- Aug 7, 2018
- 7,124
- 9,181
I think Moulin Rouge on tour may not be as fun as the intimate Broadway experience. TKAM and CFA are terrific though.
-
Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.
I saw the CFA taping with the original cast. Just would be hard to beat that. It’s also the only show I’m interested for the season.
So I finally watched Dear Evan Hansen now that it's on HBO Max. Keep in mind i've still never seen the stage show, but... I didn't hate it?
Ben Platt's age definitely seems to vary wildly in how old he looks and it's extremely distracting throughout. The actual story is pretty much what I had pieced together throughout the years. I find it creepy yet at the same time slightly complex of a subject matter considering his own mental health issues. I almost don't blame him for lying and saying that he was friends to the parents because of how heartbroken they were, but it's where he took it from there that's the issue for me. I don't even give him the credit for raising the money because he honestly wanted little to no part in that. He just wanted to get with Zoe. If it wasn't for Alana, that fundraiser probably would've never happened.
Overall though, I did think that the acting and vocal performances were good though (for the most part), even if the main character was miscast and the songs are frustratingly catchy for a musical about something so overtly wrong. I get the appeal of having Ben Platt in this movie. His voice is synonymous with the show, but tbh, I would've preferred seeing either just a younger actor play him, or someone like Jordan Fisher who could've pulled off a HS senior rather easily and doesn't already have face wrinkles like he's 40.
Oh, and his hair looked ridiculous. Should've stuck with the stage look.
Ben Platt's age definitely seems to vary wildly in how old he looks and it's extremely distracting throughout. The actual story is pretty much what I had pieced together throughout the years. I find it creepy yet at the same time slightly complex of a subject matter considering his own mental health issues. I almost don't blame him for lying and saying that he was friends to the parents because of how heartbroken they were, but it's where he took it from there that's the issue for me. I don't even give him the credit for raising the money because he honestly wanted little to no part in that. He just wanted to get with Zoe. If it wasn't for Alana, that fundraiser probably would've never happened.
Overall though, I did think that the acting and vocal performances were good though (for the most part), even if the main character was miscast and the songs are frustratingly catchy for a musical about something so overtly wrong. I get the appeal of having Ben Platt in this movie. His voice is synonymous with the show, but tbh, I would've preferred seeing either just a younger actor play him, or someone like Jordan Fisher who could've pulled off a HS senior rather easily and doesn't already have face wrinkles like he's 40.
Oh, and his hair looked ridiculous. Should've stuck with the stage look.
- Sep 10, 2017
- 2,720
- 3,485
Not even close to the first musical on HBO Max alone that I would put on just for fun, especially since Max currently has both versions of West Side Story, Chicago, In the Heights, and probably others. All of the ones I just mentioned have awards caliber performances in them or were nominated for - or in the case of Chicago - won Best Picture.
If DEH was on on cable, i'd let it play in the background because it's pleasant enough vocally, but like I said, i'm probably not voluntarily putting it on again. In The Heights is a movie I could just watch over and over again.
- Jun 27, 2017
- 8,058
- 5,239
It is fine.....but the moral of the story is kinda sick (not that a villain can't have a story but frame him as what he is)
I like the music and listen to it here and there but they clearly should have cast a younger person as the main actor
I'm sure they had endless better choices than Ben, but his dad produced the movie soooo nepotism wins out.
- Jul 27, 2015
- 9,703
- 47,735
If you haven’t caught “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” on Amazon, do yourself a favor and watch it. There are some incredibly catchy songs with a fun “coming of age”/“finding yourself” story. And the choreography is some of the best “high school environment” stuff I’ve seen since HSM.
- Aug 7, 2018
- 7,124
- 9,181
- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
The live production in Los Angeles was very, very enjoyable and included a few alternate songs and plot points. It unfortunately had soft attendance due to nonexistent advertising and its premiering during the height of LA's omicron wave... I'm eager to check out the film version, though.
I got back from a New York trip last week - ended up seeing -
- Funny Girl - A very enjoyable evening and certainly nothing like the reviews are making it out to be. No, Beanie is not Barbara, though I get why many are frustrated with her casting. I felt she held her own in a role with impossible shoes to fill. We had Jeremiah James making his Broadway debut as Nick, and he did a great job. Jared Grimes earned the show's sole Tony nom thanks to his exceptional tap and aching melancholy - he does a lot with a pretty nothing role. We did sit front row, so it was fun to take in the pageantry and microexpressions of the talented ensemble. I'd recommend it if you enjoy the movie or show.
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - We originally planned to see Beetlejuice during this slot (having loved it in 2019), but sadly, they waited a little too long to deploy TKTS listings and other discounts. We took up Cursed Child on their "lottery loser" discount offer that goes out when the show isn't selling especially well. Based on historical patterns, we expected to be placed on the extreme left or right, but we were fortunate enough to get center orchestra seats, just under the mezzanine lip - and right on the aisle. The compressed, one-evening show is jumbled and at times threatens to unravel, but the winning performances and impressive effects mostly make up for it. Does it feel like fan fiction at times? Sure, particularly some of the revelations in the second act. But I also admired how it let Harry - who is usually portrayed as a mostly infallible messiah - as a deeply flawed, insufficient father. It's not something I think I'd see again, but I'm glad I got the chance to take in the stagecraft at the Lyric, which is a really fabulous venue.
- The Music Man - I lucked out and managed to snag three $99 full-view seats (don't ask, it was an involved effort), so I got to surprise my dad for his birthday. It's rare you see someone's movie star power translate so readily to the stage, but Hugh Jackman started in theater, and it shows. He nails every moment, every mannerism, every line read. Sutton Foster is a gift and works the hell out of a fairly small role, managing to leverage her overflowing charisma to become every bit Hugh's equal. The production itself is good, not great, in my opinion - the sets are a bit pedestrian, with only the Wells Fargo wagon eliciting audible "wows." The ensemble is stacked between its embarrassment of Tony-winning riches and shockingly talented children. Definitely would not be comfortable paying $200+, but very glad I got to see it.
- A Strange Loop - A blistering masterpiece that will win Best Musical if there's any justice in the world. This show's issue, I think, is bound to be its marketing: It's being presented as a scathing, comedic satire of the struggling writer through the lens of a black and queer artist, but that's only one (albeit major) facet of the story. The sexual and familial trauma is arguably the raw heart of the show, and it sneaks up and sucker punches you if you aren't ready for it. I came away deeply moved. I hope theatergoers beyond the Broadway faithful give it a chance.
- Sleep No More - The triumphant return. Seems we caught it at just the right time - a majority of the show's pre-pandemic operations are back in effect, including many of the one-on-one experiences. (I was fortunate enough to be selected for two, which is rare if you are not an expert/friend of the cast.) This remains the pinnacle of immersive theater, in my book, and it was telling that I met several themed entertainment professionals who were benchmarking the experience. We splurged for the Oz's Guest "VIP" ticket, and, functionally, I don't think I can ever go back to doing general admission. If you are in New York, make time to see this.
- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,141
- 47,075
I agree with your Music Man review and your A Strange Loop review has me even MORE intrigued now.
Wanna go and see 1776 in the fall?
- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,141
- 47,075
- Aug 7, 2018
- 7,124
- 9,181
- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
This one hurts. Was hoping I could catch it again in August.
It did quite well, by the dominant theory is Company has an upper limit on how many people will see it. All of the NYCers and theatergoers have checked it out, some a few times, but interest is waning, and it never quite caught on with the general public.
- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,141
- 47,075
It didn’t get that Tony’s bump either it appears.
(Also I wonder how much longer The Music Man can run with one of the mains out due to COVID)
- Aug 7, 2018
- 7,124
- 9,181
- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,141
- 47,075
- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,141
- 47,075
