About Ross

 

0_0_0_0_250_397_csupload_57460584_large-1My love for theater started when I first got involved in high school plays and children’s theatre in London, Ontario, which led me—much to my mother’s chagrin—to study set design, directing, and arts administration at York University in Toronto. But rather than pursuing theater as a career (I did produce and design a wee bit), I became a self-proclaimed theater junkie and life-long supporter. I am not a writer by trade, but I hope to share my views and feelings about this amazing experience we are so lucky to be able to see here in NYC, and in my many trips to London, England, Chicago, Toronto, Washington, Boston, and beyond.

Living in London, England from 1985 to 1986, NYC since 1994, and on my numerous theatrical obsessive trips back to England, I’ve seen as much theater as I can possibly afford. I love seeing plays. I love seeing musicals. If I had to choose between a song or a dance, I’d always pick the song. Dance—especially ballet—is pretty and all, but it doesn’t excite me as, say, Sondheim lyrics. But that being said, the dancing in West Side Story is incredible!

As it seems you all love a good list, here’s two.

FAVORITE MUSICALS (in no particular order):

  • Sweeney Todd with Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris in 2005.  By far, my most favorite theatrical experience to date.
  • Sunday in the Park with George with Jenna Russell (who made me sob hysterically each and every one of the three times I saw that production in England and here in NYC) in 2008, and Jake and Annaleigh on Broadway
  • Spring Awakening with Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele in 2007
  • Hedwig and the Angry Inch (both off-Boadway in 1998 and on Broadway in 2014, with Neal Patrick Harris, but also with Michael C. Hall and John Cameron Mitchell, my first Hedwig and my last…so far),
  • Next To Normal with Alice Ripley (who I wish I had seen in Side Show) and the gorgeous Aaron Tveit in 2009
  • Dear Evan Hansen in Washington at the Arena, Off-Broadway at 2ST, and on Broadway, all with the magnificent Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss, and the oh-so-talented Rachel Bay Jones who broke my heart far too many times to count.
  • Desperate Measures Off Broadway and at York Theater Company where the Bard and Mel Brooks collide
  • The Band’s Visit a show I can’t say enough about, so I won’t say anything except go see it, and thank your lucky stars if you were able to see Katrina Lenk in it before she ends her Tony winning visit to Broadway
  • Hadestown a show that surprised me with its beauty and its heart, time and time again.

FAVORITE PLAYS (that’s more difficult—there have been so many and they are all so different):

  • Angels in America, both on Broadway (both times), HBO, and off-Broadway
  • Lettice and Lovage with Dame Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in London,1987
  • Who’s Afraid of Virginai Woolf with Tracy Letts and Amy Morton in 2012
  • Almost everything by Alan Ayckbourn, but especially Woman in Mind with Julia McKenzie in 1986
  • Proof with Mary Louise Parker in 2000. But ask me on a different day, and I might give you a different list.
  • The Boys in the Band filled to the brim with out gay talent
  • The Ferryman a play that felt like a classic when it debuted on the West End and Broadway stage.

These are only some theatre moments that I will remember for years to come, until I don’t have a memory anymore. There are many more that I didn’t or couldn’t remember, and I hope a tremendous number more to come.  Thanks for reading.

And remember: read, like, share, retweet, enjoy.

14 comments

  4. Appreciated your review of Annie and more personally sharing the experience with you, Cheryl and Hazel. It was an absolute joy to watch Hazel’s excitement and appreciation as she engaged in what is sure to be a forever memory.
    Will continue to turn to your reviews to assist in my theater choices.0

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  5. Re – your GFO review; Charlotte Hope is younger because she died a few days after Ed Harris’s character turned 9: assuming she’s probably 20 giving birth and 29 at the time of her suicide. In the early 50’s – a 20 year old giving birth was the norm so her age on stage seems correct to me. She’s late 20’s in real life – although I can see how she looks younger.
    Your profession adds a lot of credibility to your review: I feel Good for Otto will be seen more kindly in 20-40 years as we learn more about mental health.

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  7. I love musicals.

    My favorites are Wicked, Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Rent, Lion King, Newsies, Music Man, South Pacific, Pippin, among others. I am a musical theatre fanatic so my favorites list is longer than this.

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  9. Dear Ross:

    I recently subscribed to your blog, and I saw that you are a “Sweeney Todd” fan. I thought you might be interested in doing a short piece on what would be a novel (pardon the pun) departure for you.

    Hosta Press in Ann Arbor, MI has just published my YA novel, “Todd Sweeney: The Fiend of Fleet High,” a contemporary take on, well, You Know Who. I think this will be great fun for theater buffs, especially teens, especially now that a version of the show has been licensed for younger people. I can send you a paperback of the book, if you wish, or mobi file of the book, i.e., readable on Kindles or on any devices running the Kindle app)

    As a lifelong Sondheim and “Sweeney” fan (I have seen several productions, including one in Portuguese), I was intrigued and tickled to imagine how the legend would play out with contemporary American teens. I hope my book will catch your interest. Thank you very much for your consideration. I will look forward to hearing from you.

    Sincerely, David Pratt

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  12. Hey, Ross –

    Check out the first music video featuring the opening song from the score of our new, original, musical – The Girl in the Red Dress. Thanks, Peter

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