Broadway 2 A Day: 2003-2006 (Assassins, Spelling Bee, Spamalot, Drowsy Chaperone)

What's up party people??? You'll be thrilled to know that as of today I am caught up on this challenge. It's truly a miracle and it will not last long.

320 shows down and only two-ish months more to go. We're in the mid-2000s so we're getting into some of the shows that I discovered in middle school and early high school when I really become a Broadway junkie. 

Let's dive in. 

• Caroline, or Change
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, but I didn't know anything about it
• Did I enjoy it? There were some good moments but overall I felt like it was too long and I didn't love any of the songs
• Synopsis: Caroline Thibodeaux, an African-American single mother of four, is underground, in the basement of the Gellman’s home, where nothing ever changes. Her company is the hum of the washer, the croon of the radio, the heat of the dryer, and -- occasionally -- 8-year-old Noah Gellman, a motherless boy who, unable to connect with either his eager-to-please stepmother, Rose, or his distant and grieving father, Stuart, idolizes Caroline. Rose decides that any change Noah leaves in his pants pockets can be taken by Caroline when she does the laundry. In response, Noah quietly deposits quarters in the bleach cup, hoping to somehow become a part of Caroline’s life. Caroline, loath to take money from a child, nevertheless needs to provide for her family, including the headstrong, rebellious, and hopeful Emmie. From the quarters in the bleach cup to the protests in the streets, change is coming for Caroline, whether she wants it or not. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: No One Waitin'
• Assassins
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I love this show and the way its set-up
• Did I enjoy it? Yes
• Synopsis: In this darkly humorous musical revue, Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and John Weidman (book) depict nine misfit men and women who attempted (four of them successfully) to assassinate American Presidents. While every nation has its assassins and would-be assassins, only in America, the authors suggest, do disturbed and disturbing individuals act not because they hope to influence national politics, but because they are wrapped up in a malignant sense of entitlement. Feeling betrayed by the failed promise of American democracy and the American Dream, they strike out at the symbol for America: the American President. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Ballad of Booth
• The Frogs
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, in passing and I thought it sounded so lame
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah this was actually really entertaining (in large part to Nathan Lane)
• Synopsis: The Frogs is a musical based on the Ancient Greek comedy of the same name written by Aristophanes in 405 BC. The story of Dionysos’ quest to bring Euripides back from the dead has been "freely adapted" by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove, and then “even more freely adapted” by Nathan Lane in 2004. In the musical retelling of the story, Dionysus, has lost faith in mankind as he watched the Peloponnesian War rage on and on. He decides that the only solution is to travel to Hades with his loyal servant, Xanthias, to bring back his favorite writer--George Bernard Shaw--whose writing will inspire mankind to end their foolish battle. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Shaw

• Dracula
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, but never cared to listen
• Did I enjoy it? It was alright, not good, not bad 
• Synopsis: Dracula by Steven Dietz closely follows the source material of the novel. The suspenseful story is based on the classic legend of the Transylvanian vampire Dracula. The lead characters in the play work to piece together Dracula’s identity. They make a valiant attempt to stop him from taking new victims. Dracula is considered a technically challenging play from a production standpoint. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Before the Summer Ends
• The Light in the Piazza
• Have I heard of it before? I knew a couple songs but had no idea of the plot
• Did I enjoy it? Yes this is such a beautiful score
• Synopsis: Margaret Johnson, an elegant and strong-willed Southern woman, has taken her daughter, Clara, on a vacation to Italy. When a gust of wind blows Clara’s hat right into the hands of a young Italian gentleman, neither age nor language nor familial disapproval can stop their whirlwind love affair. As Clara and Fabrizio fall into each others’ arms, Margaret must grapple with the question of whether to disclose Clara’s devastating secret to Fabrizio’s warm, passionate Italian family. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The Beauty Is
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, this is a modern classic but one I haven't invested much time in
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah there are some funny and touching moments but I don't think it's going in my regular rotation 
• Synopsis: An eclectic group of sixth-graders arrives at the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, each eager to win for very different reasons. Sweet and shy Olive brings only her best friend (the dictionary) with her to the bee; bold and hyperallergic speller William Barfee uses his “magic foot” to propel him to greatness; former champion Chip is struggling with his burgeoning puberty; easily distracted Leaf is unconvinced that he’s smart enough to be a challenger; overachiever Marcy is disappointed by her consistent success; and politically aware Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre only wants to impress her gay dads. In hilarious, touching, and catchy songs, each speller reveals his/her hopes, struggles, and passions as they make their way through the competition. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: The I Love You Song
• Bombay Dreams
• Have I heard of it before? No
• Did I enjoy it? No, this was truly awful and I can't believe this was produced. Not Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest work.
• Synopsis: Bombay Dreams tells the story of Akaash, a poor young man who dreams of becoming the next big star in Bollywood. Fate steps in when a wealthy pro-bono lawyer and his fiancee, the daughter of a famous Bollywood director, arrive to prevent the demolition of Akaash's slum. Akaash quickly falls in love with the lawyer's fiancee, Priya, who helps Akaash rise to fame in Bollywood. All is well until Akaash has to deal with the difficulties surrounding show business life, fame, his love for Priya, and his obligations to his friends and family back in the slum. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Love's Never Easy
• Little Women
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, the musical adaptation has a couple great songs
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah it's pretty good but not one of my all-time faves
• Synopsis: The Civil War is in full swing, and the March sisters -- Meg, the oldest, a romantic, the spirited and tomboyish Jo, sweet and loving Beth, and irascible, playful Amy -- live in Concord, Massachusetts with their Marmee while their father is on the battlefield. Filled with adventure (both lived and imagined), heartbreak, and a deep sense of hope, the struggle of these “Little Women” to find their own voices mirrors the growing pains of a young America. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Some Things Are Meant to Be
• Spamalot
• Have I heard of it before? Being in this show in high school was the highlight of my performing career.
• Did I enjoy it? Of course
• Synopsis: Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur’s quest to find the Holy Grail. Inspired by the classic comedy film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical also diverts a bit from more traditional versions of the legend. Instead, Spamalot features shenanigans including a line of beautiful dancing girls, flatulent Frenchmen, and killer rabbits. Outside, there is plague with a 50% chance of pestilence and famine. Throughout the show, Arthur, traveling with his servant Patsy, recruits several knights to accompany him on his quest, including Sir Bedevere, Sir Robin, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Galahad. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: You Won't Succeed on Broadway
• All Shook Up
• Have I heard of it before? Yes, I think my high school did this show when I was in middle school
• Did I enjoy it? It's okay, pretty forgettable
• Synopsis: The music of Elvis comes alive in All Shook Up. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, All Shook Up follows a small Midwestern town that is thrown into a frenzy with the arrival of Chad, a good-looking, motorcycle-riding roustabout, who rides from town to town with a guitar on his back, blue suede shoes on his feet, and a song in his heart. Repressed by their conservative mayor, the town begins to come alive once more under Chad’s influence. Lovers meet, woo, pursue, and more, all in one zany night that will change the town forever. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Can't Help Falling In Love With You
• Ring of Fire
• Have I heard of it before? Nope
• Did I enjoy it? I'd rather just listen to Mr. Cash sing his own songs honestly
• Synopsis: It's Johnny Cash's life story set to his music.
• Favorite song: Jackson
• The Wedding Singer
• Have I heard of it before? I love the movie and knew there was a musical version because I love Laura Benanti, but I never listened to the score
• Did I enjoy it? Yeah it was fun but I think I'd rather just watch the movie
• Synopsis: Rock star wannabe Robbie Heart is New Jersey’s most in-demand wedding singer as “love is what I do”. However, when his own wedding plans go down the pan and he is left standing at the altar, Robbie his heartbreak and grief suddenly make him the worst wedding singer you can find. He ruins every wedding he plays at until he connects with Julia, a pretty young waitress who dreams of her own perfect wedding. There’s just one problem: she’s already engaged to Glen, a rich, shallow Wall Street broker. Despite Robbie and Julia’s growing feelings, a series of miscommunications lead them away from each other. When Julia elopes with Glen to Las Vegas, Robbie decides to play the gig of his life to win her heart and her hand in marriage. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Someday
• The Drowsy Chaperone
• Have I heard of it before? I love this show, Point Park put it on and I saw it multiple times and laughed and cried every time. 
• Did I enjoy it? This show is just so fun to me, it's got all the elements of a good musical
• Synopsis: When wealthy widow Mrs. Tottenham hosts the wedding of the year, she gets a lot more than a write-up in the society pages: Janet Van de Graaff, glittering starlet of Feldzieg’s Follies, is leaving the stage for love, a turn of events which horrifies the angry and anxious Mr. Feldzieg, whose chief investor has sent two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs to make sure he stops the wedding. Hiring Aldolpho, a Latin lover more vain than virile, to seduce the bride, is unsuccessful, as Janet’s chaperone, a drunken diva, gets herself mistaken for the bride and seduced in Janet’s place. It is left to the eager best man, George, to quite by accident break up the happy pair, when he sends groom Robert Martin out to the garden, blindfolded, and in roller skates. Such are the antics of The Drowsy Chaperone, a fictitious 1928 musical comedy. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: As We Stumble Along
• Tarzan
• Have I heard of it before? C'mon now
• Did I enjoy it? Yes but I really only liked the songs I already knew from the movie
• Synopsis: On the shores of West Africa, a baby boy is orphaned when his shipwrecked parents become the victims of a fierce leopard. He is taken in and raised by a family of gorillas who have recently lost their own baby to the same predator. They name him Tarzan, and he grows up as one of the pack. However, his foster father, Kerchak remains wary of having a human in the jungle. When an expedition of human explorers and naturalists enter the jungle, Tarzan encounters creatures like himself for the first time. As he learns about human life and grows increasingly enamoured of Jane, a young naturalist, Tarzan begins to realize that they are not so different. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Son of Man
• Jersey Boys
• Have I heard of it before? I feel like this show got so popular it was impossible not to hear about it
• Did I enjoy it? It's fun, but not one for the regular rotation
• Synopsis: Jersey Boys is the inspiring rags-to-riches tale of The Four Seasons. When Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi met, they were just four New Jersey teens singing together under street lamps, scraping for gigs and money in their working-class neighborhood. As the quartet rises to international stardom, they celebrate the highs and endure the lows that come hand-in-hand with fame. Each member of the group takes a turn narrating events, illustrating how a ragtag group of guys from New Jersey -- and their decades-long friendships -- became music history. (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: December 1963 (Oh What A Night)
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Have I heard of it before? The movie has been on my to-watch list forever and I knew about the musical but never listened to the score
• Did I enjoy it? 100% Norbert Leo Butz and Sheri Renee Scott are perfect in this show
• Synopsis: In the exotic French Riviera, Lawrence Jameson makes his living by smooth talking rich, single women out of their money. He has been in the trade for many years and has got his technique down to a tee. But then he bumps into Freddy Benson… Freddy takes a humbler, more laid back approach, swindling women with emotional lies about his grandmother's failing health and his own economic struggles. The two men initially decide to form a double act but their egos soon clash and the French coast isn't big enough for the two of them. To settle their rivalry, they agree on a bet: the first to swindle $50,000 from the latest young heiress in town, Christine Colgate, can stay and the other must leave town. However, is Christine really all she seems? (Stage Agent)
• Favorite song: Here I Am