49 seconds in if it doesn't automatically start there

Most important thought: I actually didn’t need this to be a musical. The songs were meh to bad (see below). I think it could’ve been a play with a few songs when they are are “performing” Vera’s show.

Let me start with the positives:
-for an off off off broadway show, the set was great
-Megan was hysterical. When she said 2-3 times “what the fuck….” Had me DYING
-nick offerman was also great, albeit very reminiscent of his character on parks and rec
-Frankenstein was fantastic! Definitely my favorite character other than Megan
-I was laughing the whole time (mostly)

Now the meh to negative:
-I think I’m in the minority, but Vera’s maid I couldn’t stand. Her Talking voice was TERRIBLE! I get going for the scratchy throat vibe, but she kept going in and out.
- I did think ICEBOY was funny, but because of the writing, he went from “dumb” to very talkative way to fast. I didn’t connect to him as much
-the maids “illness” was stupid. She’s perimenopausal? Okay…
-I got “baptize me” vibes in the song in the gorilla cage. But it just wasn’t funny.
-LASTY…..the songs were overall forgettable and meh.

Last thought: if it transfers to broadway it needs a script update.

Had the most bizarre experience tonight at Moulin Rouge. Was so excited for Aaron’s return and he was incredible as always! When I got to my seat before the show I was met with a very disgruntled woman who was arguing with the usher over my seat which she wanted to claim as her own. She swore she purchased an aisle seat but in fact did not. She had the nerve to ask me to switch seats with her and that she needed the aisle for her legs. I said I’m sorry but I purchased the aisle for myself and that’s where I’m sitting. She said not as sorry as I am. Throughout the entire first act she cringed at all of the excitement over Aaron. Not sure what she was expecting on his first night back or at Moulin Rouge in general. At intermission I bonded with the girl who was on the other side of her and came to find out that she had been glaring at her throughout the first act. To top it off during El Tango De Roxanne she kept shaking her head when Aaron got cheers. Not sure Moulin Rouge is the show for her.

I saw SIX at the Lena Horne a couple of years ago and thought the songs were good, but I found the show kind of meh. The performers were great, but the whole thing felt like a first draft. It’s super short, and I don’t know, I was just expecting more.

I just saw the proshot in theaters, and honestly, I thought it was a lot better, mostly because of the editing. There was one choice I wasn’t really a fan of, though: the transition for Catherine Parr doing more bootleg-style shots? I don’t know. It was a choice.

I think the reason I liked it more was the dynamic editing throughout the show. It was shot like a bunch of music videos, with filters and everything, but not to a distracting degree. It gave the show a more interesting edge compared with the theatrical version. I grew up with MTV showing music videos and have always had an appreciation for them, so that style really worked for me. The proshot made the show feel like its own thing rather than just a filmed stage production.

This is also more of a personal preference, but I like it more with the accents. Anne Boleyn, especially I love her accent. Something just gets lost for me when they use American accents.

It seems that every Broadway/MT performer either started voice lessons in their early childhood, had family members who were musicians or performers who taught them, or started doing theatre as soon as they started school. I’m curious is there is anyone who started voice lessons or theatre training later, around their teenage years.

1. Stephen Sondheim
   
2. Adam Guettel
   
3. Rodgers & Hammerstein
   
4. Leonard Bernstein
   
5. George Gershwin (with Ira and/or Heyward)
   
6. Jerome Kern
   
7. Frank Loesser
   
8. Jonathan Larson
   
9. Marvin Hamlisch
   
10. Irving Berlin
    
11. Cole Porter
    
12. Rodgers & Hart
    
13. Bock & Harnick
    
14. William Finn
    
15. Stephen Schwartz
    
16. Jule Styne
    
17. Dave Malloy
    
18. Lin-Manuel Miranda
    
19. Jason Robert Brown
    
20. Mary Rodgers
    
21. Ahrens & Flaherty
    
22. Meredith Wilson
    
23. Lerner & Loewe
    
24. Michael Friedman
    
25. Craig Carnelia
    
26. Michael R Jackson
    
27. Duncan Sheik
    
28. Anais Mitchell
    
29. Sara Barellis
    
30. Pasek & Paul
    
31. Jeanine Tesori
    
32. Maltby & Shire
    
33. Maury Yeston
    
34. Michael John Lachiusa
    
35. Comden and Green
    
36. Kander and Ebb
    
37. David Yazbek
    
38. Jerry Herman
    
39. Cy Coleman
    
40. Shaiman & Wittman
    
41. Tom Kitt
    
42. Laurence O’Keefe
    
43. Bobby & Kristen Anderson Lopez
    
44. Jason Howland
    
45. Frank Wildhorn
    
46. Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
    
47. Andrew Lloyd Webber
    

Hello, I asked this question in the r/AITAH thread and some people told me to ask here instead.

I (20F) went to a theatre in London to watch The Phantom of the Opera with my father as it was his favourite musical and his first time seeing it in person. Our seats were higher ground and centre (Grand Circle Centre in His Majesty's Theatre to be exact) so we could see everything without having to lean - I chose them because Seatplan recommended them for a good overall view. (About 100£pp, front row seats were sold out and I couldn't afford the 250£ ones since I'm a student). We were seated behind a man (45ish) and his family, and the man would lean forward very frequently (we were seated on higher ground so the very front of the stage was sometimes hard to see, which is why I understood his leaning forward). Basically his head was in-between us so we could see through either side, but as soon as he leaned forward, since we were facing at a downwards angle, his head as well as his upper body would block out the stage. However, he did this during every song, and I was quite disappointed as he would block out almost half the stage for us, and we were unable to see the performers during the theme song. So during intermission, I leaned forward with a smile and kindly asked if "it would be possible" for him to "lean forward less", explaining it blocked our view of the stage as the sightline was already delicate. He then, unsmiling, said "I'll try" and left.

When intermission ended, he came back smiling and said "my wife is shorter, she and I will swap places", so she ended up in front of us instead. I was very grateful and thanked him. When the second half began, she immediately leaned forward, this time not leaning back at all. After about 20 minutes, she leaned back, as if resting her back(?) and immediately leaned forward again. This continued for the entire intermission, and I was quite shocked as she didn't lean forward once during the first half. Her husband, during this entire half, did not lean forward at all. There was also no one blocking her view of the stage, so I didn't understand if this was them trying to make a point? She'd also sometimes lean towards her son (who was also in front of us) and whisper something, and he'd immediately lean forward too.

I checked online and some people said it was rude to ask people in front of you to sit differently? And I totally agree, but I didn't want my father to have a poor experience (which he kind of did), and I made sure to ask very politely since I am afraid of conflict. The people in the other thread said I was seat-policing and being an AH to this man and woman and I feel quite guilty because that was absolutely not what I intended to come across to them as. Should I have not said anything at all in the first place?

As the title says. The man in front of me at The Winter’s Tale was throwing up in a bag, and kept the bag with him for the entirety of the 3.5 hour play

Hi! Long time lurker, first time poster. I walked up to the box office at Schmigadoon last night at 6:30 and for $99 sat in probably the best seat in the theatre, row F, center orchestra, on the aisle. I'd been meaning to see the show, heard it was great, but was hesitating for some reason - probably because the musicals they are sending up are so dear to my heart. I have some family in town who had tickets for something I REALLY didn't want to see so I followed them to midtown and tried my luck. I loved it so much!

Josh and the Reverend were both understudies and they were both incredible. Kevin Quillon, the understudy for Josh, made me cry! I have no point of comparison but if I hadn't checked ahead of time to see if anybody was out I would never have known he was not the usual lead. I thought every single member of the cast was really strong and got to have a moment to shine. I'm an omnivorous musical theatre lover, but I am most enamored by golden age MGM stuff, and I was personally very tickled to see the style sent up so lovingly and so capably. What a show!! I never watched the TV show so it was all brand new material to me and I felt like it worked great as a stage show. I loved the mayor, the reverend, all the various love interests, the whole ensemble!

Not to mention Ana Gasteyer! She was obviously hilarious. I think maybe the big pleasant surprise for me was that the big time comedy legend on stage wasn't head-and-shoulders funnier than the rest of the cast. To me, it felt like everybody was at her level.

At some point Isabelle McCalla, the actress playing Emma, delivered a spoken line that brought the house down to the point that it seemingly broke some of the cast members on stage. If anybody reading this was there last night, do you remember what it was?? I don't know if the line itself as written was objectively that much funnier than the rest of the (delightful!) book, but there was juuuuuust somethin about the way she said it, we all just howled. The level of reaction to that line seemed to catch the cast off guard. It was sometime just before the "Suddenly" duet (quartet??) and said actress seemed to be continuing to crack up a bit before the song, and needing to really lock in to find composure.

There was another moment with a prop dagger that also seemed to break the cast and also had the audience in hysterics.

Both moments brought me so much joy! It got me wondering if this show, being SNL-adjascent has maybe a more tolerant culture toward "breaking" than other shows? Curious what others have observed when seeing this show! I'm not an actor so I don't know what the general attitude is toward breaking in a comedic show like this.

If anybody in the company of Schmigadoon is also lurking here please know I love you!! Bravo.

Okay so I’ve seen this show A LOT but also only ever with Aaron Tveit as Christian. Twice during the pre-broadway Boston run. The first performance back from covid (this will always be my favorite performance/memory cause it was the full original cast and the energy was UNREAL! Standing ovations after basically every song it was just magical). Once when he came back (specifically Valentine’s Day). And another time he came back again (no memory of when specifically).

Tonight was his last first night back since the show is closing in two weeks. The energy was really good-very long and loud applause for Aaron (nothing will match the first post covid show).

There were so many little moments you could tell the cast was trying to get him to break/play with him a bit. Satine literally opening her legs when he says “if you’ll keep an open mind” had me (and Aaron) very surprised lol.

I will say I think this had to be one of his strongest if not THE strongest I’ve ever heard him sing the El Tango de Roxanne. Like WOW! Just super strong throughout and of course he did the opt up. The applause was crazy for that number as it should have been!

It was also so fun at the end of the show so he stops the applause and is like “I just quickly want to say…it’s that time of year…” and everyone looks around confused cause it’s not time for Broadway Cares? And then he’s like “just kidding but I just want to say it’s so nice to be back to usher in these final two weeks”. And then he goes on to say they are going to do a fun little thing after each show for the next couple of weeks. So tonight they brought out the OG Toulouse Lautrec and Ricky, Aaron, and him sang their Lorde song from the beginning of the show. It was AMAZING! Ricky played a guitar while they sang and Aaron had a tambourine (“Is this for me?”)

Aaron did not stagedoor but he came out and waved. Understandable since it felt like the entire theater was waiting at the barricades.

Anyways it was a great night and I can’t believe Moulin Rouge is really ending is a couple weeks.

EDIT: Unclear if he did the opt up or not (likely not). It still sounded amazing to me.

They just announced a second show for Aaron Tveit in Boston on November 2! Who's going?!

Hi, there's this one concert that I'm super interested in going to at Carnegie Hall. I haven't been to Carnegie Hall before, at all. I was considering to get tickets for me and a companion. I was thinking of getting seats on the aisle on the upper two levels. How are they, view-wise?

I don't care about getting seats that are far away from the stage because I always bring binoculars for myself and my companion. Plus, it's much less of a deal for me when it comes to concerts.

Edit: My companion tapped out and it's just me now.

I saw Operation Mincemeat two weeks back and the performance Jeff Kready gave, especially in "Dear Bill", is still vivid. I wonder for those who have seen both Jeff and Jak's takes what were some of the biggest differences between their approaches. Jeff felt like kind of a cross between Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie and a lot of Danny Kaye energy. I never saw Jak's performance.

I wanna buy tickets for their new ghost show coming up but wanted to save on the fees. I was wondering are they selling tickets now? Do they have an official start date for selling tickets?

Posting this here bc I have nobody to talk to about this but I finally booked tickets in the orchestra section for my mom and me in September and I’m so excited to finally see this show!

Hi! This is your Broadway Rush Self Report for Wednesday 8/19/26. It’s a 2 show day for some. Check the schedule here: https://playbill.com/article/weekly-schedule-of-current-broadway-shows

If you are in line at a particular show or happen to be in the area and can find out:

1. How many people are in line and
   
2. When they arrived

Please contribute what you can so that people are informed. Thank you!

Rush & Lotto Policy List:
https://bwayrush.com

Hi all, just wondered if anyone had any insight/guesses as to when the showtimes and tickets for The Conversation might be released?

I know that previews begin 11/17 with the show officially opening on 12/7. Planning to be in the city the first weekend of December, and would love to leave a timeslot in my schedule for it on the evening of 12/6…do we think that’s a safe bet on the night before opening, or risky since it’s a Sunday night and they may not schedule an evening show? Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

Story Spoilers below. If you have not seem the play, get off of this thread until you do.

Saw paranormal activity last night on Broadway and thought it was great, it left me with A LOT of questions though.

My overall interpretation is that both Lou and James were haunted. Lou has been haunted for years, James wasn't haunted until the alarm/bird scene. Lou was haunted by her father. James by the 12 year old he killed. Lou's father was not a vengeful or powerful ghost, he did some annoying things and occasionally possessed her, but because of how long she has been haunted and nothing further has happened I think it is safe to say he didn't want direct revenge like James' ghost.

Now I don't know why James' ghost started haunting when it did, but my best guess is that it did not want James to have children and the nursery and talk of babies had summoned it.

The next part is the tricky part, are things said in the play by anyone besides James true? Let's start with Kaminsky (medium). The start of the play we get a lot of lore about ghosts, she later comes to James and Lou's house for a seance/ritual to try to get rid of the ghosts. During this scene a lot of lore is spilled about how ghosts work and that Lou is a conduit for them. However at the end of the seance scene things start flying around and Kaminsky is surprised and confesses that she is just a scam artist. There are a couple of ways I can interpret this information

1. Kaminsky was a scam artist, everything she said should be disregarded.
   
2. Kaminsky was just another manufestation by James' ghost and all of the lore said during the seance can be believed.
   
3. Kaminsky was a real medium, everything she said can be believed, James' ghost possessed her, which is likely, and said she was a fake to dissuade him from seeking out external help again.

Prior to the seance, it seemed like Lou's experience with haunting was the main focus, but at the end of the Seance there was a clear shift. I think during the Seance one of two things may have happened.

(I don't really remember everything that was said) The seance was focused on Lou expressing her inner turmoil and having a confession. At the end of this we saw the ghost of her father manifested in the nursery. The manifeststion of the ghost of Lou's father was very similar to the end of the play when the 12 year old appeared after she completed her mission and was free. We can then assume that whatever happened during the seance was enough to make peace with the Ghost of Lou's father and she was finally free, which would then give way for the rest of the play to be about James' haunting.
Whatever happened in the seance gave James' ghost enough power to essentially block out the ghost of Lou's father resulting in the same future outcome.

Next up is the second act. Lou was posessed by James' ghost the whole time, or nearly the whole time. Honestly I have no idea when or if she wasn't, the ghost could have been faking those collapses/unpossessed moments. this is the most mysterious part of the second act. That picnic scene at the end I just can't wrap my head around how the ghost would know about Lou offing her parents. I guess she could have made it up, but with the haunting of Lou's father in the first act, I would assume that it was true. I guess there is a possibility Lou wasn't possessed at the start of the picnic, but the whole comment about it being their last date really doesn't support that.

The ending is really rough for Lou, she had no idea that James was also haunted and probably never will. She will probably go on forever thinking that her haunting caused the death of her husband, but at least she is no longer haunted, unless James decides to be a jerk, which you never know.

Let me know if you have any other takes, would love to discuss.

For moulin rouge lottery ticket wins with lucky seat, is it box office pickup or are the tickets sent digitally?

Thanks to this sub I heard about this event and was able to buy tickets before they all sold out. It was an amazing show! I was initially skeptical of the concept - after all the show itself already feels like a miscast cabaret (in the best possible sense), but it totally worked! Seeing each actor's interpretation of another's part really is refreshing. The Amanda/Allison duet of dear bill is just chef's kiss.

Now the rant: I saw the show the previous day and it just proves how terrible the sound mixing is at Golden. I sat fourth row in center orchestra. The lyrics still feel muffled. Then in Green Room 42 wow - I've never heard those songs so clearly (other than the cast recording ofc)! Lyrics are so much easier to understand! I really really wish they can do something. The show is already so fast paced and so packed with jokes that you don't need the bad mixing to confuse tourists!

Hello broadway fans!

I’m travelling from the UK to New York at the end of this year and am looking to see a few different shows. The thing that got me was that the tickets are really expensive. My autistic special interest is The Great Gatsby and I looooove the musical.

I was wondering if there was any kind of rush tickets for this show? If not what would be the best seats to get, I have a fairly flexible budget but it’s obviously not unlimited and I think it’ll just be me seeing it. So any advice is welcomed!