WICKED is a Broadway Musical that appeals to all ages and a bucket list worthy Broadway play.
Lighthearted Laughs at A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Sometimes I enjoy watching a play without any preconceived ideas. I didn’t know much about A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder prior to the performance, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was so lighthearted and FUN!
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Aronoff Center NOVEMBER 15 – 27, 2016
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a Broadway play that keeps getting better over time. I think that I enjoyed it even more the second time I watched it. The powerful music is both beautiful and haunting, which will leave an impression on you long after the performance ends.
Kinky Boots The Musical on Broadway
I didn’t really know what to expect with the Broadway play Kinky Boots but I found it to be a lighthearted story of an unlikely friendship with really fun music.
Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.
Kinky Boots took home six 2013 Tony Awards, the most of any show in the season, including Best Musical, BestScore (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus) and Best SoundDesign (John Shivers). The show also received the Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway.com Awardsfor Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album, along with many other accolades.
Kinky Boots will play the Aronoff Center from January 5 – 17
Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 PM
Friday at 8:00 PM,
Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00 PM
and Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30 PM
Tickets for Kinky Boots start at $29. They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org orby phone at 513.621.ARTS. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363.Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com. You can find out more about Kinky Boots The Musical from their website.
* All images were provided by Broadway Across America with photo credit to Matthew Murphy.
Disclosure: I received tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
5 Reasons Why I Loved Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA
I was most familiar with the Disney version of the story of Cinderella before watching the play. I knew that Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella would be different from the Disney storyline but the play exceeded my expectations for many reasons!
Here is a little more about the play.
With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA combines the story’s classic elements – glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn’t let her rags or her gowns trip her up in herquest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too.
1. It was funny!
I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did. One of the stepsisters named Charlotte brought me the most laughs but there was a good amount of humor throughout the show.
2. The dress transformations are amazing!
You will find yourself wishing that you could have an instant replay to wrap your mind around how they make the dress transformations possible. It happens fast so make sure that you pay close attention.
3. The creative set and lavish costumes really helped create a grand setting.
4. The combination of incredible music by RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN and singing and dancing by the talented cast was so entertaining to watch.
5. CINDERELLA is kid friendly and appeals to all ages.
On opening night there were a lot of kids in the audience who seemed to also be enjoying themselves. There was something for everyone.
CINDERELLA will play the Aronoff Center from January 6 – 18
Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30PM, Friday at 8:00PM,
Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM
*Tickets for CINDERELLA start at $29.
They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363.
Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com.
*Photo credit for all images – © Carol Rosegg.
Disclosure: I was given complimentary tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
ONCE on Broadway at the Aronoff
Do you remember how you meet that special someone in your life?
My husband and I recently attended “Once” on Broadway at the Aronoff. It was unlike any Broadway play I’ve ever seen before… in a good way. We were not that familiar with the plot of ONCE prior to the play but now I see why audiences LOVE it so much.
ONCE is the celebrated new musical based on the Academy Award-winning film. It tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance,heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. Brought to the stage by an award-winning team of visionary artists and featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, ONCE is a musical celebration of life and love: thrilling in its originality, daring in its honesty… and unforgettable in every way.
The set and costumes were minimal, which kept our focus on the characters. The music was absolutely incredible with songs that spoke from places of heartbreak and hope. I was excited to learn that the song “Falling Slowly” was from this play. I remember hearing it for the first time as a duet by two American Idol contestants several years ago. It’s such a beautiful song. You will definitely want the soundtrack after watching the play!
The Broadway play is based on the 2007 Academy Award-winning film. The play Once, won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
You will also want to make sure that you arrive a little early to watch the performers playing a few songs on stage before the show begins.
ONCE features the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, a book by award-winning Irish playwright & screenwriter, Enda Walsh (Penelope, Hunger, The New Electric Ballroom),direction by the acclaimed Scottish director of Black Watch, John Tiffany, movement by Steven Hoggett (BlackWatch, American Idiot) and music supervision and orchestrations by Martin Lowe (Mamma Mia!). The set and costume design are by five time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (The Coast of Utopia, Mary Poppins), lighting design is by Tony winner Natasha Katz (Aida, The Coast of Utopia), and sound design is by Clive Goodwin.
The 2007 Academy Award-winning film, ONCE, was written and directed by John Carney, and starred GlenHansard and Markéta Irglová, with original music and lyrics by Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglová.
The Oscar winning independent Irish film, ONCE was made for $150,000. Shot in 17 days, it went on to gross$20M worldwide becoming a critically acclaimed international smash. It stars Glen Hansard, from the popularIrish Rock band The Frames, and Markéta Irglová. Glen and Markéta won the 2007 Academy Award for BestOriginal song for “Falling Slowly,” the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Music, and the soundtrack was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
ONCE was originally developed at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in April 2011;Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Borger, Producer.
The Oscar winning independent Irish film, ONCE was made for $150,000. Shot in 17 days, it went on to gross$20M worldwide becoming a critically acclaimed international smash. It stars Glen Hansard, from the popularIrish Rock band The Frames, and Markéta Irglová. Glen and Markéta won the 2007 Academy Award for BestOriginal song for “Falling Slowly,” the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Music, and the soundtrack was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
ONCE was originally developed at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in April 2011;Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Borger, Producer.
ONCE will play the Aronoff Center from November 11 – 23
The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway
Cooper Grodin as The Phantom and Julia Udine as Christine Daaé.
Photo credit:Matthew Murphy
15 years ago, my husband and I almost saw The Phantom of the Opera in London. At the very last second, I thought my husband might like another play better and we’ve regretted that decision ever since.
We recently had the opportunity to finally cross The Phantom of the Opera off our list.
So now I’ll make a confession. I had a very limited knowledge of the plot so I really had no idea what to expect.
Here is a little more about the production.
Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.
“Angel of Music” Julia Udine as Christine Daaé and Cooper Grodin as The Phantom.
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
We were blown away by the vocals and the transforming set that added incredible dimension and suspense. The songs are something that stick with you days after you see the performance. It was so incredible!
Following an acclaimed sold-out tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal musical success, The Phantom of the Opera, has been hailed by critics as “bigger and better than ever before.” This production boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier, new scenic and lighting designs, new staging and choreography. The beloved story and thrilling score will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this Phantom one of the largest productions now on tour.
Photo credit: Alastair Muir
Cameron Mackintosh said, ”After a glorious celebration of 25 phenomenal years on Broadway with no end in sight, I’m delighted to be able to bring this dazzling new production of PHANTOM — which has been phenomenally well-received by both audiences and critics in the U.K this past year — to North America. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson’s amazing costumes, I am confident North American audiences will fall in love with the PHANTOM in his new guise — for the first time or all over again.”
Don’t miss your chance to see Phantom of the Opera at the Aronoff!
There is a reason this productions has lasted 27 years and counting!
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will play the Aronoff Center from April 30 – May 11, 2014
Tuesday- Thursday at 7:30PM*,
Thursday, May 1 at 1:00PM,
Friday at 8:00PM,
Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM,
and Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM.
Tickets for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA start at $33. They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com.
Official Website www.ThePhantomOfTheOpera.com/ustour
Disclosure: I was given tickets for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
AMERICAN IDIOT on Broadway at the Aronoff April 11 & 12
Green Day fans will love the newest Broadway play coming to Cincinnati.
AMERICAN IDIOT, a 2010 Tony Award®-nominated Best Musical and 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is by Tony Award®-winner Mayer (“Spring Awakening”).
The acclaimed creative team also includes choreography by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett (“Black Watch”) and orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”). The Tony Award®-winning scenic design by Christine Jones and the Tony Award®-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams will also be featured in the tour.
Winner of two Tony Awards®, AMERICAN IDIOT is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world. Through incredible spectacle, thrilling performances and with the hope embodied by a new generation, AMERICAN IDIOT has given audiences the time of their lives night after night since its Broadway run at the St. James Theatre (March 2010 – April 2011) and its subsequent national tour, which launched December 2011 in Toronto.
“Since its inception, audiences have been surprised by the emotional journey the show takes them on, told almost exclusively through Green Day’s songs, including many they are already familiar with and love,” said Tom Hulce, producer. “This is such a potent time for our country and the search of our characters for what to believe in is gorgeously celebrated through Billie Joe and Green Day’s wonderfully lush score,” he added.
The musical features the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included in the score are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown,” and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time.”
AMERICAN IDIOT premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and played through November of that year. In April 2010, the musical opened on Broadway where reviews were unanimously positive with Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calling the show “the most adventurous musical to brave Broadway in the past decade” and the Toronto Star naming it “the first great musical of the 21st century!”
AMERICAN IDIOT will play the Aronoff Center April 11-12, 2014
Friday at 8:00PM and Saturday at 5:00pm and 9:00pm.
Tickets for AMERICAN IDIOT start at $25.
They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org, or by phone at 513.621.ARTS.
For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363.
Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com. For more information on AMERICAN IDIOT, visit www.americanidiotthemusical.com.
Disclosure: I was given tickets for review purposes.
EVITA on Broadway
I recently attended a performance of EVITA on Broadway. My knowledge of the storyline was limited to previews of the movie that Madonna was in that I didn’t see. I knew two songs because of the previews but that was it.
The production absolutely exceeded my expectations!
Sean MacLaughlin as ‘Juan Peron’ and Caroline Bowman as ‘Eva Peron’
The Book of Mormon on Broadway
I’ll admit that I personally wrestled a bit with how to write a review on the Broadway play “The Book of Mormon.” The play was REALLY funny!
It was also EXTREMELY offensive and went WAY TOO FAR in my opinion for a few of the songs and yet it had redemptive qualities along the way too.