Theater Thursday - Midnight at the Never Get and The Book of Merman

We were given free tickets to Midnight at the Never Get for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Midnight at the Never Get

Where: York Theatre at St. Peter's Church
             619 Lexington Ave.
             New York, NY


Who: Recommended for Ages 16 and above

When: Through November 4, 2019

Me - Midnight at the Never Get was an interesting show. It was about a gay man named Trevor who was recounting the story of his past love affair with a song writer named Arthur. Some parts of the  plot were slightly confusing mainly the end which I am not entirely sure how to interpret.  The singing and the acting were fantastic. The style of the songs was similiar to that of old classics rather than the contemporary songs that you hear more commonly in shows today. Although I generally do prefer the contemporary music this was still a nice change. If you're looking for a unique old fashioned show this is the one for you. *

*The above is a guest post by older sister, Melia.

Mom - Midnight at the Never Get is basically an old fashioned  love story with a twist. The lovers are two gay men a singer named Trevor and his lover, Arthur a songwriter. The show takes place in the 60s against the backdrop of the burgeoning gay rights movement. Sam Bolen  as Trevor, who does most of the singing, has a really nice voice that is perfect for the old fashioned style of songs that fill the show. They are the type of songs that are usually more likely to be found in a late night cabaret performance than a Broadway show these days. Jeremy Cohen does a nice job with the difficult part of Arthur who at times is not very likeable. Not only is he not out on the front lines fighting for gay rights himself, but he seems to resent the people who are. He seems to want to retreat back into the closet while others are trying to break out of it. The show is told by Trevor as a memory, but he is an unreliable narrator and its is a bit confusing as to what really happened and what didn't. Also, where Trevor is at the beginning of the show when he begins telling the story and where he is at the end and where he may or not be going to is a bit unclear as well. However, it is definitely a show worth seeing for the great performances and nice classical style songs.

For more or to purchase tickets to Midnight at the Never Get, visit yorktheatre.org/on-stage/mainstage-series/midnight-never-get
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We were given free tickets to The Book of Merman for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The Book of Merman

Where: St. Lukes's Theatre
            308 W. 46th St.
            New York, NY

Who: Recommened for Ages 13 and up

When: Through December 30, 2018

Me - The Book of Merman was a very original show. It was a spoof of both The Book of Mormon and the late actress, Ethel Merman. I've seen and loved The Book of Mormon, but I don't know much about Ethel Merman. Even without knowledge of either of those two topics, however, I think that the show would still be enjoyable. The show was funny and had good music. The acting was also great. Despite the fact that I didn't know how well the actress was at playing Ethel Merman, I did know that she was doing a good job portraying someone.  Whether you are a fan of The Book of Mormon, Ethel Merman or just unique spoof type shows, The Book of Merman is for you.*

*The above is a guest post by older sister, Melia.

Mom - Although it may seem difficult or perhaps even redundant to make a show that is a spoof of  show that already does such a good job of poking fun at so many things  itself, the creators of The Book of Merman do a terrific job of doing just that. From the opening song a parody of  The Book of Mormon's own opening number, you know you are going to be in for a hilarious time. Chad Burris and Kyle Ashe Wilkinson are a priceless comical pair as the mismatched Elder Shumway and Elder Braithwaite respectively, and Cary Sakolove does a terrific job of channeling Ethel Merman both her tremendous pipes and her larger than life personality. As beautiful a belter as she is, at one point in the musical when her own voice sneaks through her voice is even prettier. The songs are great and include such parodies as Most People, and You're the Best. Although the characters  in the show do learn some lessons along the way (they did in The Book of Mormon as well), that doesn't make the show any less fun for the audience All in all, if you just want to have a good time and a good laugh, go see this show.

For more information or to purchase tickets to The Book of Meman, visit
www.bookofmermanmusical.com/

And that's our view. Tune in Saturday for a Saturday Special.

Photo credits: All Midnight at the Never Get production photos by Carol Rosegg
                       All The Book of Merman production photos by Russ Rowland