So, I’m going to be in NYC.
I’m thinking I should see a musical. Sadly, I can only see one on tuesday, so, I need guidance for which should be my top choice.
What do you think I should see?
[EDIT: Please leave a comment telling me why you recommend one or the other, if you would]
If you have other suggestions for what I should do with Monday evening, I’m all ears.
Places to go, things to see, people to meet, stuff to do, and restaurants to eat at are all valid categories. What do you like most about NYC?
The Producers. If not that, then Avenue Q. If you feel like getting a drink, I’d recommend Therapy — 348 W 52nd St. It’s a cool space with interesting drinks. It’s one of my favorite bars in New York City.
Haven’t seen Wicked, but Avenue Q was fantastic.
I never saw the play, but I loved the book.
Of course they always ruin the tome into the play and I’m sure they left out most of the glaring feminist political statements.
However I do love that song Defying Gravity!
Ooh… tough call buddy. I’d say see how you’re feeling closer to the event. Both shows are on my ‘Must See’ list too. If I only ever got to see one though, it’d have to be Wicked. As far as I remember, Avenue Q has never moved me to tears. Just projectile nostril milk.
Here’s a link to shows that are laying there now. My friend Greg enjoyed Spamalot… Altar Boys is supposed to be pretty catchy, and there’s some buzz around The Colour Purple right now too. Gosh I’m jealous…
http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/shows.htm
I missed Wicked when it was in SF, but we’ve been to see Avenue Q twice in vegas in the last year, and both times it was funny as hell.
I hear they’re going to start touring, now that Wynn Las Vegas released them from their exclusivity contract in order to gobble up an exclusive Spamalot.
i haven’t seen avenue q, but i know the soundtrack by heart and it is hilarious. wicked was terrific. you probably can’t go wrong with either, so go for the cheaper ticket or the better seats. wicked the book was pretty political and glimmers of that remain in the show, so that might appeal to you more than the mostly just funny jokes of avenue q.
I’ve seen both. I thought Wicked was pretty, but a waste of my money. I would’ve paid more to see Avenue Q, and I would pay to see it again.
Avenue Q is hilarious, but has a lot of heart as well. Wicked, enh. I just didn’t care for it. The music was alright, but I really didn’t enjoy the story much.
Wicked, because I’d love to see it.
I didn’t much enjoy seeing wicked
Avenue Q seems entertaining
Wicked without Idina Menzel is just a standard pop musical with flying monkeys.
Avenue Q is absolutely brilliant. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a puppeteer. It’s funny, it’s touching, it’s hummable..
Given that Wicked has a permanent stage in Chicago (where you might have some free time in your future), I’d suggest going to Avenue Q. Or Forbidden Broadway- I’ve always wanted to see that.
I also liked Bridge and Tunnel when it was off-Broadway.
I was just about to say the same thing – Wicked has an open run in Chicago and we’d love to go with you, whereas Ave Q doesn’t.
Bingo! 😀
Jen and I can vouch for the quality of the Chicago Wicked production, too, as opposed to other touring shows. It’s not like you’re seeing the cut-rate version.
Spamalot is also good, but we saw that when it previewed with the original cast, so we may not be the best judges of what’s currently on Broadway.
Both are fabu, but I’d see Avenue Q for the sole reason that Wicked is on tour and you can see it outside of NYC.
Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Chicago are also good bets if you haven’t seen these productions, and are probably available at TKTS.
and you wanted
other reccomendations?
My favorite place to eat (and I’m pretty sure you can get vegan stuff) is Sammy’s Noodle Shop in Chelsea. It’s on 6th, just south of 13th street (take the N or R to the 13th street station, I think…)
CJ
I have not seen Wicked, but read the book. I have seen Avenue Q many, many times, both in NY and Vegas, and it has never gotten old. (My sister worked on the show.) It is a glorious, glorious show, and I recommend it to any and all.
try history boys if you can get a ticket
try history boys if you can get a ticket. it’s a play, not a musical.
well, i think the east village is a cool place to check out, especially if you haven’t been there. and greenwich village. they’re next to each other so that’s easy.
macrobiotic food at souen is pretty good. i don’t know if it’s vegan or just veggie.
angelica kitchen (sic) is pretty famous, likewise not sure of veganness.
touristy: check out the cube at st marks/astor place. (3rd ave and 9th st essentially). you can rotate it. whee!
there’s a funky isakaya (i don’t know how to spell it – essentially japanese tapas place) on st marks between 3rd and 2nd. there are a few, one is cooler than the others, due to its $1.5 beer and $2.5 sake, pornographic artwork all over, and gigantic tanuki (racoon dog) with glowing eyes in the front. st marks is a good touristy walk for a few blocks as well.
you could do the touristy walk around – you’ll probably be hitting chelsea at some point… from there you can go south (8th ave or along the river) to the west village and stroll around there.. take 4th st south and then east (look at a map to see what i mean), stroll around greenwich village(circa 7th and 6th ave). i think w3 st is the one that (used to?) has sex shops…
cafe reggio (seen in the original shaft) is on some street around there (thompson? macdougal? i think macdougal), and looks the same. it’s fine for a cafe.
next to it is mamoun’s, the famous super cheap great falafel place.
also around there – washington square park.
from there, you can go east (take 8th st?) to the east village, and see the above stuff. or you can do this trip backwards to end up in chelsea nightlife. OR you can go north from the east village along broadway (really northwest) and end up back in chelsea. this is maybe a 2-3 mile route total, if even that.
union square’s another popular “park”, from which you can see the silly millenium clock .. 14th and bway
on stuyvesant street and 2nd ave (just off 9th street) is a pretty cool bookstore.
you could check out williamsburg if you want to see a lot of hipsters. around there is something called ‘barcade’ which is an arcade/bar… i’ve never been there.
chinatown’s kind of a cool place to check out, but if you’ve seen dingy chinatowns before you may not be impressed.
‘cones’ on w4th st and … great jones? cornelia? it’s between 6th and 7th aves… is a good gelato/ice cream place.
another one is on 10th st and 4th ave – it just opened up. they have wasabi ice cream.
now that i’ve rambled you can say ‘more like that!’ and i’ll see what i think of 🙂
random last thought – the ‘egg cream’ place that samuel delany mentions in the mad man (i think) is still open, on the corner of 8th st(st marks place) and 2nd ave. but it’s not exceptional, it’s just apparently pretty old.
oh, and if you want to see gentrification in action, you can walk around alphabet city, everyone’s favorite ex-slum. past 1st ave you have avenues A, B, C, D… just walking around there there’s a mix of upscale white establishments and the stuff that used to be there.
I clicked other, because if it were me, I would try my damndest to spend the evening doing something other then watching a musical.
That having been said, were I forced to choose between those two, I would pick “wicked”, as its name is west-coast slang for “cool”, whereas “Avenue Q” is just a street in DC.