Chicago Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Blonde bombshell Roxie Hart kills her lover and, as a result of the ensuing media frenzy, she becomes an overnight celebrity in this cynical satire of corruption in the criminal justice system set in 1920s Chicago.

Broadway Review
There is virtually no set in Chicago, so don't go to this particular Broadway musical expecting bright colors and big flashy sets. The appeal of this long-running Broadway revival (which also became an Oscar-winning movie starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere) is its sharp sense of humor, the sexy Bob Fosse-style choreography, and those unforgettable jazzy tunes by the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb ("All That Jazz"). Skimpy costumes, suggestive dancing, and sassy anti-heroines who murder without remorse make this Broadway musical suitable for more mature audiences.

Billy Elliot Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Set against the backdrop of a lengthy coal miners' strike that took place in 1980s Northern England, Billy Elliot is about a motherless boy who wants to give up his boxing lessons and learn to be a dancer.

Broadway Review
A musical adaptation of the popular British independent movie of the same name, Billy Elliot has been an enormous hit in London's West End and is now amazing Broadway audiences as well. Lee Hall has written a solid and sometimes pleasantly surprising stage version of his own original screenplay, and together he and legendary singer/songwriter Elton John have created a functional score that is good, though seldom soars. Billy Elliot's greatest strengths are its stars (a few extraordinarily talented young performers who alternate in the title role), director Stephen Daldry's inspired staging, and Peter Darling's electric choreography.

West Side Story Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
West Side Story transports William Shakespeare's timeless romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet to the streets of Manhattan in the 1950s. Instead of warring Montague and Capulet families, there are warring gangs of teenagers, the Jets and the Sharks. Instead of young lovers Romeo and Juliet, we have Tony and Maria, two teens who are torn between ethnic loyalty and their intense love for each other. The Broadway musical's beloved score includes such songs as "Tonight," "Maria," "Somewhere," and "Something's Coming."

Broadway Review
This exciting new production of the Golden Age favorite features an energetic young cast and faithfully re-creates Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography and Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's extraordinary score. The production is directed by the show's scribe, Arthur Laurents, who has also added a twist (and some extra authenticity) by having the Sharks speak and sometimes sing in their native Spanish tongue.

Hair Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Led by charismatic hippie Berger, a group of spirited and idealistic youths enjoy lives of free love and pacifism in New York City's bohemian East Village. But eventually "the tribe" must face the harsh reality of the Vietnam War draft.

Broadway Review
Even the most jaded theatergoers can't help but dig classic tunes like "Age of Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," "Easy To Be Hard," "Hair," and "Let the Sunshine In" in this sensitively directed, well-choreographed, and Tony Award-winning production of the 1967 classic musical. Although many of Hair's other songs are less-than-classic, and the humor can be pretty sophomoric at times, the energetic show certainly resonates emotionally. And the Baby Boomers will go crazy for it - especially the part where the audience is invited to jump up onstage and dance with the cast at the end of the show!

Rock of Ages Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis stars as a would-be rocker who arrives on L.A.'s Sunset Strip with dreams of fame and glory, but instead finds heartbreak and hard times in this Broadway tribute to the era of hard rockin' hair bands.

Broadway Review
From the little lighter-shaped flashlights they hand you when you enter the theater to the drinks being served during the show, the Broadway musical Rock of Ages has the feel of an awesome rock concert. Oh, yeah, and then there's the music. If you lived through the '80s (and cherish great memories of listening to the radio or watching MTV during those years), then you'll be grinning like an idiot and desperate to sing along as the energetic cast belts out melodic rock favorites like Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," and Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is". Sure, the show's story and dialogue is pretty silly (sometimes deliciously, sometimes cringingly), but when they start singing "Don't Stop Believing," you're sure to be waving your lighter in the air with everyone else.

Mamma Mia Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Set in the beautiful Greek isles, the Broadway musical Mamma Mia incorporates nearly two dozen songs by international pop sensation ABBA into its lively story about soon-to-wed Sophie, her free-spirited single mother Donna, and three men from Donna's past -- one of whom, Sophie hopes to discover, is her father.

Broadway Review
Mamma Mia has become a global smash since its 1999 London debut, and its biggest fans are usually the middle-aged crowd who fondly remember the disco days of ABBA. Women in particular enjoy watching fun-loving Donna and her two wacky best friends reminiscing about the wild days of their youth, when they were in a singing trio. Since the show's plot is a bit thin and the tone decidedly silly, the upbeat musical Mamma Mia is best appreciated as a big Broadway-style ABBA concert.

Jersey Boys Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
This thrilling biographical Broadway musical tells the amazing story of how a group of tough young guys from New Jersey became the internationally known hit-making pop group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Broadway Review
Jersey Boys is a both a smartly-written drama about four men chasing after -- and grappling with the pitfalls of -- fame, and an unforgettable concert rolled into one terrific Broadway show. Fabulously sung and staged versions of all the Frankie Valli/Four Seasons hits are here, including "Walk Like a Man," "Oh What a Night," "Sherry," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

In the Heights Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
The vibrant northern Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights comes to thrilling life in this rhythmic and heartfelt new Broadway musical about the denizens of a changing community.

Broadway Review
One of the most exciting Broadway musicals of the last several years, the Tony Award-winning sensation In the Heights has an original musical score by Broadway newcomer Lin-Manuel Miranda that includes Latin, hip-hop, and good old-fashioned showtune ballads. With Andy Blankenbuehler's electric choreography and energetic performances by a diverse and talented cast, In the Heights brings the flavor of New York City's streets to the Broadway stage.

Wicked Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
In this popular Broadway musical based on Gregory Maguire's bestselling novel (a sort of "prequel" to The Wizard of Oz), we learn how Elphaba, a sensitive and misunderstood green-skinned university student in the land of Oz, eventually came to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Broadway Review
This Broadway musical spectacle is especially loved by tweens, who can relate to its tale of a different young woman struggling to fit in, but audiences of all ages appreciate the musical's themes about prejudice and friendship, as well as the pop-infused score by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) featuring songs like the soaring "Defying Gravity". If you are thinking of bringing along your pre-tweens to the theater, bear in mind that, as in The Wizard of Oz itself, there are some scary scenes in this story.

A Little Night Music Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
Romances and revelations arise when friends, family, enemies, and lovers all get together for a weekend in the country in this witty musical, based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night.

Broadway Review
This Trevor Nunn-directed revival of the Stephen Sondheim / Hugh Wheeler Broadway musical (which features Sondheim's best known song, "Send in the Clowns") is a bit too slow and colorless, which is an unwelcome reminder that A Little Night Music has always been lacking in warmth. Frustration, elation, jealousy, hurt, and longing are all displayed prominently in this tryst-filled comedy of romantic entanglement, but love barely figures into it. However, the production does include fine performances by its most prominent stars, Catherine Zeta-Jones as a glamorous but aging actress, and Angela Lansbury as her disapproving mother.

The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A disfigured man who secretly lives beneath the Paris Opera House becomes obsessed with a beautiful young singer named Christine and "haunts" the owners of the theater until they make her the star of the opera.

Broadway Review
This romantic musical tends to be particularly liked by female audiences, but in its 20-year Broadway run it has become popular with viewers of all types. The lush Andrew Lloyd Webber score boasts modern classics such as "Music of the Night," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "All I Ask of You". Despite the Phantom's penchant for seductive ballads, he is a disturbed guy, so be aware that this often eerie musical does feature kidnapping and murder.

Avenue Q Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A recent university graduate moves into his first apartment and has to navigate love, work, friendships, and the challenges of everyday life in this Sesame Street-style satire of post-college life, now playing Off-Broadway.

Broadway Review
The combination of puppets and actors may make Avenue Q look a little like a children's show, but songs such as "The Internet is for Porn" and "If You Were Gay" point to a very adult sensibility. Clever jokes about everything from racism to the difficulty of finding your purpose in life make this contemporary musical comedy a favorite among twenty- and thirtysomethings. But just about anyone who has ever made the transition to adulthood (and, preferably, has also seen Sesame Street) can relate to both the people and the puppets of Avenue Q.

Ragtime Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
The lives of a New Rochelle family, a ragtime pianist and his girlfriend, and a Latvian immigrant and his daughter all collide in this adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's novel about the beginning of 20th century America.

Broadway Review
Although it is not quite as visually impressive as the handsome original Broadway production, this revival of the epic American musical sounds every bit as beautiful, with a full orchestra and an excellent cast realizing Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens' gorgeous score full of soaring ballads and syncopated rhythms.

Bye Bye Birdie

Show Summary
This musical theater classic follows what happens when popular Elvis-style rock 'n' roll singer Conrad Birdie is drafted into the army.

Our Recommendation
This is a great choice for a family looking for some good clean fun and who don't want to see yet another Disney show. The production stars John Stamos (TV's Full House) and Gina Gershon, and the score features classic songs like "Put On A Happy Face," "Kids," and "A Lot of Livin' To Do".

The Little Mermaid Broadway Show Review

Show Summary
A beautiful young mermaid is unhappy with her life under the sea and finds love with a handsome human prince.

Broadway Review
The Little Mermaid creates a shiny, magical, underwater world onstage and has cast members on barely detectable roller skate footwear, giving the graceful illusion that they're gliding through the water. In addition to memorable songs from the animated Disney film, such as "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl," the Broadway musical version of The Little Mermaid features several new tunes as well.