Category Archives: Broadway

August: Osage County

Sunday afternoon Sweetie and I ventured downtown and maneuvered through the ice and snow on the parking lots and sidewalks to see the national touring production of  “August: Osage County” at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. I mean we had to go see it, we have some ties. First the play is set in Pawhuska, OK about 60 miles northwest of Tulsa, in Osage County. Second the play was written by Tracy Letts. I have never met him but I have met his mother, the author Billie Letts, (an experience that I am sure changed her life.). Third Mrs. Letts and her late husband,  Dennis Letts, were associated with my Sweetie’s alma mater, Southeast Oklahoma State University in Durant, OK. ( You may recall that Durant is home of the world’s biggest peanut, but that is another post.)

The play is about the Weston family. The patriarch, Beverly disappears after a brief appearance at the beginning of the play. His three daughters and others in the family show up to join his wife Violet Weston in figuring out what to do. Beverly is a drunk and Violet is a druggie. He says they have “an arrangement.” The play is about the dysfunctional family and how no matter how bad things are, it can always get worse.

Estelle Parsons plays the role of Violet. She is one foul mouthed abusive domineering mother. Ms. Parson’s steals the show in the second act during a dinner scene. With a foul leer on her mouth she lets each of her daughters have it in an explosion of language of cursing and venom that blistered my ears.

The play is advertised like a drama but the audience laughed a lot. The characters, but one, are cynical and you know cynicism plays funny, like sarcasm, but empty. Much of the dialogue is funny but its the kind of funny that doesn’t really make you feel good. I am not talking about the quality of the script. I am talking about the desperation of the characters.

The family members are living desperate lives. They don’t have anywhere to go. The source of grace in the show is Johnna Montevata, a Cheyenne Indian whom Beverly Weston hired, to cook and clean, before he disappeared. She is the one source of grace and solace in the show. Violet calls her “The Indian in the attic.” The attic is where the characters go for comfort.

The set is an important part of the play. It is huge, three stories high and looms over everything like a separate presence. Its like a cathedral.  I am not smart enough to figure out how it is all supposed to work, but the Weston family is in sliding into chaos and needs some sort of deliverance.

I loved this play. The script and the characters rang true. Beware, it is very very intense and the language is rough This isn’t a play for children

I give it four stars out of four.

Check out the National Tour web site. Lots of good info there.

Legally Blonde

Sweetie and I went to see the touring edition of the Broadway musical “Legally Blonde.” It is a lot of fun and  is well done and we enjoyed it tremendously. Check out the show’s web site. Lots of good information their as wells as links to Youtube videos of segments of the show.

The lead was played by Becky Gulsvig. She was a ball of fire on stage.  Check out her website. It has links to her blog. (She hasn’t posted for months but I bet she is busy.)

Her website linked to this Youtube video that intersperses her performance with an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

It was a lot of fun. I give it 3 stars out of 4.

Little House on the Prairie and Wake Up America!

Saturday afternoon Sweetie and dropped SuperPizzaBoy off at a friends house and we went downtown to see the musical “Little House on the Prairie.” Beforehand SPB asked me what it was. I told him that it was that show where at night everybody goes “Goodnight John Boy”, “Goodnight Grampa.” Sweetie just laughed at me. “That was the Waltons!” Oh, ok I thought it was the same thing. So I got laughed at again. Some people just don’t respect their elders, especially when they are married to them.
People, would say, Oh, yeah, Melissa Gilbert is in it, wow! And I would say, yeah, she is, I’m really looking forward to seeing her. I had no idea who she is. Sweetie tells me that that she’s the little girl who would run down the hill on the television show to Little Joe from Bonanza, except he wasn’t Little Joe anymore, he was the little girl’s Dad. I’ll tell you what, Bonanza was a great show. How come we don’t have a Bonanza Musical? What’s up? All these Gen X types whining around about us Boomers hogging all the jobs and money. Well, hey you got a Little House on the Praire Musical. We have nothing. Personally I think Bonanza, F Troop, Gunsmoke, Johnny Quest, Combat, 12 O’Clock High, Love American Style, and I Dream of Jeannie would all make great musicals. I’ll tell you what it is. It’s a plot by Barack Obama and Sarah Palin to hip chuck us Boomers right of out of American culture. Glenn Beck talked about it last night. So you know its true
That reminds me. You know Sarah Palin is from Alaska right. Do you know that we bought Alaska from the Russians? Yeah, its true. Has anybody checked to make sure that our check cleared? If it didn’t that means that Sarah Palin is a Russian! She may be a secret communist. Have your ever known a Russian that wasn’t communist? I have never seen a copy of the cancelled check. Have you? You think that is a coincidence don’t you? Don’t be such a dupe. Remember how she used to brag about how close Russia was to Alaska and how she gained all that great Foreign Policy experience. That is because Alaska is Russia? Prove it is not. Wake up America before its too late!
Uh, sorry, I got a little carried away. Anyway, Melissa Gilbert doesn’t play the little girl any more, she plays the Mom and does a good job of it. What I really liked was the choreography. Not only of the dance scenes but how the cast moved across the stage adjusting the set as the scenes changed. That was very cool.
The musical is well done. It’s not flashy but it is well done and interesting. I give it 3 stars out of 4!

Wicked – The Musical


Sweetie and I headed downtown Saturday afternoon to see “Wicked” a touring Broadway musical. It is the backstory to the Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland gave us only one side, this play gives us the truth!. As one character put it, something to the effect of, “Can you believe she took the shoes off my dead sister. You would think she was raised in a barn.”

Sweetie and both thought this production was one of the best we have ever seen. The special effects are awesome, the music and singing are superb, and the choreography is wonderful. (I cannot figure out how the producers and directors can pack so many people on a stage all dancing and singing amongst props and nobody ever bounces into somebody else.)

Helene York was awesome as Glinda but Marcie Dodd stole the show as Elpheba. Ms. Dodd played the part on Broadway. The young lady can really sing.

The total time, including a short 15 minute intermission took about three hours, but it went very quickly.

I give Wicked four stars out of four and a special Do Not Miss this Show recommendation.

Drowsy Chaperone


Last Friday night we left SuperPizzaBoy with Nana and Sweetie and I traveled downtown to see the touring production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” I had never heard of the musical and had no expectations.

This might be one of the best musicals I have ever seen. The story line is incomprehensible but the production is magical, and the actors and actresses were “selling it.” It was great.

I rate this production a rare four stars out of four.

Special thanks to Baloney and Doc who let us have their tickets very close to the stage. Sweetie and I have tickets up in the second balcony and it was nice not having to bring oxygen and binoculars to the show.