Forbidden Broadway

If only all shows were this hilarious and clever.
It’s a long-​running Off-​Broadway institution, but only now did I have a chance to check it out thanks to my friend’s creative choice of birthday presents. The show itself is extremely funny, and kudos to the (small) cast that manage to do a lot as a quartet, along with a very talented piano player to back them up.
For those who don’t know, this is a great parody of current Broadway shows (or ones that recently folded). I can’t say enough about just how funny the parody of the Les Miz movie cracked me up. The spoof of Russell Crowe’s singing was hilarious. Many shows also didn’t escape unscathed. Who can forget the awesomely takes on Once, Annie, Evita and the Al Pacino/​Philip Seymour Hoffman shtick was insane.
If you want to check out a real gem — you have to make it a point to see this show (especially if you’re really into Broadway musicals, or have some knowledge of what’s playing right now). I knew things were going to be good when the music started and the piano player kicked things off while playing under a big plastic tarp.
The theater itself is small, but the venue is intimate and fun. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I was also surprised at how clean the bathrooms were for such an old/​small theater. Don’t miss this show if you’re looking for something different, but fun, in the neighborhood!

Very funny and entertaining show! The performers are super talented! Highly recommend!

This is a fun show — but you should have knowledge of the shows currently and formerly on Broadway. It’s a good off-​Broadway find with four talented performers and a great pianist. The costumes added to the humor and there even was some lighting cues. There is one intermission, but sadly no bar available.

Forbidden Broadway will entertain and accomplish it’s job of spoofing Broadway shows. The 47^th street theatre is intimate and the actors are wonderful. What’s great about it is that they update the show as time progresses making sure it’s current and topical. The style of the parody is not one of my favorites. It doesn’t require you to think too much. The spoofs remind me of the Scary Movie franchise; sometimes trying to be humorous simply be recreating a scene or mentioning a name. People will literally start laughing at someone dressed like a Lion King character. I would like it if the spoofing was more clever and indirect. Otherwise, it’s a solid show and most people seem to like it.

They keep updating the show so it might have been a different version I saw but this was one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. I thought the spoofs were so well written. I think it’s one of the best things to have hit broadway in a long time. Sometimes a parody is the highest compliment one can give.

What Beach Blanket Babylon is to San Francisco, this is to New York City. First seen at Palsson’s Supper Club on the Upper West Side in 1982, it was the brainchild of unemployed actor Gerard Alessandrini, who hoped to showcase his talents by presenting a series of musical parodies of Broadway shows he had written since childhood. Little did he know at the time that he was launching what was to become the city’s longest running musical comedy revue and the winner of the Drama Desk, Obie, and Outer Critics Circle awards. Updated regularly to keep it current and fresh, it’s a brilliantly clever send-​up of the best and worst of the Great White Way. It helps to have seen a lot of the targets, but even the casual theater-​goer will appreciate much of what it has to offer. It moved to its present home in June 2005, and may well run there forever. Discount tickets frequently are available at TKTS.