Just thought I'd post a topic to find out if many theatre-goers use these forums and would be interested to hear what sort of things people who do like best.

Personally I usually go at least once a month, more often if I can afford it and definitely prefer plays over musicals or anything like that.

I love it! Although whenever I go I want to be in the cast lol

I know its sad but my fave has got to be Fame

Love to go see a show - usually musicals. I enjoy a good play, but would much rather take my brain out and just let a fun and lightweight musical wash over me!

Also, I have a loose working connection to a well-respected professional musical-theatre training college, so its nice to go and see the students who've caught my eye while at college, when they've graduated and are in shows.

I love going to the theatre, mostly musicals. Going to see Evita next week should be good.

A high school pal performs in a small theater in Half Moon Bay and I go see his stuff and usually it's pretty good.
As far as professional theater, I thought I wouldn't like "Wicked" but I loved it! I want to see this one again.
I saw "Grey Gardens" on Broadway in N.Y. and it was great.
Theater Rhino is a gay theater group in San Francisco that's been around forever and I've gone to a few of their shows, I'll probably go to more now that I'm moving up there next weekend!

I love Wicked, Kerry Ellis was awesome.

I used to love going to the theatre when I lived down south. We used to go every month or so (only half-hour on the train to London). I saw Blood Brothers, Guys & Dolls, Billy Elliot, Phantom, Les Mis, We Will Rock You, etc. It was brilliant.
Now I've had to move back to Scarborough (a wee bit further up north!), I have the choice of The Chuckle Brothers or a game of bingo on the sea-front!

I love it. But I don't get the chance to go that often... But I think I'm gonna see something end of the month. Hopefully

I do when I get the chance, but that's not very often. I think the last thing I saw was Avenue Q, back in May. Like many others so far, I do tend to go for the musicals, I'm not entirely sure why though. I suppose probably just because they're more prominent, you have to know where to look to find a good straight play but musicals are more.. noticeable, perhaps. That and I do love hearing a good show tune belted out. There's just something about the deliberately over the top nature of them that appeals.
The problem with preferring musicals is that the best ones are generally to be found in London, so it's too expensive for me to do often because it's quite a way for me to travel and that makes the costs mount annoyingly. There are closer options, but they tend to put on things I like less frequently.

I love the theatre - plays and musicals. Especially musicals, not because it's supposed to be a stereotypically gay thing to like, but more to do with the fact that I love the spectacle and can see where my money is going. It's all up there in front of me in the great sets, the wonderful dancing and the well crafted lyrics set to catchy tunes.

I am almost always moved to tears of joy.

It's great escapism, when one can afford it. I was made redundant last year, so couldn't afford to see anything. Fortunately I'm back in employment now and whilst it isn't as well paid a role as I had been used to, it still affords me some little luxuries.

Last month I did go a tad overboard and went to see a massive TWELVE shows - with another FMFer - we splashed out on attending as many as we could fit in whilst he was in London for a holiday. Rather than spending our money abroad we chose shows and showtunes (plus one play, starring the gorgeous Josh Hartnett, who got most of his kit off - gotta keep it shallow )

For anyone interested, the shows were: Avenue Q, Phantom Of The Opera, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot, Rain Man, Chicago, Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, Spamalot, The Lion king and The Last Five Years.

Loved them all, and have seen some several times (WWRY, Phantom and Les Mis) with the highlights being Hairspray and Jersey Boys.

Today I'm taking my brother to see Brief Encounter as a surprise Am looking forward to it as I've heard great things. I could talk about musicals, theatre and show tunes for days on end and wish there was a dedicated board on here - one of the things my FMF friend found amusing was spotting the massive amount of gay couples at the theatres. Surprised there isn't a dedicated sub/board on FMF.

Mama Mia on Broadway.

I love going to the theatre and go as often as I can afford to. I like allsorts of stuff and will give anything a try. I really enjoy plays, especially thrillers and enjoy and good opera and a musical too.

The best opera I have seen by far is Gloriana by Opera North at the Leeds Grand Theatre. They are a great company and the porduction was just mesmerising. It was my first opera and I wasnlt sure whether I would like opera but I was hooked within the first 5 mins.

The best play I have seen out of the West End is An Inspector Calls. The best play I have seen in the West End is Smaller, which starred Dawn French and Alison Moyet.

I enjoy a really good camp musical too! I really love Fame and have seen it about 10 times now! I loved Rent too when I saw it even though it had Adam Rickett in it and I wasn't impressed at all by his performance.

I love to do a matinee on a saturday afternoon and then go out for a meal and drinks afterwards. I used always go in the evenings having had a meal first but found that I used to have to fight off falling asleep not matter how great the play/show was!

Unfortunately, I haven't been for a while due to severe lack of funds but I am going to see Flashdance when it comes to Leeds in March.

Don't go as often as we would like to - last time was to Enjoy [Alan Benett] at Theatre Royal, Brighton. Going to see Charles Colingwood's [Brian from the Archers] one man show at Chichester next Sunday. Oh and, last week, we took a grandchild - she's five and totally obsessed with the theatre - to The Tiger who came to Tea

I love going to see a musical!
My favourite is Chicago, seen it 3 times at a theatre.
The BEST show I've seen was the production of Wicked in Melbourne. The stage was amazing and the cast were all fantastic. And me and my friend got fucked on "Ozmopolitans".
I've also seen Witches of Eastwick, Rocky Horror, Fame, Taboo, the Wedding Singer, and Grease.
I really want a week in London watching shows.... but that'll be very expensive! I'm planning on going for a long weekend next summer, and will hopefully catch (at least) Avenue Q.

We have seen Phantom twice, Billy Elliott and Equus this year and Flashdance this evening.

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to. There's news that it's closing (due to bad ticket sales) in Spring 2009. I've seen it three times now, and still find it enthralling.

I've seen a multitude of musicals in London including Fame (fantastic!), Chicago (a bit lackluster), Wicked (Kerry Ellis..), WWRY (Kerry Ellis..) and many more. I long to see History Boys though... really will have to venture out soon. Anyone want to join me?

I love the theatre too. Plays are good and I love it when things happen and the cast just ad-lib their way out of it - true professionalism.
Also like musicals as I have seen Evita; Jesus Christ - Superstar; Oliver and many others. My most recent was The Ladyboys of Bangkok - quite an amazing show.

Pete's Mum organises trips to Theatre's to see musicals.

Ive seen
Take That - Never Forget
High School Musical
Stomp
Wicked


(Think that is all)

Also seen Fame and Lion King

Going to see Dirty Dancing on tuesday in London, also got Flasdance, Cirque Du Glace and possibly Mamma Mia to go see!

My favourite has to be Take That, and also Lion King and HSM

Well I'll have to head down sooner then I get a long weekend every other week with work, so will try to get a good deal on a hotel.

I don't go that often
But pretty much all my friends do performing arts so they go alot and I go with them whenever I can.
So far my favourite has been 'Cabaret', loved it!
I'm going to see 'The Hired Man' on Saturday, any good?
I usually only see plays if my best friend is in them, which is the reason why I saw 'Oliver!' twice in only a few days

He was meant to be in 'The Hired Man' aswell but had to drop out. Silly sod.

one of the best shows we`ve seen recent has to be "Beauty and the Beast" we saw it a few weeks ago in Blackpool and it was brilliant.

the set is great, the songs are great, the special effects WOW!!

if it`s on show near you, go and see it, the smaller the stage the better, we first saw it years ago in manchester and loved it, then again in liverpool, but Blackpoool seen it 3 times.

another good show was Starlight express (tour) before they redesigned the stage and took away the runway

we`ve now got tickets for Mary poppins and We will rock you at manchester, and going to see withces of eastwick in liverpool

the worst show we ever saw was godspell my god that was awfull!!

I've seen Les Mis, Phantom all a few times, but they were years ago.

I've actually started going a lot more recently:
-Magick Macabre: shite
-Romeo & Juliet in The Abbey (Irish National Theatre): shite
-mate's production of Dracula, really really good.

Going to New York after Xmas, trying to figure out if there's anything worth going to, any suggestions?

I saw that when it was in London, must have been ten years ago, and I agree, it was absolutely fantastic. I still play the soundtrack on a regular basis.


And completely fucked around with the coaches. I really liked their original introductory song, but the new one is just the four of them going 'look at our pants!!!'

Beauty and the Beast is coming to Cardiff early next year, would you recommend going to see it??

Hell yes!
Um, I mean I would say it's worth it, yes.

In that case I'll book tickets tomorrow

Wickeeeeeeeddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

It's one of my all time favourites, saw it early this year before Kerry left. It gave me goosebumps.

I really don't go that often, but I really do enjoy it.

Blood Brothers... a classic.

I saw "Spring Awakening" on Broadway during a choir tour. It was NOTHING like I would have expected, and was very intense, with a great, big production budget to accent every intense moment. It was a soft punk rock concert, a coming-of-age story, and a turn-of-the-century (20th century) German drama that applied to today all in one.

The actor playing Hanschen (my favorite role) was just recently in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, too.

The Producers with Peter Kay was awesome too, I love the producers it's one of the ones I'd see again.

I love the theatre - nothing like a live show ! Plays and musicals, have loved them for years.

If you haven't seen La Cage aux Folles (Playhouse) then dont miss it. The show is brilliantly staged and the score is superb. You dont need to be gay to enjoy it.

The Norman Conquests at the Old Vic is also an hilarious trilogy of comedies. War Horse at the Olivier is also brilliant.

I wondered if anyone has seen the play "Blowing Whistles" with Paul Keating? I beleive it is a good play with the added bonus if nudity, but it only runs until the end of this month and I dont think I can make it.

"Spring Awakening" is coming to London's West End early next year, so I guess we can take that as a recommendation then, lol.

I don't get to go all that much but We Will Rock You and The 39 Steps were good fun. Hopefully I'll get to see Mamma Mia soon.

Absolutely! The Broadway staging had some live nudity, so get a seat where you can see ALL the stage. I was at the far left and in a balcony, so I missed out on the lead actor during the sex depictions.

...Did I mention that there's a GREAT comedic, male-on-male snog session? I probably should have.

Nice to see so many here supporting the Arts

Although it looks like I'm in the minority preferring plays over musicals. I just don't understand why so many people seem happy to buy vastly over-priced seats somewhere in the gods for a musical when you can usually see a great play with a top quality cast for about a third of the price (in London anyway).

^ Totally agree.

In the Red and Brown Water @ Young Vic was blinding and I bum the Young Vic a bit too much.

Go to a few plays that the Ambassador's theatre group put on (Trafalgar Studios etc.) as they give us free tickets.

Well there's not much point in telling you about my recent holiday to London as it's already been discussed. Although most of the shows we saw I'd seen already (in fact I've now seen Chicago five times). I don't usually do repeat performances in London only with touring productions.

My all time favourite musical is The Rocky Horror Show as there's no other theatrical experience like it. I've seen it 7 times so far (including the 30th Anniversary tour three times). I also love Little Shop Of Horrors (which I finally saw on stage last year), Blood Brothers, Hairspray and Return To The Forbidden Planet.

I'm also a bit of a Sondheim fan. I've seen A Little Night Music (with Dame Judi Dench) Sweeney Todd, Follies and Pacific Overtures on stage and recordings of the stage versions of Into The Woods and Company. I love the scores for Anyone Can Whistle, Merrily We Roll Along and Gypsy (bought the new Broadway cast recording, with Patti LuPone as Mamma Rose, when I was in London).

I love plays as much as musicals. The best plays I've seen are The Lieutenant of Inishmore (the funniest and bloodiest play I've ever seen); Suddenly Last Summer (with Diana Rigg); Boeing, Boeing (which is hilarious), An Inspector Calls (which I'm going to see for a third time next year) and The Woman In Black (bloody scary) which I've seen three times.

Some of you may know, went to see Dirty Dancing last night.

It is now my favourite musical. Absolutely loved it!

This probably doesn't count as it wasn't at the theatre, but here goes..
I just got back from seeing ''Two'' by Jim Cartwright, and I think that it is actually the best play I have seen (not that I've seen a lot). Very amateur, it was an BTEC student production with 3 of my best friends in it in the small drama block at the school.
Obviously it had more than two people playing the roles as it was class of about 20. They just rotated the people playing the landlady and landlord but it worked really well!




I so hate you right now
I want to be baby

I'm going to see a different theatrical experience tonigh in the form of Slava's Snow Show.

Two of the best I've seen were The Tempest and Don Carlos, both starring Derek Jacobi with Claire Price as his daughter in the former and wife in the latter.

I also loved Pam Gem's Piaf with Anna Jane Casey in the lead and the northern ballet's Dracula.

There was a production here of The Crucible a few years ago which was excellent - I went twice - but generally I don't enjoy performances of Arthur Miller plays.

I'm off to see Evita tonight will let you know how it goes later.

We're going to plays with our German teacher quite regularly. The last (and best) we saw was The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute.
It was great, both the story and the staging. Plus it had a naked man
The theme is very interesting. We talked about it very long, what may art do? Is art allowed to do anything? Does art has to be made under any circumstances?
Really fascinating, you should see it, if you can.

Evita was awesome, if it's coming near yo go see it. I loved it

^^^

Glad you enjoyed it, did you cry at "You must love me"?

If you didn't you have a heart of stone .

I'll bet he didn't, he's well 'ard is our Buzz

I didn't enjoy Evita as much as the first time I saw it. It has lost a lot of the satirical humour and is trying to hard to recreate the movie. They also changed the pace at which she died.

I prefer musicals, highly reccomend Wicked, but saw The History Boys recently and also very good

Why all this howling, hysterical sorrow?