# Let's talk about the theatre **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267 "2019-12-23T01:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/21 "2020-01-18T20:45:41Z")
My wife and I like live theater. Omaha has a thriving community theater scene with numerous venues and a Broadway season of touring companies at the Orpheum. Not complete list because we have been at this for years, but we have seen Broadway tours: Cats Jesus Christ Superstar Phantom of the Opera Fiddler on the Roof West Side Story Wicked Young Frankenstein, the Musical (absolutely do not miss this if it comes your way!!) Man of LaMancha and many more… Community theater: Arsenic and Old Lace The Birdcage Little Shop of Horrors Showboat Meet Me in St Louis The Pajama Game South Pacific Sunday in the Park With George The Odd Couple and again, many more Shakespeare in the park: Macbeth Much Ado About Nothing Hamlet Romeo and Juliet King Lear Julius Caesar Twelfth Night Merchant of Venice As You Like it The Tempest and more ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/22 "2020-01-18T21:10:30Z")
**Musicals** (Once. Never again.): Les Miserable - appropriately named. **Non-musicals** (excellent): No man’s land (Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen) One man, two Guvnors (James Corden) Frankenstein (Benedict Cumberbatch and Johny Lee Miller) **Non-Musicals** (good): Young Marx The Humans (Richard Thomas) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead The Play That Goes Wrong **Coming soon** : Plaza Suite (Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick) ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/23 "2020-01-20T20:43:36Z")
I don’t have anything against drama but when I go to NYC I’m seeing a musical! All on Broadway: Wicked - Ok, but kinda meh. I’m not sure why it’s still packing them in like it is. Book of Mormon (original cast, twice) - Excellent Spongebob Squarepants - Better than I expected. I knew nothing about the cartoon. It was bright and funny and had some really good numbers. Kiss Me Kate (starring Kelli O’Hara) - Excellent Anything Goes (starring Sutton Foster) - Most parts were quite good but [this part was spectacular](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo6lPifGnGA): American Utopia - Best thing I’ve seen live, ever. Hamilton - Meh. Really didn’t care for it. Listened to half the cast recording and saw half the show. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder - Good Pippin - (2013 version) - Good Kinky Boots - OK/Good Matilda - Good. Better than Kinky Boots. Next up - Book of Mormon (with a friend who hasn’t seen it because I didn’t see anything else on in April I was interested in) The Music Man - with Kelli O’Hara and Hugh Jackman I think it might have been Something Rotten I had a ticket to but left partway in because the balcony seats were soooooooo uncomfortabe in that theater. I’m glad to hear I didn’t miss anything. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/24 "2020-01-20T20:47:11Z")
Saw the Book of Mormon twice , it was even funnier the 2nd time even though I knew what was coming. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/25 "2020-01-21T17:57:58Z")
Since the kids have gotten old enough to appreciate stage shows, we’ve subscribed to the Pantages in Hollywood and the Kavli in Thousand Oaks. Checking my calendar, we’ve seen these musicals in the past year: _Finding Neverland_: meh. Well-done story, but none of the songs were memorable. Best song was the boys’ song with simple instruments. _Bandstand_: bleh. First act was terrible. I noticed many empty seats after the intermission. Second act was okay but not enough to make up the difference. Good points: some great dancing and some actors actually playing instruments. _Summer_: yeah! Well-done show with good story, good music, good dance. I think this will be a classic. I’d love to see a movie version, but I don’t think they’d capture the magic of the stage show well. _Anastasia_: yeah! Story is rather dark and depressing, but it’s Russian, so that’s okay. Music is excellent, as is choreography. _Book of Mormon_: meh. Story is interesting, music okay. A lot of vulgar language, which made for some interesting conversations with the kids. Nothing like stupid overuse of “fuck” to discourage kids from using the word. :eek: _Les Miserables_: yeah!!! This is the standard to which all musicals are compared. We go to it every chance we get. Main problem is there’s a lot of story, which requires some explanation to those unfamiliar with it. _Legally Blonde_: yeah! Rather surprised at how well this one turned out. I could see a movie remake based on the musical working well. _Cats_: bleh. Okay, some good songs, and the costumes and dancing are excellent, but I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it. _Sound of Music_: yeah! I love the music. The choreography is lack-luster. The production we saw had way too much Nazi stuff in it. I was getting nauseous from it. _Wicked_: bleh. Too beholden to Wizard of Oz while trying to be separate from it. Just felt too stretched in concept. _King and I_: meh. Good story and I love the show within the show. It’s too hard to relate to. Both 19th-century British and Siamese cultures are too foreign. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/26 "2020-01-21T18:06:36Z")
Everyone should see Phantom of the Opera if only for the historical significance. When I mentioned to someone that it opened on Broadway in 1988, he said “But it’s not still running, is it?” When I informed him it was, his jaw dropped. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/27 "2020-01-21T18:14:26Z")
I’ve long ago lost track of the number of plays and musicals I’ve seen. Off the top of my head The Mad Show with Joanne Worley before Laugh-In. Man of La Mancha before it moved to Broadway You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown - original Little Shop of Horrors Cats umpteen times (our kids loved it) Hamilton 4 times so far (paid for 1, won the lottery for 3 more) Book of Mormon the recent My Fair Lady revival. Great except for the new ending The Band’s Visit The Lifespan of a Fact with Daniel Radcliffe, just a day after it opened. Chicago (tired now.) Cabaret - the Joel Grey revival Breaking the Code - about Alan Turing - with Derek Jacobi Phantom of the Opera The Fifth of July with Christopher Reeve Crucifer of Blood - Sherlock Holmes play with a young Glenn Close Lion King Aladdin The Producers A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Wicked The Mystery of Edwin Drood None of these include the regional theater shows we had subscriptions for for five years or so. Nor a few Penn and Teller shows, one on Broadway. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/28 "2020-01-21T18:44:45Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Saw the Book of Mormon twice , it was even funnier the 2nd time even though I knew what was coming. I just saw it again Sunday night. The first time was the original run on Broadway; this was the traveling show, but the talent was still first rate. My daughter was seeing it for the first time and loved it. I’ve been listening to the cast album for years, but had forgotten how great the choreography was. Definitely our favorite! We always try to see musicals when we go to the theatre. Spamalot might have been the first Broadway show I ever saw. it was also terrific although I’m not that big on Monty Python. I had no interest in seeing Wicked, having hated the book, but we caught it last year in London and I was very pleased with it. I don’t know about Hamilton. I listen to the songs on the Broadway channel and some of them are so rapid-fire it’s hard for me to follow. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/29 "2020-01-21T19:45:38Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I just saw it again Sunday night. The first time was the original run on Broadway; this was the traveling show, but the talent was still first rate. My daughter was seeing it for the first time and loved it. > I’ve been listening to the cast album for years, but had forgotten how great the choreography was. Definitely our favorite! The costume change in “Turn it Down” was one of the greatest theatrical moments I’ve seen. Next to the entire production of _War Horse._ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267/30 "2020-01-21T19:50:55Z")
I was impressed with the vivid depiction of dysentery during “Joseph Smith, American Moses”. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-theatre/845267.md?page=1)