The guest "mentor" or whatever on American Idol tonight is Andrew Lloyd Webber. So I'm thinking - Broadway night! I'm soooo excited. I wonder if it's Broadway showtunes in general or if it's solely his stuff? Probably just his stuff since pretty much every other guest appearance this season has been the same way, right? I must have Broadway on the brain because I woke up singing Don Quixote for no good reason.
Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever mentioned it to blogworld, but I LOVE Broadway musicals. A good dinner out and a night at the theatre is as good as it gets. I've always loved them. My parents took me to a few shows when I was young and they also took me to my first actual show on Broadway - Les Miserables - when I was in high school. And I remember my HS girlfriends and I were like obsessed with musical soundtracks. That's pretty darn nerdy, I suppose. But yeah we'd be cruising around belting out showtunes. OK we didn't really cruise - but you know what I mean.
So I started trying to think of all the shows I've seen and if I could list them all. It's not a huge amount at all - I mean I maybe get in one or two a year. Each one has a great memory to go along with it. I'll have to recount one inparticular involving me and my HS girls - it's a good laugh. So here's my attempt at a list - as they pop in my head, in no particular order...
Annie - I think this was my first. My parents took me and I can still remember being there. I assume this one was in Atlanta but I really don't know.
Cats - with my parents at the Fox. We had horrible seats though and couldn't see well. I don't think any of us were too excited about this one. I'm sure the bad seats didn't help.
Les Miserables - saw it first with my parents in NYC, a couple of times in Atlanta, and once with my HS girlfriends in London on our senior Europe trip (I apparently really liked this one).
Phantom of the Opera - yeah, who hasn't? I've been twice - once with the hub and once with my HS girls. It's good and blah blah blah, but I'd only go again if you gave me a free ticket.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - one of my faves. Seen several versions of this, but saw the actual Broadway touring company in Athens at the Classic Center - with the hub while we were in college I think.
Caberet - at the Fox with girls from work. Really liked it - not sure I loved it. Was nearly blinded by the final scene.
Civil War - I think this one was short-lived, but it was good. At the Fox - I think with you, bestest, right?!
Miss Saigon - also with bestest in NYC. On Roadtrip 2000!!! Oh bestest, that trip surely deserves a post all its own (note to self).
Lion King - Atlanta Civic Center - which is just not my fave venue. Too big and our seats sucked. So it was good but I'd like to see it again up close and personal.
Tarzan - this is the last one I saw I think - in NYC with the hub last year. Last minute decision. It was good but they didn't have the elephant in it - which was like my favorite character in the movie.
Beauty & the Beast - might as well get the Disney ones out. Seen this one twice in Atlanta. I think once with the hub and I really can't remember the other time... my parents maybe?
Fosse - at the Fox with girls from work. Really loved this one - a totally fun collaboration.
The Producers - we *just* missed seeing Matthew Broderick in this when we saw it in NYC (me and the hub), but we totally loved it. Still have not seen the movie yet!
Hairspray - at the Fox with the hub. He actually loves these too - don't think I'm dragging him there! I knew I'd love it - always liked the movie with Ricki Lake.
Stomp - I saw this in NYC in college with some other students (a school trip - so not my choice or my friends really. They chose it over Rent and I was pissed). This was back when it was off-Broadway. I know people rave about it. And it was good and all, but after like 15 minutes I was over it.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - OK this one is still off-Bway as far as I know, but I had to mention it because it's FREAKING AWESOME!!! I saw it with the hub 4 or 5 years ago and we loved it. The theatre is tiny, so it's really intimate and it's just hilarious. I would not be suprised if it doesn't go Broadway if it hasn't already. We tell everyone going to NY to go see it.
OK that's all I can think of off the top of my head so I may be running back to edit this shortly. But I must mention a couple of "almosts" that still urk me. The last show I had tickets for was Westside Story at the Fox but my dumbass got sick that day and I had to give up my ticket. It was the week of Kuntry Bride's bacehlorette party and I didn't want to risk being sick for that since I was one of the ones running the show that weekend. But even worse was the time bestest and I had FRONT ROW tickets at the Fox for Chicago back in college and the whole damn tour was cancelled. Still haven't seen it live. :-(
I also STILL have not seen Wicked. Dying to see that one. Also really want to see Spamalot (Monty Python & the Holy Grail was like a weekly ritual for me and my HS girlfriends. And I even brought in a clip of the wooden rabbit scene for my Trojan Horse project in History. One of the most quoted movies around our household...). I'd love to see Mary Poppins. Still one of my favorite movies of all time - but would I still love it not being Julie Andrews?? I saw Legally Blonde on MTV of all places when the girls from The Hills "hosted" its TV debut. What was the point of that? I enjoyed it, but now I feel no need to go see it.
OK so I will wrap up with my one funny Broadway story from back in the day... as I explained, my high school girls and I loved us some showtunes. Well we all got tickets to Les Mis one summer when it was in town. We had this fabulous evening planned out (keep in mind we're all like 16 and 17 years old here). We all met at my (parents') house and then went to Grady's for dinner. We lost track of time, as gabbing girlfriends tend to do, and realized we had to book it to get down to the theatre. So we're going down 85 and I remember being in traffic and realizing we were barely going to make it. This was like 1994 or 1995 so cell phones - ahem, car phones - were coming on the scene. I think one of us may've had one of those giganto Motorola flip phones, but for whatever reason, it didn't work. So no phone. At some point, as we're inching along in traffic, it dawned on me... OMG... I DON'T have the tickets. Nooooooooo!!!! And flashes of four theatre tickets pinned to my parents' bulletin board in the laundry room appeared in my head. Visions of the perfect evening in total ruin! What in the world to do? We're almost there... but we don't have tickets! And we have no working phone. All I could do was just hope and pray that maybe - just maybe - one of my parents happened to see the tickets on the board and realized I didn't have them. So we'd just get there as fast as we could and call them. Maybe I could meet them somewhere halfway? We'd miss part of the first act, but at least we'd get in eventually. I remember turning on Peachtree and two of my girls hopped out to run down the street toward the Fox. And then a block later we caught back up with them and they got back in the car after realizing it was much farther down than it looked. We parked in the first deck we found and ran for it. I don't really know what our plan was, but I guess I just wanted to get inside and find a phone.
Well as we're turning the corner to the entrance of the Fox, I see my dad standing there with a smile on a his face and four tickets in his hand. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to see him! How sweet of him to drive all the way down there and meet us so we didn't miss the show. I gave him a huge hug, a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the tickets and ran. I think we did end up missing the first scene since we were so late, but they let us in right afterwards. So the show was great and we had a fabu time. Then we decided to hit a little cafe on the corner afterwards and share some dessert. By the time we got out of there, it was pretty late. So we're heading back to the deck where we parked and discovered that it had been locked down for the night. Because we were in such a big hurry to get in the door before the show, we missed the big red sign that said "Deck closes 1 hour after show lets out." Yeah. We were in one of my friend's cars, so she had to call her dad to drive down and pick us all up since her car was trapped in some random deck. So for about half an hour or so, the four of us are sitting in the lobby of some shady motel lounge across from the theatre, waiting on our ride. (And then of course her dad had to take her back into town the next day to retrieve her car.) It's those little moments that I think we truly remember our fathers as heroes. And they probably don't even remember this story!
So needless to say, it was a memorable evening. I had dinner with these four girls this past Sunday. I love that we all still keep up with each other - even if it's just once a month or so. That evening at the theatre was one of our favorite memories. One of many.
Do y'all have any Broadway faves or must-sees? I can't wait for American Idol tonight!
Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever mentioned it to blogworld, but I LOVE Broadway musicals. A good dinner out and a night at the theatre is as good as it gets. I've always loved them. My parents took me to a few shows when I was young and they also took me to my first actual show on Broadway - Les Miserables - when I was in high school. And I remember my HS girlfriends and I were like obsessed with musical soundtracks. That's pretty darn nerdy, I suppose. But yeah we'd be cruising around belting out showtunes. OK we didn't really cruise - but you know what I mean.
So I started trying to think of all the shows I've seen and if I could list them all. It's not a huge amount at all - I mean I maybe get in one or two a year. Each one has a great memory to go along with it. I'll have to recount one inparticular involving me and my HS girls - it's a good laugh. So here's my attempt at a list - as they pop in my head, in no particular order...
Annie - I think this was my first. My parents took me and I can still remember being there. I assume this one was in Atlanta but I really don't know.
Cats - with my parents at the Fox. We had horrible seats though and couldn't see well. I don't think any of us were too excited about this one. I'm sure the bad seats didn't help.
Les Miserables - saw it first with my parents in NYC, a couple of times in Atlanta, and once with my HS girlfriends in London on our senior Europe trip (I apparently really liked this one).
Phantom of the Opera - yeah, who hasn't? I've been twice - once with the hub and once with my HS girls. It's good and blah blah blah, but I'd only go again if you gave me a free ticket.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - one of my faves. Seen several versions of this, but saw the actual Broadway touring company in Athens at the Classic Center - with the hub while we were in college I think.
Caberet - at the Fox with girls from work. Really liked it - not sure I loved it. Was nearly blinded by the final scene.
Civil War - I think this one was short-lived, but it was good. At the Fox - I think with you, bestest, right?!
Miss Saigon - also with bestest in NYC. On Roadtrip 2000!!! Oh bestest, that trip surely deserves a post all its own (note to self).
Lion King - Atlanta Civic Center - which is just not my fave venue. Too big and our seats sucked. So it was good but I'd like to see it again up close and personal.
Tarzan - this is the last one I saw I think - in NYC with the hub last year. Last minute decision. It was good but they didn't have the elephant in it - which was like my favorite character in the movie.
Beauty & the Beast - might as well get the Disney ones out. Seen this one twice in Atlanta. I think once with the hub and I really can't remember the other time... my parents maybe?
Fosse - at the Fox with girls from work. Really loved this one - a totally fun collaboration.
The Producers - we *just* missed seeing Matthew Broderick in this when we saw it in NYC (me and the hub), but we totally loved it. Still have not seen the movie yet!
Hairspray - at the Fox with the hub. He actually loves these too - don't think I'm dragging him there! I knew I'd love it - always liked the movie with Ricki Lake.
Stomp - I saw this in NYC in college with some other students (a school trip - so not my choice or my friends really. They chose it over Rent and I was pissed). This was back when it was off-Broadway. I know people rave about it. And it was good and all, but after like 15 minutes I was over it.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - OK this one is still off-Bway as far as I know, but I had to mention it because it's FREAKING AWESOME!!! I saw it with the hub 4 or 5 years ago and we loved it. The theatre is tiny, so it's really intimate and it's just hilarious. I would not be suprised if it doesn't go Broadway if it hasn't already. We tell everyone going to NY to go see it.
OK that's all I can think of off the top of my head so I may be running back to edit this shortly. But I must mention a couple of "almosts" that still urk me. The last show I had tickets for was Westside Story at the Fox but my dumbass got sick that day and I had to give up my ticket. It was the week of Kuntry Bride's bacehlorette party and I didn't want to risk being sick for that since I was one of the ones running the show that weekend. But even worse was the time bestest and I had FRONT ROW tickets at the Fox for Chicago back in college and the whole damn tour was cancelled. Still haven't seen it live. :-(
I also STILL have not seen Wicked. Dying to see that one. Also really want to see Spamalot (Monty Python & the Holy Grail was like a weekly ritual for me and my HS girlfriends. And I even brought in a clip of the wooden rabbit scene for my Trojan Horse project in History. One of the most quoted movies around our household...). I'd love to see Mary Poppins. Still one of my favorite movies of all time - but would I still love it not being Julie Andrews?? I saw Legally Blonde on MTV of all places when the girls from The Hills "hosted" its TV debut. What was the point of that? I enjoyed it, but now I feel no need to go see it.
OK so I will wrap up with my one funny Broadway story from back in the day... as I explained, my high school girls and I loved us some showtunes. Well we all got tickets to Les Mis one summer when it was in town. We had this fabulous evening planned out (keep in mind we're all like 16 and 17 years old here). We all met at my (parents') house and then went to Grady's for dinner. We lost track of time, as gabbing girlfriends tend to do, and realized we had to book it to get down to the theatre. So we're going down 85 and I remember being in traffic and realizing we were barely going to make it. This was like 1994 or 1995 so cell phones - ahem, car phones - were coming on the scene. I think one of us may've had one of those giganto Motorola flip phones, but for whatever reason, it didn't work. So no phone. At some point, as we're inching along in traffic, it dawned on me... OMG... I DON'T have the tickets. Nooooooooo!!!! And flashes of four theatre tickets pinned to my parents' bulletin board in the laundry room appeared in my head. Visions of the perfect evening in total ruin! What in the world to do? We're almost there... but we don't have tickets! And we have no working phone. All I could do was just hope and pray that maybe - just maybe - one of my parents happened to see the tickets on the board and realized I didn't have them. So we'd just get there as fast as we could and call them. Maybe I could meet them somewhere halfway? We'd miss part of the first act, but at least we'd get in eventually. I remember turning on Peachtree and two of my girls hopped out to run down the street toward the Fox. And then a block later we caught back up with them and they got back in the car after realizing it was much farther down than it looked. We parked in the first deck we found and ran for it. I don't really know what our plan was, but I guess I just wanted to get inside and find a phone.
Well as we're turning the corner to the entrance of the Fox, I see my dad standing there with a smile on a his face and four tickets in his hand. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to see him! How sweet of him to drive all the way down there and meet us so we didn't miss the show. I gave him a huge hug, a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the tickets and ran. I think we did end up missing the first scene since we were so late, but they let us in right afterwards. So the show was great and we had a fabu time. Then we decided to hit a little cafe on the corner afterwards and share some dessert. By the time we got out of there, it was pretty late. So we're heading back to the deck where we parked and discovered that it had been locked down for the night. Because we were in such a big hurry to get in the door before the show, we missed the big red sign that said "Deck closes 1 hour after show lets out." Yeah. We were in one of my friend's cars, so she had to call her dad to drive down and pick us all up since her car was trapped in some random deck. So for about half an hour or so, the four of us are sitting in the lobby of some shady motel lounge across from the theatre, waiting on our ride. (And then of course her dad had to take her back into town the next day to retrieve her car.) It's those little moments that I think we truly remember our fathers as heroes. And they probably don't even remember this story!
So needless to say, it was a memorable evening. I had dinner with these four girls this past Sunday. I love that we all still keep up with each other - even if it's just once a month or so. That evening at the theatre was one of our favorite memories. One of many.
Do y'all have any Broadway faves or must-sees? I can't wait for American Idol tonight!
6 comments:
I guess you could say that I am a "musical" nerd too. I love watching the old musicals on TV, as well as going to the theater to see the new ones.
I tried thinking of all the shows that I have gone to see and could not possibly remember them all...but here are a couple of my favorites...
• Swan Lake – I know it's a ballet, but that counts too, right?
• The Nutcracker
• Cats
• The Phantom Of The Opera
• I Hate Hamlet!
• River Dance
• Lord Of The Dance
• Forever Plaid
• Civil War
• Le Miserable
• Mamma Mia!
• Beauty And The Beast
• The Vagina Monologue
• Jersey Boys
Keep telling my husband that we need to go to the theater more...and cannot wait to start taking the girls too! I use to love going with my parents. Felt so grown up.
My goodness you've seen a lot of shows! That's so great. I've only see Le Mis and Phantom. Loved the HS ticket story. *sigh* When I was in high school in my small midwest town the only thing we could do on a weekend was go bowling or babysit!
I am still bitter about our Chicago tickets!! The story that resulted from those tickes though is hilarious!
My first show on Broadway was Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan. I was 3 or 4 and remember every detail. I sort of think it change me- made me a true Broadway Baby! Or dorky for life. Perhaps there is a fine line between the two! :)
I love a good show too! Lawyer boy will willingly go,but will not willingly like it. He bought me tickets to Cats for my last b-day. He really wants to go see Ave. Q and I am thinking about getting tickets. My little brother is really big into the theater and he even laughed his butt off on that one. Have you checked it out yet? I am going to go into it with not so high expections.
I am obsessed with Broadway and have seen a lot of opening nights in NYC with the original casts of shows which would blow your mind! I just bawl at the overture I am such a nerd!
I've seen Wicked (original cast in NYC) AMAZING! Bought the soundtrack! I loved it.
Also loved Kiss of the spider woman saw both chita rivera and maria conchita in it.
my first show was Shenandoah and I fell in love. I was blown away by the kids in the show, I had no idea kids could do that!
Glad we share a passion!
I am soo jealous that you have seen Lion King. However, luckily you are in my same boat and have not seen Wicked...I'm dying to see Wicked. I've only seen about 5 shows actually on Broadway, but I go every year to the theatre in Raleigh to see a show ("Broadway Series South"). Anywho, I can totally appreciate your love for musical theatre and am glad I was not the only one excited to for the Broadway Idol night! The more I think about it, the more I realize I have seen a lot of shows...I'm such a dork!
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