So Mrs. AG and myself will be in NY in late August and thought we should catch a Broadway show. Here’s a list of what’s playing.
What should we see?
I should note that my wife’s not completely adverse to musicals, but I don’t remember the last one she sat through that she liked. I like original musicals, but have gotten tired of stuff based on movies or rehashing pop songs.
Plays, of course, are fine. I’m open to anything, but I think she’d like something either really funny or really dramatically powerful (the last several plays have merely elicited a “Meh” from her, so something that will really push her buttons would be great). Any recs?
Damn… I was going to recommend A Bronx Tale but it closed in February. Too bad- Chazz Palminteri was astounding.
Based on casting alone, I would try A Catered Affair with Harvey Fierstein. We took our kids to see The Lion King last Xmas, it was visually stunning and very well acted, but doesn’t appeal to everyone.
Patrick Stewart is doing MacBeth- probably a good bet.
I went to see In the Heights, which is definitely original. It’s a story about a neighborhood in Washington Heights, you have some drama, some comedy, some rap, some salsa, it’s a fun show.
I am not the biggest Musical fan in the world, but that being said I had a good time at Curtains and Avenue Q – nothing deep in either of them, but fun.
For straight drama, I have heard good things about both the Scottish play with Patrick Stewart (If you can get past Jean Luc Pecard as the title character). I have also heard very good things about Thergood, but it is a one-man show. Some people have trouble with one-man shows.
However, if I were going and were only going to catch one show, I would see Boeing/Boeing. The cast is very good, the book is old fashioned, but hip, and it is a throwback to a style that is very good entertainment.
We probably could give better advice if you shared what you have seen and enjoyed and didn’t enjoy and why.
August: Osage County! It sounds exactly like what you are looking for.
Check!
Check!
It has received some of the best reviews of the season, is most likely going to win Best New Play at the Tonys, and has just been awarded the Pulitzer Prize. I’m sure it’ll still be playing in August as it has been doing very well at the box office. Don’t be nervous about the 3 and a half hour runtime, the show flies by in no time at all!
It’s a serious drama but is very funny! It moves very effortlessly from moments of complete hilarity to intense & shocking scenes.
Despite the 3+hour running time (which I don’t have a problem with but which I imagined might be a tough sell for my wife), I looked into getting tickets. Unfortunately, they’re only selling tix through early July. After that, there isn’t any confirmation on where the show will be playing (it’s changing venues once already between now and then) or how long it’ll continue to be in production.
I’m going to keep my eyes peeled, but I hate the thought of waiting and waiting without really knowing the score, since waiting also jeopardizes our chances of getting tix for something else as a “Plan B”. We’ll see…
Done! We got tickets and I’m very excited about the show. So, any NY’ers have recommendations on a good place to eat within walking distance of the theatre?
Curtains, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and MacBeth are no longer playing. And I think November is off, too.
Of what is playing, I’d recommend Thurgood, Chicago and Gypsy. The latter are musicals and a lot of fun, the former is the one man show already mentioned.
I’m not a NYer but I’m a combo theater and food geek and know the neighborhood well after multiple field trips. What are you interested in, food wise? Fine dining? Quirky hole in the wall? What’s your budget and culinary preference? And what do you define as “walking distance”?
• La Masseria (Italian), 235 W 48th St., b/t 8th Ave & Broadway (3 blocks)
• Marseilles (French/Med), 630 9th Ave at 44th St (2 blocks)
• Thalia (New American), 828 8th Ave at 48th St (3 blocks)
• The Palm West (Steakhouse), 250 W 50th St b/t 8th Ave & Broadway (5 blocks)
No budget or culinary preference–though the main concern would be turnover time before the show started. We’ll be dressed a little on the nicer side (we don’t do that too often), so hole-in-the-wall would be OK only if we didn’t stick out too much. And “walking distance” essentiall means 2 blocks each way (since the Mrs. will be in heels).
Thanks Walloon–any personal experience with the first 3 places you cited?
A few more dining recommendations, these from the New York Times:
• Becco (Italian), 355 W. 46th St. (2 blocks)
• Virgil’s Real BBQ (barbecue), 152 W. 44th St. (2 blocks)
• Lattanzi Ristorante (Jewish-Italian), 361 W. 46th St. (2 blocks)
Awesome! Be sure to let us know what you think of the show.
If you’re open to any type of meal, one option would be to just talk down Restaurant Row - 46th St between 8th & 9th Aves (your theatre is on 45th b/t 8th and 7th so it’s very close) and check out all the various establishments.
And “walking distance” essentiall means 2 blocks each way (since the Mrs. will be in heels).