On the first weekend of fall break, the Saint Mary’s College theater department organized a trip to New York for theater majors and minors as well as fashion and costume minors to see some Broadway shows. This was my first time seeing anything on Broadway and my first time in New York, outside of the airport at least. On the first night, one group saw “Death Becomes Her” while the other saw “Wicked.” On Saturday afternoon, one group saw “Six” while the other saw “Chicago.” That evening, there were three shows. One group saw “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” another saw “The Great Gatsby,” and the third saw “Six.”
Friday night: “Death Becomes Her”
Seeing “Death Becomes Her” instead of “Wicked” was the best decision I have ever made. I was afraid that the original cast was no longer doing the show, and I was so delighted to see not only Michelle Williams, from Destiny’s Child, but also Megan Hilty. She might not be as famous, but I know her from the TV series “Smash,” her voice acting in the animated series “Centaurworld” and the video of her doing the iconic opt-up in “No One Mourns the Wicked” when she played Glinda on Broadway.
Of the musicals I saw, this was my favorite. It was hilarious and engaging. The performances, both the acting and the vocals, were phenomenal. The plot follows two friends, Madeline (Megan Hilty) and Helen (Jennifer Simard), who constantly try to one-up each other with their careers and romantic partners. Desperate to stay young and relevant, Madeline takes a de-aging potion from Viola Van Horn (Michelle Williams). What she doesn’t realize is that Helen took the same potion as well, and now the two are essentially immortal.
I hadn’t seen the film it was based on so most of it was a surprise to me. The way they handled fight scenes and special effects managed to be both stunningly impressive and unbelievably hilarious. The iconic falling down the stairs sequence was so good, even knowing the way that it was done. The professor we saw it with was so confused as to how it was achieved without a wire.
My only gripe with “Death Becomes Her” is that Helen and Madeline don’t end up together. Don’t misunderstand me: I loved their friendship, but in the 11 o’clock number “Alive Forever,” they confess how much they love each other and how in all their competitiveness they never stopped thinking about each other. They vow to stay alive together and help each other when their bodies fall apart from the damage they did to them. The ballad was so beautiful and the music swelled, leaving the perfect moment for a kiss, but instead they hugged — huh!?
Either way, the last scene of the musical was the funniest. They find Ernest — played by Christopher Sieber, who was great, but Ernest is not that relevant a character — and he attempts to lecture them on the benefits of growing old only for them to cut him off and shoo him off the stage. If you can’t tell, I’m an Ernest hater to my core.
Saturday afternoon: “Six”
This was the only musical whose soundtrack I knew prior to the show. I’ve been listening to this musical since my musical theater obsession began in 2020. I thought I made a mistake seeing this instead of “Chicago” since I felt I knew the musical well enough, but I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. The show follows the six wives of Henry VIII, who are trying to pick the lead for their band. They decide that the queen with the toughest life should be the one in charge. The dialogue between songs was really fun.
Funnily enough, “Get Down” was always my least favorite song in the soundtrack, but it was my favorite performance watching it live — I wasn’t even expecting the small costume change. The energy onstage was unmatched especially from the first, third and fifth queens. Honestly, I felt that everyone really killed it — except Anne Boleyn, not too sure what happened there — but Catherine of Aragon kept the energy up through the whole musical. Most people in the group who saw “Chicago” instead said their expectations weren’t met, so I am really glad I saw “Six” instead.
Saturday night: “The Great Gatsby”
I chose to see this because I thought Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada were still in it. They weren’t. Really, it was OK because I had so much fun with this one. I was also introduced to Michael Maliakel, who played Nick Carraway, and he devoured his role. Gatsby was played by Ryan McCartan, the guy from “Liv and Maddie,” and he wasn’t bad — he just seemed a little bit full of himself. There was one song in particular where I felt that he stood soaking up the applause for a little too long, and it felt like he broke character enjoying the spotlight. I’d never read “The Great Gatsby,” so I really went in completely blind. I knew Gatsby would be shot, but I thought Daisy would be the one to do it. Myrtle and Jordan’s actresses stole the show in my opinion. Myrtle’s final song had me mesmerized, and I truly almost cried when she got hit by the car.
Overall, I was so grateful for this opportunity that SMC gave me. Seeing a show on Broadway was so different from just listening to the soundtrack alone in my room. The visuals were immersing, and the energy was unmatched. I truly hope I can go back again.
