…without leaving your seat at The New Victory Theater!
by Waverly W., 10 years old
The Mom here! I will say it again – we see tons of Broadway shows, but seeing a show at New Victory Theater is definitely one of my favorite places to go! It’s stunningly beautiful, super easy to get to from pretty much anywhere, and they continuously offer high-quality shows that are surprisingly affordable. Win-win-win! That’s why on a cold, gray rainy Sunday that also happened to be Mother’s Day, we knew that a trip “around the world” would not disappoint. So we hopped on the Q train and 15 minutes later arrived at the theater, ready to be transported….around the world!
Waverly here! The day was definitely miserable outside, but it was a perfect day to escape and see Around The World in 80 Days. My mom and I love slapstick and “British Humor” so we knew this would be a great way to spend an afternoon together. And even though it was only two hours long, we felt like we had really traveled far away! The story is about how Phileas Fogg and his silly sidekick, Passepartout (don’t worry, you’re not the only one who can’t pronounce his name!), have to travel around the entire world in 80 days, or Phileas will lose his fortune. Somehow, this group of 8 actors take the audience to 8 countries by taking many trains and boats…and even an elephant!! And the actors become so many different people during the show, you will not believe it!

The music, the lights, the costumes, and the actors’ accents all make it really seem like you are going around the world with them! There are many surprises, some funny audience interaction parts, and the funniest and coolest fight scenes you have ever seen, guaranteed!

Do they make it in time? Of course I can’t tell you that – but I can tell you that you will be on the edge of your seat…and you will definitely not believe the ending! This was an awesome show with an awesome cast!
Speaking of the AWESOME CAST…I was lucky enough to Kid-Terview three of them, check out our Q and A below!! They have some really interesting things to sway…I mean say….
Wow – what an amazing show! We felt like we actually went all around the world with you! How much time did you guys have to learn all those parts and learn how to dance and fight like that? Andrew Pollard (Phileas Fogg): When we originally did the show we had around four weeks rehearsal. When we re-staged it for coming here we had just one week! Stefan Ruiz (Understudy who plays lots of parts!): This time round we only had six days of rehearsals, but we had all done the show before & for the last tour we were given three weeks to rehearse and get everything perfect. Speaking of the fight scenes, those were my favorite! How did you prepare for those? I’ve seen lots of fight scenes, but never anything as amazing as those! AP: Working alongside a movement choreographer, Beverley Edmunds. And borrowing from martial arts films. The “distance” fighting was conceived because the show originally began its life in a “theater in the round” and having distance between opponents is the best way for a lot of people to see the action in a round setting It was so funny when you guys were swaying side to side to make it seem like you were on a real ship! Everyone had absolutely perfect timing. How did you guys do that? Did you get dizzy? AP: We have a designated “sway monitor” in each scene who keeps the timing – then the others constantly check with that person and follow their speed. There were so many characters (125, to be exact!) from so many different places in the play, but only 8 of you! Amazing! What would you say was the most challenging part of having such a small cast act as such a large group of people? AP: The amount of prep work needed backstage to facilitate all the costume changes is a lot! I always say you could sell tickets to see how the show works backstage! Finish this sentence: Kids should see Around the World in 80 Days because…. (AP): it will stretch their imaginations and tickle their funny bones – and they can bring their parents who will have just as good a time! |
Thanks, guys, all of you put a smile on our faces, that’s for sure! Now it’s time to go around the world in 80 days, all without leaving your seat at The New Victory Theater!

Around The World in 80 Days only plays until May 19th — hurry up, time’s running out!
Get your tickets here: New Victory Theater
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