In October, Lucas and I will be taking a trip to New York City. I've never been, and I'm getting very excited. The main reason behind scheduling this trip initially was Leslie Odom Jr.'s return to Hamilton, which I scored tickets to mere minutes after the announcement hit the internet.
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| my king |
Whilst beginning to plan the rest of our trip besides the 3 hours we'll be at Hamilton, I requested and was granted permission to fit a second Broadway show into our trip itinerary, and what that show is is completely up to me. Now I'm facing a mega dilemma: WHAT DO WE SEE????
As a huge theater fan, there are so many shows I would love to see. After much deliberating, I've narrowed it down to three options, any one of which I would love to see. I'm hoping by writing a blog about them, the decision will become clearer, or at least I'll be able to narrow it down further.
OPTION 1: JUST IN TIME
"Look out, Jonathan’s back! Tony Award® winner Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton) returns to Broadway this spring as Bobby Darin, the legendary singer whose short but remarkable life took him from teen idol to global sensation. Developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge), Just In Time is an exhilarating new musical that immerses audiences in an intimate, swinging nightclub complete with a live band, a stellar ensemble cast, and iconic Bobby Darin hits."
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| his name is bigger than the show title |
I have loved Jonathan Groff for a long time - since around when I discovered both Glee and Spring Awakening (can't remember which came first). To have the opportunity to see him on Broadway in a show that I hear has the main strength of highlighting his talent is so hard to pass up.
MAIN DRAWS: Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff. I'm such a big fan of him. Even Lucas loves him (original King in Hamilton after all). This show is well reviewed (4.8 on Broadway.com), particularly for his performance. This is also one of the smaller Broadway theaters with only about 800 seats, so it is going to be a really interesting and intimate show experience, compared to the larger Hamilton theater.
MAIN DRAWBACKS: As much as I love Jonathan Groff... this ultimately is a biopic musical about the life of Bobby Darin, someone I don't actually care about. Jonathan Groff is going to kill these 50s jazzy tunes, but would I rather hear other music?
OPTION 2: HADESTOWN
"Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. This acclaimed new musical by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) is a love story for today… and always. Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone—as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.
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| this is so iconic to me |
If there was a safe choice for us to see on Broadway, it would be Hamilton. If there were to be a second safe pick, it would be Hadestown. And that's not to say "safe" means anything bad - Hadestown is such a solid piece of work that we would most certainly enjoy.
MAIN DRAWS: We know it, we love it, and we would be absolutely have a wonderful time. Hadestown is such an amazing show which I would recommend to anyone, see my previous blog.
MAIN DRAWBACKS: Does the safety of it all make it a bad choice? Probably not, but I feel I may have FOMO towards other other shows like Just In Time with performers I admire whom I may never get to see live, as there isn't anyone in the current/upcoming cast I really know. This show is insanely popular and still actively touring - it will be back in Orlando in November, so we could go see it then. Is it the same as Broadway? It isn't quite the same I'm sure, but there's a lot of talented people in the world.
OPTION 3: MAYBE HAPPY ENDING
"Inside a one-room apartment in the heart of Seoul, Oliver lives a happily quiet life listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant. But what else is there to do when you’re a Helper-Bot 3, a robot that has long been retired and considered obsolete? When his fellow Helper-Bot neighbor Claire asks to borrow his charger, what starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship, a surprising adventure, and maybe even...love?"
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| all i know is that they are robots |
This is a bit of a from left-field pick, but one I have to consider. It won lots of Tonys this year, and all reviews point to it being such a great show with a fantastic score, great staging, emotional moments, and a story that really makes you think about your own life and purpose. Perhaps with such a big favorite show being on our agenda means it might be nice to see something completely new?
MAIN DRAWS: I'm curious about this show, and it would be fun to go into a show completely blind to an original score (unlike the jukebox, unoriginal Bobby Darin show or Hadestown). All signs point to this show being really great (as most on Broadway are). I guess also Andrew Barth Feldman will be staring in this in October is a draw, though not a big one for me - he's that guy from the Jennifer Lawrence comedy movie a couple years ago.
MAIN DRAWBACKS: The uncertainty and fear of it not living up to the hype, of course. Will I come out feeling like I've wasted time and money that could have been spent seeing Jonathan Groff or Hadestown? Or will I come out saying hey, really glad I gave something new a chance, that was spectacular? Is that worth taking a gamble on?
So, there it is. Should we spent our Friday night at Just In Time, dancing with Jonathan Groff? Or down in Hadestown, enjoying a score live we nearly know by heart? Or, is it worth taking a chance and experiencing something completely new with Maybe Happy Ending?
Let me know what you guys think. If you've ever been to New York, what else do you think we should do and see? Would love to hear what chat has to say.
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