Leap of Faith

http://leapoffaithbroadway.com

What? You're trying to decide whether to see Leap of Faith*** on Broadway? How is that even a question?

Ok, it's possible that I can't be even a little bit objective about this show. I love the movie on which this musical is based. And we all know I'm a sucker for it raining on stage. Plus Raúl Esparza is a sexy beast. And--as you can see above--he wears a freaking mirror-ball jacket. While singing his balls off. Alongside Jessica Phillips singing her ovaries off.

Overall, the movie is much better, but I think you'll like the musical too (though pretty much ALL the professional reviewers seem to disagree). I don't even care that I can't remember any of the songs right now. They sound great when they're happening, and the show is just so. much. fun.

Esparza as a womanizing, swindling, fake revival preacher? YES PLEASE. Phillips as a jaded sheriff and single mother? Oh yeah. (Seriously, her voice is so amazing in this that I really wish I'd seen her in Next to Normal.) Leslie Odom Jr., Kendra Kassebaum, and the rest of the cast are fantastic and have huge voices. For me the only problem is Talon Ackerman as the wheelchair-bound son, but that part is seriously underwritten so it's not entirely his fault.

All in all, I found Leap of Faith to be more fun than Bonnie & Clyde, Catch Me if You Can, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert combined.

*** I saw this show in previews.

Bucket list

Over the past (almost) four years, I've seen an absurd awesome amount of theater (365 performances and counting). So perhaps it's unsurprising that I'm making headway on my theater bucket-list. I just will not die happy unless I see certain people on stage in person. (Let me know if you think someone is missing from my list.)

People I've seen in plays but really need to see in a musical:
Victoria Clark
Raúl Esparza
Frederick Weller

I've never seen but really need to:

(So many from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, X-Men, Doctor Who!)
Joan Allen, Josh Charles, Glenn Close
Alan Cumming, Sinéad Cusack, Blythe Danner
Viola Davis, Judi Dench, Christine Ebersole
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Fovah Feldshuh, Colin Firth
Martin Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rupert Graves
Anthony Stewart Head, Philip Seymour Hoffman [SOON!], Cherry Jones
James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy
Denis O'Hare [SOON!], Faith Prince, Sara Ramirez
Phylicia Rashad, Roger Rees, Alan Rickman
Chita Rivera, Amanda Root, Tim Roth
Andrew Scott, Fiona Shaw, Michael Sheen
John Simm, Maggie Smith, Meryl Streep
David Tennant, Russell Tovey, Dick Van Dyke
Julie Walters, Sam Waterston, Ben Whishaw, Julie White

NOT on my list: Mandy Patinkin

People I've already seen and now want to see in everything they ever do:
Kate Baldwin, Laura Benanti, Declan Bennett
Eve Best, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch
Colman Domingo, Linda Emond, Michael Esper (you're shocked, I know!)
Raúl Esparza, Mary Faber, Katie Finneran, Boyd Gaines
(John Gallagher Jr., as not that one angsty character he. always. plays.)
Neil Patrick Harris, Joshua Henry, Rose Hemingway (singing, always singing)
Ciarán Hinds (I literally swooned when I passed him on the street)

Allison Janney (not in a musical), Frances McDormand
Janet McTeer, Jonny Lee Miller, Karl Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Carey Mulligan, Lee Pace, Rebecca Naomi Jones
Eddie Redmayne, Linus Roache, Mark Rylance
Bryce Ryness, Stark Sands, Stephen Spinella
Bobby Steggert (sad I missed Ragtime and A Minister's Wife)
Alan Tudyk, (Aaron Tveit, as long as he sings)
Frederick Weller, Bradley Whitford, Patrick Wilson

Now, imagine how long the list would be if I hadn't already seen all the people below! (Multiple shows but not multiple performances of the same show are noted.) These are in no sane, reasonable order.