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In the Heights, in the 603! (at Seacoast Rep)

Townie #2, who admittedly is my big theater nerd, fell in love with the Broadway cast recording of In the Heights the very first time she listened to it a few years back. One go through, and she was hooked on the catchy rap tunes and the way they blend seamlessly with the salsa and bodega beats. She’s often lamented since that first listen how she hadn’t known about In the Heights when it was still on Broadway, and has often dreamed of seeing the show. Imagine my glee when I heard that the Seacoast Repertory Theatre was staging a production of In the Heights this spring!

With a preview night  on Thursday, March 22, In the Heights has its opening night on Friday, March 23rd and will run through Sunday, April 22nd. The Seacoast Repertory Theater is located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, NH. There are still seats available at just about every performance, but you’ll have a better selection the further out you are willing to book your tickets.

For more information on the show or to purchase tickets, visit the Seacoast Repertory website at: http://www.seacoastrep.org/in-the-heights/

A note on parking when you attend a show at Seacoast Rep: while it will be tempting, don’t park in the St. John’s Episcopal Church parking lot which is *right across the street* .  Patrons to the theater do not have permission to park there and you run the risk of being towed. There are plenty of parking options in Portsmouth within walking distance, one of the big ones being the Hanover Street garage. (Parking tip for the garage: if the “Lot Full” sign is up on the Hanover Street entrance, drive around to the Fleet Street side and enter there…odds are you can find a spot somewhere on the upper levels.) Leave extra time to account for finding parking and hoofing it to Seacoast Rep! My favorite place to park in Portsmouth is what my family refers to as “The Whale Parking Lot”… the metered public parking area officially known as the Worth Lot just off Maplewood Avenue. There’s one of the life-size whale murals painted by artist Robert Wyland there. The name of the mural is Isle of Shoals Humpbacks, and it was the 37th mural out of the 100 he painted as part of his 27 year project. It’s a fascinating story. For more informationon Wyland and his murals, go to: http://www.wylandfoundation.org/community.php?subsection=wyland_walls

There are so many great dining options in Portsmouth, it’s easy to have a fantastic dinner after a matinee performance or before an evening show. One of my new favorite casual spots in Portsmouth is BRGR Bar, at 34 Portwalk Place (corner of Deer St. and Portwalk Pl., right next to the Marriott Residence Inn) This place doesn’t serve your typical boring burgers and fries. Their takes on the American classic are unique and delicious. It’s worth a visit for the peanut butter and chocolate milkshake alone! https://www.brgr-bar.com/

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Something Rotten at the Hanover Theatre

Two years ago, a friend of mine went to Broadwaycon, and told me about a funny, clever show she happened to see called Something Rotten!. Shortly after that I found the cast album on Amazon and fell in love with this show’s wit. I missed the chance to see Something Rotten! when it came through Boston last year, so I’m really excited to see it this weekend in Worcester!

This show is funny. *Really* funny! Imagine William Shakespeare as a rock and roll star. Two up and coming playwrights, Nick and Nigel Bottom, aspire to be the next big thing, but Will keeps getting all the glory. The play may indeed be the thing for Shakespeare, but the Bottom brothers are going out on a limb to try this new thing called, “A Musical”! Chaos and humor ensues.

With songs like, “God I Hate Shakespeare”, “The Black Death”, and “Hard to Be The Bard”, you’ll be laughing laughing from start to finish. Much ado has been made in particular about the song called “A Musical”. There are references to 20 popular Broadway musicals. This video from the official Something Rotten! Broadway channel on YouTube highlights some of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KFNcy9VjQI
You can also watch this video of Something Rotten! co-creators Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick as they sing their way through “A Musical” and each reference is noted. There were a few I hadn’t even caught before, like Cats and Sweeney Todd! http://www.wsj.com/video/the-secrets-of-omething-rotten-biggest-number/6B93C01D-7974-4A9D-8FCB-CBEAF178B778.html

Something Rotten! opens tonight at The Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Ma, and runs through Sunday Feb. 25. For more information, and to purchase tickets, go to the Hanover Theatre’s website: http://www.thehanovertheatre.org/somethingrotten 

If you’re hoping to catch Adam Pascal as Shakespeare (he was Roger in the OBC of Rent), make sure you get tickets for Sunday evening’s performance or Sunday’s matinee. Alas, my tickets were a Christmas gift, and the giver didn’t know that detail. I’m still psyched to see the show!

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Lottery Alert: Waitress The Musical at the Boston Opera House

The online lottery to win the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to see Waitress The Musical is now open! Entries will be accepted until Noon on Friday February 16th. If you win, you’ll be able to purchase up to 2 tickets for $60 each. This is the most expensive I’ve ever seen for a ticket lottery, but it’s still discounted from the $225 for orchestra seats. This is a super popular show!

Enter the drawing here:
http://www.luckyseat.com/waitress-boston/

Want to know more about the show? Check out the official Boston Opera House – Broadway in Boston website:
https://boston.broadway.com/shows/waitress-baa/

Good luck!

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Prescott Park Arts Festival Announces 2018 Summer Musical

2018 is the Summer of Seuss! Earlier this week the Prescott Park Arts Festival of Portsmouth, NH announced that their 2018 Summer Musical will be Seussical the Musical. If you’ve never been to one of the Summer Musical shows at Prescott Park, this will be a great year to experience the fun! We’ve been going for many years now and we always look forward to fitting it into our summer schedule.

See the Prescott Park Arts Festival for information and to buy a table, reserve a blanket, or order pizza (yes, that’s already set up and open for reservations!):

https://www.prescottpark.org/event/seussical-presented-by-cj-bus-lines

The show will run from June 22 – August 19, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, with some weekend matinees added as the season progresses. (Thursday and Sunday the show is at 7:00 pm, Friday and Saturday it’s at 8:00 pm)

We’ve done this as a last minute, hey-let’s-show-up-and-squeeze-in-where-we-can, we’ve sat at the tables in the back, and we’ve also reserved blankets. My favorite has been reserving a blanket. I’ll be honest, it’s not cheap, this year it’s $55 per blanket plus a $5 transaction fee. But, it’s totally worth it to show up just before the show starts and know you’ve got killer seats right in the front. Blanket reservations do sell out, so if you know when you want to go, purchase your spot ahead of time!

Other Things to know before you go:
Parking: There’s not a lot of on street parking right by Prescott Park. In past years we’ve found the best free parking is on Peirce Island, which is a short walk. BUT the city of Portsmouth has ongoing construction on Peirce Island and has requested that patrons avoid parking there. (BUMMER!) The City suggests the following alternatives:

City Hall Lot
South Mill Playground

Thursday through Sunday, there is a free shuttle that runs from the Connect Community Church parking lot (just off exit 7 of I-95) to the Hanover St. Bus Stop. The shuttle runs approximately every ten minutes until 1:30 A.M.

The city also offers parking at the Municipal Parking Garage on Hanover Street. Parking in the garage is $1.25/hr and a five-minute walk to the Festival gates through the downtown area. Patrons may also park at the Municipal Lot on Parrot Avenue or Strawbery Banke Museum.

Admission: General admission is offered at a suggested donation of $5-10 per person. Even at $10 a person, a professional quality musical of this caliber is a steal! Bring cash, they aren’t set up to process cards for admission. You can use credit/debit at the concession stand and merchandise booth.

Where to sit?: If you aren’t paying to reserve a blanket or a table, you’ll need to decide before you go if you want to bring a chair or a blanket. There is a line of tape about halfway up the lawn that marks the dividing line of where blankets are allowed and then chairs go behind them. If you can get there early enough, I’ve always thought the best thing to do was straddle that line; bring chairs for the adults, a blanket for the kids. They do enforce the “No chairs” policy in the blankets only area, so don’t try to get away with using a chair there. The city of Portsmouth does not allow blankets to be put down in the park prior to 3pm, and do not use a tarp.

Dinner/Snacks: Pack a picnic! This is a great time to pack a yummy spread and bring along dinner, or even just some snacks. Keep in mind alcohol is not allowed in the park. Don’t feel like filling a picnic basket? Prescott Park has an excellent concession stand/restaurant called The Prop, where you can get delicious fresh items that go beyond standard concession fare. Check out the 2017 menu here:

https://www.prescottpark.org/sites/default/files/The_Prop/2017%20Prop%20Menu.pdf

The grilled chicken rice bowl was excellent, and the wheat free brownie was a special treat!

What Else to Bring: Prescott Park is right on the water, so make sure to grab a sweater and/or extra blanket in case it gets chilly. Bring some extra cash: aside from snacks at The Prop, they also have the merchandise booth where they sell giant Lindt chocolate bars as a fundraiser. There are three or four bars with “Golden tickets” inside them. If you find a golden ticket when you open your bar, you are a winner! In 2017, the bars were $8 each or 3 for $20. Last summer’s prizes were a trip to London, England,  Disney World, or a year’s supply of chocolate! There are also fun souvenirs for sale such as t-shirts and programs.

For more info., check out the How it Works page on the Prescott Park Arts Festival Website:

https://www.prescottpark.org/reservations/how-it-works

Keep dreaming of summer, and maybe I’ll see you at the show!

 

 

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Lottery Alert: Love Never Dies at Boston Opera House

The online lottery to win the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to see Love Never Dies at the Boston Opera House is open right now! You’ve got less than 24 hours left to enter, as the lottery is only open until noon on Monday January 29th. If you win, you’ll be able to purchase up to 4 tickets at $49 each. These are typically premium seats! You can only win the lottery once, so choose only the performances you can attend.

Enter the drawing here:
http://www.luckyseat.com/loveneverdies-boston/

Want to know more about the show? Check out the official Boston Opera House – Broadway in Boston website:
https://boston.broadway.com/shows/andrew-lloyd-webbers-love-never-dies-phantom-returns/

Good luck!

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Lottery Alert: Wizard of Oz at the Boston Opera House

The Wizard of Oz – The Musical is playing at the Boston Opera House next weekend, January 12th- 14th. The online ticket lottery is open NOW through January 10th!

It’s really easy to enter the ticket lotteries for shows at the Boston Opera House, and a great way to get premium seats at discounted prices if you win! Good luck!

From Broadway in Boston: A limited number of tickets for all performances will be sold to winners through an online lottery drawing. Tickets are $49 and limited up to four (4) tickets per winner. Entries accepted through 12:00pm on Wednesday January 10th ONLY! Enter here:

http://www.luckyseat.com/wizardofoz-boston/

About the show: Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts’ desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical treat for the whole family. See Broadway in Boston for more info: https://boston.broadway.com/shows/the-wizard-of-oz-baa/

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It’s my #Hamilversary! Plus a look back at the 2017 Hamilton History Tour


Two years ago today, I was in the room where it happens! I was lucky enough to see the original Broadway cast of Hamilton: An American Musical on January 6, 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City. After having listened to the cast recording non-stop since September 2015, it was exhilarating to finally see the talented cast perform in person. It’s definitely an experience I will never forget! I had a front-barricade spot for that evening’s Ham4Ham show, as well as staking out a prime location at the Stage Door for star sightings and autographs.

With my #Hamilversary on my mind today, it also had me reminiscing about this past summer when I traveled to NYC with Townie #2 (older daughter) for a self-styled “Hamilton History Tour” and surprised her with tickets to see the show!

I was able to do much of the planning for our trip with the following guide: Where Was The Room Where It Happened: The Unofficial Hamilton: An American Musical Location Guide, by B.L. Barreras. (Available from Amazon: http://bit.ly/wherewastheroom)

This compact little guide book was chock-full of insights and helpful tidbits about all things Hamilton related in the New York City area. I highly recommend ordering a copy if you’re thinking of creating your own Hamilton History Tour.

Our tour started with macarons. Yes, macarons! After getting settled in our amazing room at The Library Hotel (299 Madison Avenue, www.libraryhotel.com) we grabbed an Uber down to NoHo for the best macarons ever from Lafayette Cafe and Bakery at 380 Lafayette Street (http://lafayetteny.com/). (Come on, admit it…every time you read the name Lafayette, you are saying it in your head just like in “Guns and Ships” from the musical…LAFAYETTE!) I discovered the Lafayette Cafe in 2016 when Mr. On the Town and I were in the city for an off-broadway show, and we had a lovely lunch there.  I admit the connection of macarons to a Hamilton history tour is nil, but they are delicious, and the name connotation was enough for me. (The Lafayette and Birthday Cake macarons are the best ones!)

The location of the Lafayette Cafe and Bakery is also notable due to its proximity to The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, https://www.publictheater.org/ ). The Public Theater is where Hamilton: An American Musical first premiered off-broadway, so we paused there for a quick photo-op. (And mused with envy at all the people who were lucky enough to see it in that intimate theater setting!)

 

Next on our tour was a stop at Trinity Church (75 Broadway, https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/). We admired the beautiful architecture of this 300 + year old church and talked with the friendly person at the information desk inside. He gave us a helpful map which showed the locations of Alexander Hamilton’s resting place (pictured above), as well as Eliza’s, Angelica’s (I hate to break it to you, but she’s *not* literally buried near him like Eliza sings in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”), and other notable Hamilton related historical figures.

After a ramble down Broadway with a quick stop at the Fearless Girl statue for another photo-op, we made our way to The Fraunces Tavern (54 Pearl Street, http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/). The Fraunces Tavern is the likely true-life location for the scene depicted in “Aaron Burr, Sir” (I’m John Laurens in the place to be…) Historically speaking, the tavern served as a headquarters for George Washington and is known as the location where Washington bid farewell to his troops (think “One LastTime”…the speech he dictated to Hamilton in that song was given at the Fraunces Tavern).

The Fraunces Tavern is both restaurant and museum. The first floor is an authentic colonial tavern that’s been in operation since 1762, and the upstairs and building next door house a vibrant museum filled with Revolutionary War and George Washington memorabilia. We toured the museum first and then enjoyed a delicious dinner.

After dinner we continued our stroll through the Financial District, with a stop at Federal Hall National Memorial, as well as a visit to 57 Maiden Lane, the former location of Thomas Jefferson’s NYC home (the meeting Burr sings about in “The Room Where it Happens” was located here). Unfortunately, Jefferson’s house is long gone, replaced by an ubiquitous NYC skyscraper, but there is a plaque to commemorate the location.

 

Day two started early with another Uber ride, this time north to Hamilton Grange, Alexander Hamilton’s New York home (409 W. 141st Street, https://www.nps.gov/hagr/index.htm). This historic home is owned and managed by the National Park service. Admission to the site is free. The most important thing to know about Hamilton Grange is that tours are available on a first come first served basis only. Ranger-led tours happen at 10am, 11am, 2pm, and 4pm on Wednesdays through Sundays. I definitely recommend arriving *at least* 30 minutes prior to whatever tour time you are interested in. We visited the Grange first thing on Wednesday morning. While waiting for our tour, I sprung the surprise of our afternoon tickets to the musical to Townie #2. You can see below the moment of surprise, followed by the excitement and delight!

After a quick lunch and time to refresh back at the Library Hotel, we made our way to the Richard Rodgers Theater for the show! Seeing Hamilton after being immersed in the history of the show for two days gave us a greater appreciation of the scenes and the characters.

 

The Ham4Ham shows had since gone digital, so we didn’t have that experience, but we did walk by the stage door just in time for me to snap a photo of James Monroe Iglehart, our Lafayette/Jefferson. Theater-loving Townie #2 is looking forward to future trips to New York City for more shows and more fun!