Was in NYC this past weekend to see Chicago and ended up rushing for Kimberly Akimbo too.
Had planned on seeing Chicago last year with Pam Anderson, but literally two days beforehand I ended up with a bad flu so I had to give up the tickets. Made up for it by seeing Jinkx Monsoon as Mama Morton! She was a delight, and honestly the whole cast was on point! Wonderful choices being made that have kept a familiar show fresh, and it was my first time seeing it on Broadway (last time I saw it live..I was in it, haha).
First time I ever did an in person rush, and it was a mixed bag. I was staying with friends in Brooklyn, so I got up around 6:30am and headed over to the theater. By the time I was in line it was 8am, and I was first, but quickly joined by others. Ended up with a line of about 30-40 people by the time the theater opened at 10am. The in person rush tickets are based heavily on how well the show is selling that day, and while there was decent availability, I know for a fact not everyone in line got a ticket. I was with a friend I rarely see, so we probably could have had better seats if we sat separately (one would have been in the orchestra, one would have been in the balcony though) but instead chose to sit together and ended up with partial obstructed view in the boxes. If I had to recommend for anyone in this position, choose the house left boxes, not right, as we were blocked from viewing quite a few crucial scenes and not much of consequence happened on the side of the stage we had a good view of. For $40 I can't complain though.
The show was really nice, and even with obstructed view it was pleasant to listen to. Only really one big memorable tune, but I'm sure by the time the album comes out it will be on repeat. Amazingly tight cast, not a single weak link among them. Victoria Clark is so fully committed to her role, Justin Cooley as Seth was so enjoyable and sweet with his characterization. Bonnie Milligan steals every scene she is in, and I am always in awe of her voice. The two parents were able to tow the line phenomenally between emotionally grounded and somewhat over the top, and the glee club kids had harmonies for daaaaaays. Would definitely recommend, but don't go in expecting lavish spectacle (if you've done any amount of research you'd know this is a small, intimate show, but I did hear a few complaints at intermission about how small scale the show was). This will almost certainly have massive legs in community theater.
playbill.com
www.broadwayworld.com
www.clickorlando.com
