Broadway here we come!.....starting buying tickets......Forbidden Broadway, In The Heights....good deals...West Side Story still in previews but we have tickets for March 3...first Broadway story..we are in front box office of the Palace theater chatting to the lady behind the counter when I hear the door to the auditorium open and a very sprightly 91 year old walks out with a young man on his arm...Arthur Laurents!..but he was gone in a flash...seems it was the first day of rehearsals.
Pal Joey....Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54....great seats in mezzanine... lovely old theatre....orchestra in boxes on either side of stage...15 piece...conducted by none other than Paul
Gemignani!....excellent production..very slick scene changes and fabulous sound! Matthew Risch looks gorgeous, moves well and sings adequately but that didn't worry me..after all Joey is meant to be second rate. Stockard Channing very good..looks stunning..fabulous costumes...great diction...in fact impressed by all....something lacking in our theatre folk...especially a certain 'green' show! Staging of 'Bewitched' was stunning...Vera in bed with Joey...Stockard really made the lyrics important. Martha Plimpton fabulous as Gladys...all the crits were right...boy can she sing!...all in all great first night on Broadway....bit of a shock when we left the theatre...temperature had dropped to 27 degrees F!
Hi Neil and Max,
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping us updated you are so clever by providing us with your Blog. So pleased you are having a wonderful time and green with envy at your attending at "Pal Joey". What a cast, and how wonderful to hear the original lyric when Ms Channing sang"Bewitched" Take care much love Frank and Max