A New
York City icon is without a doubt Broadway. The term refers to both the street
itself and also the plays and musicals that take place in the Theater District
(yes, Broadway runs right through it). I remember the very first time I came to
New York City at the ripe age of 13, I saw my first two Broadway shows:
Hairspray and Chicago. I immediately fell in love with Hairspray; I purchased
the original cast's recording of all the songs and even bought the musical's
poster. For weeks I would listen to the music and after a while I knew all the
words to every song. After seeing Hairspray I knew I had a newfound love for
Broadway.
Since
moving to New York, I hadn't taken advantage of the fact that the Theater
District is a few blocks from my office until a few weeks ago. My mom has been
in town for a while and we decided we wanted to see Jersey Boys. I had heard
amazing reviews from every person I talked to who had seen it and we were able
to get great seats at an even better price. We sat in the front row of the
mezzanine and had an unobstructed view of the entire production. The show
retells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and how they rose to
fame. From start to finish Jersey Boys was entertaining. I especially loved the
authenticity in their Jersey accents. But the one thing that made this show
spectacular was John Lloyd Young starring as Frankie Valli. Young's voice was
incredibly similar to the real Frankie Valli and the first time he came out on
stage and sang, I got chills. The great part about the show was that even
though I wasn't alive during the time the Four Seasons were at their peak, I
still knew most of the songs. I would highly recommend Jersey Boys to anyone
who is a lover of good music and all around amazing time.
For some
unknown reason, my mom and I decided to see another show a few days after
seeing Jersey Boys. My boss had recommended I see Once, which was previously a
movie (which I had no idea before he mentioned it) and he also mentioned that
the main song, Falling Slowly, is really popular. Intrigued, my mom and I
bought tickets and took a leap of faith to see yet another Tony award winning
show. I can say without hesitation that Once is by far my favorite Broadway
show I've ever seen. I am still listening to the soundtrack over and over
again. Once is a story about a guy who is trying to make it big with his music,
but he is missing something. Enters girl (the characters don't have names!) and
she becomes his advocate and champion. The most amazing part about this musical
is that there are only 10 people in the cast and they play their own music live
on stage; there isn't an orchestra whatsoever! The entire show I was mesmerized
by the beautiful music and pure voices of the cast. If music along the lines of
Jack Johnson or John Mayer strikes a chord in your life, seeing Once needs to
be on your bucket list.
I'm still
in disbelief that I have (hypothetically) unlimited access to some of the best entertainment in the
world. Broadway helps define New York City, and I'm lucky enough to call this
place my home.
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