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My husband gave me (us) Season tickets for our local theater's 2009 Season for Christmas to include...

The Drowsy Chaperone
The Color Purple
Legally Blonde
Fiddler on the Roof
Wicked

I'm pretty pumped. All five of those sound like ones I'd like to see. If anybody has any comments on some of those not discussed here...like, I'm not too familiar with The Drowsy Chaperone.

The Drowsy Chaperone is FABULOUS. It's so funny and campy and corny. I saw the tour a couple of months ago. I really want to play the chaperone some time. The Man In Chair was fantastic. I don't think you'll see the same Robert we saw, though, because he's been doing White Christmas with my friend Mara. Although, now that Christmas is over, I don't know what he's doing (his name's Mark Ledbetter).

I was unimpressed with The Color Purple. We had an understudy for Celie so I'm sure that was part of it, but SO much of the story is rushed through, cut out, or watered down.

Legally Blonde is a fun show. I love the music. But I think it'll all depend on who you have as Elle.

Fiddler is Fiddler is Fiddler. Every production is the same. It's a classic.

Wicked is a MUST! I don't know who the touring cast is, but the show is fantastic.

Thanks! I had a feeling The Drowsy Chaperone might be fun. I'm excited that I had not seen any of them. He was actually going to just get Wicked tickets, but it was not much more money to get the whole season.

Will be back to post after the shows! I think the first is Jan. 15 (TDC)

Drowsy Chaperone was cute cute cute! Loved it. So cute and fun. Highly recommended. Light and breezy.

I'll have to check my book and see if it was Mark Ledbetter.

Drowsy Chaperone was good -- it was weird seeing the actor that played Gilbert Blythe in such a differet role -- he was so not a romantic lead in the musical! The opening of Act II was hilarious...

haha...the Nightengale song? Too funny. Our guy in the chair was named John West.

Yes, exactly, the hilarious parody on Orientalist musicals/Madame Butterfly, etc.

Yeah, we got Jonathon Crombie for "our guy in the chair" (good description).

The character name is, I believe, "Man In Chair," so your description was quite apt, Alison! Do you know who played Robert?

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?"
"I don't understand the question."

I thought the second act opener was a sort of spoof blending The King and I and My Fair Lady.

Sarah, you're probably right about Act II -- though I guess I'd consider King and I is rather an Orientalist musical...

I'll have to check on my Robert...

I just started with this group. Hope to learn and to contribute to the discussion.

I would love to see that! I'm a TA in a class on Yiddish literature and we're reading most of the stories by Solom Alcheim.

Yeah, I knew it was Topol doing the tour. I think he is in his 70s?

Also, the girl who played Tzeitl in the movie later played Golde opposite Topol in a revival (or maybe a tour?). So she played his daughter and then his wife.

Sarah, yeah, I remember her talking about that in an interview. They're actors, so I'm sure it would be fine - but as an audience member, I'd find it a bit weird, though I would have enjoyed seeing the production.

Charly, thanks for the congrats...and ha -- "tradition" ! =)

I'm seeing Legally Blonde next Thursday night. Will my husband like it? We don't have a sitter, and I was suggesting taking my girlfriend. But I don't want him to miss it if he'll like it.

Your husband might like it, but your girl friend will probably like it more. It's cute and funny, but it's pretty girlie.

Here's a clip that might give you an example...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3Wbj...

Well, it's got "flesh" -- I went to go see it with one of my friends, and we both agreed with the Brooke Wyndham (? name of character) aspect, it sort of had the "leg show" appeal of the old musicals at the turn-of-the-(last)-century...

Legally Blonde was very cute. My girlfriend ended up getting her own tickets for free, so I went with my husband. We both liked it alot. A couple of parts were a little lame (the bathroom scene, with the shower), but overall, very funny, cute, and didn't take itself too seriously.

What about the UPS guy? Cutest thing I have ever seen.

Yep, I do hate the part where they take the trial into the bathroom, and I hate the "Ireland" and "Blood in the Water" songs, but there are enough cute moments (if you have a good Elle) that make up for it. "So Much Better" is one of my favorite songs to sing and I love the beginning of "Legally Blonde" where Emmett is trying to get Elle not to go.

We're seeing The Color Purple next week. Any thoughts? It seems like it would be kind of boring to me. :(

I love, love, love the book and movie, and didn't like the musical. But we had an understudy for Celie and she was awful. But mainly I didn't like how key parts of the story were sacrificed for song, schtick, and comic relief. But I have some friends (who saw a different Celie) who absolutely love it.

Hmmmm...I'm not super excited. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Hmmm...well, we saw The Color Purple. I wouldn't say it was a *bad* show...it was just so different from the tone of the novel. It was so comical. It was pretty good, but I'm not sure it paid a just tribute to the story. I will have to read the book to be sure. Great singers and dancers, though.

Next up Fiddler with, as you guys said, Topol. :)

Fiddler Thursday night--I'm stoked!