Broadway Eats: The Meatball Shop

In late fall of last year, we tried a new place (for us, anyway) to eat before a Sunday matinee. We made our way to The Meatball Shop in Hell's Kitchen shortly after it opened, and found the place already bustling.

THE MEATBALL SHOP

LOCATION	Hell's Kitchen: 798 9th Avenue & W. 53rd (Reviewed) Other locations throughout New York & Connecticut  Phone: 212-230-5860
CLOSEST THEATERS	Studio 54, Broadway, Neil Simon, August Wilson
HOURS	11:30am - midnight, Sun-Thur; 11:30am - 2am, Fri-Sat
WEBSITE	https://www.themeatballshop.com/
MEALS SERVED	Lunch/Dinner; Brunch Sat-Sun: 11:30am - 4pm
BAR	Full bar, specialty drinks
FAMILY FRIENDLY	Yes

THE MENU

Just as you might expect, meatballs are the dominant menu item. But there are several varieties, including classic, chicken (gluten free), veggie (which can also be made vegan), salmon and lobster. There are a variety of sauces to choose from, too. You can get just meatballs or create a bowl, with a decent variety of bases, including spaghetti, rigatoni, gluten free pasta, greens, quinoa, lentils, polenta or mashed potatoes.  The menu also includes several salads, Italian dishes, veggies and seasonal sides, and sandwiches.

   

THE PLACE

The space is gleaming white with plentiful seating and gives off a butcher shop vibe. The decor is chic industrial - large prints of meat grinders adorn the walls, the tables are butcher block, the chairs are wood and metal, but comfortable. Big windows allow for people watching, though it is interesting to watch the waitstaff hustling around. My favorite thing - the meat grinder door handles.

THE SERVICE

We got there shortly after it opened, and there were several parties. Couples and several families out for Sunday brunch/lunch filled the place pretty quickly. Our waiter was friendly, very efficient, and attentive, despite being quite busy. What was particularly nice was that really everyone on staff that afternoon actually waited on us, serving the food, refilling drinks. It was a real team effort, that felt natural, not as a way to get us in and out or cover for bad service.

OUR ORDER
We enjoyed a few beverages. Mike enjoyed their apple cinnamon margarita ($12), and we shared a carafe of their Devil's Juice Sangria ($17). The carafe was a great deal as it equaled 3 glasses of sangria; a single glass is $8. We'd definitely get the sangria again.

I had a spaghetti and meatballs bowl with classic meatballs and spicy meat sauce. It was mildly spicy, the way I like it, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. It came with a wedge of delicious bread. The portion was large - I didn't finish it all. So how were the balls? Excellent. ($15)

Mike had a Hero. He chose chicken meatballs, classic tomato sauce, served on a toasted wheat baguette. He opted out on the cheese, but he could have had provolone or mozzarella. It came with a nice sized mixed green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing, which he also enjoyed. He, too, didn't finish everything. ($16) 

Despite not finishing our entrees, we had to try their homemade ice cream sandwiches! ($7) They were incredible!! Mike had "PB Wins the Cup" (peanut butter with chocolate) ice cream on chocolate chip cookies; I had "Chocolate Milk and Cookies" on chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were fresh baked, and the ice cream was Ample Hills Creamery. It was huge and soooo delicious. Funny how you can be stuffed and still find room for dessert...

THE BOTTOM LINE
Producers of future immersive Sweeney Todds may want to visit for design ideas. A hipster meatpie shop might be just what Mrs. Lovett needs! Considering how much you get and how high quality the food is, it was very reasonable. And we will be back.

RATING: 🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄 (out of 5)

(Photos cultivated from the internet, not our actual meals. That said, this pretty much what they looked like!)

#2249

To Kill a Mockingbird's Kyle Scatliffe: Mr. Broadway January 2020

Mr. Broadway January 2020

To Kill a Mockingbird's

Kyle Scatliffe

Broadway's newest Tom Robinson (Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird) is the first Mr. Broadway of 2020! Congratulations and Happy New Year, Kyle Scatliffe!

Headshots/Candids

     

Just the Facts

Birth Date: July 18

Birthplace: Washington, D.C.

Education: Westwood Regional High School, American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Theater Credits: Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird (Tom Robinson), Hamilton (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), The Color Purple (Harpo), Les Miserables (Enjolras); Off-Broadway: Big River (Jim); West End: The Scottsboro Boys (Haywood Patterson - Olivier Award nomination); National Tour: Hamilton (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson)

West End

Off- Broadway

Broadway

     

#2248

The Friday 5: 5 Favorite Jerry Herman Tunes

Like many of you, I'm sure, news of Jerry Herman's passing caused me to reflect on his shows. I realized that Mame is my favorite score of his, but each one is a bounty of tuneful toe-tappers and lovely ballads. Looking over my choices I see many commonalities, but for me, nothing is more poignant than the optimism and joy each contains.  Narrowing all of his works down to a Friday 5 list proved difficult, but it was nice to reflect and revisit each and every one.

The Friday 5:

5 Favorite Songs by

Jerry Herman

5. "Look What Happened to Mabel" from Mack and Mabel

"Talk about the magic that the camera makes
But this is ridiculous!
Hold your tongue and hold your snickers
For the new enchantress of the flickers
Is that plain little Nellie
The kid from the deli
So rattle me beads
Look what happened to Mabel!"

Sung by Mabel Normand, it is our first look at the titular subject of the show who dreams of leaving her waitressing job at a Flatbush deli for life as a screen screen queen. It is catchy and fun to sing along with.

4. "Open a New Window" from Mame

"Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose."

"Life is a banquet," says Auntie Mame to her new charge, Patrick. The song, part patter song, part production, and anthem, does what Herman did best, reveal theme, character and plot all at once in a toe-tapping number. 

3. "A Little More Mascara" from La Cage aux Folles

"When life is a real bitch again, and my old sense of humor has up, and gone
It's time for the big switch again, I put a little more Mascara on.
When I count my crow's feet again, and tired of this perpetual marathon,
I put down the john-seat again, and put a little more Mascara on.
And ev'rything's sparkle dust, bugle beads, ostrich plums,
When it's a beaded lash that you look through,
'Cause when I feel glamorous, elegant, beautiful,
The world that I'm looking at's beautiful too!
When my little road has a few bumps again,
And I need something level to lean upon,
I put on my sling pumps again,
And wham! This ugly duckling is a swan!
So when my spirit starts to sag,
I hustle out my highest drag,
And put a little more mascara on."

This soliloquy sung by Alban lays bare his motivations and insecurities, and allows us to witness his transformation into the glamorous Zsa Zsa, safe behind her armor perfectly applied make up and sequined gown. How many times I've sung along to this, imagining my own transformation.

2. "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" from Hello, Dolly!

"Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out
Strut down the street and have your picture took
Dressed like a dream your spirits seem to turn about
That Sunday shine is a certain sign
That you feel as fine as you look!
Beneath your parasol, the world is all a smile
That makes you feel brand new down to your toes
Get out your feathers
Your patent leathers
Your beads and buckles and bows
For there's no blue Monday in your Sunday clothes!"

One of my all-time favorite production numbers I love the clever word play and how the song - lyrics and music both - builds and builds to such a satisfying crescendo.

1. "My Best Girl" from Mame

"You're my best girl and nothing you do is wrong,
I'm proud you belong to me;
And if a day is rough for me,
Having you there's enough for me.
And if someday another girl comes along,
It won't take her long to see,
That I'll still be found, just hanging around
My best girl."

This song is very personal to me, and to be honest, I have to fight back tears just writing about it. It perfectly reflects my feelings about my late grandmother, who instilled in me my love of culture. In my mind, I am singing the Young Patrick verse (above) and my Nonna is singing the Mame verse which follows. Beyond that, the song is another reminder of Herman's ability to bring out the emotion easily between characters.

Like I said, it was difficult to pick just five. Even now, I can think of at least five others that could replace these!

#2247

MUSICAL OF THE MONTH: Applause

New year, new feature! Starting this month, we will feature a Broadway Show of the Month, with weekly installments covering such things as the plot, its origins, the show's stats, cast, creative team and cast recording. First up: the 1970 musical Applause.

Show of the Month:

Applause

Plot, Stats & Origins

The Plot:

Applause is a backstage musical comedy concerning Margo Channing, a Broadway legend and Eve Harrington, an obsessed fan of hers. As Eve insinuates herself into vulnerable Margo's life, everyone in her path is affected. Eve becomes Margo's personal assistant, and later, her understudy. Margo's friends and colleagues, Karen, Buzz and Howard get drawn into Eve's plot to take over the leading role in their hit show. She also undermines Margo's romantic relationship with beau Bill. As Margo becomes wise to the wicked Eve's ways, it becomes a battle of wills, with fame - and love - at stake.

The original production was a product of its time - it took place in and around present day New York, 1970 that is. Drug references and one of musical history's first featured openly gay characters were featured, and there was a (for the time) groundbreaking scene in a Greenwich Village gay bar (below). The show's score definitely has that distinct "70s sound" a la Promises, Promises and Company. 

The Stats:

• Previews began on March 26, 1970, with Opening Night on March 30, 1970 at the Palace Theatre.
• The show was nominated for 11 1970 Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical, Best Lead Actress (Lauren Bacall), Best Direction and Best Choreography, both by Ron Field.
• The show won three Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Performance (Lauren Bacall), Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Choreographer (Ron Field).
• Two cast members, Len Cariou and Bonnie Franklin were honored with Theatre World Awards.
• The show closed on July 27, 1972 after 4 previews and 896 performances.

Origins/Productions:

Applause is based upon Mary Orr's short story "The Wisdom of Eve" (1948) and the 1950 Twentieth Century Fox film All About Eve. When the writers had secured the rights to the short story, but not the Academy Award-winning film. Very late - too late, in fact - the film company relented and granted the rights to the screenplay. Not much could be done with the book by that point, but the songwriters were able to add "Fasten Your Seat Belts" based on the famous film line, "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."

Stage Magazine - Pre-Broadway
Morris A. Mechanic Theatre
Baltimore, Maryland

Pre-Broadway: 
The pre-Broadway engagement of Applause opened on January 26, 1970 at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. Songs in the show that were cut before Broadway include "Disco," "It Was Always You," "Love Comes First," and "Smashing New York Times." The role of Eve Harrington was played by Diane McAfee, who would be replaced by Penny Fuller.

West End:
Lauren Bacall starred in the London production, which opened in late November 1972.

The television version

Television:
Long before The Sound of Music LIVE, Applause was adapted for television and aired on CBS in March 1973. It again starred Bacall and Penny Fuller, with Larry Hagman playing Bill.

Pre-Broadway Revival:
Directed by Gene Saks and choreographed by Ann Reinking, a pre-Broadway tour was launched, produced by the Weislers, and starring Stefanie Powers and John  Dossett. Prior to the tour, the show played the Paper Mill Playhouse. It revival was reworked and updated, including two new songs, "She Killed Them!" in place of the title number, which now opened the show instead, and the 11 o'click number for Margo, "I Don't Want to Grow Old."

As fate would have it, I happened to see the show in 1996 at Baltimore's Morris A. Mechanic Theatre (home of the original pre-Broadway engagement), and I was there the night Ms. Powers broke her ankle mid-show. It was a loud, popping sound and the audience gasped, know right way what happened. Talk about a trouper! Powers finished the performance to thunderous applause and a call for a doctor in the house. The production played two more very brief engagements and closed on the road.

Encores!
In 2008, Encores presented a version of the show, directed by Kathleen Marshall, and starring Christine Ebersole, Erin Davie, Michael Park, Chip Zien and Kate Burton.

So far, the show hasn't been revived, but I think it could be quite a success with some tweaks to the orchestrations. Given the current stage door craze (and all of its potential hazards) and the effect of social media on the the arts, it could be quite the sensation.

#2246

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