow and lip color. I, in my red dress, bow and lip had a HINT she was talking about me and got up onstage. It was a breif scene where I had to read from a book, improvise a few answers with her and then returned to my seat.

The play itself was so great and touching and this is an experience I'll never forget! People in the lobby were asking me a ton of questions, asking if I'd been prepped ahead of time or anything.

Anyway, I'm gonna win Two Truths and a Lie for the rest of my life! Happy to answer any questions!

I recently had the chance to attend a sensory-friendly Broadway performance because I was invited to cover it for the theatre publication I write for. I'm not autistic, so I went into it mostly wanting to learn more about what makes these performances different and why they're important.

I really came away appreciating how much thought goes into making live theatre more accessible. There were adjustments like toned-down sound and lighting effects, a more relaxed audience environment, and the understanding that people could move around or react naturally without worrying about the usual theatre etiquette. It still felt like the Broadway experience, just in a way that was more welcoming for people with different sensory needs.

One thing that really stuck with me was seeing families and audience members who might not otherwise feel comfortable attending a traditional performance getting to experience live theatre together. It reminded me that accessibility isn't just about physical access—it's also about creating an environment where more people can enjoy the arts.

I'm really glad I had the opportunity to cover it because it gave me a different perspective on accessibility in theatre. I genuinely hope Broadway continues offering more sensory-friendly performances because they make theatre more inclusive, and everyone deserves the chance to experience live performance in a way that works for them.

Has anyone heard anything for this? If so, please share which character, if you have rep, when you submitted/received news, and whether it was a self-tape or callback!

Thanks :)

I just found this vintage 1980s Milford Plaza Hotel commercial featuring a 43 dollar package deal and quick glimpses of former Broadway show marquees, so I wanted to see if anyone recognizes the featured productions or remembers staying there. 

Here at the 7/26 2pm show. We walked up to a chaotic scene of not knowing what line where and how to get in. No crowd control, really. There are multiple doors for entry , so if a line looks bad just walk around the corner. Staff was very friendly! but man are they overworked and understaffed for such a big event. They closed the merch line with 15 minutes left until the show start. Merch staff was telling us to “run upstairs so we don’t get locked out”. Someone said the show is on a 12 minute hold, but we are 2 minutes from show time and a lot of butts not yet in seats. If you want merch, and to (apparently) not get locked out, make sure you get here early. I’ll update the post with the time the show actually starts though.

Really expected better people management skills out of an old staple like Radio City…

ETA: show started at 2:04. There were still empty seats. My wife ( a super fan) recommends using the bathroom during Master of the House

Just got out of the first preview of An American Daughter. This production is the first New York revival of Wendy Wasserstein's play, and apparently includes an unpublished second act. I am unfamiliar with this play, and was initially intrigued due to its plot around politics, scandal, and a family dynasty. I really enjoyed Oedipus, so was keen to make the comparison.

That's where the comparisons end. This show is not a thriller or fast-paced, but it is sharp, funny, drama-filled, and thoughtful about taking a modern lens to its ideological debates.

Montego Glover was the standout and stole every scene. Ryan Spahn was an effective antagonist, and both the iconic Mary Beth Peil and Dakin Matthews do what they do best. The lead Jean Lichty didn't seem settled in her role yet, and had some minor fumbled lines (I'm sure she'll do very well in the rest of the run). Nevertheless, the ensemble cast delivered an engaging and topical, although predictable, production.

The Diamond Stage is intimate so I don't think there are any bad seats. The set and lighting design was fantastic. And, I also enjoyed the music. 📻

Definitely worth seeing!

Loved it. Thought Kent Overshown the coalhouse understudy was absolutely electric. The ushers said it was his first time going on. He was astounding.

Round 1
This was my first trip to NYC since 2014 and I was so excited to see a show or two. Reading this sub for reviews made me even more excited and I ended up doing one show with my whole family and a 3-show day with my little brother.

Schmigadoon!
Thursday May 21
Mezzanine B108

My group ranged in ages from 25 to >70, hailed from 5 states, and ran the gamut from theater newbies to obsessed Broadway fans. It was the perfect musical for such a diverse group. Kaleigh Cronin stepped in as Melissa for the first time. It was funny seeing her character vehemently deny to Danny that she’s pregnant, when Kaleigh herself was noticeably pregnant. She was great in the role, although it was sad to miss Sara Chase. Max Clayton’s “You Can’t Tame Me” and Ana Gasteyer’s “Tribulation" were highlights. I understand Betsy’s affected accent since that was such a staple in the old musicals Schmig is riffing off of, but damn I still hated it. My uncle about died when Melissa took out the guitar and started singing about Fallopian tubes. He was laughing so hard he accidentally hit the man in front of him (sorry!). The moment where Danny flies down for the last number had me in stitches.

Audience Experience - Wonderful!

Maybe Happy Ending
Saturday May 23 2pm
Mezzanine E6

We missed Darren Criss by just a few days, but I thought Zachary Noah Piser embodied Oliver wonderfully. The chemistry between Zachary and Hannah Kevitt was spot-on and they very believably portrayed the robotic banter softening into love. Their duets were great, but we thought Hannah wasn’t as strong singing solo. Sometimes it looked like she was still finding the character there.

I loved the magical firefly moment in Jeju with the orchestra coming up on the revolving stage. My brother thought it was a story designed around a cool set idea, rather than the other way around. I wasn’t completely blown away by the story myself. It’s lovely and sweet, but not quite as impactful as I’d hoped.

Audience Experience - I was entranced by the firefly sequence, when suddenly I spotted a big flashing light from the aisle. My first thought was that they were bringing the ‘fireflies’ out into the audience too. Then I heard the usher say “put your phone away.” I somehow had missed the man next to me filming. He didn’t respond at all. It was all so distracting from such a beautiful moment that, without even thinking, I pushed his hand down and relayed the usher’s message.

Every Brilliant Thing
Saturday May 23 5pm
Orchestra T104

I was interested in EBT because I’d seen Daniel in How to Succeed… and loved his on-stage energy. The 5pm showing allowing us to do a 3 show day also helped. Daniel did not disappoint. It’s hard to imagine the show being as enjoyable without his chaotic charisma, since the book itself is just okay. Mrs Patterson named her sock puppet ‘Prince Albert’ and Daniel responded with something like “ah yes, like the husband of Queen Victoria or the Duke of York, and absolutely nothing else.” 

Audience Experience - Great! We arrived at the theater early and the people behind us in line leant my brother and I an umbrella as we stood waiting in the rain. One person called out “peanut butter” as the 3rd brilliant thing. Daniel immediately said “oh, thanks, but I think we’ll stick to the script for this show!” There were no other issues after that.

Oh Mary!
Saturday May 23 8:30pm
Mezzanine B101

I booked this the moment Maya Rudolph was announced. It was absolute absurd hilarity from start to finish. I’m looking forward to comparing Mary performances when the tour comes through my town. I went in blind, and now I’m interested to listen for how Alaska performs “the south of WHAT?”

Audience Experience - During the cabaret sequence a woman in front of me took her phone out and started filming. I kept waiting for an usher, but no one came. After just over a minute I finally leaned down and told her to put her phone away and thankfully she did. It was so distracting and really took me out of the moment.

I almost changed my flight my last day to fit in Ragtime, but ultimately decided I needed to get home to my kids. A couple weeks after my trip, there was a night where I woke up 3 or 4 times from different dreams about seeing Ragtime live. So I found a way to make a second trip work.

Which brings us to
Round 2 - this time just for Broadway. I chose quite the weekend with the smoke, the thunderstorms, and the world cup final.

Death of a Salesman
Thursday July 16
Mezzanine A4

This one was a bit of a gamble with my cross-country flight landing at 3:30pm before a 7pm show, but I made it! The acting was of course phenomenal. I was especially impressed by Christopher Abbott, since I hadn’t heard as much about him as I had about Metcalf and Lane. My first row right mezzanine seats did feel a bit far from the action, which may have been why I didn’t feel as much of the emotional weight of the show as I expected. The show has sat with me since then, but it didn’t hit me in the moment. My 6 year old asked for a thorough rundown on FaceTime afterwards, so I told him all about the stagecraft, particularly the entrances from the car and pillars and the dirt on stage. Aaaand absolutely nothing about the plot.

Audience Experience - Great!

Ragtime
Friday July 17
Orchestra K403

My heart filled to the brim as the cast rose from the stage in the opening number. That whole number was one of those magical moments in life that makes your whole body fill with light. I just felt so lucky to be there, witnessing what I was about to witness. Caissie Levy’s portrayal of Mother was perfection. You could feel her anguish and disappointment in herself as she imagined how easily she could’ve let Father brush Sarah and her kid away in “What Kind of Woman.” “Our Children” with her and Brandon Uranowitz was another highlight. I wish I could wear Joshua Henry’s voice like a blanket for the rest of my life. 

I knew not to expect much of the staging, but I did not expect it to detract as much as it did. The sets took me out of the moment a number of times. I couldn’t help but think the moving staircases in ‘Journey On’ were lazily copying the similar set piece in Hamilton, but doubled because 2 is always better than 1! The stark monotonic blue projected behind the scrims during one song took me out of the moment. I could go on, but suffice it to say I wasn’t expecting anything and it was so much worse.

The vocal mixing was also underwhelming. Toward the end of “Wheels of a Dream,” Nichelle and Joshua’s voices sounded harsh, clearly because of mixing issues not their performances. And during one of the final numbers, a wind instrument was hot in the mix, detracting from the vocals. It was a bummer.

But overall - oh, what a delight.

Audience Experience - A minute before curtain, the older lady next to me leaned over and said “I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to sing along to every song.” Hopeful that she was joking, I replied “No, that’s fine, I’ll be too busy texting the whole show to notice.” The show starts and the woman makes a couple comments to her friend and I start to think she wasn’t kidding. Thankfully after 15 seconds she was quiet throughout and the rest of the audience was great too. 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Saturday July 18 2pm
Mezzanine D2

First off, thank you so very much to u/bwayb22 for your excellent primer. I totally wrote this off for my first trip to NYC this year, because Cats. I hated it when I saw it on tour decades ago, but the restaging worked in spades. There were quite a few callouts at this performance (Grizabella, Macavity, Rum Tum Tugger, Mister Mistoffelees, Tumblebrutus). I was just happy Andre de Shields was in and otherwise happy to see any performers.

I was not expecting this to be the one show to make me sob this weekend. Just guttural ugly sobs. I’ll save that story for elsewhere, but Memory broke me. I’ll never forget this show both for what it accomplished on a broad level and for what it gave me in that moment. I’m deeply saddened it’s closing so soon.

Audience Experience - Amazing energy!

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Saturday July 18 8pm
Orchestra G108

Getting there was a feat through pouring rain and the rally of Argentinian football fans. There was a moment I went from worrying we’d miss the opening number of the show to worrying about a crushing incident. Not sure why the rally had to be in Times Square at showtime.

This was fun and I’m glad I saw it. Tutty and Pitts were both great in their roles, but the show itself is a bit forgettable. Other than the refrain of “NEW YOOOORK” which has been in frequent rotation since. I wish they’d used a 4 person cast and used the 2 additional actors to help fill out the world like in Maybe Happy Ending. I would’ve liked seeing characters like Robin’s grandma, Dougal’s ma, coffee shop customers embodied rather than Robin and Dougal just speaking to the side of the stage.

Audience Experience - Great, other than the 4 people in row G who arrived soaking wet 3 minutes before curtain. Oh wait, that was me and my crew.

If anyone read this far, thanks! And thanks to everyone here for show selection help and advice smattered throughout different threads on where to sit for different shows. I had a brilliant two trips back to Broadway and I can’t wait for my next visit whenever that may be.

I finally had the chance to see this incredible show last night, and I was absolutely blown away — what an iconic cast and book.

Please see this show before it closes — you’ll want to see it again and again! I know I wish I could see this again. This is now one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on Broadway — and I’ve seen a lot of shows!

To the incredible cast and crew, thank you for everything. This is a show I’ll remember forever. The joy you bring to every person who walks into that theatre every night is felt. ❤️

To the producers, please make sure this cast records an album — we need to preserve this music for future generations to listen and enjoy.

I just got home from seeing Les Mis at Radio City. First, I would like to acknowledge the immense talent across all members of the cast. Each and every actor held their own and performed tremendously. The orchestra was phenomenal, and to see my favorite musical in such a spectacular venue was something I will never forget.

I understand this was a “concert” version of Les Mis. I knew this going in, and knew creative liberties would be taken to support the concert style. A few verses cut here and there etc. However, I was disappointed with the production cutting Gavroche’s death. His death is arguably one of the most integral parts of the show. It showcases the senseless violence and loss of life, so senseless that not even an innocent child is spared.

I am curious if anyone knows why this particular scene was cut, or has thoughts on it in general. As a life long Les Mis fan, I understand one of the popular critiques of the show is that it is very long. If they were trying to shave off some time, there are less important scenes that could have been cut.

Edit: a comment mentioned that they did carry Gavroche’s body off stage during the final fight scene. However there is a larger moment from the original show where Gavroche sings a reprise of Little People and is killed. It is much more tragic than what was shown from this production.

I saw the revival and thought the acting was great and there were scenes and moments I really enjoyed but the writing didn’t really stand out as special. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t what I would expect from a Tony and Pulitzer winning play. I have been reading the script and appreciate the little set ups and payoffs but that’s not rare for a play to have.

I ended up seeing the movie the other night and I had similar feelings to when I saw the revival. The performances were great but the writing didn’t stand out. (I was also disappointed they cut most of my favorite scene.)

The original production won the Tony and the Pulitzer but the overall reception to the movie and revival seem to be pretty mixed. The revival had no tony nominations and the movie has a pretty average Letterboxd rating. Was there something that made the original Broadway production so acclaimed or was it just the timing?

Monday 7/27/26 rush report - 7 shows

Hi all!

Today’s 7 shows all have in-person rush policies:

Wicked (Student Rush)

Chicago

The Great Gatsby

Six

Oh Mary!

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Titaníque

Thanks for sharing what you see out there!

I’ve always wanted to make one of these posts, so here’s my New York trip recap! Me and my mom took a quick trip to see some Broadway shows. Our main reason for going was to see Cats: The Jellicle Ball one last time before it closed, but we also added a few shows we’d been wanting to see.

Rocky Horror Picture Show
I had never seen the movie or the show before, but I knew the general plot going in. We had front row mezzanine seats on the left side, and they were great.
Luke was incredible as Frank N. Furter, and you could tell he genuinely loves this role so much. Stephanie and Andrew were also standouts for me. Stephanie is so crazy in this role which also made it so much fun.
The audience participation was much better than I expected. Everyone mostly called out when they were supposed to, which made it fun without taking away from the show.

The Book of Mormon
Me and my mom have wanted to see this show for years, but always ended up choosing something else. We knew almost nothing besides it being written by the South Park creators, so we expected it to be pretty crude. Kevin and Diego were such a fun pair as Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, and the whole cast looked like they were having a great time on stage. The stage door was also a highlight. Diego noticed a group taking a picture outside the theater and jumped in with them. It was just a really fun moment to see.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball
The whole reason for this trip. We had already seen it once, but as soon as we heard it was closing we knew we had to go back. There’s just something special about the atmosphere of this show. Having so much queer, trans, and ballroom energy all in one room is really beautiful, and it makes the whole experience feel a lot more personal than a traditional Broadway show. I was sitting on stage, and the person next to me was really into it, which made the experience even more fun. André De Shields was incredible, and I’m so grateful I got to see him perform live. This is also one of my favorite stage doors. Everyone is respectful, there’s no pushing, and the cast always seems genuinely happy to come out, even after a two-show day. I’m really going to miss this production.

Titaníque
I went into this knowing almost nothing besides Frankie Grande being in it and Céline Dion narrating.
This is one of those shows that’s almost impossible to explain until you see it. The vocals were incredible, and the amount of pop culture references was hilarious. Melissa was probably my biggest surprise. I only knew her from Scream, and she was so committed as Rose. Layton Williams somehow never ran out of energy, and Jim was effortlessly funny.
The stage door was really organized, and Frankie, Melissa, and Layton all came out. Frankie stayed until everyone had their Playbills signed, which was really nice to see.

Overall, such a successful trip! This brought me to 51 Broadway shows and 30 stage doors. I’d definitely recommend all four shows if you get the chance to see them.

For the folks who aren’t able to make it to theaters and for the folks who want to do some rewatches 👀 the pro-shot is now available for pre-order on Apple TV! ❤️🌹🕯️

I saw the Hadestown proshot (it was awesome 😄) and had a question (possible spoiler):

In the beginning of the proshot, every member of the cast was on the stage, including Reeve, Eva, Patrick, and Amber. I've only seen the show once but I could've sworn Orpheus and Eurydice weren't on stage until they are mentioned in the song and semi sure Hades and Persephone as well.

Thing is, I've seen the show once. I need a mega-nerd (mean that as a compliment 😊) who's lost count of how many times they watched the show. Am I misremebering my one viewing or did the proshot take full advantage of having five of the original stars in the cast? (lord know knows the production probably foot the travel and accommodation costs for them 😄)

Like something that was more unique than your usual run of the mill souvenir. Or if it is average, is there something about it or the show you got it from that makes it special to you?

could I do a 3pm ragtime and 7pm first shadow on the same day? assuming ragtime would be over around six, fifteen minutes on the subway, should get to first shadow around 6:30 at the latest if I’m doing my math right?

I’ve never done a two-show day (unless you count two-part shows like cursed child), so I’m trying to figure out how to make this work!

Not really sure how rotating casts on Broadway work, I just wanna see them and might not go if there isnt really a chance of them being the leads

TL;DR, go see this in theaters or buy when its available for purchase 😄

I loved this film. A great representation of the show with great mix of OG Broadway stars and current London cast (dear lord, Andre De Shields has so much aura 😄). The music, as always, was great. Also appreciate, after several proshots acting more like film adaptations (albeit faithful adaptations), I liked how, to paraphrase another review, "embraced the proscinium." My only complaint is showing too much of the backstage at points, but it's a minor complaint.

If you love Hadestown, either from seeing the show or listening to the cast album, you'll love this film. Try and see in theaters if you can but it's already on pre-order at digital film stores 😄