Paul NasellaThings have certainly been getting good on Broadway as of late. With smashing shows such as “RENT,” “Wicked” and “Aida” hitting the stage, and new shows such as Mario Cantone’s: “Laugh Whore,” which opened on Oct. 24, 2004, “to an adoring crowd of fans,” said to www.playbill.com. This new smash hit, is a one-man show that is a satire that pokes fun at idols such as Liza Manelli, and Judy Garland.
“RENT,” which opened in April of 1996, and to this day is still performing off Broadway and in tours across the country. The show currently stars Drew Lachey playing Mark Cohen, one of the lead male roles. This show is based on the “La Boheme” story, but is set in the East Village in New York City. It tells the story of a close knit group of friends, almost all of whom have AIDS, and are trying to cope with what life is currently throwing at them. The show follows the characters over the course of a single year, with Mark now played by Drew Lachey, as the narrator. As the show goes on, you hear the stories of all of the characters, Roger, Mimi, Mark, Angel, Collins, Benny, Maureen and Joanne.
This play was very controversial for its era, because it brought to the forefront the reality of homosexuality and AIDS. It showed off the facts of life pure and simple, life and death. That everyone lives life as they chose, and dies eventually despite the circumstances surrounding them.
“Wicked,” which opened on Oct 7, 2003, showed a different side of a favorite children’s tale, “The Wizard of Oz.” It took a look at the younger lives of the wicked witch of the west and Glinda, the good witch of the north. It showed off the aspects of their characters that made them, the way that we see them in the movie. According to www.plabill.com, “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.”
Shows that will be touring in the regional area are “RENT,” “Evita,” “Cats,” “Hairspray,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Peter Pan” and finally “Tony and Tina’s Wedding.” These shows will be at varying theatres, such as The Merriam Theatre or the Academy of Music and the Walnut Street Theatre.
In “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” the audience becomes a part of the wedding party and the lively Italian family, in which you actually become involved within the show and the cast of characters, mingling with family and friends of the bride and groom. In the end there is even a wedding cake to share with everyone as well.
According to the website www.playbill.com, “Hairspray,” which is “set in Baltimore in 1962, is the story of plain-jane Tracy Turnblad, who is going to do whatever it takes to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a big girl with big dreams – and even bigger hair – turn the whole town around?”
So all in all, one has the choice to see many different things in the way of shows, there are plenty to chose from, and a vast variety more than what is mentioned here, to find out more about the shows mentioned here and more that you can see check out www.playbill.com.
Posted the web by Paul Nasella
