I have been itching to see some new Broadway shows for a while. While I have been in DC for 13 years now, I have never been able to stop mourning the loss of convenient Broadway. I love the theatre and miss it terribly. So, when the opportunity arises, I go and see a show… or in the case of this weekend I see 5 shows. Before you think me truly crazy, know that only 3 were Broadway shows; one was an off Broadway production at Union Square and the last was something that I can’t quite put into a category… but still, 5 shows in 2 ½ days is a record for me, and I have done crazy Broadway binges before.
That said, I have to admit I am still on a buzz from seeing Pippen. Holy Wow. It was insanely amazing. There is not a weak link in this show… the players, the show in a show, the circus, the colors and that incredible wall of sound. The company blends and they just blow your hair back with their intensity. If you are headed to Broadway – go see this show.
That is not to say that the other shows I saw were no good. Each of our choices were award worthy. The costume magic in Cinderella is enough of a reason to see the show the dress transformations left the audience audibly gasping. But it was the voice of Laura Osnes and the character acting of Harriet Harris that really make the show. They play off each other and the rest of the company to make the show shine like that glass slipper. And then there was Once, a show about the love of music and how it transforms our souls. Not a happy ending, but filled with talented musicians, singing and playing and just enjoying each other. I would say the best thing about this show was the jam sessions the company had before the show and during intermission… worthy Irish pub music.
The other shows I took in this weekend were more of the experimental or alternative variety. “Sleep No More” is a modern art take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It reminded me of a mix of an amusement park haunted house (where characters lurk in the shadows), mixed with a murder mystery, a fashion show catwalk, with a twist of reality show craziness all to the tune of Shakespeare. It was definitely my most unique theatre experience to date. Taking place at a hotel, you run all over the place, up and down different floors looking for clues and following characters, but never speaking to them. In a show with over 140 hours of plot line, I managed to repeat several scenes in the course of the evening. Oh well, I saw all sorts of strange and interesting things. And I was proud of myself for figuring out which of the characters was Lady Macbeth (and no, I did not see the “out damn spot” speech).
Then there was Fuerzabruta, a mix of dance theatrics and straight up partying. They show had plenty of simulated running, glitter, water, lots of club dancing and a DJ that liked using a hose! One man on a treadmill through walls, 3 girls swimming in a shallow pool, a group of people smashing Styrofoam blocks over each other’s heads. And did I mention glitter and the water – it was important. It was a college party run wild.
When you go to Broadway, you are handed that Playbill (well with Fuerza you got it after the show). And that Playbill is your link to memories of the great show you attended. Yet, I never kept mine. My sister has binders of all of her shows, but I never could justify keeping my one or 2 a year. Sad really, because it is getting hard to name all the shows I have been to when asked (and yes, I have been asked). Well, I discovered that playbill.com has a solution –
It is a playbill memory bank. You can search for shows you have seen and save the show information. There are all sorts of social networking aspects to it – but what got me was just that I now have all the covers of the shows! Broadway is too amazing to forget even one experience on the Great White Way!
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