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When I was little I wanted to be a Broadway star when I grew up. My first trip to New York was when I was in elementary school with my dance studio. We took classes at Broadway Dance Center, saw shows, and walked about the city I would later call home. I fell in love with New York and knew I wanted to move here some day. On my next trip to NYC I asked my parents for a little painting from a street vendor down in Battery Park of all of the broadway shows. I placed the small painting (no bigger than a notebook) in my room and would stare at it, dreaming of living in NYC and being on Broadway. My first Broadway show I ever saw I was in elementary school. My parents took my sister and me to see Phantom Of The Opera. My parents bought me the Phantom mask and I would wear it around the house with a cape. I still have the mask in case you are wondering and would 100% wear the mask and a cape right now.

From an early age I was in love with musicals. Movies like Music Man, Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, West Side Story, etc were always being watched in my home. Before I could even speak I was listening to the sounds of Broadway. I come from a musical family where you either could sing, dance, and/or play an instrument. Music was always flowing through the house at any given moment. If I wasn’t watching them on our VHS tape (ha, yes I am that old!) I would climb the tree in our backyard and sing showtunes.  As I grew older I realized I wasn’t a good enough singer (doesn’t stop me from singing, just not professionally) and the life of being a broadway performer was one that I didn’t want to have. Having to audition all of the time, no real job security as shows close all of the time, etc. I currently have friends on Broadway or who have been on Broadway and it’s not for the faint of hearts. You may be headlining one show but you are auditioning for other plays because you never know how secure your current position is. It’s an amazing experience but only for those who truly want it. I, for one, figured out early that the audition life was not for me, so instead I told my mom as a young age that someday I am going to move to New York and go to Broadway shows all day long. I guess my dream sorta came true (having a job was not part of my original plan)

Over the course of my life I have seen 23 Broadway shows. Although I have had fun at all of the shows I’ve seen, anything that was choreographed by Bob Fosse takes the cake for me like Chicago and Cabaret. The smooth detailed movements of jazz gets me every time.  There are a few shows out there that I have never seen and am dying to see like Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Waitress, and Book of Mormon. This weekend I am seeing Be More Chill, which I am excited for!  If you are looking to go see a play here are a few of my favorites that are currently in production.

Chicago: Perhaps my favorite musical of all time. It’s about women in the 20’s who have murdered their husbands or boyfriends and are currently facing jail time. Roxy Hart and Velma Kelly become celebrities as they use their crime to gain fame. The two ladies compete for that fame and the adoration of the community through fabricated stories. It is one of the longest running Broadway shows ever and it’s for good reason. It has catchy songs like All That Jazz and great choreography (hello Fosse style). It’s a classic and one that everyone should see!

Frozen: Step aside Lion King, Frozen has taken it’s place for amazing set design and production. You truly feel like you are in a magical place. Yes I know, we do not want to have “Let It Go” stuck in our heads again, but hear me out. This show is not just for kids, it has a lot of adult humor. I was presently surprised by how funny it was. The set design, like I said, is something to go see for itself. Truly remarkable, as were the performers. They added new songs and kept all of your favorite ones. It stays pretty true to the original beloved Disney story.

Mean Girls: Another one I was pleasantly surprised about. When I saw Mean Girls perform on Harold Square during the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I was not impressed. I usually get skeptical of adaptations of movies that are not musicals. It can turn pretty ugly (cough Rocky cough cough). I had no desire to see the show until I was invited through a friend of mine. I am SO happy I went. It is one of the best musicals I have seen and I am dying to go back. It’s hilarious– I think I spent most of the time laughing. The music is great and the actors are phenomenal. Their voices blew me away and the set design and production was amazing as well. It stays pretty true to the basis of the storyline that we all love and quote so much, but somethings are changed around. Don’t worry all of the best parts are still in it! What I also noticed was how some of the lines were changed to fit what is going on in today’s worlds– headlines that are happening at the very moment to make it current. Of course they had to change things like adding cell phones and cyber bullying, but it fits perfectly I think. Truly if you have a teenager or kid on the verge of adolescence, this is a great play to take them to (some sexual innuendo to watch out for) to teach him the negative effects of bullying. Go see it and don’t forget to wear pink!!

Beautiful: Carole King Musical: Even if you are not a fan of musicals this is one to see. I know Carole King is a music legend, that she has written and sang many wonderful songs, but I had no idea how much impact she had on the music industry. The musical takes you through Carole King’s journey through the industry; how she started, her divorce (spoiler alert?), her creativity and process of making music, and how she branched out on her own. It’s truly an amazing show! It’s all of your favorite oldies that make you want to get up and dance along with.

The Music Man: Ok, so it’s not on Broadway right now but it is being revived with Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman as the leads (you can sign up to get ticket alerts). I have died and gone to heaven!!! AH I AM SO EXCITED!! I must see this show! Hugh Jackman is great but I am a hugh (Jackman) Sutton Foster fan (sorry I had to do it). The Music Man is one of my favorite movies ever and the two of them are going to be phenomenal together. It’s Broadway gold! It does not open until October 2020 (insert sobbing emoji), but keep it on your radar to go see. Until it opens go watch the movie. If you are unfamiliar with The Music Man how are we friends? it is about a conman named Harold Hill (played by Robert Preston) who travels to a small town in Iowa called River City. He falls in love with the local librarian Marian Paroo (played by Shirley Jones and if you do not know who Shirley Jones is we can’t be friends) and woos the town (Ron Howard is about 10 years old in it). Harold Hill does more good than harm as the story unfolds, but he creates the town marching band. It has some of the best songs ever like “Ya Got Trouble” and “Seventy Six Trombones”. I can not wait to see it on Broadway!

Hello, Dolly!: Is currently closed for the moment but will reopen this August with Bette Midler returning. I saw Hello, Dolly! this past fall with Better Midler as Dolly and I am pretty sure I died. Everyone in the audience was going crazy, like we were at a Beatles concert. I was half expecting someone, or myself, to throw their bra on stage. It was that wild. I spent the entire second half standing up clapping and cheering. Bette Midler is not one to miss as Dolly! Hello, Dolly! is about NYC in the end of 19th century. A widowed named Dolly Gallagher Levi, a socialite in her time, enjoys meddling in other peoples business. She has her sights set on Horace Vandergelder, the millionaire from Yonkers, who is tended to engage the owner of the hat store during the 14th Street Parade. You see Dolly’s manipulation on about everyone around her unfold throughout the story and you still root for her. The classic musical itself is filled with all of our favorite songs like “Hello Dolly”, as well as lots of laughable and endearing moments. You can watch the movie staring Barbara Streisand before the show reopens.

Dear Evan Hansen and Be More Chill: So I haven’t seen Dear Evan Hansen….. yet, but it is one you just know is worth seeing. It’s about a boy named Evan who wants to fit in at school. The show’s subject, suicide and depression, is a little heavy for a Broadway musical, but like Mean Girls it’s a valuable story. The lessen of being kind to one another, that you never know who is struggling. I already have a favorite song “You Will Be Found”. Hopefully I will see it in the next couple of weeks! Be More Chill is also about the struggles with fitting in. It’s about a world in which advance technology has created a pill that can make you more popular, but of course it comes with a cost. I am seeing it this weekend and can’t wait. I only hear great things about the show!