Plays & Musicals.

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kaylaandthestarcatcher
kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
in Chit-Chat
Any other theatre-loving folks out there? I would LOVE to talk favourite plays and musicals! What are yours? Seen anything good (or bad?) recently? Longing to see a show? Who are your favourite performers? Are you involved in theatre at all? What are your ~dream roles~? Etc!


As for me, my currently play obsession is Peter and the Starcatcher. I saw in when it was still in previews in April and was there for opening night and it's just so amazing. I want to see it again so badly, but it's all the way in New York and I'm all the way in Florida. I also really, really, really want to see Once and Newsies.
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  • midschool22
    midschool22 Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I'm not much into plays and such but the ones I have seen were awesome.

    Cats and Rock of Ages (twice).
  • Laura_Suzie
    Laura_Suzie Posts: 1,288 Member
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    Favorite of all time is Into the Woods.

    I would also love to see Peter and the Starcatcher and Once.

    I've seen only 3 Broadway shows: Legally Blonde, Wicked, and Chicago.

    I've seen several touring productions and regional theatre productions as well.
  • herrhitman
    herrhitman Posts: 111
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    I like musicals. I don't really pay too close attention as LA isn't really a very good theatre town (and I've never been to NYC but I have been to the West End). But I'd like to see Book of Mormon and Once. My favourite all time is Les Mis, but Le Roi Soleil and Wicked are close 2nds. I don't really follow plays either, but I'd like to see Zack Braff's play, All New People.
  • seppy82
    seppy82 Posts: 4
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    I LOVE musicals! Currently very much into Jersey Boys, but some of my all time favorites are Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Ragtime.
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
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    Into the Woods! Definitely one of my top favourites.

    Funny story -- I didn't get into theatre until I was much older, but when I was in middle school, we did Into the Woods Junior and in that version, it's just the first act, so it ends with everyone living happily ever after, and for YEAR AND YEARS, I thought that was how it ended! And then I saw the full version with the second act... it kind of destroyed me!


    I want to see Mormon so badly. It's touring and it's coming to Florida, and even though Tampa is closer to me, I think that if there is a stop in Orlando, I might go there instead. Because... I mean... ORLAAAANDO.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
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    I loooove theater :) high school drama club was when I was in my prime lol. My fave shows I've seen live are Wicked, Phantom, and In The Heights.
  • Bucky83
    Bucky83 Posts: 1,194 Member
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    I love theatre so much, have loved it ever since my mother took me to see Grease: The Musical when I was 10. Have seen so many: Fame, The Sound of Music, The Boy From Oz (twice), Michael Jackson's Thriller Live, Jersey Boys (twice), Wicked (twice), Rock of Ages (twice), Chicago, We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia, The Phantom of the Opera (twice)....etc etc.

    Google "Anthony Warlow" in The Phantom of the Opera, he is phenomenal! He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma awhile back, but still has great vocals! Love him!

    I live in a country town, and we attempt having our own musicals. Last year's was Oklahoma, and I'm off to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying tonight with friends. I was supposed to be in the chorus for the musical this year, but had to pull out due to personal commitments.

    I really enjoy being on stage, so my ultimate would be a lead role in a musical I'm familiar with! I highly doubt I'll ever become a professional performer, but gee I love watching it so much I'm ok with that. Having fun on stage in a relaxed format is more my thing.

    I've been in plays like Flying Feathers, Witness for the Prosecution. I'm typically a shy, reserved, serious kind of girl and for some reason the directors love it when I play ditzy chicks. Go figure.
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
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    I love dinner theatre. :-)

    The best musical (no dinner, just a show) I saw was Fiddler on the Roof. A university production. My friend's dad was in the orchestra so we got free tickets for my 18th birthday. So much fun!
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
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    I'm a lover of musicals. I have more soundtracks than shows I've seen (either because they don't run anymore or the tours never come near me) but sometimes making up what's going on in my head works out better than the actual show. My favorite would be Phantom of the Opera, I've loved it since I was a kid and only knew the overture melody. Hate the 04 movie though. My first was another Webber show, CATS, which I saw the recording they put out in the 90s.

    I've seen WICKED, Little Shop of Horrors, Avenue Q, Mama Mia!, The Producers (local production), CATS (VHS), Sweeney Todd (original cast DVD), Jekyll & Hyde (also DVD, not original cast, had David Hassellhoff As Jekyll/Hyde) and Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary movie theater showing, stupid Webber killed the US tour for his senseless sequel). I was going to see Les Miserables in November, but money's tight so I don't think I'll be able to get tickets that won't require binoculars like I had to do with Little Shop of Horrors. I'm going to see WICKED a second time next Spring. The first time I saw it, Richard Kline was The Wizard. Who thought Larry from Three's Company could sing?

    As for soundtracks I have: Annie Get Your Gun, Avenue Q, Bat Boy, CATS, Chicago, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables, Lestat ("I Want More" only, I hated the rest of the soundtrack plus there isn't even a recorded version), Little Shop of Horrors, Grease, The Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary edition, Original Cast, Original Korean Cast, French and Spanish movie soundtrack versions... hey I said I loved the show!), Side Show, Sweeney Todd (2005 Revival Cast), and WICKED.
  • Laura_Suzie
    Laura_Suzie Posts: 1,288 Member
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    Into the Woods! Definitely one of my top favourites.

    Funny story -- I didn't get into theatre until I was much older, but when I was in middle school, we did Into the Woods Junior and in that version, it's just the first act, so it ends with everyone living happily ever after, and for YEAR AND YEARS, I thought that was how it ended! And then I saw the full version with the second act... it kind of destroyed me!


    I've seen the junior version. TOTALLY ruins the whole premise of the show and what Stephen Sondheim was going for... I'm all for a bittersweet or tragic ending over a happy, idealistic one... There is so much that can be learned within the lyrics of Into the Woods...

    BTW I've been doing musical theatre for years and it's what I hope to do with the rest of my life. I could go on and on and on about it... haha
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
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    Shows I've seen on Broadway: Hair, Seminar, Peter and the Starcatcher.
    Shows I've seen off-Broadway: Rent (twice)
    Shows I've seen touring: Rent (eleven times), In the Heights (three times), Hair, Wicked
    Shows I've seen local productions of: Next to Normal, Hair, Rent (three or four different productions, I think...), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 2.5 Minute Ride, 'Night Mother, August: Osage County, A Midsummer Night's Dream...

    I just looked through my Playbill/program collection, so I know that I'm forgetting some. And I've watched more bootlegs than I care to admit. And listen to a lot of cast recordings while reading the Wikipedia page, so it's ALMOST like I'm seeing it...in my head?

    Shows I've worked on: All in the Timing (stage manager and a quick walk-on role with one line), Stones From God (stage manager and acting at the same time. Basically, I did all of my stage manager duties during rehearsals, but I obviously couldn't call the show, so that was left to someone else.) Godspell (stage manager), The Laramie Project (stage manager), and I've helped with costumes for some other shows, and I was just asked today to stage manage my school's production of Fool For Love coming up soon.
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
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    Into the Woods! Definitely one of my top favourites.

    Funny story -- I didn't get into theatre until I was much older, but when I was in middle school, we did Into the Woods Junior and in that version, it's just the first act, so it ends with everyone living happily ever after, and for YEAR AND YEARS, I thought that was how it ended! And then I saw the full version with the second act... it kind of destroyed me!


    I've seen the junior version. TOTALLY ruins the whole premise of the show and what Stephen Sondheim was going for... I'm all for a bittersweet or tragic ending over a happy, idealistic one... There is so much that can be learned within the lyrics of Into the Woods...

    BTW I've been doing musical theatre for years and it's what I hope to do with the rest of my life. I could go on and on and on about it... haha

    Oh, I completely agree. After seeing how it really ended, I was almost mad that I had been led to believe that it ended differently for so long! Especially because before, I was like "Yeah, that's a good show" and then after I saw the real ending I was like "Um, that's more than good. That's AMAZING."

    Even though I'm not a good singer, Little Red Riding Hood is one of my dream roles.

    That's great that you want to do it for the rest of your life, because I totally understand. I want to do theatre for the rest of my life, too! (Not necessarily musical theatre, though. I've only worked on one musical and it was a lot of fun! But I think I kind of like doing plays more.)
  • herrhitman
    herrhitman Posts: 111
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    I always wanted to try out for a musical when I was in high school, but I was always too shy and didn't think I could sing well enough. I still like to pretend that I'm in one though, especially when I'm in the shower. ;)
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
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    I always wanted to try out for a musical when I was in high school, but I was always too shy and didn't think I could sing well enough. I still like to pretend that I'm in one though, especially when I'm in the shower. ;)

    It's never too late to get involved! Audition for some community theatre stuff! You might love it!


    I didn't do theatre when I was in high school and I felt so behind everyone else when I started taking my college theatre classes. Everyone was like "I've done this and this and this" and I was just like "Well... I could perform a one-woman show of Rent because I've seen it so many times?" But as soon as I got involved, it was just like... Yeah. This is what I want to do. Forever.
  • badderworse
    badderworse Posts: 2
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    I have an unexplained passion for musicals, so strong that my mother surprised my sister and I with tickets to about 10 shows in a visit to NYC that spanned 20 days. It was possibly one of the greatest moments in my life.

    - Mary Poppins had a beautiful set design, it was made to look like a huge dollhouse.
    - The Lion King was definitely original and unique, so was Avenue Q.
    - Wicked was absolutely amazing, especially after having read the book it was based on and seeing the story unfold in front of my eyes (honestly one of the hardest books I've read to date, but it was very much worth it in the end).
    - 9 to 5 was very cute, especially because Allison Janney was part of the cast.
    - Billy Elliot was spectacular, and made me go watch the movie later. My favorite thing about it were the accents.
    - Both The Little Mermaid and Shrek felt overly childish, but that's a good thing. I loved Ursula (TLM) and Fiona (Shrek) the most.

    I never got the chance to see Hairspray or Legally Blonde on Broadway, but I've seen snippets here and there online, wish I could've seen them though!

    One of my close friends lives in New York and I visit her often on Holidays, so I got to see The Addams' Family during the winter, which had an awesome cast and plot. In Spring Break we saw 2 shows before they officially opened. Those were:
    - Catch Me If You Can, which had a very nice set of tunes.
    - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which was stolen by the triple-threat actor/singer/dancer Daniel Radecliffe. (At first, the only reason I was excited to see this was because I was a Harry Potter Fan. It was such a pleasure to see that the cast had good talent, and that was what made it 100x awesome). I got to see it for a second time when I visited NYC for the release of HP & the Deathly Hallows Pt.2.

    I also got the chance to see 3 musicals in Las Vegas:
    - Mamma Mia, it was right at the time when the movie was going to be or was just released.
    - The Producers. One of the first musicals that I really got into after seeing the movie that was made a short while ago.
    - Jersey Boys. The set-up of how the story was told was very different.

    Other than Musicals, I really really REALLY love the shows that are put on by Cirque du Soleil. Absolute amazing works of art! My favorite to date is LOVE which is chock-full of songs by the Beatles!

    I was very much involved in our Drama Department back in high school, and because my school was a little British school in Kuwait we often put on pantomimes. I got the awesome chance to play Elphaba in a school production of "Oz". I'm guessing this was the first time ever the Wicked Witch of the West was played by a guy with a big beard! :D
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
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    Okay, I'm going to list all of the reasons I am jealous of you:

    1. I want to see AveQ SO BADLY. I've only seen bootlegs but I love it and want to see it.
    2. I love Allison Janney.
    3. Billy Elliot is a show that I have been dying to see for just about ever. The movie is one of my all-time favourites. Every time the tour comes through, I don't have the money. I've never found a good full bootleg of it, but I've watched snippets and just, UGH I WANNA SEE IT.
    4. Was Sherie Rene Scott playing Ursula?! Because I LOVE her. The Last 5 Years is one of my favourite musicals and Cathy is one of my favourite characters in a musical ever and I would love to see Sherie in any role, especially Cathy or Ursula!
    5. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN! AARON TVEIT AND NORBERT LEO-BUTZ. I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH. (Again, The Last Five Year! Norbert played Jaimie! And Aaron was in Next to Normal which is like, my second favourite show of all time.)
    6. You got to see How to Succeed! I went to the stagedoor and said hello to Daniel which is one of the highlights of my life, but I didn't get a chance to actually see the show.
  • herrhitman
    herrhitman Posts: 111
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    Hmm... taking a class might be a good idea. I think auditioning for something, I'd be way over my head. Especially in LA.
  • tabbykat6802
    tabbykat6802 Posts: 233 Member
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    Love Musicals! Did Pippin and Once Upon A Mattress in High School and then Cabaret & Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in college. I have only been able to go see a few around town: Les Miz, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret. I would have loved to see Wicked and several others when they came to town, but wasn't able to go. Am definitaly goine to try to see A Christmas Carol this year(Ira David Wood is a god!).
  • badderworse
    badderworse Posts: 2
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    Lol, Ave Q was definitely something unique and special. I remember my family and I were so sick the day we went to see Billy Elliot, but it was wonderful enough to let me forget the pounding in my head. :D I'm sure that Ursula wasn't played by Sherie Rene Scott, but she was very good. Probably biased since Ursula is my all-time favorite villain! I did get to see both Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo-Butz who were both spectacular. Your so lucky that you got to meet Daniel! I also forgot to mention that I wish that I had seen Wonderland before it closed, because I have listened to the soundtrack and I love it. I think I've heard it enough times that I have my own version of the plot and characters in my head, but still it would be amazing to see it live.
  • AGreen54
    AGreen54 Posts: 100 Member
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    I love plays and musicals. I've seen the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, Wicked in London, the Lion King and Mama Mia is Australia, and seen Cats, Kiss Me Kate, and Beauty and the Beast at my local playhouse. I also love Les Mis and I can't wait for the new movie to come out in November!

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