Theatrical Resolutions: 2025 Edition

Happy New Year! With 2024 behind us, it seems only appropriate to take stock of the year that was, and to look ahead at those things we hope to accomplish in 2025.

Theatrical Resolutions: 2025 Edition

First things first. How did we do with last year's resolutions?

• See as many new musicals as possible. Considering how many new musicals opened this past year, I guess seeing 10 was good, not great. And we did see 5 new productions of classic musicals.
• See theater in a variety of venues and genres. Well, I never did make it to a dinner theater as I planned, but I managed to see a show in a new venue (Here We Are at The Shed). As for new genres, well, maybe nothing new there, but I did see a rarity: a melodrama (Oh, Mary!) and a dance musical (Illinoise - twice!).
• Bring my average paid ticket price down. I can't verify it exactly, since I don't know my average from 2023, but I think I did pretty well. Here are some facts and figures:
• No. of shows seen: 23
• 2 off-Broadway
• 21 Broadway
• 2 repeats - Illinoise, Maybe Happy Ending
• Tickets
• Total paid: $2,189.45
• Total of all discounts: -$1,584.05
• Average ticket: $95.19
• Average discount: -$68.87
• Most Expensive: $143.70 - Illinoise
• Least Expensive: $40.00 - Purlie Victorious
• Best Bargain: $94.25 for a premium seat to Harmony, -$223.75 off face value
• Discount Breakdown:
• Box Office Tickets: 3
• Show discounts: 11
• Audience Rewards: 3
• TKTS: 2
• Today Tix: 2
• Seat Geek: 1
• Lottery: 1

So, what about 2025?

I think I'll keep the same 3 - basically:

• See as many new productions as possible. There are plenty of new plays, musicals and revivals coming in this year, and I want to see everything!
• See theater in a variety of venues. Broadway, off-Broadway, of course, but I hope to see some regional, touring, and maybe even some college shows. And maybe '25 will mark my return to a dinner theater! 
• Bring my average paid ticket price down. Saving money is always a good thing, and I'm already off to a great start, with substantial discounts already securing tickets to Gypsy (-$40) and Floyd Collins (-$80). Plus, I've shopped around and got an excellent seat for Romeo + Juliet at the box office for just over $100!

Before we go, we'd like to thank you for your continued support, and to thank you for the thousands of views for our most popular feature, our reviews. And here are our most popular 2024 show reviews in order:

1. The Notebook 

2. Sweeney Todd (2nd Cast)

3. Stereophonic 

4. Appropriate 

5. Maybe Happy Ending 

6. The Outsiders

7. Merrily We Roll Along 

8. Lempicka 

9. Suffs 

10. Swept Away 

11. Sunset Boulevard 

12. Water For Elephants 

13. Oh, Mary 

14. Illinoise 

15. Once Upon a Mattress 

16. The Who’s Tommy 

17. Our Town 

18. Harmony 

19. Days of Wine and Roses 

20. Purlie Victorious 

21. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 

22. Here We Are 

23. Titanic 

Here's to a happy, healthy and theater-filled 2025 for all of us!

Theatrical Resolutions: 2024 Edition

Happy New Year, friends, readers and fellow theater lovers! What would ringing in a new year be without a little introspection and goal setting? Around this time every year, I try to make a few theater-related resolutions, set with high hopes and realistic expectations. And so, here's my stab at 2024!

 

Theatrical Resolutions: 2024

I've narrowed it down to three this year, and they all kinda go hand-in-hand.

See as many new musicals as possible. Surely I am not alone in my disbelief that so many new musicals seem to be rushing to open this season. I can't understand the thinking behind creating a glut in the market like this. But, hey, it ain't my money to lose. As a lover of musicals, though, I'm thrilled to have so many to choose from. But, as I don't live in NYC, and even day trips are pricey, it looks like being able to see all the new ones isn't really possible, so I'll settle for seeing as many as I can. Choices will have to be made...

Bring my average paid ticket price down. Way down. Here's the "hand-in-hand" part I was mentioning earlier. The vast majority of tickets I've purchased in recent years have been at a discount - actually, I can't recall the last time I actually paid the full price for a ticket. But even discount tickets aren't cheap any more. So, I'll have to make more of an effort to get rush, lottery and other deep discounts, and be grateful just to see the show, even if I can't make out the actors' faces. Last year, we got decent seats for Parade, Bad Cinderella, Kimberly Akimbo and Here Lies Love for a fraction of what people sitting around us paid, and were glad to do so. Let 2024 be the year where that's the norm for me.

Find theater in a variety of venues and genres. Of course, Broadway shouldn't be the only venue where I seek out theater. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the great regional theater nearby. Heck, I'm hoping to do something I haven't done in years - going to a dinner theater! A Chorus Line in the round... that should really be interesting! And definitely more plays!

Broadway Resolutions 2020

Happy 2020, theater fans and friends!

Before I look ahead and make new resolutions, it might be a good idea to look back at the goals I set exactly one year ago today. Last time around, I set three. Here they are again, and how I did with them:

I will try to curb my collecting of theater memorabilia.

I'd say this was mostly a success. While I still maintain my Playbill and cast recording collections, I didn't purchase a single window card this year. It is hard. I am dying to buy both of the Moulin Rouge! posters in the worst way. I have increased my collection of Lights of Broadway trading cards, though. There is a great upside to it though, and it's why I don't feel any guilt over it. That is that I've gotten to trade with some really nice people who share a common interest. And I got to contribute to the LOB booth for the Broadway Flea Market, so win-win! (By the way, if you want to trade cards or purchase some to complete your collection, I'd love to hear from you! Click the Lights of Broadway icon to your left, or tap the tab at the top of the page.)

I will try to understand theater "stans."

This was a losing battle, especially when these people feel so empowered that they felt justified in making threats against an actor and his family because they don't agree with the role he played.  Or the ones who feel that trashing a show that hasn't even started rehearsals because they see it as a threat to a current show they love. There are so many reasons and examples of bad and dangerous behavior that have made it impossible to agree with this, let alone understand it. Unfortunately, it will probably take a catastrophic event or tragedy to even make these people even pause to think about what they are doing.

I will try to understand why some people love certain shows that I don't...as long as they try to do the same with me.

I had some success in this area. Several of you have written to let me know that even if we don't agree on a show, you respect my reasons for not loving Hamilton or whatever show. Also, thanks in part to your urging me to give Dear Evan Hansen another chance, I did, and now I really like it. It'll never be my favorite, and I still have issues with some plot points, but I have had my mind changed about hating it. Thank you all for that!

So, here's what I am going to try and accomplish theater-wise over the next 12 months!

In 2020...

I will try to see more theater off-Broadway and regionally.

We missed out on some really great theater this past year. Honestly, though, it has more to do with time and money than a lack of interest. Last year, we only made it to three off-Broadway shows and four regional theater offerings. That's not a great number. I hope to see much more in 2020.

I will try harder to be more inclusive in my content.

Diversity. I really want to have more diversity in the people we celebrate each month, and the shows we highlight. I hope you all can help us with this.

I will try to ignore "stans."

Ooh. This will be soooo difficult. It takes a lot of energy not to respond to this stuff. But, just like I want to scream at these people, it is just as true for me: "Just because you have a right to say what you think doesn't mean you should." Wish me luck.

#2245

2019 Theater-ish Resolutions

I read somewhere that, among other things, if you make more than three New Year's resolutions, you are more likely to not achieve any of them. I guess that makes sense. Anyway, I made a list and narrowed it down to these three theater-ish thoughts.

• I will try to curb my collecting of theater memorabilia.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I have lots of collections. I'm trying hard to collect less, really. Over the last year, I've purchased just three window cards. I literally have hundreds of them. The vast majority will never see the light of day. On the positive side, the three I did buy are all framed and hanging in my living room.

I get great joy from my Playbill and cast recording collections - I look and listen at/to them regularly. Those I will maintain. And over the years, I've stopped collecting pins, buttons and mugs. All steps in the right direction. But...

... read the blog tomorrow to see what might make this resolution difficult.

• I will try to understand theater "stans."

I'm the first to admit I am a big fan of certain actors (you know of my love and admiration for Angela, Betty, Audra, Patti, et al) and shows (you know I obsess over Drood, A Chorus Line, and lately, Head Over Heels). I've even waited at the stage door to get autographs. I've even met a few Broadway folk.  But I have a hard time understanding "stanning." If I understand the meaning of the term, it has to do with obsessing over and establishing "relationships" with Broadway people over social media, then meeting them before and/or after shows, sending them gifts. Taken separately, each of those things isn't too bad. In all fairness, many Broadway folks encourage such interaction.

It does concern me when I read of fights between these stans, or some trying to follow actors home, and I fear for the safety of these actors when I see videos posted of what amounts to assault at the stage door. Recently, for example, I saw a video of a young woman (not a kid) trying to kiss Cody Simpson at the Anastasia stage door. I don't mean a friendly peck on the cheek - not that that's acceptable - either. In any other context, or if he had tried to do that to her, it would be called out as attempted sexual assault. (Read an editorial on that incident HERE.) Add to that reading about perceived slights some of these stans feel when they don't get repeated attention from the objects of their affections, I have to wonder just how far away we are from someone getting hurt or worse.

This will be a tough one to follow through on... but I'll try.

• I will try to understand why some people love certain shows that I don't...as long as they try to do the same with me.

Okay... I'm mostly being funny with this one. True, I get some, let's say, heated emails from people who think I "hate what I don't understand" when I don't give extended coverage to Dear Evan Hansen or Waitress. The problem is, I do understand these shows, which is why they are not on my favorite show list. I find very little to like about the character Evan Hansen (at least as played by Ben Platt). In the real world, he'd be a subject for Dateline. Then there's Waitress' Ogie. Really listen to the lyrics to "Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me." He is a stalker. Period. Spin it as a Hallmark Channel rom-com all you like. He. Is. A. Stalker. What absolutely floors me is that the show is written, scored and directed by well-respected women. Is that why it gets a pass from the #MeToo movement? If anyone even remotely like Ogie pursued any one of them in real life, it would be on the news. And don't get me started on a doctor having sex with a patient, consenting or not.

But I'll let the Hansen and Waitress fans love their shows in peace - which is why I don't constantly write about them. (Actually, this may be the first time I've written at length about Waitress.) Heck, I'm even planning a review of the cast recordings of both in the near future, and I have lots of nice things to say. That's a resolution I'll be able to keep my half of.

In return, how about not grilling me over my love for Come From Away over Dear Evan Hansen or The Band's Visit over Mean Girls.

Oh, and King Kong rocks!!! 😉

HAPPY NEW YEAR FELLOW THEATER LOVERS!

#1973