All the little big things

Here finally comes the article that is supposed to summarize my musical year 2023 a bit. And what can I say, it really felt like eat, sleep, musicals, repeat.
2022 was a bit extreme with my musical visits (25 in total). I had somehow decided to top this number in 2023. It's right on your doorstep, so going to the theater has become something of a hobby for the last year. Well, what can I say, I probably managed to break my previous record. I saw a total of 28 musicals last year. One in Germany, so to be honest “only” 27 in London. They were very different productions. In small and large theaters, open air, old, very well-known ones, but also some new ones, even a premiere. Of course I had a lot of fun experiencing all of this. But it can also be a bit stressful, especially at the end of the year when you want to get to more than 25 musicals quickly.

Of the 27 shows, I saw 23 new shows that I saw for the first time. In any case, a few favorites stood out.
There were also musicals that I wouldn't see again and can't really recommend. Bonnie & Clyde, Jersey Boys, Choir of Men and a new version of Robin Hood. Sometimes very boring, or just not my music, or so confusing that you can't quite get through the story.

But let's come to my top 3 from last year:

3rd place: & Juliet, Crazy for you
“&Juliet” and “Crazy for you” have to share third place. I just can't really decide.

"&Juliet" is definitely my most-watched musical ever. Four times and the next visit is definitely already planned. Unfortunately the show closed in March, but the musical will go on tour later this year. And anyone who wants to see it in Germany will soon have the chance, as it is coming to Hamburg (definitely a recommendation, go there!).
&Juliet is about Juliet, who, after Romeo's death, decides not to die and to see what else happens in life. The story is told with a lot of humor and well-known songs. With every new song comes a new catchy tune, so to speak. It just puts you in a good mood when you look at it.

“Crazy for you” is a relatively large musical with a fairly large cast (34 actors) and orchestra (16 musicians). I had the chance to see it twice and with a lot of tap dancing, a dance style I've never really seen live before, I found it particularly impressive. "Crazy for You" is about a banker who dreams of appearing in the theater. When he has to go to Nevada for work to close an old theater, he falls in love with the theater owner's daughter Polly. From now on he poses as a well-known theater director and tries to save the theater and win Polly's love. When the actual theater director shows up, the chaos is complete.
This musical has included some huge dance scenes. I found this very impressive, so much so that I had to watch this musical a second time and even planned a third time. Unfortunately, the musical was canceled two weeks earlier than originally planned.

2nd place: Two stranger's (carry a cake across New York)
A relatively new musical is Two stranger's (carry a cake across New York). The musical came to London in 2023 after first premiering in Ipswitch and Northhampton in 2019 under the name "The season". A new production was staged in a small theater in Kilburn (North London), the "Kiln Theatre".

"Two Strangers" is special in that it is a two-person piece and is only accompanied by a very small band. It's about Dougal and Robin. Dougel who flies to New York for a weekend to attend his father's wedding (who left the family before Dougal was born). He now has no contact with him at all and is therefore upset. He is picked up by Robin, the bride's sister. She takes him to the hotel, but doesn't feel like doing anything else together. However, their paths cross sooner than expected when Dougal shows up at Robin's at work and is able to persuade her to accompany her when she goes to pick up the wedding cake. This results in a fun day full of activities and you find out what motivates them both.

Sam Tutti (Dear Evan Hansen London) and Dujonna Gift (Hamilton) tell the story very convincingly. With a lot of humor, but also seriousness, you are fully involved in every situation. You constantly have to laugh, but you also empathize with the characters and their stories. "Two Strangers" is very well told and you don't notice how quickly time flies. The stage design was also very sophisticated. As you can see in the picture above, it consisted of a mountain of suitcases. These could be converted into a bed, subway, table, etc. depending on how it was needed.
After the musical was extended until the end of January, I was able to see it a second time and am very pleased that the musical is now moving to the West End in April. So it gets a second extension and more attention in the London musical scene. And who knows, maybe I'll watch it again. ;)

1st place: The Little Big Things
A completely new musical, “The Little Big Things,” celebrated its world premiere in “Soho Place” last September. Even before the official first performance, I saw one of the previews and was blown away. Just like the musical, the theater is also completely new. The special thing about this theater is that the stage is in the middle of the room and you sit around the stage. It was super exciting to see how the actors played in all directions. A completely different experience that I have never experienced before.

"The Little Big Things" covers the true life story of Henry Fraser. He had a life-changing accident at the age of 19, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down and confined to a wheelchair forever. The story describes how he and his family deal with the new situation and how he grows with himself and starts a new life.

What I think is particularly nice about this musical is its inclusion. The actor who plays Henry after the accident has been in a wheelchair his entire life. But other actresses also had disabilities and some of the dance choreographies consisted of sign language. In addition to all of that, I also found the emotions to be extremely strong. I could really sympathize and wasn't the only one who had to wipe away a tear or two.
Adding everything up, “The Little Big Things” is the biggest discovery of 2023. And not just for me. The response from London was very positive, so the musical was extended until the beginning of March. I saw this musical again at the beginning of this year and it was just as emotional as the first time. I really hope it comes back again at some point.

And now a little preview of 2024. The year started well when it comes to attending musicals. I saw three musicals within the first week, which is what you do when you have visitors in London. There are already a few tickets booked for future performances, but I'm not necessarily trying to break my record this year. I'll just let it happen and look forward to a new year with old things and hopefully a few positive surprises and new discoveries.