The West End!

In May, I was lucky enough to attend two shows on the West End and they were both awesome.

The first show I saw was Hamilton (I find it endlessly funny that I had to travel to another country to get affordable tickets) and let me tell you before you worry like I did:

It lives up to the hype.

I know everyone and their mother (including mine) has probably gotten to see Hamilton so pardon me if this is old news, but I fell in love with the show all over again.

The set is genius (you can see it in the picture behind me and Mr. Musical Theatre Monday). The different stair cases that can move and attach at different points, the turntables that are used at just the right moments, and the beautiful lighting that brings it all to life. I tend to like more simple sets - those that are kind of deconstructed so you're dealing with simple, moveable pieces that can live in any world rather than clunky, period appropriate furniture. This is the epitome of that. It also set a nice neutral color palette so that the costumes could stand out.

Seeing the costumes in the context of the show really sold me on them. I remember first seeing pictures from the show and being like "what's with the all white corset things?" But it's a pretty brilliant storytelling device. When the ensemble is in all white, they aren't really people in the story - they are either acting as objects or as a general chorus to help tell the story (for example, a woman in all white acts as the bullet in the final scene). When the ensemble members add pieces to their costumes (a military jacket, a skirt, etc.), they are a character. This allows the ensemble to be multi-purpose and every single person feels necessary and vital to the story.

Another thing I had seen small snippets of before the show was the choreography. It all seemed out of place to me then, but totally works now that I've seen it.

I could write novels about the actors in the show - about their nuanced choices and beautiful voices. My favorites were George Washington (Dom Hartley-Harris), King George (Jon Robyns), Eliza (Rachelle Ann Go) and Burr (Sifiso Mazibuko). But choosing favorites seems unfair because they were all incredible.

The other show I got to see on the West End was a reprise for me, but a new one for my family. Waitress! I loved it just as much as when I saw it on Broadway (especially because the tickets were significantly cheaper - what's up with that, Broadway?) and it was so fun to share with people who hadn't seen it before.

Our seats were in the dress circle (which I think is equivalent to our mezzanine), but the view was still great. I heard some new lyrics this time - not because the words had changed, but because the Brits are better at enunciating than we will ever be. Lucie Jones (who starts her official run today) played Jenna and her voice is flawless. Every note was perfectly placed and beautiful. Jack McBrayer from 30 Rock played Ogie and what he lacked in vocal prowess he made up for in charm and comedic timing. He had the audience rolling.

It was so fun to be able to experience musical theatre in another country and if you're ever in London and want to see a show - check out their TKTS booth in Leicester Square. It was the easiest ticket buying process ever and the staff is really helpful.