Theater Thursday - Anything Goes and To Kill A Mockingbird

We were given free tickets to Anything Goes for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed are our own.

What: Anything Goes

Where: Lion's Theatre
             Theatre Row
             410 W. 42nd St.
             New York, NY

When: Now through March 26, 2017

Who: Tweens and Up

Me - Anything Goes is a good show. I like the story and the songs.The songs are really good and memorable. Some of the songs I love are Anything Goes, Friendship and You're the Top.  In the Musicals Tonight's version, the acting was good. The singing was good too. The costumes were really nice. The women's outfits were pretty. The dancing was cool. I didn't like that they didn't use a real dog even though in some versions they do use  a real dog. Over all, it  was my favorite show I have ever seen at Musicals Tonight.

Mom - In general Musicals Tonight presents shows that have not been produced in a long time or never really got their due when they were produced in the first place. Anything Goes doesn't seem to fit in with this. It seems like there is always some theater company or another producing a version of the show, and it seems like it was not all that long ago when it was last produced on Broadway. Prior to seeing Musicals Tonight's version of the show,  I asked myself if another version of the show was really necessary. Afterwards, I would have to say the answer to that question is definitely yes. It is a hilariously entertaining show that has stood the test of time so much better than many other shows of its era. It is full of memorable songs including I Get a Kick Out of You, You're the Top, Blow Gabriel Blow, and the title song. Ir is populated with great characters. Musical's Tonight's version of the show is for the most part well acted. It is beautiful sung. It is charmingly danced. When a show is that entertaining whether it is a first run or the hundredth revival, it is always necessary.

For more information or to to order tickets go to http://www.musicalstonight.org/
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We received free tickets to To Kill A Mockingbird for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: To Kill a Mockingbird

Where: Kelsey Theatre
             1200 Old Trenton Rd.
             West Windsor, NJ

Who: Teens and up

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday through March 26, 2017

Me - To Kill A Mockingbird was a good show.  I had never read the book, seen the movie or seen the show before. My sister is currently reading it for school though. The story was interesting. You kept wanting to know what was going to happen next and how it was going to end. My favorite character is Scout. The girl who played her was a good actress. The rest of the cast was good too. The set was cool! I liked it. It looked like a backyard. Seeing the show, made me want to see the movie, and probably someday I will want to read the book too.

Mom - To a Kill a Mockingbird is Pulitzer Prize winning classic  American novel. I was not aware that there was a stage version of the show. While the book has at times been banned in places due to what some consider controversial elements of its plot which include racial intolerance and an alleged rape, in other places it has been required reading in schools. While viewing the show should not replace reading of the novel, the show is a good companion for reading of the novel. The show brings the viewers into the story and gives them a better view of how things like the events in the store could and did take place. Kelsey Theatre did a good job with their production of the show. It was for the most part well acted and well cast. At first, the young girl playing Scout spoke much too quickly and was very hard to understand but she slowed down after about the first season and settled into her role.  The clever set makes good use of the available stage and really brings the outside in and then quickly converts into a courtroom. I would not recommend the show for very young children  because the subject matter is not suitable for them and some parts may be too scary for them as well. It should be required viewing for older children to light a fire under them. Hopefully it will make them want to be the ones who make a difference in this world that has come such a long way from the world of the show and yet has not come very far at all.

For more information or to order tickets go to
http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/To%20Kill%20A%20Mockingbird.shtml

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Funtivity Friday.