My wife and I went to my mom’s for St Patrick’s day (my stepdad always makes corned beef and cabbage) and my mom mentioned that one of the best birthday gifts I had ever given her was Orchestra seats to see Wicked in San Francisco. I was dating my wife at the time, and got a seat for her too, and the both of them got a chance to bond and had a really good time.
Now, my mom wants to see more musicals with me, and my wife is asking why Wicked was the only musical I took her to see since we’ve known each other :o
Unfortunately the Book of Mormon’s run had already finished in the Bay Area, otherwise I’d take them there. Are there any good musicals in the Bay Area I can take my wife and mom?
Mamma Mia! is at the Orpheum for another two weeks.
Also, if you’ve never seen Beach Blanket Babylon, that’s a fun revue. If you don’t feel comfortable with sending them to some (relatively mild) off-color humor, the weekend matinees are cleaner.
I second Mamma Mia. It is excellent and fun. I don’t know your ages, but your Mom might enjoy the music from Mamma Mia more having lived through it the first time (I know I did.)
Once is coming in June and Pippin is coming in September/October. I haven’t seen Once, but the music is good. Pippin is an old-school musical which I didn’t find that compelling, but this version is supposed to be circus-inspired, so I am actually looking forward to it.
https://www.shnsf.com/online/
The shows upcoming in the San Fran season, ranked in order of you-should-probably-see:
Mamma Mia - Basically a requirement
Once - what everyone’s seeing, great music, bland story
Phantom - you haven’t taken your wife to Phantom!?
Kinky Boots - Kinda gay, but very safe, original music by Cyndi Lauper
Newsies - Just like the Disney movie, well-liked
Matilda - For/about children, may or may not be your thing, by Tim Minchin
Motown - About Motown, may or may not be your thing
Pippin - Kinda weird, but from the creator of Wicked
Into the Woods (San Francisco Playhouse) - I personally hate it, but it’s fairy tales inverted, and it’s Sondheim, if you want to be high brow. Work your way up to it.
I used this website, which has some of the non-Broadway-tour stuff:
Almost all of these shows are playing on Broadway right now, and you’ll be getting Broadway-level tour productions. So worth going.
I saw the current production of Pippin on Broadway and enjoyed it a lot. The cirque type circus theme really adds a lot to the Fosse style choreography. I tried to watch the recording of the 70’s version with Ben Vereen and couldn’t manage to get past the first 20 minutes. I’ve also seen Kinky Boots and Matilda. Kinky Boots is fun but Matilda was my favorite. I liked Matilda more than Wicked. I thought the songs were better, it was funnier, and the characters of Mr. & Mrs. Wormwood and The Trunchbull were a lot of fun. Personally, I’d be uncomfortable seeing Book of Mormon with my mother with all the clitoris talk. I saw it twice without her though.
My list would go:
Matilda
Pippin
Kinky Boots
(haven’t seen these next ones)
Newsies
Phantom
Once
Into the Woods
I wouldn’t bother with Motown or Mama Mia. As far as I’m concerned, they’re “jukebox musicals” and just vehicles for popular songs. I’d opt for a live music performance of something instead of going to those.
I have tickets for Hedwig and the Angry Inch (starring Neil Patrick Harris) and A Gentelman’s Guide to Love and Murder later this spring.
MovieMogul:
I doubt this, as the OP mentioned that if Book of Mormon was still in town, he would have taken them to see it.
Million Dollar Quartet and Sister Act are making the rounds. Both are good light entertainment if you already like the music. MDQ doesn’t even really have a story, just enough dialog to get to the next song.
Ohhhh, I am soooo jealous esp. if you add If/Then and* Cripple of Inish<maan/more>* (I can never remember which is the cripple and which is the lieutenant.)
I wish I could have a Big Vacation this year…