SPAMALOT

If you were a fan of the Monty Python movies, you are definitely going to be a fan of SPAMALOT. For all of you Grey’s Anatomy fans, interesting fact- Sarah Ramirez, a.k.a “Callie Torres” was one of the original stars (she sings too!) in Spamalot!

Synopsis:
Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Spamalot features a chorus line of legless knights, men in tights (with killer legs), killer rabbits and sexy dancing divas.

THE COLOR PURPLE- NOW ON TOUR

Obviousl Oprah “presents” it. What doesn’t Oprah do??? If you’ve seen the movie, you know that this is an incredibly moving story. I was apprehensive at first how it was going to come off on stage, or if they’d be able to find women who could play the roles as well as the originals had, and sure enough- they did. It RECENTLY closed on Broadway, but it still touring so PLEASE try and catch it before the tour ends!

Synopsis:
Oprah Winfrey presents this new musical based on Alice Walker’s classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the landmark film by Steven Spielberg. The Color Purple is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman, who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. With a moving book and a score featuring gospel, jazz, ragtime and the blues, The Color Purple is ultimately a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

One of the best roles in the show was originated by David Hyde Pierce of Fraiser, gotta love those multi-taltend folks eh?! This is another show that’s currently on tour and sadly, is closing soon….but when it was on Broadway it was SUPERB, So check it out when it hits your town!

Synopsis: To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as ‘Man in Chair’ (Martin) drops the needle on his favorite LP – the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the musical magically bursts to life on stage, telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the nuptials, her chaperone, the debonair groom, the dizzy chorine, the Latin lover and a pair of gangsters who double as pastry chefs.

LES MISERABLES

My very first audition, EVER, was for Les Miserables when I was six. Surprisingly enough I made it through many, many callbacks and then they decided I was just too young to go on the road and do shows six nights a week. I thought otherwise, but nonetheless, I was bitten by the Broadway bug. And have continued ever since. 23 years in the making, sadly it’s moved over to London but we’re eagerly awaiting it’s return!

In The Heights

Definitely not the standard Broadway “mold” In the heights pushes the limits both musically and with the format. There’s rapping! When was the last time you saw THAT on Broadway?? How about never! The dancing is incredible, sexy and fun and so is the music. This was a favorite of the TONY awards this year by far.

Synopsis:
It’s the July 4th weekend in Washington Heights, a vibrant and tight-knit neighborhood at the top of Manhattan. The musical explores the joys, heartbreaks and bonds of a Latino community struggling to redefine home.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

How can you go wrong with the LONGEST RUNNING MUSICAL IN HISTORY??? I mean, come on. It’s obviously been on the stage FOREVER, for a reason. The music my Andrew Lloyd Webber, is breathtaking. If you’re a “fanatic broadway fan” then you’ve either seen this, or you absolutely must.

Synopsis:
A disfigured musical genius haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera and exerts strange control over a lovely young soprano. Based on “Le Fantome de L’Opera” by Gaston Leroux. Score includes: “Music of the Night,” “Angel of Music,” “Think of Me” and the title song.

OPENED NOV 8TH!!!

Synopsis:
A benign green ogre and his sidekick Donkey save the land from an evil lord and rescue a lovely princess from a terrible fate. Based on the blockbuster movie and the book by William Steig.

THE LION KING

My generation is VERY familiar with The Lion King, in fact when it came on Broadway it was a pretty epic moment for Disney to bring a show that was geared for kids to the stage. The costumes, music, the diverse cast all made this show ten times better than the original film and since 1997 it’s still going strong!

Synopsis:
The Lion King tells the story of the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king.

THE LITTLE MERMAID

AH, what a dream role! Who doesn’t want an excuse to wear a seashell bra in public??? No? Is that just me? Oh. Another kid friendly Broadway show hits NYC and it’s been incredibly successful. As cheesy as some adults may think the music is….it’s still impressive to see it live.

Synopsis:
After rescuing a handsome young prince, Ariel, a young mermaid, makes a faustian bargain with an unscrupulous sea witch that allows Ariel to be human, but at a terrible cost

MARY POPPINS

Who doesn’t love a spoonful of sugar?! Everyone does! I was also one of those nerdy kids who sang “Feed the birds” in my middle school pop show. God, I hope no one has that recorded.

Synopsis:
Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, this is the story of the Banks family and how their lives change after the arrival of nanny Mary Poppins at their home at 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London.

WICKED

This is another musical that completely blew my mind when I saw it, I was so inspired I wanted to jump out of my chair. Not only is the musical funny, but it’s touching, it’s intense, the music is absolutely outstanding….and definitely worthy of buying the soundtrack and singing along to. I know I have. Interesting fact- the originator of Elepheba, the main green witch above, was Idina Menzel who also originated the role of Maureen on Boradway in RENT!!....And, bonus- she’s married to Taye Diggs.

Synopsis:
Wicked takes a revisionist look at an American icon of evil and discovers how the young Elphaba, a passionate, committed young woman from Oz, becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Her character is contrasted with that of her school roommate Glinda, who grows up to be the Good Witch.

SPRING AWAKENING

This is by far one of the very best shows I’ve ever seen on broadway. The music is all done by Duncan Sheik; it’s moving, stripped, honest, RAW….one of the best performances you can see.

Synopsis:
Based on Frank Wedekind’s play of the same name, Spring Awakening boldly depicts how a dozen young people make their way through the thrilling, complicated, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening.

JERSEY BOYS!

This is definitely geared towards a specific audience, if you aren’t a fan of Frankie Valli, and that “type” of music then you should probably consider another show. Though, I’d seriously recommend this one, hearing men sing in harmonies is like HEAVEN to the ears.

Synopsis:
The story of the legendary Four Seasons, blue-collar boys who formed a singing group and reached the heights of rock ‘n’ roll stardom. The musical features such Seasons’ hits as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

MAMMA MIA!

Now, I’ll be totally honest- I wasn’t a huge fan of Mamma Mia! unitl I saw the movie, then Meryl Streep had me hooked and I had to go back and see it again. I mean can you blame me, it’s ABBA music? That being said, you’re an ABBA fan, you’ll LIVE for this musical. I know a lot of people who do.

Synopsis:
Mamma Mia! collects a group of hit songs by the Swedish supergroup ABBA and shapes them around the story of a single mother coping with her young daughter’s marriage on a picturesque Greek isle. While the daughter plans her future with the love of her life, her mother is haunted by three different men who may or may not be her daughter’s father. Among the songs are such familiar ‘70s staples as “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “S.O.S.,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All.