Broadway | Honeymoon in Vegas

Honeymoon in Vegas starring Tony Danza officially opened on Broadway this month, so I wanted to share my thoughts on the show with all of you. I attended a preview performance of this musical on the second day of previews, so keep in mind that the show may have changed a little, and I'm sure it will be more polished now that the actors are familiar with it. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Honeymoon in Vegas and am highly recommending it!

Honeymoon in Vegas is a musical comedy centering on Jack and Betsy, a young couple living in New York. They've been dating for a while, and despite wanting to tie the knot, Jack is haunted by a curse put on him by his late mother telling him never to get married. In an effort to save his relationship, Jack decides that he and Betsy should travel to Vegas to finally become husband and wife. Of course, things go wrong along the way, and casino owner Tommy Korman, played by Tony Danza, tries to steal Betsy away from Jack. Despite this somewhat-complicated plot, Honeymoon in Vegas is downright hilarious. It has surprise elements, and always kept me wanting more.

My only disappointment with the show is that the vocals are not very strong. As I mentioned before, I saw Honeymoon in Vegas on the second day of previews, but several of the lead actors were struggling to hit their notes in many of the songs. I hope this improved at the time of opening, but even though the vocals were a bit lacking, I still had a great time during the performance.

I also want to mention that Honeymoon in Vegas is playing at the Nederlander Theatre. My friend and I rushed the show, and got tickets in the Front Mezzanine for $32.00. The seating is extremely squished, with no leg room whatsoever. I was uncomfortable during the show, but this is an old theatre and unfortunately bound to happen more often than not when attending a Broadway performance. I point it out because if you need space or have a bad back, you will want to contact the box office to see if they can accommodate you.

Finally, if you want to rush Honeymoon in Vegas, I recommend getting there about an hour before the box office opens. We were there an hour and half early, and no one else showed up until closer to opening time. However, that may have changed now that the show is officially open! Rush tickets are cash only, so run to the ATM before getting in line.

In the end, if you are looking for a super fun musical to attend on Broadway, I think Honeymoon in Vegas is a perfect choice. It's great for families or date night, as it includes elements that everyone will love. You can visit the show's official website HERE for more information. As always, if you've seen this show please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Broadway | The Cripple of Inishmaan with Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe has returned to Broadway to star in The Cripple of Inishmaan, and I couldn't wait to see the show. If you've followed OpenLetter2NYC since it's early days, you'll know that I saw Daniel in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying twice because I absolutely loved his performance. The Cripple of Inishmaan is nothing like How to Succeed, but if there's a chance to see DanRad onstage, I will be there.

This play takes place in rural Ireland in the early 20th Century. Daniel is Billy, a young man born a cripple who lives with his two aunts. When the town gossip Johnnypateen tells Billy that a film is being cast on a nearby island, Billy joins his neighbors in traveling to the set in an attempt to be cast in the film. In order to not spoil the plot, I'll end my summary of the show there, but know that this play is a great, dark comedy that will make you laugh and touch your heart as well.

The Cripple of Inishmaan has an unpublicized, general rush policy with tickets at $37 each. My friend graciously waited in line at the theatre for us, and we scored front row seats! I happened to be sitting in seat 102, which meant that Daniel sat directly in front of me for much of the show. It was great! I recommend getting to the theatre by at least 7:00am on show day if you want a chance at the front row. It is definitely worth the wait! Be aware that the stage at this play is quite high, so you will have to crane your neck a bit, and you might miss out on some of the action. I love being up close and personal with the actors, so I don't mind the somewhat-partial view. Note: if you don't want to get any raw egg on you, the front row is not the place for you!

As you may have imagined, the Stage Door experience was absolutely crazy. The barricades were completely filled up by the time we made it out the doors of the theatre, but I was still able to snap a couple photos of Daniel as he signed Playbills and took selfies with those at the front of the barricades. Yes – the man took selfies. By the time my friend and I fought our way to the front, Daniel signed one more autograph and got into his patiently waiting car. I may or may not have screamed "NO!!" when he got in the car..... alright, I was disappointed. But hey, at least I live in NYC and can head to the theatre again before the show closes. For those of you wondering, third time is not always the charm!

While I'm not usually a huge fan of plays (musicals are just my thing), The Cripple of Inishmaan was a wonderful Broadway experience! The entire cast puts on an amazing performance, and it really is an honor to see Daniel Radcliffe in person. In addition to the general rush policy, The Cripple of Inishmaan is offering $27 tickets as well in order to give more people the opportunity to see a Broadway show. All details can be found on the show's official website HERE. The Cripple of Inishmaan is playing at the Cort Theatre until July 20, 2014.

P.S. I'll be back for my selfie, DanRad. I'll be back!

Broadway | Bronx Bombers

It's rare that I see a play on Broadway (though if you're a new OpenLetter2NYC reader you may have been deceived by my recent No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot post). Nonetheless, I had the opportunity to catch the show Bronx Bombers yesterday, and wanted to share my thoughts as soon as I could since it's closing this Sunday, March 2nd. If you're able to read this post before the show is closed, I hope you find it helpful!

Bronx Bombers is a play all about the New York Yankees. A mix between reality and fiction, the story centers around Yogi Berra and journeys through the Yankees organization from the days of Lou Gehrig to those of Derek Jeter. Peter Scolari plays Berra, and is joined with a great cast of other actors including his real life and onstage wife, Tracy Shayne. If you are a Yankees fan, baseball fan, or simply a fan of the theater, I think you would have a great time at this show! It's funny, touching, and a solid play.

I did enjoy my Bronx Bombers experience, though I can understand why the show has had such a short Broadway run since opening on February 6th of this year. The story is a bit confusing. Maybe it's because I'm not a native New Yorker and thus not well-versed with all things Yankees, but I felt a bit lost at times despite the great acting. I think the show also struggled because the diehard Yankees fans that would enjoy the show aren't usually the first to head to a Broadway play. I will mention that the audience was an interesting conglomerate of retirees and teenagers, but perhaps that's the normal Wednesday matinee crowd.

If you have the chance to catch Bronx Bombers this weekend, I would recommend doing so, especially if you're a Yankees fan. (I know I've repeated that already, but it's true!) The show is good, and I'm really glad I had the chance to see it. Bronx Bombers is playing at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where every seat is good, and you're never more than a few rows away from the action. For more information about the show, check out the Bronx Bombers official website HERE.

Broadway | Chicago

For whatever reason, I've never been too excited to see Chicago on Broadway. Maybe it's because the movie wasn't my favorite, or because it's one of those shows that will most likely be running until the end of time. That all ended this past weekend when I got the opportunity to sit in the third row and enjoy the action up close and personal. I'm so glad I finally saw this Broadway classic!

Most of you probably know a bit about Chicago already, but for those of you who don't, it's a musical set in the 1920s that tells the story of two murderesses both hoping to break out of jail and make it big as vaudeville dancers. Filled with big dance numbers, catchy show tunes, and scantily clad performers (leave the kids at home, folks), Chicago is lots of fun. I highly recommend it for NYC newbies who are looking to get the full "Broadway experience" for the first time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my night at the Ambassador Theatre, but Chicago isn't the best Broadway show I've seen. It has that razzle dazzle (see what I did there), but there's just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. I will say that Bianca Marroquin, currently starring as Roxie Hart, is phenomenal. She is truly hilarious, and has a great interaction with the audience. The rest of the cast, including Bebe Neuwirth, is wonderful as well. Like I said, Chicago is a great Broadway experience, but now that I've seen it, I can cross it off my Broadway bucket list. 

I have no stage door tips for you this time, as it was just too snowy and cold the evening I attended. The door, however, is conveniently located just to the left of the main entrance to the Ambassador, which is definitely on the small side of all the Broadway theaters I've been to (with the exception of the Helen Hayes, where Rock of Ages plays). 

Chicago does have general rush at $37 per ticket, but this time around I actually stood in line for TKTS. You'll definitely get a better deal if you're up to the rush line, but I can't shed any light on where your seats will be located. I loved my third row seats! Any time I can hear the actors singing without the aid of microphones I get really excited! 

Overall, Chicago is a staple Broadway experience, and I recommend everyone see it even if you didn't enjoy the movie. You can get more information on the show's official website HERE.  

Broadway | Annie

Welcome to the new home of OpenLetter2NYC! With my old blogging platform calling it quits, I've transferred my content and set up shop with a goal of bringing you more NYC on a regular basis. Make sure to head on over to my new Facebook Page as well!

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During New York's intense heat wave my friend Casey was in town. We had tickets for the amazing Justin Timberlake and Jay Z concert at Yankee Stadium, but in order to beat the heat during the day we decided to catch a show. At the last minute, we headed to Times Square in hopes of seeing Annie. It was already past 1:00pm when we got there, and the show was to start at 2:00. The line for the TKTS booth was ridiculously long, and let's be real, there was no way I was going to stand outside in the heat. I grabbed Casey, headed into the Palace Theatre lobby, and snagged us tickets to the matinee for $59. Regular price? $118. In other words, we got the same exact discount as everyone wasting away in line at TKTS just by heading directly to the box office. Lesson of the day for all you Broadway-bound tourists: skip the TKTS booth and just go the box office. They're selling the same seats for the same price, and even if the tickets end up a bit more expensive, at least you won't have to wait in line!

As for the show, Annie was great! I've always been a huge fan of the movie. In fact, my mom actually put limits on how often I could watch it when I was younger. Unfortunately, we did miss seeing Jane Lynch as Miss Hannigan (her short stint ended earlier in July), but overall the show was everything I could have wanted. Our $59 seats were smack dab in the center of the mezzanine, so we could see all of the action quite clearly. Plus, I just loved singing all the songs in my head while the girls were belting them on stage. Annie is such a feel-good musical, and it was the perfect choice for a hot, Saturday afternoon.

I definitely recommend Annie, especially for fans of the movie. Keep in mind it is a family show -- the theatre was crawling with little girls (see what I did there?). Granted, we did go to a matinee, so head to an evening show for a more grown-up crowd. While it may not be the show to see on Broadway, it's an uplifting production that reminds you the sun will come out tomorrow. 

For more information, check out the official Annie website HERE.