“Hair” Broadway Review.

I remember the event very clearly. August 2008, Central park, 5 30 - 6 am. I came to the one of Central Park entrances which is situated not far from the Museum of National History. There were already standing a lot of people. Well, like 40-50 people. It’s not a lot if compare with the amount of people that would be in the line just in a few hours. The line was well-organized. Around 6 am the leader of the line (who looked like and probably was true hippie) waved his hand and the line started moving towards the box office. In several minutes we were near the box office, people started to sit and lie on the grass, someone brought blankets and chairs. I got a large blue beach towel with me. I spent there around 8 hours to get a couple of tickets to the “Hair” in Central Park. And it was totally worth it.

At the end of the performance, during the curtain call I was among the first people who danced on stage with the actors. It was so much fun, so much energy, so much excitement. When I found out the revival of “Hair” was coming to Broadway right from Central Park I was excited and at the same time I didn’t hope for anything because I know that it would be hard to watch the show after such an amazing Central Park nature fresh air scenes in the closed Broadway theatre (even if it’s the same production).

On the second preview during the shooting of the new “Broadway Sergey” Episode for BroadwaySpace.com I saw “Hair” on Broadway. And what can I tell – it was amazing! Since I already have an interesting video on BroadwaySpace about “Hair” and I even interviewed there some of the cast members, I’ll try to make this review short but informative.

Here is the BroadwaySpace video:

Find more videos like this on BroadwaySpace

Interaction with audience.

It’s definitely the most interactive musical on Broadway these days. By this term I mean the actors really interact with audience members, talk with them, touch them, dance with them. You feel yourself like a part of the show, especially if you seat in the orchestra. I think because the Broadway house where they’re performing is quite small compare to the theatre in Central park where they performed before it feels like audience member even more involved. So I want to give you some advises where to seat first. You should really get tickets to orchestra level. Closer to stage – better. If you seat in an aisle you have a chance to be one of the couple of audience members (one from the left, and one from the right side of the orchestra) to dance almost one song during the second act with a cast member. Like it happened with me that day! I’ll tell you the story.

We were shooting the video for BroadwaySpace as you already know and we had to do final footages with audience exiting theatre, and ask them their opinions (you can watch all this on the video). We had to exit the theatre right before the curtain call. I knew I wouldn’t be able to dance on stage with the cast members! I was really upset because of it. But during the second act one of the cast members picked me from my seat and we started to dance right in the aisle! It was really great experience, especially for me, because I would miss the final dancing on the stage. And it was even better because it was sort of exclusive dance – only me and the cast member. So if you want to experience something like this – seat close to stage an on the aisle.

Energy.

The show has an amazing energy. You can feel it. And it’s not only because it’s a rock musical. Even on the slow songs like “Easy to be hard” or “Where do I go” you experience this amazing feeling, the same feelings like characters in the show, and that’s truly amazing experience.
All cast members perfectly match together, they all great, they all one tribe. I don’t even want to criticize someone form the tribe, because all of them has an amazing energetic voices and spirits. I believed them and I felt the same way as characters.

Sets, lights, costumes, choreography.

The show looks great on the Al Hirschfeld Theatre’s stage. Yeah, not so much room like it was in the central park, but sets and lights are beautiful. You probably know that I like good light design, and it this show it’s really good. Kevin Adams set up light design for my favorite show in 2008 Passing Strange and also for Spring Awakening. And you know lights were good there. It truly expresses the situation and feelings of the characters. Costumes look…hippie, which is good. And choreography rocks!

Still actual theme.

A lot of years passed since 1967, but “Hair” still bears actual message and thematic: freedom, peace, freedom of love. With all these wars all over the world, with all these struggles with gay marriage in the States, it’s still actual today like it was before. I am sure even young people who never heard about “Hair” before will love and understand this show.

So far it’s the best revival I have ever seen this season! I really recommend you to watch the show. But remember, if you want to feel all the interaction and if you want to dance on stage at the curtain call with all cast members, you should seat in the orchestra!

This is my video Hair Broadway Review on YouTube:

March 27th is my birthday and the World Theatre Day!

Today I have accidently found out that I was born on the World Theatre Day (International Theatre Day). This is great, because I am the fan of Broadway number 1 in the World! It’s like a sign for me that’s all what I’m trying to do is right.

That’s description of the World Theatre Day from the site of the International Theatre Institute(http://www.tcg.org/international/events/theatreday.cfm?CFID=14364738&CFTOKEN=63532728):

World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute, and is celebrated annually on March 27 by ITI Centers and the international theatre community, with the reading of a World Theatre Day Message and various national and international theatre events being organized to mark this occasion.

Isn’t it amazing to know? I am very excited about this fact! Now I am going to celebrate 2 things on March 27th: my birthday and the World Theatre Day! And it’s great to combine these two celebrations and go to see a nice show on Broadway! Yay!

10 tips how to see Broadway musicals for cheap or free. Recession special.

On the picture: Me after “Passing Strange” which I saw only for $20 something from Standing Room Only.

1. Ask in the box office of the show you want to see for partial view seats or discounted tickets. Both usually are not available online, so most of the people don’t know about it.

2. Some of the shows have ticket lotteries. If you win it, you’ll be seating close to stage for less than $30.

3. If the show you want to see is sold out Broadway hit, there are good chances that standing room available in the performance. You have to ask about it in the day of the performance in the box office. Usually it’s 20$ something. And here is the plus of the Standing Room Only – you can dance there!

4. Are you a student? A lot of Broadway shows have the student rush tickets (from $20 to $40 average). Ask in the box office of the show! If you are not a student became one and enjoy the student rush lines. :)

5. Never buy tickets online! Both Ticketmaster and Telecharge have a lot of extra fees, so you end up with paying an extra $10-$15. And it’s noticeable if your ticket is not very expensive.

6. Find the codes for Broadway tickets discounts online. You can save up to 50%. But remember – do not purchase online! Go directly to the box office and show them the print of the offer with the code!

7. Go to TKTS booth the day of the performance and buy half price tickets (not all shows available).

8. Find a job on Broadway or Broadway-related sphere (producing office, Broadway web-site, ticket sales e.t.c.).

9. Some organizations and schools offer corporative discounts for the Broadway shows. Find out in your school or organization about it. If no, you can always change the job or school.

10. Finally, become a theatre professional (famous actor, producer, light designer and so on) and probably you will be seeing all the shows totally free :).

How I would make “West Side Story”.

Yesterday I picked up amNewYork newspaper and found there a review of “West Side Story” on Broadway. In my surprise the reviewer (Matt Windman) had the same opinion with me at many points. Especially about one of the lead roles- the role of Tony.

Let me quote what Matt Windman wrote about Matt Cavenaugh as Tony: “Matt Cavenaugh is miscast as Tony, looking far too clean-cut and aged for the role and singing in an ugly vocal style”.

Well, as we can see there is not me the only person who thinks that Tony doesn’t match the role and has problems with vocal.

The next quote: “West Side Story” is a dated but great show. Unfortunately, Laurents’ ego ruined it”.

Director Arthur Laurents also wrote the show’s book. Yes he knows the show and he’s part of the show (one of the creators). But why he directed it so badly? I remember I saw an article in Playbill about the production of “West Side Story”. So he (Laurents) told there he wanted to do some changes because he didn’t see the point of doing a revival unless something was changed in the show. Well, changes definitely were made. But what kind of changes? Wrong lead actor, bad directing, unnecessary Spanish, no energy, fell of the emptiness on stage because of the sets and uninspiring lights. Maybe this production should have been offered to direct to some young and fresh director who could make real changes which would be a plus, but not a minus?

What would I do if I were producer or director? First of all I would cast great actors who look (at least) as teenagers with great vocal and dance skills. Then I would make sure that the sets look great and there is no feel of emptiness on stage. I would make sure that directing is good so audience can feel this youth energy, passion, feel of being in love for the first time, this time full of emotions and desperate acts. Then I would add amazing light design which can increase these feelings. After this I would make sure that when I watch the show I feel this energy for which I love live Broadway musicals (and other audience members feels the same). And only then I would set up preview dates.

I live “In the Heights” by the way.

Lights up on Washington Heights, up at the break of day
I wake up and I got this little punk I gotta chase away
Pop the grate at the crack of dawn, sing
While I wipe down the awning
Hey ya'll good morning

Have I ever mentioned that I live In the Heights? Yes, for almost a year I live in Washington Heights. I like it here. Very interesting and vibrant place. I liked it even more after I had found out about musical “In the Heights”.

I saw “In the Heights” only once and from the Standing Room Only. I remember I got the job in catering that day. You see, I like to watch Broadway musicals on special for me days. Like for example my first day in the States I watched “Wicked”. My last birthday I saw opening night “Gypsy” (now you can guess when my birthday is). So I got a job in a catering company and decided to celebrate this occasion. I liked it a lot. Yes, it definitely deserves Tony for the best musical of 2008. Although my favorite musical of 2008 is “Passing Strange” I have to admit that “In the Heights” it’s an amazing theatrical experience, it has a great touching story, interesting music and lyrics, great choreography and beautiful sets.

I don’t have any video about “In the heights” on YouTube yet. But I guess now I have an idea. So perhaps this show should be mentioned somehow in my videos. It deserves it, ahahahahahh! :)

“Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” or “Any Dream Will Do”!

As I already said the other day, musicals for me are the great anti-depressants. Today I felt really sad and lonely, but I remembered a wonderful musical - “Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. When I feel sad this amazing musical of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice gives me hope that “Any Dream Will Do” and that:

We all dream a lot - some are lucky, some are not

But if you think it, want it, dream it, then it's real

You are what you feel

Amazing lyrics, huh?

I wish the revival of the musical will be on Broadway soon, like it is in London right now. This musical is one of the musicals I dreamed to see live for a long time. And if some of my little dreams already came true (Like Wicked, Billy Elliot or West Side Story, for example) this one (Joseph) is still pending.

I have been watching and listening the “Prologue” and “Any Dream Will Do” on YouTube like all day and night, and going to keep listening it.

I like the movie version of the musical with Donny Osmond and Maria Friedman. I bought it on DVD in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) several years ago. It’s such an interesting and inspiring production. I like the set of the whole production. The stage situated in a school gym, and they are performing in front of kids (they are audience and the chorus at the same time). The show starts with the famous “Prologue”, which is one of my favorite songs from the musical theatre of all times. In the beginning it looks like the “Narrator” (Maria Friedman) is going to do some kind of lecture on the stage. We see her, kids, even some teachers. It’s very funny. Then the famous music starts, the first words of the lyrics are sung and the magic begins. I like Maria Friedman in this production a lot. She’s just an amazing actress. I can watch her performance over and over thousands times. Such an interesting face expressions, such an amazing acting, such an energy that I really believe that “if you think it, want it, dream it, then it's real, You are what you feel”.
Then she goes to the end of the school gym and opens the doors. Huge amount of stage fog fills the space and we see a figure of a man in the doors – that’s Joseph (Donny Osmond). “Any dream will do” begins. I like Donny as a Joseph a lot too (not as much as Maria Friedman as a Narrator though).

So that’s how this amazing production begins. I hope someday I will be able to see it live on Broadway or West End and make a review of the show. But now all I can do is to watch the movie version of the show again and again and… DREAM:

But all that I say can be told another way

In the story of a boy whose dream came true
And it could be you…

West Side Story Broadway Review

I’ve been dreaming to see West Side Story live on Broadway a long time (like many other great Broadway musicals). So when I found out that the revival of West Side Story comes to Broadway I was really excited.

I remember time when I lived in Russia and some kind of great production of West Side Story (la Scala production perhaps) was coming to our city, I asked my mother to buy me tickets to the show several months in advance. But when we came to the theatre we found out that the show was cancelled. They didn’t explain why (but I suppose because they didn’t sell enough tickets or something). I was really upset about it, because I was just about to see really big and professional West Side Story production in my city and just in a second it all disappeared.

So I was coming to the first preview of West Side Story on Broadway with big hopes. I saw it 2 times: 1st and 5th previews. First time I sat in the balcony (partial view) and the second time I sat in the orchestra and close to stage (but partial view again).

You are probably wondering where to seat in such a big theatre. Let’s begin with the good news for everyone. If you short on money or if all “good” seats in the house are sold out you probably still will be able to enjoy the show from the partial view balcony seats for approximately $26 (a half price of the regular ticket). As you know choreography in West Side Story is beautiful and there are a lot of people in the cast. So as for me the choreography looks even more amazing from the last row of the balcony than from the orchestra.

Let me tell you my first impression. So I was fascinated of the choreography until the Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) started to sing “Something’s coming”. I didn’t like something, and this something was… the voice of Tony. And also I didn’t feel much energy of the youth full of hope that’s something good is coming. But I though like “Ok, maybe it’s just his first song and it will be better during the “Maria”. But it wasn’t. It looked (and sounded) even worse. During the performance of “Maria” voice of Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) was ok, but too dim and not sonorous. It sounded like a bad opera singer for me. Sometimes too high, sometimes too quiet that I couldn’t hear beginning and the end of some words in the song. His acting wasn’t perfect-pitching also. I know, perhaps it was the director’s wish, but during “Maria” he was just standing the first part of the song at one spot, then stepped forward a little bit and finished the song. It wasn’t believable and it didn’t look for me like a young guy in love. Not enough emotions, not enough feelings, a little bit boring. And when he yelled “Maria!” at the end of the fight scene under the highway it sounded weird and unnatural, so the couple of viewers sitting next to me even laughed a little bit. I didn’t but, it still sounded very unnatural and not believable. No, I am not telling it was totally horrible. I just think this actor is not completely suitable for this role: his voice doesn’t match this role and his acting is not perfect.

I know, a lot of people will say if I can sing (or act) better and he (Matt) did a great job. Well, I am not an actor or singer and don’t want to be one, so of course I can’t do it better. I am just telling you my personal opinion based on my experience as a big fan of musical theatre. I usually don’t pay attention on the voices and acting skills of the actors – I trust casting companies and casting directors, seriously. But, when I don’t feel much excitement after a song, then after another song I don’t feel anything again, I am starting to think what’s wrong and why it is wrong. And this time I realized that there is something wrong with the voice and the acting skills of the one of the main characters – Tony. I even watched it second time, from the seventh row of the orchestra – but result was the same. Ooops!

The other main characters were pretty good for me: Maria (Josefina Scaglione), Anita (Karen Olivo), Riff (Cody Green), Bernardo (George Akram). Although I enjoyed the songs performed by them think there is absolutely no chemistry between Maria and Tony. They don’t look like lovers together.

In the beginning I couldn’t get where Jets and where Sharks are. The second time when I saw it from the orchestra close to stage there was the same problem. I guess it’s because of the costumes, it look the same on the both gangs (on males especially). So in the beginning it’s a little bit confusing who is who. But Bernardo looked weird and funny in this lilac color costume. Is that how the leader of the “Sharks” should look like?

Now a little bit about Spanish. Some people were afraid that there would be like half of the songs in Spanish. When I was standing in the box office line there was a guy who was telling to his friend on the phone: “You know it looks like it sold out. But almost half of the show in Spanish, so you wouldn’t like it anyway”. The other people didn’t know about Spanish in the show at all and it was totally surprise for them. Well, I want to relieve those who think that there are a lot of songs in Spanish. No, only 2 songs are completely in Spanish language: “I feel pretty” (“Siento Hermosa”) and “A boy like that” (“Un Hombre Asi”). And there are several songs in which Spanish appears in some parts like for example “Tonight” reprise. Other than that Spanish can be heard just a little bit, like a word or short phrase in some songs and lines.

As for me I find it pretty realistic. I can compare it with myself. My first language is Russian. Sometimes I speak Russian with my Russian friends, but sometimes we speak English. It depends on the mood. I am young and I want to improve my English skills so I try to speak English more, older people speak Russian more (it’s more comfortable for them). So, yes, it’s realistic and interesting decision. But for those people who haven’t seen West Side Story before (well, if such people exist), or saw it only a couple of times long time ago and don’t remember lyrics, or for the people who don’t speak Spanish at all (like me) it can be not really comfortable because they (at least on the previews) don’t have supertitles in the house.

Talking about showstoppers, the best songs where audience members go wild, applause and whistle in excitement are the songs performed by a lot of cast members. I really liked “America” (Anita, Rosalia and Shark Girls) – so much energy and excitement; “Gee, Officer Krupke” (Action and the Jets) – very funny and entertaining; “Somewhere” (Kiddo, Tony, Maria and Company) – this will make anyone cry, very touching; “Siento Hermoza” (“I Feel Pretty”) (Maria, Rosalia, Consuela and Fernanda) – you don’t have to know Spanish to feel what Maria feels there; and perhaps “Tonight” (Quintet) was pretty good too.

Set and light design did not really impress me. Especially light design. In my opinion there should be some more colors in West Side Story. Through play of colors light designer and director can express the feelings of the characters, the whole situation, can make it more powerful, emotionally, touching. But this production of West Side Story was colorless. And that’s definitely a big minus. As for sets, it was big, but not really impressive; there was feeling of some kind of emptiness on stage (which, again, could be illuminated by proper light design).

What can I recommend. In spite of all the minuses it is still West Side Story. And it’s still must see show for all fans of musical theatre. It just could have been done better. I would recommend to see it from mezzanine or even from balcony, perhaps like me for half price (partial view seats). The choreography scenes are amazing from mezzanine and balcony, and you really don’t have to see all the face expressions of the actors. But I wouldn’t pay full price for center orchestra seats for this production.

My West Side Story Review on YouTube:

I Love New York!

More I live in New York City more I understand that I love it.

I like the air of New York, I like sights of New York, I like the smell of New York. And I still can’t get what type of the smell it is: some kind of mixed smell of the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson River, concrete walls and roads, Laundromats, pizzerias and restaurants. Like any other place in the world New York has its own very special flavor and it’s beautiful.

I like all seasons in New York City, except when it’s too hot and humid or too cold. Well, some people may say it’s always or too hot and humid either too cold. But that’s not true - try Miami during the summer or Chicago at winter and you will feel the difference.

And of course I love New York City for Broadway. I’ve been dreaming to see a show on Broadway since I was really young. And now I understand how happy and lucky I am living in this city and being able to watch all these musicals and plays on Broadway! Musical theatre it’s an amazing form of art and very often I feel myself like a character of a musical, my soul sings and I want to dance. It doesn’t matter if I am happy or if I am sad. I think a lot of people feel the same, and that’s why the art of the musical theatre is so popular – this art can express “inside” feelings and thoughts like no other form of art on stage.

Times Square accumulates so much energy from the millions of people visiting it every year. It’s such an amazing feeling when you just walking there in an evening and feel the energy of all the people, enjoy sightseeing of the amazing musicals’ logos and lights, those giant skyscrapers, large screens with advertisements. I know, some people don’t like Times Square and think it’s only for tourists. But when I come there, I feel a lot of different emotions, it fulfills me, and I am thinking: “Hey, maybe everything is not so bad! Everything will be ok, just believe!”

My name is Sergey and I love New York.