I went to New York with 1 purpose and 1 purpose only: to see theatre.

I accomplished that purpose.

In the 4 days I was in the city I managed to see 6 plays.  I tell people that the only reason I didn’t see 8 was because there are no matinees on Thursdays and Fridays (which is the truth).

I pre-bought tickets to 3 of the shows because I didn’t want to miss out on 1 in particular, and because I got a discount from Playbill.com for 2 of them.  1 show was bought at the TKTS booth (I briefly considered seeing the Spiderman musical), while the other 2 tickets were bought at the actual theatres.

*

Show 1: The Mountaintop (Samuel L Jackson and Angela Bassett)

Verdict: Both actors did a great job (even if Angela Bassett’s character was annoying at first), but the show got a little …strange around the end.  Also, why does the audience clap when someone comes on stage?

*

Show 2: How To Succeed…

Verdict: It’s a dated show, but (in the vein of Mad Men) it’s so much fun to watch and the costumes are great.  You really believe that Darren Criss could succeed without any effort at all.

*

Show 3: The Book of Mormon

Verdict: It’s a really good show, with a lot more heart than I had expected it to have.  There are numbers where you’ll think “Yup, this is those guys that do South Park”, but it’s also more than that.

(And yes, this is the show that prompted my trip.  I basically scoured the web until I found a ticket for this show and then booked my trip around it.)

*

Show 4: Close Up Space

Verdict: David Hyde Pierce did such a great job and he was worth the price of admission.  The first scene was great and funny.  The rest, however…  Well, the play needs work.  I didn’t know why I was supposed to root for the daughter – she was annoying and closed-off.  Rosie Perez did good, but there was one monologue that did not work for her character.  But I still love DHP.  He’s awesome.

*

Show 5: Jersey Boys

Verdict: A fun/informative musical about the formation of the Four Seasons.  I had an obstructed-view seat, but it was cheap and didn’t obstruct too much.  I was thrown off by the understudy stepping in for the character of Bob after intermission, but delighted by the Jersey man next to me who was loving the show.

*

Show 6: Seminar:

Verdict:  My favourite play of the week.  I pre-bought my ticket because I didn’t want to miss out on Alan Rickman.  It was a great script and great cast.  I ended up buying the script when I was in NYC in 2013.

*

Verdict: NYC Theatre-Binge = Accomplished