Aurora Theatre produces "Into The Woods" @AuroraTheatre #musical #GrimmFairyTales #StephenSondheim #JamesLapine

Maker Monday has been postponed until Friday to bring you the following..

I was given a pair of tickets to preview the new production of "Into the Woods" at the Aurora Theatre.  My daughter and I had seen the movie together, so she was more than happy to go see a live version with me.
The cast actually started on this set.  While we waited for the show to start, they came on stage and left in a little story setter.

If you haven't seen Into the Woods, or read the book, be prepared for a twist on some of your favorite tales.  With Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Baker and his Wife and Little Red Riding Hood, you get a wonderful evening of story telling.  You listen to the stories you know (not Disney's version) with their happily ever after, then hear the story of what happens next.  The first half of the show lasts about 90 minutes, the second about 55.  There's a 15 minute intermission.  It's a long show but definitely worth it.

All of the actors did a wonderful job, but my favorites were the Princes (Cinderella's & Rapunzel's Prince).  Played by Christopher Morgan and Brody Wellmaker, they stole the show when they were on stage.  To go along with that, their  performance of  "Agony" was one of my daughter's favorites as well.

My daughter and I both agreed that the Witch, played by Natasha Drena, was very good as well.  I think for my daughter it was the costume & makeup that first impressed her (one of the things she wants to do in the future is costuming & make-up).  However, her other favorite from the show was the song  "Last Midnight" performed by the Witch as well.

The show runs until April l7th with many already sold out.  If you have the opportunity, my daughter and I both recommend you go.  You can purchase tickets here.  She's already looking forward to next season and some of the shows that have been announced.  The big one she wants to see is IN THE HEIGHTS Music & Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A Tale as old as Time @TheFoxTheater #beautyandthebeast

For those that know me, know that I'm something of a Disney nut. I love pretty much anything Disney. When it comes to princesses and movies, though, I head first to Beauty & the Beast. So it should come as no surprise, then, that when I was given the opportunity to see Beauty & The Beast the musical on stage, I jumped at the opportunity.

One of 3 sets of pins that I have hanging framed

I'm sorry to say that I managed to miss picking up a program so I don't have actor/actress names from Tuesday's opening night show. I will say that I loved the portrayals of the characters. They were just different enough to make it work for stage, but without losing the characters from the movies. As well as they did, though (including Belle), my favorite was Lumiere. LOVED HIM!

A hand drawn piece of art from Disney

I loved, too, the scene of Gaston in the pub. The dance with the metal beer steins clanking/ringing along with the music was fabulous. The Be Our Guest scene was great with the life size forks and napkins, with streamers exploding out was a big hit too. There were some slight changes in the story line as well. No snow scene, that was handled by having her read aloud to Beast in the library.

One of two sets of figurines I have on display

Over all, I loved the show and recommend that if you get the chance to attend, that you go. November 27 - December 2, 2012 @ The Fox Theater. Thank you to BravePR for providing me with the tickets to attend.

Review: Billy Elliott @TheAtlantaFox

I was given two tickets to go see the opening night of Billy Elliott at the Fox. I went knowing only that it was Tony award winning musical and the basic plot line, which left me open to experience the story.

Let me say first that I was very impressed by the young boy playing Billy Elliott (J.P. Viernes), he did a wonderful job. I loved when they included the jump rope into the tap at one section. I'm sure he found "dancing" using the cable fun (and probably dizzy), but it added a wonderful dramatic flair.

That said, I liked most of the music as well. It was well put together, which is something I would expect from Elton John. The story line, though, was depressing. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I knew the basics, but it was more than I think I expected at the time.

All in all, I enjoyed the experience. It would be excellent for date night. The show, though, is not one that I would currently take either of my kids to. My son on general principles, he has expressed little to no interest in going to musicals. My daughter, though, I wasn't prepared to have to explain details to and the language was a bit more than I care for her to hear (doesn't mean she doesn't know the words, but I don't have to promote their use). Also, most of the humor was aimed at the adults and I didn't really want to have to explain a couple of the concepts to her. I'm sure we'll have that discussion at some point, just not yet.

Billy Elliott is at the Fox from March 13 - March 18. If you get an opportunity to go, then go!

Review - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Musical)

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this show on opening night. I was given free passes in exchange for writing an honest review. I took my daughter with me, it was her first time ever getting a chance to see the inside of the FOX Theater downtown.

Of course we had to visit the ladies' lounge area (and bathroom) before the show.

Once we were seated, my daughter realized that she might have issues with the people in front of her. Fortunately, the seats on the other side of me remained empty, so she switched.

The show itself was very well done. My favorite character was the Grinch (of course). The Grinch was played by Stefan Karl. From the FOX ENCORE magazine, he's best known for his role as the villain Robbie Rotten from "LazyTown". He played a wonderfully grouchy character and I loved the growls. He also was able to get the audience involved with his antics, which made the show more entertaining (and less scary) for the younger kids (my opinion).

My daughter's favorite character was Cindy-Lou Who. The youngest (and smallest) of the characters and cast. According to the ENCORE, the role is played by two actresses. I'm not sure which we saw (or if we saw both). Update: I found out that she was played by Clara Young.

Old Max (played by Bob Lauder) did a wonderful job of retelling the story of his youthful days. Told from the dog's point of view, the story takes a new spin. I really enjoyed "You're a Mean One". I wasn't expecting it to sound the same as in the movie, but with only minor changes, it sounded just like it.

Don't expect the scenes to be exactly the same as in the movie. They did a great job of recreating some of them. They did a great job creating new ones to go along with the story line. All in all, a wonderful show. If you get the chance, I recommend going.