tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post4896315105928147728..comments2024-03-28T12:00:47.858-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Curtain up!! In praise of live theatre, even if it gives us nightmaresJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58952858216273875832019-06-13T00:19:52.841-04:002019-06-13T00:19:52.841-04:00James Corden's opener was so great! I loved it...James Corden's opener was so great! I loved it. Thanks for posting that, Hallie! Now I desperately want to go to the theater!Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13589365995413467367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53833739759656053832019-06-12T23:14:21.547-04:002019-06-12T23:14:21.547-04:00Come From Away was everything Hallie says. Loved i...Come From Away was everything Hallie says. Loved it so much I wrote a blog about it, and am still scheming for a chance to see it again.Trisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08058396345946250313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61506138747396027682019-06-12T22:51:42.442-04:002019-06-12T22:51:42.442-04:00WICKED! I cried during Defying Gravity, and did no...WICKED! I cried during Defying Gravity, and did not stop. I still cry when I hear it. It is my theme. <br />ANd I adore Les Mis, too. Every time. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13286070484665120812019-06-12T22:50:00.220-04:002019-06-12T22:50:00.220-04:00It counts! And I am singing along. They've gon...It counts! And I am singing along. They've gone about as far as they can go...<br />With isenglass windows you can roll right down..<br />And his fingernails have never been so clean.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15677743126039988722019-06-12T22:48:56.071-04:002019-06-12T22:48:56.071-04:00Aww...thank you! xoxooxo Crossing fingers, and I a...Aww...thank you! xoxooxo Crossing fingers, and I am so grateful, truly, for your kind words Finta/Ann!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-92188665504614875762019-06-12T22:47:06.098-04:002019-06-12T22:47:06.098-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36932542157405702822019-06-12T20:45:54.850-04:002019-06-12T20:45:54.850-04:00Movie improved as play was Grey GardensMovie improved as play was Grey GardensFintahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17087809450585073206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85358665700579469412019-06-12T20:12:23.276-04:002019-06-12T20:12:23.276-04:00When my kids were small, it was easy to find thing...When my kids were small, it was easy to find things for my daughter to do. My son? Not so much. Then we learned that he loved lived theater. It became our thing. Of course, we occasionally took my daughter along, but it was something special for the two of us. We've seen Les Mis more times than I can count. (Once my daughter and I spent a week in California to see it there. A week was cheaper than a weekend in NY.) We loved Phantom and Wicked. My son and I loved seeing old musicals - Camelot, Jesus Christ Superstar. I grew up in poverty, but developed an early passion for musicals on TV - My Fair Lady and The King and I stand out in my memory. Whenever possible, I try to read the book first. By the time I saw Les Mis, I had read the book and had most of the score memorized. It added to my enjoyment as I had a good understanding of the plot. I did have to remind myself not to sing along.Judy Lawsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18097610865023794452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69693776049496132402019-06-12T18:56:56.776-04:002019-06-12T18:56:56.776-04:00THANK YOU, Hank! I just emailed you with my contac...THANK YOU, Hank! I just emailed you with my contact info. Can't wait to read your new book!Margie Buntinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120666616254809025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36926875617476052242019-06-12T18:54:05.839-04:002019-06-12T18:54:05.839-04:00I haven't been to see a Broadway play in more ...I haven't been to see a Broadway play in more than a decade. But, we do have great local theater--Yale Rep, Long Wharf, etc. BUT the last Broadway play I saw was Long Day's Journey into Night with Brian Dennehy, Vanessa Redgrave, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Robert Sean Leonard. Oy! Over three and a half hours long. During performance time, I don't think a single member of the audience so much as shifted in their seat. And those were some tight seats! We all just sat there entranced. Probably with out little mouths hanging open in astonishment!<br />-MelanieMelaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946905881136839301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29729877414984713592019-06-12T18:49:55.870-04:002019-06-12T18:49:55.870-04:00I did theatre in high school and college. Then I h...I did theatre in high school and college. Then I had enough sense to stop. <br />I did not watch the show. It can make me sad because I 1-don't get the inside jokes and 2-I haven't seen any of the shows.<br />With luck we'll get a traveling company here and even then the ticket prices and availability are rather dear. (I was trying for a rhyme there.)<br />Thank you for introducing me to Ali Stroker (WOW WOW WOW!) and the bard.Libby Doddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51478696442601934632019-06-12T18:44:18.459-04:002019-06-12T18:44:18.459-04:00Vacations to see Shakespeare sound wonderful! If y...Vacations to see Shakespeare sound wonderful! If you're ever coming to the East Coast, try the Hudson River Valley Shakespeare Festival. Set on the grounds of a stately old home and the performance has the Hudson River Valley (really: the river! the mountains!) as a backdrop. Just stunning. - MelanieMelaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946905881136839301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27616824136870616532019-06-12T18:36:39.776-04:002019-06-12T18:36:39.776-04:00I only saw one Broadway play, A Chorus Line. Saw ...I only saw one Broadway play, A Chorus Line. Saw Anything Goes in Miami and Murder at the Vicarage in London. I used to see a lot of local plays or musicals. Our church senior club just saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Local people can be very good. We saw a boy play Fagin in Oliver in high school. He was as good as the guy in the movie. He and his wife had their own theater company for many years. Sally from PAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649707016754971847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9043160717088389822019-06-12T18:29:31.273-04:002019-06-12T18:29:31.273-04:00Just drove home from a few days with our Philadelp...Just drove home from a few days with our Philadelphia friends, whom we shall call Tim and Victor. We’ve been singing the entire score from Oklahoma for the last hour and a half. Does that count? We know all the words. <br /><br />Fintahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17087809450585073206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57603442409116584912019-06-12T18:27:11.010-04:002019-06-12T18:27:11.010-04:00The Murder List. Watch for it on the NYT bestselle...The Murder List. Watch for it on the NYT bestseller list later this summer Fintahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17087809450585073206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72026966010656512762019-06-12T16:48:20.569-04:002019-06-12T16:48:20.569-04:00I have dropped the line. I had one week to learn a...I have dropped the line. I had one week to learn a very small part in a very small community theater production where I was normally the house manager. I normally attended rehearsals the week prior to opening night so I knew the length of the acts..I arrive to rehearsal and am handed a script. Opening night was fine, so was the whole opening weekend. But the second weekend I forgot to fire the lead character.... I did catch my mistake and squeezed the line "your fired!" just a bit later than expected. That was over 20 years ago and the company is no longer but still remember - all of it.Deana Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09093854261937772980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78986975697507640872019-06-12T13:48:45.414-04:002019-06-12T13:48:45.414-04:00And there is a Q&A with the director and playw...And there is a Q&A with the director and playwright after where you get to give your impressions/feedback, so you get to feel like you contributed to the development of the play.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56941197742808752412019-06-12T13:24:46.248-04:002019-06-12T13:24:46.248-04:00I'm exhausted after watching James Corden! He ...I'm exhausted after watching James Corden! He is something else. My only acting roles were in Girl Scouts skits eons ago. I love live entertainment though and started early. In elementary school the Houston school district offered two afternoon performances of the Houston Grand Opera: Carmen and Die Fleidermaus. Fabulous. Houston has an embarrassment of riches in the performing arts. The Alley Theater and numerous theater groups plus national tours; ballet; symphony; two opera companies; and a ton more in the area. My high school in Houston was rich in talent. One year the performance was High Button Shoes with Cindy Pickett and Trey Wilson. Our principal was Harlan Andrews; he had two brothers in show business: Dana Andrews and Steve Forrest. I'm afraid my theater exposure has been limited to Houston, Cleveland, and Minneapolis but my experience has been pure magic. Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-66839130846447377432019-06-12T13:11:24.981-04:002019-06-12T13:11:24.981-04:00I do love the theater, but I'm still waiting t...I do love the theater, but I'm still waiting to go to my first Broadway show on Broadway. I have seen a couple of plays at the Kennedy Center, with The Producers being so amazing. Like Jenn, I go to the touring productions. A friend and I get a yearly subscription to attend the ones that perform here. I was in a couple of local theater productions when I was growing up and in high plays, but my personal participation stopped after high school. My daughter and son were both in drama and the plays in high school, and I enjoyed those so much. I really thought my son would go on to do something with theater, but he hasn't, yet. He has a great voice that projects so well. Anyway, I'm hoping to get to NYC sometime in the near future to catch a couple of plays. It's all so magical. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15759008063737340812019-06-12T13:04:15.610-04:002019-06-12T13:04:15.610-04:00Wonderful post! The first time I heard of the Ton...Wonderful post! The first time I heard of the Tony awards was when Phyllis Frelich won a Tony for her role as Sarah in Children of a Lesser God. I used to go to the theater when they had sign language interpreted performances. And I went to a British sign language interpreted (translated) performance at Oxford in England. It was a Shakespearean play Measure for Measure. The translators were from Wales and it was interesting to see how they signed the dialogue of the actors on stage!<br /><br />Yes, I was in a Christmas play when I was a kid. I loved it. I was at an age when I wanted to be an actress.<br /><br />DianaBibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-28201009894870779822019-06-12T12:47:45.635-04:002019-06-12T12:47:45.635-04:00The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the greatest! ...The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the greatest! I spent 3 days there a few years ago and loved all the plays I got to see. I try to go to at least one Shakespeare play every vacation - this year I will hit the Delaware Shakespeare Festival in Wilmington. Last year I saw MacBeth in Chicago, and Much Ado About Nothing in Omaha. We have a group of young people who put plays on in our community and they are fabulous! Great costumes and energy! Our local university has great productions as well.Paulinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02786463183900120910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29478188499684838972019-06-12T12:17:28.940-04:002019-06-12T12:17:28.940-04:00My husband and I are both live theater enthusiasts...My husband and I are both live theater enthusiasts and used to take theater weekends in New York somewhat frequently pre-kids. We both have done some performing, too, though also primarily in the pre-kids years.<br /><br />The one thing I would add to this discussion is the recommendation that if you live far from the theater hubs, don't automatically dismiss amateur theater as -- well -- too amateur. Admittedly, there's a lot of really bad community theater out there, but many communities also boast one or more community theaters that do pretty high quality work. Ask around and you can probably learn which ones to avoid and which are really worth a visit. (Repertoire is usually a tip, too. If all they do are rehashes of the golden oldies, I'd be suspect. But if they are performing works that were on Broadway five years ago, as soon as the rights are released for community groups, they may be a more ambitious group that takes their avocation seriously.)Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08292993485984273172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10266337712877324812019-06-12T12:09:30.112-04:002019-06-12T12:09:30.112-04:00Noted! Thanks, Hallie! And The Band's Visit lo...Noted! Thanks, Hallie! And The Band's Visit looks really interesting, too.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45087901154662352832019-06-12T12:09:15.747-04:002019-06-12T12:09:15.747-04:00Straight shows (as opposed to musicals) are easier...Straight shows (as opposed to musicals) are easier to score at half price and have a much shorter line at TKTS Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21424440852363312782019-06-12T12:07:34.367-04:002019-06-12T12:07:34.367-04:00Come From Away!!!!!! I loved it so much — it will ...Come From Away!!!!!! I loved it so much — it will restore your faith in humanity Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.com