I don’t have a subscription to any theaters because I like to pick and choose (waiting to see reviews first if possible) and it’s always possible to get a ticket if you’re flexible. My schedule is and I take Pilates.

It won’t come as a shock that all four shows I saw in 2017 in the Broadway in Chicago series were musicals, though the list may seem peculiar – Something Rotten, Aladdin, An American in Paris, and the pre Broadway opening of Escape to Margaritaville (which did not receive the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for drama).

Something Rotten was only here for a two-week run. I had some hesitation about seeing it here because my experience seeing it in New York seemed unbeatable. I had blown out of a reception and purchased a last minute ticket at the Times Square discount TKTS booth and arrived at my seat less than ten minutes before curtain. And what a seat – seventh row center, and with an empty seat next to me. And Christian Borle, who won a Tony for his role, was playing Shakespeare in his next to last performance. Great show – in my top five all-time. But I digress (as always). I also loved the Chicago production.

Aladdin brought a constant smile to my face. Tap dancing and the show stopping Friend Like Me. I have a friend who wouldn’t go to the show with me because she doesn’t think much of Disney shows – big mistake. (She has since softened her opinion, but that’s for another time.)

I agreed to see An American in Paris even though I wasn’t interested in doing so, and I didn’t like it. I found the book of the show to be inconsistent and the attempts at humor unfunny. The ballet numbers were beautiful, but, you know, not tap dancing.

I went to Escape to Margaritaville with a friend as a lark. My expectations were low and were met. But, I have to admit, I caught myself smiling. Good enough for me.