I have been a fan of musical theatre for years. The constant thrill of acting out scene by scene, dancing to the beat and belting out classic numbers such as "Modern Major General" and "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" is exhilarating, and watching this all go down on a stage before you gets your adrenaline pumping!
My eyes have been treated to many productions throughout the years, and they never get tired of seeing shows. In order to bring a more local spin to the blog, here are five of my favorite productions that I have had the chance to see.
5. "The Little Mermaid", Schuster Center, August 2017
I took my girlfriend (at the time) out to see this for her birthday, and we were both highly enthralled by the show. The production design captured the undersea environment perfectly, which was really neat.
RELATED: Behind the Scenes: "The Little Mermaid"
Starring Diana Huey as mermaid princess Ariel, the show brings back classic Disney charm but doesn't bite off more than it can chew when it comes to nostalgia. Jennifer Allen as evil witch Ursula and Melvin Abston as sea crab Sebastian are also both stellar in their roles.
4. "Rock Of Ages", Broadway, April 2010
Let's start this off with the most high-profile show I have been able to see! While I was in New York for my aunt and uncle's wedding, my family got to see "Rock Of Ages", a jukebox musical starring Amy Spanger and "American Idol" finalist Constantine Maroulis. I've loved the music of the 1980s since I was kid and the performances and orchestration were stellar. The movie, not so much.
3. "School Of Rock", Schuster Center, October 2018
You can tell from my first post on this blog that I adore both the film and musical versions of "School Of Rock". The Jack Black flick is one of my favorite movies of all time, so when I heard that the musical was coming to Dayton, I was ecstatic.
This is by far my pick over the two "School Of Rock" productions I saw last year. The Schuster Center production starred Merritt David Janes in the role of Dewey Finn, along with Lexie Dorsett Sharp as Rosalie Mullins and a talented cast of youngsters (I feel old just by using that term, to be honest).
REVIEW: "School Of Rock" Brings Down The House at the Schuster Center
The improvisation and delivery of the cast mixed with excellent direction, set design and orchestration made this one a rocking good time!
2. "Wicked", Ohio Theater, August 2016
Though I didn't get to see the entire musical since I was late, this production was really impressive. Written by Winnie Holzman with music by Stephen Schwartz, this "Wicked"-ly "Popular" show starred Emily Koch as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda the Good. Other cast members include Stuart Zagnit as the Professor and Jake Boyd as Fiyero.
Puns aside, all of the songs in the show are performed with gusto. "Defying Gravity" is the closing song for the first act; it sent literal chills up my spine as Elphaba "defied gravity", both literally and metaphorically.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
"Mary Poppins", Victoria Theatre, April 2013
"Toxic Avenger", Sinclair Community College, April 2017
"Fiddler On The Roof", Wright State University, November 2017
"Be More Chill", Sinclair Community College, October 2018
1. "Legendale", Loft Theatre, October 2017
It was so nice, I saw it twice! This particular production was the American premiere of "Legendale", a fantasy musical that looks like "Ready Player One" and "The Legend Of Zelda" had a child.
Office worker Andy dreams of escaping his boring life, and plays the online game "Legendale". When he gets wind of a tournament with huge stakes on the line, Andy teams up with his gaming crew and other allies to become "Lord of Legendale".
I was able to see a dress rehearsal of this show and then came back to see the full thing again; that proved totally worth it. The cast members all give excellent performances and the set design feels creative and immersive. Jeff Bienstock and Andrea Daly have crafted a unique variety of songs to accompany the madness. My personal favorite is "I've Got A Rock".
In conclusion, more people need to see the show. It's hilarious and heartfelt rolled into one big, beautiful theatre burrito.
RELATED: New Musical Comedy Spoofs Online Gamers
What are your favorite productions of musicals that you have seen? Does one theater host many of your top picks? I bet that some of those productions to you were "Legendale"-y!
Okay, I'll stop with the puns now. In the meantime, feel free to comment down below!
2. "Wicked", Ohio Theater, August 2016
Though I didn't get to see the entire musical since I was late, this production was really impressive. Written by Winnie Holzman with music by Stephen Schwartz, this "Wicked"-ly "Popular" show starred Emily Koch as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda the Good. Other cast members include Stuart Zagnit as the Professor and Jake Boyd as Fiyero.
Puns aside, all of the songs in the show are performed with gusto. "Defying Gravity" is the closing song for the first act; it sent literal chills up my spine as Elphaba "defied gravity", both literally and metaphorically.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
"Mary Poppins", Victoria Theatre, April 2013
"Toxic Avenger", Sinclair Community College, April 2017
"Fiddler On The Roof", Wright State University, November 2017
"Be More Chill", Sinclair Community College, October 2018
1. "Legendale", Loft Theatre, October 2017
It was so nice, I saw it twice! This particular production was the American premiere of "Legendale", a fantasy musical that looks like "Ready Player One" and "The Legend Of Zelda" had a child.
Office worker Andy dreams of escaping his boring life, and plays the online game "Legendale". When he gets wind of a tournament with huge stakes on the line, Andy teams up with his gaming crew and other allies to become "Lord of Legendale".
I was able to see a dress rehearsal of this show and then came back to see the full thing again; that proved totally worth it. The cast members all give excellent performances and the set design feels creative and immersive. Jeff Bienstock and Andrea Daly have crafted a unique variety of songs to accompany the madness. My personal favorite is "I've Got A Rock".
RELATED: New Musical Comedy Spoofs Online Gamers
What are your favorite productions of musicals that you have seen? Does one theater host many of your top picks? I bet that some of those productions to you were "Legendale"-y!
Okay, I'll stop with the puns now. In the meantime, feel free to comment down below!
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