All the Way ...... with Walt .... NOT

My overwhelming reservation was that I would see Walter White and not LBJ in this excellent production.

Not so.  From his first words and your first look at Bryan Cranston - he IS LBJ.  Great to see this outstanding actor prove again that he is one of the best.  He was LBJ from his drawl to his bluster, to his gait.  An overall great portrayal of LBJ.

This was a well orchestrated reminder of a difficult period in the Civil Rights movement and LBJ's loss of the Southern Democrats.  Great portrayals of the key figures in this turbulent time.  Mention was made, but no time to develop, the infamous Gulf of Tonkin resolution.

Lots of history and politics in this show - very well portrayed.  A ton of issues is packed into this lengthy show which does not seem as long as it is.

The supporting cast is excellent as well. You will recognize many famous names in this show.  Maybe more recognizable to Baby Boomers but still a great reminder of the Kennedy LBJ era.

Again, Bryan Cranston is LBJ.  Great acting!!!

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All the Way

★★★

1/2

Threepenny Opera - a treat

Had never seen this show.  As I understand it, Kurt Weill is pretty dark and this show is no exception.

This is a very good production with a great cast.  A treat to see TV characters, Mary Beth Peil and F. Murray Abramson in singing roles. 

Cast is excellent and this small production is very well done.

Interestingly, I read on Wikipedia that Mac the Knife was not part of the original musical.  It was added when an actor playing Mac insisted that his character be introduced in the show.

Very enjoyable and a production that should be seen.

Threepenny Opera

★★

1/2

Bridges of Madison County - Fabulously Done with Exceptional Cast

OK.  So I am thinking this is going to be slow and a "Chick Flick" kind of Broadway show.  I was very very very wrong.  This is one of the best shows I have seen on Broadway.  I cannot think of a better musical adaptation of a great book and movie.  It is just a great story line portrayed beautifully.

The cast is perfect.  The leads will all be nominated for Tonys and could all win.  Kelli O'Hara shines as the perfect lead for this show.  She grabs your heart throughout the show and creates a story that is believable and real and tears at your heart.  I can't say enough about her in this show.  What great direction.  Her character is done perfectly.

Steven Pasquale is exceptional as the accidental suitor. Another great performance, perfectly carried out.  Where has this guy been?  Another best actor candidate and potential winner. 

And, one of the Broadway greats, Hunter Foster, is perfect as the unknowing husband.  Just gruff enough to help you understand Kelli's dilemma, but enough of a good man that you understand how Kelli has to do what she does.  Best supporting Tony in my book.

Great casting for the rest of the folks as well.  This is a great show.

Just a word on the set.  The simple set is perfectly moved around to change scenes including a lovely Covered Bridge that just simply is there.  Great job keeping a continuous flow to the show.

Have not seen all of the candidates, but Bridges would get my vote for the best new musical.

Overall performances, music, cast and set all combine to make this a wonderful and enjoyable Broadway show.

This is a DO NOT MISS show.

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Bridges of Madison County

★★★★

Hand to God - Avenue Q revisits Boom

I thought I would never see Puppet sex like avenue Q or a show almost as shocking as Boom.  I was wrong.  Hand to God shines as Puppetry gone mad mad mad.

Steven Boyer is nothing short of spectacular as he carries a role as the lost son and Tyrone, the puppet who DOES NOT STOP.  How does he keep these two characters straight in his lines and in his mind???   The rest of the cast is outstanding as well carrying a fast-paced and unnerving show through to the end.

As Boyer turned over the claw hammer, the audience gasped and one person even voiced, "No Don't."  Don't tell me the audience wasn't involved in this one.

And puppet sex.  Yikes.  As the puppets go at it, the two puppeteers carry on a key conversation.  Just great acting.

Off-broadway at its BEST.

Bullets over Broadway - Splashy

Bullets is another fun show.  Great adaptation of a classic Woody Allen movie.  Great all around cast and, of course, the choreography of Susan Stroman.  The characters are all well fitted to their roles.

My favorites were Nick Cordero as Cheech and Helene York as Olive.  The rest of the cast is great, but these two were the standouts for me.  Cheech is great as he rewrites the play time and time again while keeping his daytime job very active.

The story is fun and moves along quickly.  Susan Stroman choreography is great as always, but sometimes seemed to be extraneous to the story.

This will be a nominee for best new musical due to the story, the dancing, the cast and the sets - just an overall good show.

Bullets

★★★

1/2

Rocky - true to the story

This is a well done musical adaptation of the Classic movie.  It is a crowd pleaser throughout with the audience cheering Rocky on at every turn.  Andy Karl is a great Rocky, understated just enough to be the Rocky we all know, but tasked with an incredible series of fighting and running and singing tasks.  Other performers do a great job of portraying the characters we all remember from the movie.

The sets are great and instill all of the cliches from the movie onto the Broadway stage.  The fight scene is incredible including the boxing ring that comes out into the audience, the jumbotrons, the TV close-ups and the great make-up job as the fight progresses.  What an ending!!!

And a special shout-out to the sides of beef - what a cheer went up from the audience when they came down.

Not the best musical of the season, but a superb crowd-pleaser that should last for a long while.

Well worth seeing.

Rocky

★★★

Waiting for Godot - WOW.

Waiting for Godot was our favorite show of the trip.  Watching Patrick Stewart and Ian McClellan perform is magical.  McClellan is exceptional and Stewart close behind.  Add Billy Crudup and Shuler Hensley (who we loved in The Whale) and you have an unforgetable cast.  

The show is softer and funnier than I remember from one earlier production of Godot, and the comedic timing is perfect.  Hensley is excellent and Billy Crudup give one of the best soliloquies I can remember - his only speaking part.

The audience loved the show.  How could you not?

With so many earlier pairings of great actors, it is hard to say that this is the best yet and I did not see those earlier versions, but I can't imagine a better production.

So glad we saw this show (It helped to be in the third row).

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Waiting for Godot

★★★★

Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder -- just that

This was the first show of eight during a March 2014 trek to the Big Apple.  This is a creative show with a fun plot of killing off all of your relatives to become the sole heir.  All of the relatives are played by a fantastic Jefferson Mays who is undeniably a great reason to see this show.  The plot twists and turns and the cast move you rapidly from one murder to the next.  Not my favorite on this trip, but worth a visit.

 

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

★★

1/2

This Weeks Shows - March 2014

Get ready for commentary soon.  This weeks shows (in order of attendance) are:

Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Waiting for Godot
Rocky
Bullet's Over Broadway
Hand to God
Threepenny Opera
Bridges of Madison County
All the Way

Here are my ratings:

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Can't miss		★★★★
Well worth seeing		★★★
Good show		★★
Pass		★

Plays

Waiting for Godot	★★★★
All the Way	★★★	1/2
Hand to God	★★★
Musicals
Bridges of Madison County	★★★★
Bullets	★★★	1/2
Rocky	★★★
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder	★★	1/2
Threepenny Opera	★★	1/2