Who: My family and I

What: The Sound of Music (National tour)

When: December 2015

Where: The Hippodrome, Baltimore

Why: 1. To celebrate my mommy's birthday. 2. Because it's The Sound of Music!

Thoughts: 

I have nothing but praise for this production. Maria and the Captain feel different from the film in a more authentic way, and there's a more emotional connection to the show when seeing it live, particularly in the festival scene towards the end.

My most important feedback is for people who have only seen the film: The Sound of Music was a play first. The movie is the adaptation, not the other way around. I see scathing reviews all the time that break my heart because of things like "I have confidence" wasn't included (the song was added for the film version) or "My Favorite Things" is in the wrong place in the show (actually, it's the movie that switched things up). It's different than what you know, but it's lovely and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did. 

Have you seen a theatrical performance of The Sound of Music? What did you think? While this tour doesn't have an original cast recording, you can always enjoy the classic songs from the film's original soundtrack recording.

To see what other musicals I've seen, check out the full list here.

Who: Me, my MIL, and a cousin | Me, myself, and I

What: Disney's Aladdin | tickets

When: September 2014 | May 2017

Where: New Amsterdam Theatre, New York | Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago

Why: Because Disney!

Thoughts: 

On seating: I'll preface everything by saying in general, my preferred theatre seating is front orchestra left. I often buy "limited view" seats to get a great view at an even better price. With Aladdin, this is not the way to go. When I saw the show on Broadway with family, we had nosebleed mezzanine seats. When I went solo in Chicago, I purchased my usual limited view orchestra left seating. Aladdin is a very glitzy show that uses every inch of the stage, so for once, I think sitting a little further back (preferably more towards the center) gives a better "big picture" experience vs. sitting close up to enjoy details like costuming and facial expressions.

On the show: I saw it twice, so it can't be too bad, right? I adored the original Broadway cast (this was also the first show I stage doored and the actors were all super nice), and the Chicago/touring production retains all of the magic. Having Adam Jacobs, Broadway's original Aladdin on the tour certainly contributes to that. I do prefer Broadway's Jasmine (Courtney Reed) to the actor in the role on tour, but overall, this is still an amazing production worth anyone's time. The story is close to the film with a few tweaks and some "new" songs (the old is new in this production, a lot of the content was actually cut from the film, but I think it's lovely on stage).

Broadway. Fun fact: Disney shows at the New Amsterdam Theatre have this "Showbill" instead of a regular Playbill

Touring (Chicago)

See my entire Broadway history to date here. Have you seen Aladdin on stage yet? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy the original cast recording here.

Who: My mom and I

What: It Shoulda Been You, Broadway's short-lived wedding comedy

When: March 2015

Where: Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York

Why: Because I'm a huge fan of Sierra Boggess, and I won tickets to see the show in previews!

Thoughts: I'd been following Sierra's career ever since her Broadway debut in The Little Mermaid. Even though I knew next to nothing about ISBY, I wanted to see it simply because she was in it. The show was absolutely hilarious and my mom and I both enjoyed meeting our theatre heroes: Tyne Daley for her and Sierra for me! This show featured so many talented performers including Josh Grisetti in his Broadway debut, who I recently saw again in Something Rotten! The show unfortunately closed after just a few months, but I'm so grateful for the talent I was able to see that night and all the laughs the show provided.



Listen to the original cast recording here, then see my entire Broadway history to date here. Have you met a Browadway performer at the stage door? Let me know in the comments!

Who: Me, myself, and I

What: Something Rotten! The musical comedy about two brothers (and playwrights) trying to break free from Shakespeare's shadow.

When: April 2017

Where: The Hippodrome, Baltimore

Why: When the Broadway cast tours, you go.

Thoughts: I must confess that I was not expecting to like this show. I'd heard about the Tony awards. I'd heard about how funny it is. Maybe it was the cheesy graphics or maybe the description didn't engage me...but I just didn't think this show would be for me. But, it's good to explore new things, and who can turn down a chance to see actors like Adam Pascal and Josh Grisetti in their own hometown?

I went...and I loved it! If you're a theatre geek like me, this show is especially for you as it is constantly giving nods to every other musical out there.

Check out the Something Rotten! cast album here. A full listing of shows I've seen can be found here. If you've seen Something Rotten!, let me know your thoughts in the comments!