Broadway 2 A Day: 1998 - 2001 (Aida, The Full Monty, Seussical)

Heeeyyyyy, how y'all doin??

To no one's surprise I am behind on this blog, the problem this time is that there are a lot more good shows the closer we get to the "present day." 

Also, if you are still reading this blog 300+ shows later you may be entitled to financial compensation. 

• Fosse
• Have I heard of it before? Not specifically
• Did I enjoy it? No, I'm so over revues
• Synopsis: Fosse’s innovative and utterly unique style of dance--jazz hands, turned-in knees, bowler hats, gloves--has become a cornerstone of modern musical theatre. Fosse, created by his closest associates and friends, is a celebration of the great artist’s work. Fosse’s original choreography from 13 of his shows is recreated, continuing the legacy of one of the greatest musical theatre artists of all time. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Big Spender
• It Ain't Nothin But The Blues
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? No
• Synopsis: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues is a musical revue written by Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman. It was originally produced at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts and later presented by the Crossroads Theatre, in association with San Diego Repertory Theatre and Alabama Shakespeare Festival in New York City. The revue traces the history of "blues" music with more than three dozen songs. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: The Thrill is Gone

• Saturday Night Fever
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, but never listened to the recording
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah, it was exactly what you think it'll be
• Synopsis: The musical focuses on Tony Manero, an Italian-American Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque. There he luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends. In an effort to make it a family-friendly show, many of the film's darker elements, including references to racial conflict, drug use, and violence, were eliminated from the plot. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: You Should Be Dancing
• Contact
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? Nope
• Synopsis: Contact is a musical "dance play" that was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, with its "book" by Weidman and both choreography and direction by Stroman. It ran both off-Broadway and on Broadway in 1999–2002. It consists of three separate one-act dance plays. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: Runaround Sue
• Putting It Together
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, this is a nice roundup of some of Sondheim's best songs
• Did I enjoy it? Yes
• Synopsis: The show is a compilation of songs by Stephen Sondheim, including numbers from Follies, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Dick Tracy, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, and others. The theme is a party and the songs cleverly weave a tale of action and reflection on, of course, the subject of relationships. Cast members use their own names. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Miller's Son
• Marie Christine
• Have I heard of it before? Never
• Did I enjoy it? I did more than I expected to, largely due to Audra McDonald, but it is super dark
• Synopsis: Set in New Orleans of the 1890s, the story is loosely based on the Greek play, Medea. Marie Christine, an African-American, falls madly in love with a white ship captain, Dante, and becomes pregnant. Marie's brothers object to the relationship and beat Dante. Coming to his defense, Marie ends up stabbing her brother and she and Dante escape to Chicago. Once in Chicago, Dante abandons Marie for his political career. He ends up being engaged to his benefactor's daughter, Helena. In the end, Marie murders Helena and her own children. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Beautiful 
• The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, but I've heard most people prefer the Andrew Lippa version
• Did I enjoy it? Not really
• Synopsis: The 1920s prove to be a rough time for Queenie, a Vaudevillian chorus girl, and her violent lover Burrs, a black-face Vaudevillian performer. When things start to get violent between them and Queenie pulls a knife on Burrs, Burrs suggests that they throw a party and invite all their friends to calm the fire. Queenie agrees and the party appears, complete with a collection of their rough and tumble chums. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Queenie Was A Blonde
• Swing!
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? It was nice but forgettable
• Synopsis: Swing! combines high energy dancing, singing and acrobatics. There is no dialogue in the show, and the story is told entirely through music and dance. The show tries to recreate the swing style of jazz, which used large bands, fixed musical arrangements and solo-driven improvisations. Together with the development of the music, various forms of swing dancing emerged, varying by geographic regions, such as the Lindyhop or Jitterbug in Harlem or the Whip in Houston. (Wikipedia)
• Favorite song: It Don't Mean A Thing
• Aida
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I love this show and it is so underrated. My Strongest Suit used to be my go-to upbeat audition song.
• Did I enjoy it? Yes
• Synopsis: At the Nile’s edge, the enslaved Nubian princess, Aida becomes romantically entangled with the Egyptian captain, Radames, who is betrothed to the Pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris. As their forbidden love grows deeper, Aida is forced to find balance between her heart’s yearning for Radames, and her responsibility to lead her people. Based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, Elton John and Time Rice's Aida is a timeless love story, featuring an award-winning pop/rock score from the seasoned pop duo who brought musical life to Disney’s The Lion King. Rousing rock numbers and heart-wrenching ballads bring the ill-fated lovers into a new era. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Written in the Stars
• The Full Monty
• Have I heard of it before? Yes but I never listened to it
• Did I enjoy it? I really did - it was funny and had some great songs
• Synopsis: The Full Monty follows the fortunes of six unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York. With no job, money or prospects, they are fed up. When the men spy their wives and other local women going crazy over a group of male strippers, an idea begins to emerge. Overcoming their jealousy and feelings of emasculation, they decide to make some quick cash by forming their own act--a team of male strippers with ‘real man’ bodies. However, their rehearsals are not easy. As they prepare for the performance of their lives, they are tested and exposed, both physically and emotionally. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Man
• Seussical
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I have been avoiding this show for years
• Did I enjoy it? Not really, I just can't get into it and I'm so glad my high school never did this one
• Synopsis: Seussical takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where we revisit beloved characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and JoJo. The Cat in the Hat guides us into The Jungle of Nool where we see Horton, the kind hearted elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whoville. He meets JoJo, a Who child sent to military school for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton decides he must protect the speck of dust on a nearby clover, while at the same time protecting an abandoned egg left to his care by the lazy Mayzie la Bird. Horton tries to convince the other animals in The Jungle of the existence of the Whos, but he is ridiculed and put on trial for insanity. Only his loyal neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, never loses faith in him. Eventually, the two fall in love. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Alone in the Universe