Hi friends, welcome back! I love seeing shows on Broadway but somehow it’s been two years since Jon and I last saw The Music Man with Hugh Jackman back in March 2022. This year we made up for it and unintentionally saw three shows in about three weeks. It was awesome being back at the theater and I loved how different each of the three shows were. Up first was Hadestown for a belated Valentine’s Day celebration. This show has been at the top of my list for a few years now and has won 8 Tony awards including best musical. It was guest starring Lola Tung from the show The Summer I Turned Pretty and Jordan Fisher who we were supposed to see in Dear Evan Hansen, but we had an understudy that night. Needless to say I was excited to make it back to the theater!
We had tickets for a rainy Tuesday night at 7pm in the fourth row of the Mezzanine level. These seats were great and it was nice not having to worry about any obstructions by a potential large head in front of me. I’m not sure why, but the seats in the Walter Kerr Theater were incredibly uncomfortable (or perhaps I’m just getting older). The show runs for about two and a half hours including a fifteen-minute intermission. “It intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and Queen Persephone”. Jon and I really enjoyed the show and thought everyone had an incredible voice and performed well. Compared to other shows we’ve seen we personally didn’t like the songs as much. For example, I still listen to the Hamilton Soundtrack and Dear Evan Hansen songs. We’ve been spoiled by seeing so many great shows so this one fell in the upper middle of our ratings.
Little Shop of Horrors wasn’t on my radar, but my friend bought tickets for the wrong date and asked if we’d want to buy them off her. I looked up the show and saw it was starring Darren Criss and Evan Rachel Wood, so it was an easy yes! The show was technically off-Broadway but I was still surprised by how tiny the Westside Theater Upstairs was. The theater has a downstairs and upstairs stage and the upstairs seats 270, so it was an intimate performance for NYC. I’m happy to report that the seats were comfy.
The show runs roughly two hours including an intermission. I had a general idea of what the musical was about, but we sort of went in blind. I would describe it as hilariously unhinged in the best way possible. We were laughing out loud and the audience felt very lively and engaged compared to the more serious Hadestown. It was a very fun production and I was so happy my friend bought the wrong tickets!
The final show we saw recently was Enemy of the People starring Jeremy Strong (Kendall from Succession), Michael Imperioli (from White Lotus & Sopranos), and Victoria Andretti (from You & Haunting of Hill House). I had been targeted for the show through an Instagram ad and after seeing the all-star cast, I got on the email list and was able to get tickets right when they went on presale in November. The play is in the unique Circle in the Square theater and runs for a limited sixteen weeks. The stage is so interesting and I think this was the closest we’d ever been to the actors. Honestly there’s not a bad seat in the house because the actors moved around so much. I also liked that the aisles were raised so the people in front of you weren’t obstructing your view.
The play runs for two hours and includes a short break in the middle. During the five-ish minute break, they invited people on stage for a drink while they changed the set. We didn’t go up there because we were confused and seated in the middle of the row, but it was entertaining! There was also some audience participation right after intermission which was interesting. We weren’t one of the lucky people that got picked to go up there, probably because we didn’t have easy access to our seats, at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Jon and I usually see musicals so it was weird how quiet the theater was. You could hear every little cough and throat clear from the audience. This play was the best acting I’ve seen and most distinguished cast with Strong & Imperioli. The play was outstanding and had quite a few laughs as well as being very relevant to the world today. A few days after we went the show was interrupted with climate protesters, but luckily the actors handled it well. If you can I definitely recommend seeing it before the run is over!
Jon and I waited after the show to see the cast come out and were able to get Strong & Imperioli’s autographs which is pretty cool! We’ve never waited around before but this was the time to do it. They were both very nice and took the time to chat even though they had two shows the next day.
It’s so great to be back in the theater! Our favorite shows so far in order: Hamilton, Enemy of the People, The Music Man, Dear Evan Hansen, Little Shop of Horrors, Hadestown, The Book of Mormon, Frozen, and Phantom of the Opera.
little shop of horrors is a wonderfully cheesy 80’s movie. worth a watch on a cold snowy night.
I really need to watch the movie now! I love a cheesy 80s movie 🙂
Good for you to see so many shows in so short a time. New York’s Theatre scene is so varied and it looks like you got a good cross section. Some pretty big names in the cast of Enemy of the People. Happy Monday Lyssy. Allan
It is amazing how many and the variety of shows there are in NYC. We’ve got to see them while it’s only a twenty minute subway. Enemy of the People really was an all-star cast!
Glad that you experienced so much in NY. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
What a fun time you had! Little Shop of Horrors was one of my favorite horror/comedy movies from childhood. I’d love to see it on Broadway. I saw my niece perform in it in Indy years ago. Not Broadway but it was a small theater and a great show.
Such a great time at the theater! I really need to see the movie now, I know I’d love it. It’s such a funny show and I was smiling the whole time. It is fun when you know someone in the cast!
It’s one of the few things I miss about living in London – the theatre but not musicals. We do go to the theatres in Nice but naturally there isn’t anywhere as near as much choice.
We enjoyed seeing Mamma Mia on our trip to London, that was a fun one. I can see how you can prefer plays over musicals.
My OH is the fan of musicals
We did Little Shop in high school so I know the basic storyline and the songs but I have never seen it done on a more professional level. My middle son has been dying to see Hadestown; he’s a HUGE Greek and Roman mythology fan and he already knows pretty much all the music to it so I’ve been keeping an eye out to see if it will come anywhere near us. He’s almost always my theater “date” since he’s my only guy that seems to enjoy it!
I think you and your son need a trip to NYC to see some shows! That’s so sweet that he’s your theater date. You’d love Little Shop off Broadway and he’d definitely love Hadestown! I didn’t know what Hadestown was about beforehand, maybe I should’ve haha.
You really can’t beat live theatre …. 3 in a row! Lucky you!
I agree! We are lucky to be able to see so many so easily 🙂
Great that you saw three shows on Broadway in quick succession. I enjoy plays and musical theatre and was tempted to try and book to see a show or play whilst we were over.especially as Broadway was on our doorstep. In the end we didn’t get around to it as we had such busy daytime schedules but it would be good to experience a Broadway show and compare it to London’s West End or the superb Manchester Opera House one day.
It was great to be back in the theater! It is hard to see a show when your schedule is busy, then you’d be too exhausted to enjoy it. Next time you’re in the city along with the Intrepid and Morgan mUseum 🙂 We enjoyed seeing Mamma Mia on our London trip. That was a lively one to keep us awake after our sightseeing.
Exactly, I was worried that if we spent a lot of money on theatre tickets we might fall asleep once the lights went down! M.
I would love to see Little Shop of Horrors. Glad to read your positive review. I used to go to musicals and the theater but somehow haven’t lately. This is a good reminder. Maggie
You’d love seeing Little Shop! Such a fun show.
The curtains rise, and a hush falls over the audience as they eagerly await the magic that is about to unfold before their eyes. Broadway shows have a way of captivating hearts and minds like no other form of entertainment. From toe-tapping musicals to thought-provoking dramas, these unforgettable experiences keep people returning for more and that’s why a Broadway show has secured a place on my wish list, too 🙂 How awesome you managed to get autographs!. Thank you for sharing and have a good day 🙂 AIiva xx
I love your description of shows!! You are absolutely right! There’s something so exciting and fun about a live show. The autographs were a nice bonus 🙂 Hope you can make it to some shows soon, there are some the girls would love too!
Musicals are so much fun, and it is amazing to see live performances. These look like amazing shows, and awesome cast members too!
They were such awesome shows and the casts were outstanding!
I haven’t seen a show since before the pandemic. I’ve forgotten how much fun they can be. Impressive that you managed to fit in three shows in about three weeks!
We took way too long of a break from Broadway for how easy it is for us to see shows. Always great to see a live show!
So jealous! I was supposed to see a play/musical back in late January early Feb. as part of a group. The group has strict guidelines still with COVID. I was coughing etc. – a no go- so I had to drop out of seeing it. It was called How To Dance in Ohio. It has actors who are autistic.
That’s such a bummer to have missed that, How to Dance in Ohio sounds like it would’ve been such a great show. Hopefully you can see some shows soon.
When in NYC, it seems like one must see a Broadway show! I’m not a huge fan of musicals or live shows, but then again, it’s because I didn’t grow up seeing a bunch of them. However, with the popularity of “Dear Evan Hansen” (and that “Waving through a Window” song, which is catchy), I might give a show a try should I ever find myself back in NYC! Glad you had a fun time!
There’s such a variety I am sure you can find one you’d enjoy! “Dear Evan Hansen” was a good one, we really liked the songs in that one but never saw the movie. Hope you make it back to NYC soon!
Aw amazing, so great to see such a diversity of shows on (or very close to) Broadway. I’ve never seen a show on Broadway so when I return to NYC it’s high on my list 🙂
Yes next time you’re here you must see one!
It would be hard to imagine Jeremy Strong as any character besides Kendall Roy. Glad you got to meet him. Interesting theater too – not what you expect to see in a Broadway venue. In the photos of the Hadestown cast, which character is Lola Tung? We thought “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was a good show. It’s a little surreal to hear about screen actors showing up in live performances.