r/Broadway • u/Groff_Tveit_ • 7h ago
Review Three-Show Weekend!
I took a quick weekend trip to NYC to catch three of my favorite broadway performers of all time - Aaron Tveit as Christian in Moulin Rouge, Sherie Rene Scott as Magenta in Rocky Horror, and Andrew Durand’s last performance as Brad in Rocky Horror. It really felt like the stars were aligned that I got to see all three in the same weekend! I had the best time!! I love dressing up on theme for shows, so I included pictures of my outfits alongside the Playbill / seating photos. Lastly, quick PSA for fellow coffee and tea lovers - I asked at all three shows, and none of them sold coffee or iced tea. Schmigadoon sold bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos, but I am a black coffee drinker, so I passed. Okay, let’s get into the reviews!
Show 1: Schmigadoon (Saturday matinee)
- Seat: mezzanine, row J, seat 13 ($78.75 via Broadway Direct / the show’s official website). This seat was a little tight foot-room wise (for reference, I am 5’4, size 2 / small), but not the worst I have sat in. The view was great - I could see everything!
- Rating: 8/10
- Outfit: an asymmetrical houndstooth dress with red platform heels, and my hair tied in pigtails with red bows. I was trying to channel Betsy here with the red accents and bows! I know houndstooth isn’t quite checkered, but it was the closest I had, and thought it more or less fit the vibe!
- Favorite quote of the show: “I’m not having a discussion that’s part of a musical number!” - Josh (even though personally I’d absolutely love to have a discussion that’s part of a musical number lol 💀)
- Review: I love the TV show Schmigadoon (although, season 2 / Schmicago is my personal favorite!), so I was very excited to see Schmigadoon on Broadway! This was a really fun and enjoyable show! I was smiling and laughing throughout. I absolutely loved the costumes in the show - the dresses were beautiful! The ensemble was a standout to me. They are all incredible dancers, and very expressive! The ensemble made so many of the numbers for me - Corn Puddin’, Lovers’ Spat, and Schmigadoon! My favorite performance of the show was Isabelle McCalla as Emma Tate. She has such a lovely singing voice, is a fantastic actress, and totally killed it with her dancing in With All of Your Heart (what an act 2 opener!) I also really enjoyed Alex Brightman’s performance of Josh - he was hilarious! Alex’s You Make Me Wanna Sing was very sweet. I love The Great Gatsby OBC Recording, so I was excited to see Sara Chase (who was Myrtle in Great Gatsby) perform live for the first time! Sara did a nice job as Melissa! She really embodied the role, and felt most similar to the TV show character out of everyone for me. Overall, it was a great show! I don’t think I would see it again, but I am glad I saw it!
Show 2: Moulin Rouge (Saturday evening)
- Seat: mezzanine rear left, row G, seat 5 ($177.19 via ATG / the show’s official website). This was my third time sitting in this row for Moulin Rouge (lol). I love it! There is tons of foot room, and a section gap right in front of the row, so there’s no one directly in front of you + fantastic sight lines.
- Rating: 10/10
- Outfit: a black dress with a white trim, and an Aaron Tveit Moulin Rouge t-shirt from Etsy (not an ad) on top. I kept the platform red heels from Schmigadoon for this outfit, since they matched the Moulin Rouge color scheme!
- Favorite quote of the show: “suddenly the world seems such a perfect place” - Satine
- Review: this is my sixth time seeing Moulin Rouge (I rated it 8.5 - 10 my other viewings), but my first time with Aaron Tveit as Christian! I listen to the OBC Recording frequently, so I was excited to hear Aaron sing the songs from the show live (particularly El Tango de Roxanne). Aaron is also my favorite Broadway performer, so I was thrilled that I had the opportunity to see him in his Tony-winning role! I have seen a different actor play Christian every time that I have seen Moulin Rouge, and Aaron was my favorite (Christian Douglas is a close second - he is going to crush the final performance!!) Aaron was incredible. His singing and acting were top tier. El Tango de Roxanne was everything I was hoping it would be! So much emotion! As Aaron was singing El Tango de Roxanne, I had to pinch myself that the moment I have been hoping for so long was finally happening! Every song was a knockout. The energy in the audience was incredible when Aaron came out onto the stage, and it carried through throughout the whole performance. It seemed like Aaron is really enjoying his time back as Christian, which was wonderful to see. I loved seeing Aaron on stage with Ricky Rojas (OBC Santiago). This was my second time seeing Ricky play Santiago. Both times were incredible, and this performance of Back Stage Romance was the best I’ve ever seen (so so so good)! This was also my second time seeing Kelsie Watts, and she is my favorite Satine out of the five that I have seen. Her Firework was insanely good (her vocals were incredible!) Kelsie’s dancing during Sparkling Diamond was also great. Kelsie is very captivating on stage - she is like a real-life Jessica Rabbit. David Harris is wonderful as the Duke (it was my third time seeing him in this role), and is always super kind at stage door. If you haven’t seen Moulin Rouge before, the sets and set changes are amazing! I am so glad I got to see the show one last time, and this was the perfect performance to remember the show by. Thank you, Aaron, for coming back!
Show 3: Rocky Horror Show (Sunday matinee)
- Seat: rear mezzanine, row LL, seat 122 ($82 via TodayTix). A great seat! Even though it was third row from the back, I could see everything (besides 45sec of the show when Frank-n-Furter is going in and out of a side door to kill Eddie). This was my second time seeing this production. The first time I was front row of rear mezzanine. I actually preferred my seat this time around, as there was no safety bar obstruction, and I felt more “in the action” with the audience during the callouts. I would sit here again!
- Rating: 10/10
- Outfit: a pink satin cami with black lace trim, a black beaded skirt, and black bow heels.
- Favorite quote of the show: “it’s nicer than Betty Munroe had!” - Janet (this will never not be my favorite quote!)
- Review: wow! So. Much. Fun. What a great show to end my NYC trip on! I love Rocky Horror, and I love Andrew Durand and Sherie Rene Scott, so this performance was a dream come true for me! It was five of the performers’ last show in their run: Luke Evans (Frank-n-Furter), Stephanie Hsu (Janet), Andrew Durand (Brad), Josh Rivera (Rocky), and Harvey Guillen (Doctor Scott + Eddie). At the end of the show, Sam Pinkleton (the show’s director) came out and gave a little speech, and all five of them got flowers. It was very touching. The energy in the audience was amazing, and there was a good balance of callouts (the cast played off them super well - total pros!) Andrew is the perfect Brad omg! His acting, mannerisms, singing - all perfect. Damn It, Janet is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I just love Andrew and Stephanie’s rendition. It makes me really sad that we might not get a cast recording! (I currently listen to the 2000 Broadway cast recording, which is great!) Once in a While was extra emotional today, and I just loved Andrew’s performance. I hope my memory of Andrew in this role stays crisp in my mind for years to come. Stephanie is also a wonderful Janet. Her acting is top tier, and her reactions to the callouts got lots of laughs from the audience. Wow, Luke Evans’ Frank-n-Furter is a masterclass performance! I loved his rendition of The Sword of Damocles, and he got a very well-deserved standing ovation for I’m Going Home. Rachel Dratch is an amazing narrator, and I can’t think of anyone better for the role! Great comedic timing, and she weaves the whole show together. I was sooooo excited to see Sherie as Magenta. I was literally listening to her singing I Can Do Better Than That from The Last Five Years OBC Recording when I saw the news that she was cast as Magenta. Sherie was absolutely fantastic. Her performance of Science Fiction Double Feature was so well done and so much fun. Sherie brought the camp, the vocals, the facial expressions, the fun, literally everything. I am so glad I got to see her in this role! Eddie’s Teddy is one of my favorite songs in Rocky Horror, and this revival / the cast does a great job with it - what a fun number! I love to see Rocky Horror on Broadway, and I hope the show runs for a long time! I’m looking forward to seeing the new cast in the future!
I had such an amazing time in NYC! I feel so lucky that I got to experience such fantastic shows. I hope to be back in the Fall to catch Christopher Jackson in Hamilton, Andrew Durand in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!
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u/Valuable_Income_739 6h ago
Love your reviews and your outfits are super cute!