Contest: Win Tickets to Golden Boy

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations @iamsarahmoore!

Last year I had a contest asking you about theater-related Halloween costumes. Since I enjoyed reading your answers so much and since it's almost Halloween, I'm bringing it back, only this time you can win tickets to the Broadway revival of Golden Boy. The play by Clifford Odets is about a young violinist who chooses to become a professional boxer. It starts previews at the Belasco, where it was first produced, on November 8. I'm looking forward to seeing this cast of 19, especially Danny Burstein (Follies), Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski, and Brad Fleischer (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo).

In order to win tickets to Golden Boy, leave a comment on this post telling me your best theater-related Halloween costume idea. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Monday, November 5 at 10:30 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Contest: Win Tickets to Dead Accounts

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations Brian! If you didn't win, stay tuned on Monday for the last of this month-long series of contests.

Is it just me or is the world a better place when Norbert Leo Butz is on Broadway? Starting on November 3, he will be starring in Theresa Rebeck's Dead Accounts alongside Katie Holmes, Judy Greer (!!!), Josh Hamilton, and Jayne Houdyshell. Bonus: The play is directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O'Brien (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). The show is about a family reuniting and a $27 million secret. I've been advised to eat before the show so you don't get hungry watching the actors eat, which they will be doing a lot.

Please note that these tickets are only for performances on November 5, 7 (matinee), 8, 9, or 10 (matinee). Please only enter if you are able to see the show on one of those dates. The show takes place in Cincinnati, so the characters eat Graeter's ice cream, which I'm hoping will be sold in the lobby. To enter to win tickets, comment on this post telling me your favorite ice cream flavor. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday or Saturday at the latest (not sure about the time because I will be traveling, but I will post the winner here as soon one is chosen). Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Contest: Win Tickets to Peter and the Starcatcher

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Caryn Savitz!

So, you haven't gotten around to seeing Peter and the Starcatcher yet and you realize you need to see it before it closes on January 20. Or you have seen it and you want to see it again. Either way, I'm giving you a chance to win a pair of tickets.

The play by Rick Elice is a prequel to Peter Pan, but what really makes the show is the inventive staging by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and the design elements. (It won Tonys for scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design--all deserved.)

There are two ways to enter to win tickets:

1) Comment on this post telling me why you want to see the show.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Wednesday, October 24 at 10 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

A Different Opinion on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

I was invited to the first preview of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which shows the confidence the producers have in the production. It's a transfer of a Steppenwolf production, so it's not as if the cast hasn't performed it many times in front of an audience. And it got rave reviews there, so the producers probably weren't worried. The show opened to raves again here on Broadway, but as much as I overall enjoyed the production, I have some reservations about it.

I've given this a lot of thought and I think my slight disappointment has a lot to do with the fact that this was my first time seeing the play (I haven't seen the movie either). So I have nothing to compare this production to except my ideas about what a production of Woolf should be like. Quick refresher: the play takes place on a New England college campus. George (Tracy Letts, in a stunning Broadway debut), a history professor, and his wife Martha (Amy Morton), the college president's daughter, invite a young couple, Nick (Madison Dirks) and Honey (Carrie Coon), over after a party. It turns into a night of booze and insults. This production, directed by Pam MacKinnon, really played up the laughs. As a result, I didn't leave as emotionally drained as I was expecting to. I guess I kept expecting a punch to the gut that never came (I don't know if that says more about me than the production).

I definitely think this is a production worth seeing, but I wonder if I would have been able to get more out of it if I had seen a more traditional interpretation as my first time seeing it on stage.

The Other Josh Cohen Is Better Than Real Life

One of the best shows I've seen at the New York Musical Festival is V-Day. That was in 2010 and I've been wanting that show to get an off-Broadway production ever since. That moment has finally arrived. It's now playing at the Soho Playhouse and it's been renamed The Other Josh Cohen, but it's still just as enjoyable as I remember. If you enjoy a good Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory reference, buy chocolate the day after Valentine's Day when it's 50% off, or like to laugh, this show is for you.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Whenever I tell anyone the plot of the show, they say, "That sounds horrible." But trust me, it's delightful. David Rossmer and Steve Rosen wrote the show and they also both play Josh Cohen. Rossmer is the Josh Cohen of the present, narrating the story, and Rosen is the Josh Cohen of the past. Six days before Valentine's Day, Josh gets robbed of everything but one CD--Neil Diamond III (all the good songs are on volume II). All the songs (also by Rossmer and Rosen) are in the style of Neil Diamond and just as catchy (fingers crossed for a cast recording, but in the meantime some of the tracks are available on the website). The rest of the parts are winningly played by Kate Wetherhead and the band--Ken Triwush, Vadim Feichtner, and Hannah Elless.

Rossmer and Rosen are so likable, you can't help but root for them. And the show is laugh-out-loud funny, but also sweet and pretty wholesome. It's rare to find a show like that. It's only playing through November 11, though it deserves a longer life, but just in case, you probably should stop reading and just go get your tickets.

Contest: Win Tickets to Chaplin

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations Sarah P.! I have two more Broadway ticket contests next week, so stay tuned.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

If you haven't had a chance to see Chaplin the Musical yet (or you want to see it again), today is your lucky day. I've giving away a pair of tickets to the show, which stars Rob McClure as Charlie Chaplin and has a book by Thomas Meehan and a score by Christopher Curtis.

There are two ways to enter to win tickets:

1) Comment on this post telling me your favorite Chaplin movie. If you haven't seen a Chaplin movie, you can comment telling me why you want to see the show.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, October 19 at 5:30 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

For discount tickets as low as $49 to Chaplin the Musical:

Visit BroadwayOffers.com and enter code CLSD925

Or

Call (212) 239-6200 and use code CLSD925

Or

Bring this code to The Barrymore Theatre 243 West 47th Street (between 8th Avenue and Broadway)

Offer valid on select Orchestra and Mezzanine seats and subject to availability and prior sale. Not valid on prior purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Telephone and internet orders are subject to standard service fees. All prices include a $2 facilities fee. Offer not available 11/19-25, 12/20-1/6/13. Other blackout dates may apply. Offer valid for performances starting 9/20/12 and expires 2/13/13 but may be revoked at any time.

Falling for Falling

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Falling, which opened last night at the Minetta Lane Theatre, educates about autism as well as moves while avoiding after-school special cliches.

Josh (Daniel Everidge) is 18 years old and severely autistic. He lives with his parents, Tami (Julia Murney) and Bill (Daniel Pearce), and sister Lisa (Jacey Powers). They have developed systems for keeping Josh and each other safe, such as the code word "peanut butter" to let each other know when Josh is agitated. When Bill's mother (Celia Howard) comes to town, it complicates Josh's routine.

Everidge is extremely convincing, so much so that it is jarring when he appears at one point in the show as a character without autism. There isn't a weak link in the cast, directed by Lori Adams, but Murney is also a standout. The audience feels every bit of her pain and the love she has for her family.

Playwright Deanna Jent, who has an autistic son, has given us an honest window into the lives of people with autism and their families, but not at the expense of character. We get to know and care for this family, which is especially impressive given that we only spend an hour and 15 minutes with them. Without giving too much away, credit must be given to movement and fight director Rick Sordelet for the most startling realistic violence I've seen on stage in a long time.

Contest: Win Tickets to The Other Josh Cohen

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Monica!

I am so excited to have a pair of tickets to The Other Josh Cohen to give away. I haven't seen this incarnation yet, but I saw an earlier version called V-Day and it was the most enjoyable show I've ever seen at the New York Musical Festival.

The hilarious Steve Rosen and David Rossmer wrote and star in The Other Josh Cohen, a musical about a man whose apartment is robbed of everything but one Neil Diamond CD. The music is written in the style of Neil Diamond.

Want to win a pair of tickets to the show? There are two ways to enter:

1) Comment on this post telling me what recording artist you would choose to write a musical in the style of and why.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Wednesday, October 17 at 10 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

SPECIAL OFFER:
$32 tickets (reg. $35) Oct 10^th thru Oct 21^st

$39 tickets (reg. $65) valid Oct 24^th thru Nov 11^th

 HOW TO ORDER:

ONLINE: Click here and use code CODERED

 PHONE: Call 212-352-3101 and mention code CODERED

IN PERSON: Bring this offer to the SoHo Playhouse box office

LIMITED PERFORMANCES! OCT 10^TH – NOV 11^TH ONLY!

RESTRICTIONS: Offer valid through November 11th. Offer may be revoked at anytime and is subject to availability.  Not valid on prior purchase. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions; blackout dates and restrictions may apply.  Maximum of 8 tickets total with offer.

And Now A Quick Word About Revivals

Last night I saw the Broadway revival of Annie, now in previews. I realized this is the first time I've seen two Broadway revivals of the same show. (The only other show I've seen two Broadway productions of is Les Miserables, but one was the original and one was the revival.) The previous revival of Annie in 1997 was my second Broadway show. On my first trip to New York, I was allowed to pick one show to see with my mom (I chose Titanic) and the next night the whole family went to see Annie as my sister was 6 years old at the time and we wanted something that was appropriate for her.

This season, I've also seen Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (last revived on Broadway in 2005) and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (last revived on Broadway in 2007) for the first time ever. I didn't get to see shows on Broadway regularly until I moved here at the end of 2007, so I missed a lot. It may seem too soon for both these revivals, but if someone who sees as much theater as I do is seeing them for the first time, I'm guessing I won't be the only one. I'm all for new and seldom-done shows, but there's always room for the classics and there will always be a new audience for them.

When I was at Annie, I was looking at all the kids, many of whom I assume were seeing their first Broadway show (and probably some of their parents were as well), just as my sister did 15 years ago, and it made me happy that Annie is back. I don't mean to sound preachy or sentimental, but it's just something I've been thinking about. Feel free to weigh in with your own revival thoughts and memories.

Contest: Win Tickets to Scandalous

Update: The contest is now closed. Thanks to everybody who entered. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Robb J! If you didn't win, check back on Monday for another chance to win tickets to a new musical.

The new musical Scandalous starts previews on October 13. Kathie Lee Gifford, the bookwriter and lyricist, has spent about 12 years working on the musical about superstar evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Two-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello plays McPherson and judging by a preview event I attended, her performance will be one to see.

Want to win a pair of tickets to the show? There are two ways to enter:

1) Comment on this blog telling me something scandalous that you've done. (You don't have to get too personal. Feel free to make it silly or funny.)

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, October 12 at 4:30 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Watch this video to find out more about Aimee Semple McPherson:

Contest: Win a Nice Work If You Can Get It Cast Recording

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Update: The contest is now closed. Thanks to everybody who entered. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Alesandra! If you didn't win, check back in 10 minutes for another contest.

The cast album for Nice Work if You Can Get It will be released on October 30, and I'm giving away a copy. However you feel about the show starring Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara and featuring Tony winners Judy Kaye and Michael McGrath, it's hard to argue against the cast album. It features 28 Gershwin songs including “Sweet and Lowdown,” “'S Wonderful,” “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me"and it sounds gorgeous. You don't have to take my word for it. To preview tracks on Amazon, click here.

There are two ways to enter:

1) Comment on this blog telling me your favorite Gershwin song (it doesn't have to be on the album).

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Wednesday, October 10 at 10:00 a.m. (after I announce the winner, I'll launch another contest for tickets to a new Broadway musical, so check back for that). Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

If you have yet to see Nice Work, here's a discount code:

Tuesday – Friday Evenings, Wednesday Matinees
$69 - $89 (reg. $87 - $137)

Saturday – Sunday Matinees
$79 - $99 (reg. $79 - $137)

Visit BroadwayOffers.com and use code NWAUDLINK

Contest: Win Tickets to The Heiress

Update: The contest is now closed. Thanks to everybody who entered. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Ryan T.! If you didn't win, check back here on Monday AND Wednesday for more contests.

It's Monday, and that means another ticket contest. This week, I am giving away a pair of tickets to The Heiress starring Jessica Chastain, David Strathairn, and Dan Stevens. The 1947 play by Ruth and Augustus Goetz is based on Henry James' Washington Square. Chastain plays Catherine Sloper, who is courted by Morris Townsend (Stevens), though her father (Strathairn) thinks he is only after her money. Previews begin October 6 at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

There are two ways to enter:

1) Comment on this blog telling me why you want to see the show.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, October 5 at 5:30 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!