Friday 5: 5 Broadway Locales I'd Love to Visit

The premise of Schmigadoon! intrigues me. Not that I'd ever want to be stuck there - a visit, sure. But forever? No way. I haven't seen it, but from what I've heard about Season 2 of the TV series, I think that might be a more interesting place to get stuck in. Anyway, that premise got me thinking about what musicals I wouldn't mind being stuck in for a while. Thus, today's Friday 5. (in order by show title)

Gander, Newfoundland - Come From Away

Don't get me wrong. I don't want to relive those fateful days in 2001. But I would love to visit a town where people come together without much thought to themselves. The very best of humanity was revealed there, and 25 years later, I sure would love a big dose of that! Plus, I would love to kiss that fish and become an honorary Gander-ite!

Colonial New York City - Hamilton

The colonial era of the United States has always been a favorite of mine to study. I grew up in Upstate New York, and you can't get away from the history there. But as they say in Hamilton, New York is the greatest city in the world. And as much as I love it today, I'd love to see what it looked like back then. Rubbing shoulders with passionate men and women, drinking out of pewter mugs, and wearing knickerbockers for a few days sounds like a blast. And I'd love to meet the Schuyler sisters (especially Peggy), and sneak a peek at the most famous duel in American History!

Jeju Island - Maybe Happy Ending

I bet it is beautiful there. And I think it would be fun to collect fireflies with two sweet HelperBots. The peace and quiet would be great, as long as I get to meet Hwaboon and at least see a hologram of Gil Brentley. Plus, I love a nice ferry ride!

Rural Australia - Priscilla Queen of the Desert

I've always wanted to see Australia, and what better way to do than a road trip!? Priscilla is all decked out and surely she can handle a 4th passenger. The clothes, the scenery and the music... what a way to go! G'day, mate! Outback, here I come!

Cloisterham - The Mystery of Edwin Drood

It's one of my favorite shows, and I love all things England, so it makes sense I'd like to spend a few days there. Maybe take the train to London and try Princess Puffer's opium den with John Jasper. And do a little repenting in the cathedral, followed by a ghost tour of the crypts. Of course, it might be fun to be an assistant to Dick Datchery...or a suspect!

Where is your Broadway Schmigadoon? Let us know for a future Friday 5!

Friday 5: 5 Favorite Designs by Beowulf Boritt

5 Favorite Designs by Beowulf Boritt

Six-time Tony nominee and two-time winner, Beowulf Boritt burst on to the Broadway scene in 2005 with his scenic design for The 25th Annual Putnam County County Spelling Bee. Since then, he's designed 32 more productions, including Left On Tenth and Our Town this season. His work is never boring, and when you see his name in the Playbill, you know you are going to see some fascinating scenery. Here's our Friday 5 favorites:

Be More Chill

While we had some qualms with the show itself, the set was pretty cool. It felt like we were inside a computer chip...err...The Squip.

Chaplin

I loved the show, even though the critics didn't, and part of that was the dreamy aesthetic that played out in a black and white/sepia tone movie style. It was a sight to behold!

Come From Away

The homey Canadian solitude of Gander was presented on an expansive blue plank set, punctuated by trees whose roots extended into the auditorium. It was simple, but powerful - sometimes a clear September sky, sometimes a pub or Tim Horton's, and sometimes all at once. Magnificent and humble all at once, just like the subject of the show.

Rock of Ages

For my money, the set was the best thing about the show. As it stretched out into the house, you instantly felt like you were in the seedy 80s nostalgia of the Sunset Strip. The composite effect added to the overall rock and roll vibe.

The Scottsboro Boys

Still at the top of my list of the great musicals of the 21st century, this show's design might be a surprise to make this Friday 5. It was, after all very bare bones and representational. But that was the real genius of it. A plank and a chair could be a courtroom as easily as it could be a train car. Your imagination filled in the gaps, making you fully engage with the events as they played out. Brilliant.

At This Theatre: The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

When I look over my lists of shows seen at each theater, the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre stands out as one of only a few where I have enjoyed every show I've seen there. And I've seen a wide variety of productions there, modern plays, classic revivals, and musicals from masters of their craft and newer voices. It's the theater where I've seen some of Broadway's most celebrated performers from icons like Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones, to currently established actors like Jenn Colella and Jeremy Jordan, to the newest names and future stars, like Joy Woods and John Cardoza. Not every show has been a hit, but every show offered entertainment that lifted me up, made me think, and challenged the limits of theater.

Opening in 1917 as the Plymouth, the venue has housed premiers from such playwrights as Ibsen (A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler) and Simon (The Odd Couple and The Star-Spangled Girl). British plays included Equus, Nicholas Nickleby, and The Real Thing. Musicals also found a home there, like Irma La Douce, Tony-winner Passion, Jekyll and Hyde, and the long-running Come From Away. In 2005, the theater was renamed as the Gerald Schoenfeld.

At This Theatre:

The Gerald Schoenfeld

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 13

    

    

    

      

Shows We've Seen There: A Chorus Line (2006), All My Sons (2008), American Psycho, Bonnie and Clyde, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Come From Away, Jekyll and Hyde (1997), Life of Pi, Passion, Gore Vidal's The Best Man (2012), The Bridges of Madison County, The Humans, The Notebook

Our Favorite Shows Here: Choosing my favorites here was like asking a parent to name their favorite child. I loved each one for different reasons. That being said here are my top five musicals and one play that stood out the most for me. Who knows? Ask me tomorrow, and I might name six entirely different productions!

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

 

A Chorus Line: This revival of my all-time favorite musical makes this list, not just because it was a pristine tribute to the original production, but because of the remarkable talent on that stage. Each dancer at the top of their game, including Charlotte d'Amboise, Deidre Goodwin, Tony Yazbeck, Jason Tam and Michael Berresse. It was, once again, a singular sensation.

All My Sons (2008): The chance to share the room with the brilliant John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and, in her Broadway debut, Katie Holmes was an opportunity of a lifetime. But it wouldn't have mattered if the material wasn't equally brilliant - Arthur Miller's masterpiece was as poignant in 2008 as it was in 1947, and remains a timeless classic.

 

American Psycho: Crazy, disorienting, violent and wickedly funny, this notorious flop will most certainly come back when Broadway is ready for it. Duncan Sheik's 80s infused score (supplemented with re-orchestrated 80s hits) was as thrilling as the bloody staging. And who can forget Benjamin Walker in his tightly whities, or Alice Ripley making her big entrance atop a washing machine? 

 

Bonnie and Clyde: Another flop that I have a feeling we will see again, this troubling musical was captivating from start to finish there isn't a clunker in the entire Don Black-Frank Wildhorn score, and the company was utterly perfection. For my money, Jeremy Jordan has never been better.

 

Come From Away: I don't think I was aware of anything happening around me for this show's 100 intermission-less minutes. I was that captivated. Everyday people turned heroes are pretty common in fanciful musicals, but when they are real-life actual heroes, it takes this show to an entirely different level. I was moved, and my faith in the basic goodness of humanity was restored. In fact, whenever that faith gets shaken, I pull out the cast recording or read the commemorative book to gain some of it back.

 

The Notebook: I was completely taken by this beautiful musical from the first note to the last. From the gorgeous design, to the fully theatrical book and staging, this adaptation took the popular book and film to a thrilling new level. Stars Maryann Plunkett, Dorian Harewood, Joy Woods, Ryan Vasquez, Jordan Tyson and John Cardoza brought the tragic, moving love story of Allie and Noah to life. As I said, it was beautiful.

Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Playlist: The songs that live on, from the new musicals that played there...

• From American Psycho: "Selling Out," "Everybody Wants To Rule the World," "Cards"
• From Bonnie and Clyde: "The World Will Remember Us," "How 'Bout a Dance?," "Dyin' Ain't So Bad"
• From Come From Away: "Welcome to the Rock," "Screech In," "Me and the Sky"
• From Jekyll and Hyde: "Facade," "Someone Like You," "In His Eyes"
• From Passion: " Happiness," "I Read," "No One Has Ever Lobed Me/Finale"
• From The Bridges of Madison County: "To Build a Home," "Before and After You," "One Second and a Million Miles"
• From The Notebook: "Time," "Carry You Home," "I Love You More"