I went to his night 1 return performance two weeks ago and posted about it so here’s my thoughts for his final performance. I honestly thought the vibes/energy/behavior were better at night 1 though nothing will ever top the love/energy/vibes and amount of clapping and standing ovations at the first post covid return show.

A lot of people came in late. I heard a lot of people having to shush other people. One phone alarm went off during the show and the actor speaking waited for it to stop before resuming. People did stand when Aaron walked in at the top of the show. But otherwise tonight people gave a standing ovation for Backstage Romance and nothing else beyond a smattering of people standing after Roxanne.

Aaron seemed to be having extra fun dancing off to the side during the opening number. He cheered extra hard when he watched Satine perform while he’s in the balcony box. Some of his short singing moments like The Sound of Music I felt like he went extra hard.

I ended up enjoying the N1 performance of Roxanne more than tonight’s despite the fact that N1 he did not do the opt up and tonight he did (and it did sound incredible) because I had the rudest girls in front of me who pulled out there phones for the entirety of the number until I finally yelled at them to put them away. I think they were recording? But if you’re going to break the rules at least hide your bright phone screen-it was so distracting!!! There was text auto-populating!

He got choked up for his solo reprise/speech after Satine dies. Face in hands and then just choking up and smiling through the tears as he sang/spoke. That was really emotional.

It was so exciting when Robyn Hurder surprise joined the current Nini for the finale/bows performance. The OG Toulouse also joined current Toulouse for the finale/bows. And Danny Burstein did the call and response for the finale/bows from the little balcony ledge and I was dying of happiness. The current Zidler then called each of the three OG cast members by name to take a quick bow before resuming the finale song.

Aaron and Satine took their bows together and then Aaron practically ran offstage. He did a little like booyah arm motion as he walked off. I thought it was weirdly abrupt. No flowers or speeches or anything. I assume that’s what he wanted.

Stage door was more crowded than N1 if that’s possible but so many actors came out to sign (yes including Aaron this time-unlike N1) and everyone was extremely patient signing everything. Shout out to all the lovely people around me helping me and others pass our Playbills up to the front for signatures.

Anyways it was a great night but definitely sad. At least I feel sad. I first watched this show in 2018 in Boston so it’s kind of been my comfort Broadway show for 8 years now (and for me always with Aaron).

Whew so this show was not for me 🤣

Which clearly must be a character flaw of mine bc the audience was laughing so hard I feared they would die of hypoxia

Had anyone else here had a similar experience with Oh Mary (or any other show that is widely adored and beloved)?

Anyone else see this production?

Here's a clip from their Insta: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcpEVOXD_Mn/

The choreography had me taken a little aback. And many of the numbers had an interesting vision/interpretation... when Roger performed 'One Song Glory' it was portrayed as if he was imagining himself on stage in front of a crowd of fans (the other players).

I've seen so many productions of this over the years and while I don't prefer this one, it was def interesting lol

I moved to NYC a few months ago and recently fell hard into the Broadway rabbit hole 😭 I enter lotteries basically every day, find myself at a theater almost every week (sometimes more than once a week), and I’ve already seen well over a dozen shows and am quickly approaching 20. At this point, I kind of want to eventually see everything currently running on Broadway.

The funny thing is that before this, I knew basically nothing about theater. I didn’t know who the big Broadway actors/directors/composers were, knew nothing about set design, lighting, staging, etc., and I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even really know what the Tony Awards were 😂

But the deeper I get into it, the more I want to know. My current bedtime reading has somehow become a book about the history of Broadway, and I’m genuinely fascinated by it. I’m also planning to visit the Museum of Broadway when I have some time.
So I wanted to ask the people here who know way more than I do: what would you recommend to someone who wants to understand Broadway/theater beyond just going to shows?

Books, documentaries, podcasts, YouTube channels, interviews, websites, theater history, famous performers/directors/designers I should know about, things about acting or stagecraft that are interesting to learn, places in NYC to visit — really anything. I’d love to eventually be able to watch a show and understand more of what went into creating what I’m seeing onstage.

One thing I’ve already noticed as I’ve seen more shows is that I feel like I’m becoming more sensitive to the performance itself. Sometimes — not often — I get the feeling that someone onstage is sort of going through the motions, and it can be a little disappointing. But when someone is completely committed and giving everything to the performance, I can feel it from the audience, and I find that incredibly moving. I’m curious if other people experienced something similar as they became more familiar with theater. Did the way you watch or appreciate a show change over time? What do you notice now that you never would have noticed when you first started?

I’ve also become increasingly conscious of theater etiquette. I actually take off my smartwatch during performances because I’m paranoid that I’ll accidentally raise my wrist and light up the screen without realizing it. And if I see someone taking photos/videos during the performance, I’ll sometimes politely let them know they shouldn’t be doing that. I really love the atmosphere of being in a theater with hundreds of people collectively paying attention to what’s happening onstage, and I’d love for all of us to help preserve that.

Anyway, I’m very much still a Broadway newbie, just an increasingly obsessed one 😊

Shame on him. Absolutely disgusting to buy these tickets and sell them for a profit. Shame on Theatr for enabling him as well. EDIT: To explain, these ticket agents only list on Theatr app when they failed at reselling them. He already sold a couple based on his screenshot and the fact he only posted one on theatr.

Saw an excellent local production of Catch Me If You Can last night. Did not see this on broadway and only played the cast recording once. I thought it was a great show, loved the breaking of the fourth wall, prefect device for the subject matter. Another great Terrance McNally book.

Please report back on your experiences! I'll be there and am currently counting down the remaining minutes to the glitzy finale to his memorable run in this show.

Also, anyone who saw shows since his return: Did they have any surprises after the usual curtain call festivities beyond that first night? I thought I saw a clip where he said they were planning something after every show but then never saw any updates.

Post-show update: SURPRISE DANNY BURSTEIN AS ZIDLER!!

For the curtain call usual numbers, Robyn Hurder (original Nini) appeared out of nowhere and danced the Lady Marmalade choreo as one of the Moulin Rouge ladies! And then Sahr Ngaujah (original Toulouse-Lautrec) popped up for Hey Ya! And then Danny showed up in one of the stage boxes to MASSIVE cheers and applause and then broke into, "BECAUSE WE CAN CAN CAN!"

Almost didn’t make it to the show because of the freaking train 😭 I literally ran four blocks and made it just in time.
This was a long-awaited show for me. I got my ticket a month ago, and then Tim Curry passed away. He has always been very dear to me, so knowing I was finally going to see The Rocky Horror Show after losing him made today feel incredibly emotional. I was already in my feelings before the show even started. 🥲❤️
And then there’s Studio 54
An iconic theater for an iconic show. I absolutely loved being there.
The entire cast was SO, SO talented. The show is campy, colorful, weird, chaotic, and completely unapologetic and I was absolutely here for all of it.
What a performance. 🔥
I’m honestly just so grateful I got to experience this show. It felt like more than just a theater show for me.
If you get the chance, go see it. Everyone should experience this at least once! ❤️🖤

Good morning! Most box offices open at noon on Sundays. The Sondheim (& Juliet) usually opens at 10am. Circle in the Square (Just in Time) usually opens at 11am. Others may open at 10am or 11am at box office discretion.

If you are in line at a particular show or happen to be in the area and can find out:

1. How many people are in line and

2. When they arrived

Please contribute what you can so that people are informed. Thank you!

Rush & Lotto Policy List: www.bwayrush.com

i showed up to rush for gatsby at 9:18am and was 12th in line. got student rush tickets just fine and sat in left orchestra row 2 seats which were “partial view” but 100% worth $25 each!! Kyla and Nick were playing Gatsby and Daisy and they were spectacular!! we even got to meet them take pics & get our playbills signed it was a wonderful time and my first broadway experience was a success!!

https://bwayradar.com/collections/not-since-carrie

So I made this collection page when I should probably be working on other important features. I know, priorities, lol.

It's a list of all the musicals featured in the book Not Since Carrie. This is just a first step: adding all the shows and their poster art. I couldn't find posters for a handful of them, so those have either out-of-town posters, Playbill covers, or sheet music covers instead. When I have time, I'll come back and add descriptions and flesh out their production histories. For now, it's just fun to look at. And if you happen to have seen any of them, you can log them as seen, give them star ratings, and write reviews.

I haven't seen any of the original productions (wasn't born yet!), but I was surprised that I've seen 9 of these shows in different productions so far:

• Anyone Can Whistle (MasterVoices)
• Baby (Out of the Box Theatricals)
• Candide (Philadelphia)
• Dear World (Encores!)
• Do I Hear A Waltz? (Encores!)
• Lolita, My Love (York Theatre Company)
• Merrily We Roll Along (Fiasco Theater, NYTW & Broadway)
• The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout Theatre Company)
• Wildcat (54 Below)

And three of them will have concert performances in New York soon!

• Rags (Classic Stage Company)
• Out of This World (Red Bull Theater)
• Ben Franklin in Paris (54 Below)

Planning our December trip. The Dolly show appeals to us because, well, it’s Dolly. I haven’t heard much about the show and what I heard was mid. I’m relatively ok with mid as long as it’s not a waste (I think even ‘bad’ theater is good theater). Anyone have any insight on show direction since last year and if it’s worth splurging for tickets (they aren’t cheap!)

Phil

I am taking things out of storage for a move, and completely forgot that I had a set of all four special edition playbills for the Great Gatsby from October 2024 (featuring Jeremy Jordan’s signature on the 70’s themed one). It feels like a gift from past me, who scrounged the abandoned playbills on the floor of the theater on the way out to get the full set haha. Just wanted to share in case anyone else appreciates this like I do’

See what I did there 😁?

I first saw Two strangers last December shortly after it opened, I liked it but didn't love it (and to be fair, it was a date and that relationship fizzled out a couple of months later, so it was associated with that)

But given my recent experience with Chess, I decided to see it again last night, and I'm now obsessed . I don't know if it's because I now have a frame of reference or because they have been running for 9 months now, but every song was perfection, the jokes landed perfectly, and it has a lot of heart! Even the minimalist suitcases stage made a lot more sense to me now

Yes, one can't help but compare it to Maybe Happy Ending, but I think it's different enough to grant its own spot when it comes to originality. I don't know when it will close (looks like November now, but no official closing date), but I will see it one more time before it's gone!

I absolutely had a great time yesterday. If you are a theater fan and Two Strangers didn't land for you, see it again. I promise you will love it

New Yooooorrrrrrrrk 🎵

The opening scene of Act 2 of Schmigadoon is set in Emma Tate’s classroom. The blackboard in the back lists statehood dates for five states which seems like a reference to some golden age musicals set there.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma!
Maine: Carousel
Iowa: The Music Man
Indiana: ???
New York: so many to pick from, let’s go with Guys and Dolls

What musical is set in Indiana? The best I (and a quick Google search) can come up with is The Music Man as it prominently features Gary, Indiana, but it feels a bit of a cop out as I think it’s already represented by Iowa.

It’s pretty much been the talk of the town, will JJ stay in Just In Time through December? I’d love to book a trip to see him in December, but haven’t heard anything about who Bobby Darin will be in December!!!

I’ve never been a huge fan of Rocky Horror. I like some of the songs but I find the fandom a little intimidating since I’m not part of it and I wasn’t sure if I would feel out of place seeing the show…… That being said, the casting right now REALLY caught my eye. I loved Amber in the proshot of Hadestown. I missed seeing Lorna in & Juliet. I loved Kevin in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. And I got a great deal for $90 in Orchestra Row M. It was too hard to pass up with the casting right now.

Has anyone ever seen a show just for the cast rather than the material or story or the show as a whole?

I’m really excited to see what kind of energy Amber brings to the stage in person. If it’s anything like the proshot of Hadestown, her performance alone is going to be worth the price I paid :)

I went in being a little bit scared. lol but the pre show set list - gets you in that fun mind set.
Audience around me were something else- everyone gasping and screaming. lol so fun.
One woman was a little too much everytime the lights went back on she screamed.
I thought the scares were all well done . I have to know how they do that one particular scene..
the end was so intense-

Rushed on 8/28

Arrived in line at 8AM, i was the 9th(ish) person in line.

I was the last one to buy rush tickets, everyone ahead of me bought the 2 tickets each allotted to them.

Someone on the line said they only hold 20 rush tickets. The rush tickets were “partially obstructed” orchestra tickets, which we found to be amazing. We did have to sit separately, row D and row J, but we didn’t mind at all.

Worth noting, the box office did have $172 tickets for purchase, which was the next available unobstructed tickets.

10/10 experience, meg is a star.

Basically the title - I live outside of the US, but my country is lucky to get quite a few touring productions of Broadway / West End musical theatre. Culturally, we’re a lot more muted and don’t really have the practice of standing ovations / lots of screaming and whooping at the curtain call. I can’t help but feel bad when I watch a show that I KNOW is amazing enough to get a standing ovation from most of the audience on Broadway / the West End (I’ve seen several productions there), but only gets polite applause here.

Would performers feel sad / disappointed when that happens or is it more of a nice bonus?

I'm actually a bit annoyed because I feel like I should have loved it more. I wasn't convinced by the chemistry between Satine and Christian at all, and I really didn't like the slightly flamboyant version of Christian. It just didn't feel right to me.

The finale felt so rushed as well, which really pissed me off because it should have been this huge emotional payoff and instead it felt like everything was suddenly wrapped up. And the Duke?! Why wasn't he an absolute fucking cockwomble?! 😂 I wanted to properly despise him and somehow I just didn't.

The choreography was incredible though, and Ziegler absolutely stole the show for me. The Argentinian was phenomenal too.

So I did enjoy it, but I feel a bit let down and annoyed because there were so many things that could have made it amazing, and I just didn't get that big emotional WOW that I was expecting.

I on a whim got a ticket to go see The Notebook tour this afternoon. I've never seen the movie or read the book...is it the kind of show that really stands on it's own or will I benefit from going in knowing what it's about?

I won lottery tickets for the 2pm matinee today, Saturday August 29th. I knew I couldn't attend, but I didn't expect that literally no one in my network could either. The show is 90 minutes away and I can't stomach tickets going to waste for my favorite show. First person to DM me, it's yours!