Three nights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and three Broadway plays. We're just a few short blocks off Broadway so taking in a few plays while we were here was on the agenda. We had already seen many of the long running shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Miss Saigon, Cats and Les Miserables (very long). We weren't going to blow the budget on tickets to Hamilton or Springsteen on Broadway so we opted for three popular musicals. So here's my stab at being a Broadway Critic.
A Bronx Tale-This was billed as "West Side Story meets the Jersey Boys" which is very accurate. It was the story of a young man (Calogero who was nicknamed C) growing up in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx. It had the requisite mafia type figure (Jimmy) who was the protector of the neighborhood. Pretty much anything and everything that happened in the neighborhood went through him. He took C under his wings and taught him the ropes as he grew up. There was crime, forbidden love (C fell for a young African American girl), battles between good and evil. Most everyone lived happily ever after although there were a few funerals and the love thing just didn't work out. Maybe we were tired from all that we had done that day but it didn't reach out and grab either one of us. The story was pretty predictable, the energy seemed low and we just didn't completely connect. Very good but not great.............C+.
https://abronxtalethemusical.com/
The Book of Mormon- This musical has been out for several years now and won a number of Tony awards. It's the story of two young Mormon boys and their two year mission assignment. Their buddies get assignments like France, Japan and other desirable locations around the globe. These two aren't so fortunate and get assigned to Uganda. The good folks of Uganda are dealing with poverty, war, Aids and much more. Initially they aren't buying what the missionaries are selling. When they do start to listen the story gets lost in translation and lies. It could be viewed as irreverent, explicit and it's very funny. It was written by the guys who gave us "South Park" which should tell you all you need to know. Great song and dance numbers and dialogue throughout the fast paced high energy show.........A-
http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/tickets
Beautiful-The Carole King Story- Obviously this is the story of Carole King, her life and music. I've always been a fan of her music and knew that in addition to songs that she sung that she wrote many more for other artists. What I didn't realize was just how many songs she had written (many of them with her first husband). Among songs she wrote for others were "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Locomotion", "One Fine Day", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", You've Got a Friend" and a whole bunch more. Her signature album, Tapestry has sold over 25 million copies and remained on the charts for nearly six years. It was a great inside look at one of the all time great singer/songwriters................A++
https://beautifulonbroadway.com/
Yesterday was a nice sunny day with temperatures a little warmer than they had been so of course we were out roaming around. We headed north up 10th avenue towards 80th street where we planned to cut over and through Central Park to the Metropolitan Art Museum. As we were walking along we were looking for a barbershop since I was in need of a haircut. We ran across a place called the Amsterdam Barber Shop. It wasn't busy so we ducked in for a quick cut. The guy who cut my hair shared with me that the shop had been in that location for 103 years. It was near the swanky apartments and condos along Central Park and had it's fair share of celebrity clients. John Lennon lived a couple of blocks away and used to pop in for a trim. Woody Allen still shows up there occasionally and yesterday it was me....................not a fancy place with a big price tag, just a pretty cool barbershop complete with a hot towel scalp massage at the end. There was a female barber in there so Beth got in on the fun and got her haircut as well................her's looks great.....................mine, well not much to work with!
A Bronx Tale-This was billed as "West Side Story meets the Jersey Boys" which is very accurate. It was the story of a young man (Calogero who was nicknamed C) growing up in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx. It had the requisite mafia type figure (Jimmy) who was the protector of the neighborhood. Pretty much anything and everything that happened in the neighborhood went through him. He took C under his wings and taught him the ropes as he grew up. There was crime, forbidden love (C fell for a young African American girl), battles between good and evil. Most everyone lived happily ever after although there were a few funerals and the love thing just didn't work out. Maybe we were tired from all that we had done that day but it didn't reach out and grab either one of us. The story was pretty predictable, the energy seemed low and we just didn't completely connect. Very good but not great.............C+.
https://abronxtalethemusical.com/
The Book of Mormon- This musical has been out for several years now and won a number of Tony awards. It's the story of two young Mormon boys and their two year mission assignment. Their buddies get assignments like France, Japan and other desirable locations around the globe. These two aren't so fortunate and get assigned to Uganda. The good folks of Uganda are dealing with poverty, war, Aids and much more. Initially they aren't buying what the missionaries are selling. When they do start to listen the story gets lost in translation and lies. It could be viewed as irreverent, explicit and it's very funny. It was written by the guys who gave us "South Park" which should tell you all you need to know. Great song and dance numbers and dialogue throughout the fast paced high energy show.........A-
http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/tickets
Beautiful-The Carole King Story- Obviously this is the story of Carole King, her life and music. I've always been a fan of her music and knew that in addition to songs that she sung that she wrote many more for other artists. What I didn't realize was just how many songs she had written (many of them with her first husband). Among songs she wrote for others were "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Locomotion", "One Fine Day", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", You've Got a Friend" and a whole bunch more. Her signature album, Tapestry has sold over 25 million copies and remained on the charts for nearly six years. It was a great inside look at one of the all time great singer/songwriters................A++
https://beautifulonbroadway.com/
Yesterday was a nice sunny day with temperatures a little warmer than they had been so of course we were out roaming around. We headed north up 10th avenue towards 80th street where we planned to cut over and through Central Park to the Metropolitan Art Museum. As we were walking along we were looking for a barbershop since I was in need of a haircut. We ran across a place called the Amsterdam Barber Shop. It wasn't busy so we ducked in for a quick cut. The guy who cut my hair shared with me that the shop had been in that location for 103 years. It was near the swanky apartments and condos along Central Park and had it's fair share of celebrity clients. John Lennon lived a couple of blocks away and used to pop in for a trim. Woody Allen still shows up there occasionally and yesterday it was me....................not a fancy place with a big price tag, just a pretty cool barbershop complete with a hot towel scalp massage at the end. There was a female barber in there so Beth got in on the fun and got her haircut as well................her's looks great.....................mine, well not much to work with!
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| Sporting our new haircuts outside the Amsterdam Barbershop |
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| Fall Leaves in Central Park |
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| Beth caught this picture of the sun reflecting off this building with clouds as a backdrop |
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| I haven't put a picture of Sweet Baby James on here lately. He got caught red handed with the cake frosting............the evidence is on his face! |
