Play: The Addams Family

About a month ago, when I was in New York City, we managed to get half price tickets to catch the matinee for The Addams Family. My daughter enjoys the old television series and I love watching both Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. It would be a good time for everyone.

The play advances the lives of the family slightly. Wednesday has grown from the delightfully morbid little girl we knew into a young woman in love. Unfortunately, she has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a "normal" young man. In an attempt to break the news of their impending wedding to their families, Wednesday decides to invite the Beinekes to dinner at the Addams mansion. Both teenagers beg their parents for one "normal" night, but can anything ever be normal in the Addams house?

I went into the play not knowing the storyline. Needless to say, I was a bit surprised that the characters had been aged a few years. Luckily, everything came together amazingly to produce this fantastic production. Not only is the story well-written, but both the acting and the stage effects gives it even more oomph. (Yes, they even have Uncle Fester lighting a bulb in his mouth onstage.)

Krysta Rodriguez plays Wednesday. I was absolutely floored every time she opened her mouth to sing. If Kristin Chenoweth is a modern example of a Broadway actress 'making it big,' I predict that Krysta will be closely following in her footsteps. I am definitely looking forward to seeing bigger things for her in the future.

As I said earlier, I am a fan of both Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. Unfortunately, Nathan Lane was not in the production we saw. (Which is probably why the tickets were half price.) However, we were lucky enough to have Merwin Foard in the role of Gomez. Once again, an amazingly talented actor was cast in a difficult role. Everyone in my group agreed that he was the perfect actor for the role. None of us can even imagine Nathan Lane doing as good a job. As for Bebe Neuwirth, I was a little hesitant to like her as Morticia at first. With a bit of time though, she grew on me. I enjoyed her performance, even if she doesn't seem to be a perfect fit.

I definitely fell in love with this show. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to figure out a way to get my husband to New York so he can see it as well. If you have the chance to see it, even if you need to buy the half price tickets, GO. You will not be sorry!

Play: The Lion King

One of the most popular Disney musicals on Broadway is The Lion King. Most Disney fans know the story by heart. Simba, a lion cub destined to be king of his pride, is tricked by his evil uncle, Scar, into thinking he killed his father, Mufasa. Fearing the wrath of the other lions, Simba runs away. Luckily, he comes upon Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat. The three best friends live a carefree life until Simba's childhood friend, Nala, tries to eat Pumbaa. Nala convinces Simba to return to Pride Rock and retake his rightful place as king.

There has been a lot of hype around the musical, mostly due to the amazing costumes the actors wear. I will admit that they are absolutely breathtaking. However, that is the best part of the play. If you are already familiar with the animated movie, this show is just a live rehashing of the story. There is nothing new, beyond a few songs. It is pretty much word-for-word a re-enactment of the movie. As such, it's pretty easy to tune out entire scenes. This is unfortunate since the actors, especially the children, are so amazingly talented. I'd like to recommend The Lion King to people but I just can't. Yes, the costumes are great but I think you should get a little more for your money. Though, if you manage to get discounted tickets, snatch them up and be stunned by the beauty of the show.

Play: Mary Poppins

I took a trip to New York City over the weekend. The goal was to take my daughter to see some Broadway plays. First up, Mary Poppins.

Most people are familiar with the movie version of the magical nanny. In the original book, the character was a bit more strict with the children and vain. Somewhere in between the two lies the stage version. Mary is definitely vain and fairly strict but she is also rather cheerful and more mysterious. Thankfully, she's not the only character that has been altered slightly. The children are slightly naughtier and the affection between Bert and Mary is more apparent. Story-wise, I found that these changes brought a breath of fresh air to the story so everyone, even those that have watched the movie a hundred times, could enjoy the musical.

It wasn't until today, while I was doing a bit of research for this review, that I realized how extraordinarily lucky we were to see this particular cast. Mary is played by Laura Michelle Kelly, who starred in the original London cast in 2004. Bert is played by Gavin Lee, also the original actor for Bert in the London cast. The two of them were absolutely amazing in their roles. (I was a bit partial to Bert though. He's hysterical.) If you get a chance to see these two perform, don't hesitate a single minute!

For the most part, Mary Poppins gets passed by for The Lion King. (I'll be talking about that one later!) In my opinion, this is a huge mistake. The show not only mixes both the book and movie very well but it also adds its own little flairs as well. One of these is the song "Practically Perfect" performed by Mary and the children. It showcases all of their talent while staying catchy at the same time. I really think that any fan of Mary would enjoy this show. I know I did!