Review - RENT - 10/7/07

RENT

Nederlander Theatre

10/7/07 - 7:00 pm

This days seemed like it would never get here, but then seemed to come way too soon once it arrived. The last performance of Adam & Anthony in RENT (well so they say right now at least, lol, never rule anything out!). The theater was packed, and it was odd knowing so many people there. Everywhere I turned was a familiar face, whether I knew them personally or not. It really helped set to mood to see so many other exciting faces.

When Adam & Anthony first came out onto stage there was a few minute deafening standing ovation. It was so sweet to see them fighting back emotions, but I totally felt bad for how awkward it must have been. The show itself can't really be commented on any further than I already have in the last three reviews. They were just down right amazing. Performances that left me, of all people, speechless. The only difference in the flawless performance was the obvious emotional effect from it being the last show. A lot of added hugging, joking, and lots of tears. And I think for the first time ever, they had cast members bow by themselves. Usually it is a strict ensemble piece with no one being more important than the other. Well after the first cast bow, Adam & Anthony came out by themselves to more deafening cheering. They hugged and cried, and it was a really sweet moment I am glad I got to witness.

I am unlike others in my thinking of the future. I am so happy and blessed to have witnessed this return, having never seen the OBC in the mid 90's, and being a large fan of Adam's. But I don't feel like it is the close to my RENT chapter. I don't think anyone can live up to this, but I want to see them try. I want to eventually see the new Roger/Mark combo, and even if they suck, see the new interpretation.

Another interesting tidbit was that Christopher Hanke was sitting two rows ahead of me at the performance. Chris is the former Mark that left when Anthony returned. I unfortunately never caught his performance but I heard many good things about it. I couldn't help but study his reactions to the performance. I would love to know what was going on in his mind. Here he is watching the original play the part, two months after that was him on stage. At points in the show he was cheering probably the loudest in the audience, which was really cool to see him still care about the show/cast. I think experiences like this, and seeing the real Jerry at the closing performance of Grey Gardens, are my favorite parts of theater experience. It makes it real.

I had only seen RENT live once before this summer, and it was already deeply embedded into my heart, flaws and all. Now I saw it four (suprisingly only four, I am proud of myself) more times in two months, and I still love it as much if not more. Now though I can go back to seeing other shows.

Thank you boys for many great memories!

Oh and to comment on a few cast changes: Rodney Hicks as Benny is a great addition. D'Monroe grew on me by the third performance, but he was too rushed. Rodney adds a great fresh breath and more toned down approach to the role. Tonya Dixon is back in the role of Joanne. Maybe if I had seen her before Merle I would have enjoyed it more, but that role is forever tainted by Merle's amazingness! She wasn't bad, but no Merle. Troy Horne added a bit more to my Collins appreciation since the last time as well.

Review - Speech & Debate - 10/7/07

Speech & Debate

Black Box Theatre

10/7/07 – 2:30 pm

Speech & Debate was the introductory show for the new “Roundabout Underground” initiative. The goal is to “cultivate new works by emerging playwrights by giving them the opportunity to debut their plays as full scale productions the nurturing environment…”, as per the program. I didn’t know anything about the show, but was looking for something to do while waiting to see RENT in the evening.

You enter the theater via elevator and walk into a funky trendy lobby area. It has a small snack stand, a few couches, and tables. The theater itself is just a simple room. There are about 65 office type chairs assembled in rows and an aisle down the middle. There is no stage and the set is just a few feet away from you. Definitely an adjustment from seeing shows in large broadway houses. It was a simple classroom setting. It is a 4 person cast, and all scene changes are used with the same props, similar to how the tables in RENT are used for various scenes.

Essentially, the show is about a few different themes such as sexual abuse, personal acceptance, and social acceptance. It is the typical teen angst type show. There are three main students and an adult who serves as the teacher and reporter. The show starts showing a mock AIM conversation between the teenager on stage (later learned to be Howie played by Gideon Glick of Spring Awakening fame) and an obviously older man, trying to solicit a get together. Soloman is an uptight wannabe journalist. He starts out by vehemently trying to convince the student advisor to let him write on controversial issues such as abortion, and the recent scandal of the mayor propositioning young boys. He is turned down and seeks other avenues. Diwata is a teenage thespian who has a pod cast for her drunken gripes. Sarah Steele is definitely an up and comer after seeing this performance.

All three characters are strangers and have their own personal problem/agendas, but come together with the common goal of getting out the story of their predator drama teacher. While each is using it as personal gain, they end up caring for each others plights. They definitely tackle some common but still taboo topics, which is brave.

The show itself was very good for being a first production. It runs about two hours with no intermission. My body was achy and I want to stand by the middle, so an intermission is needed, but I can’t picture where they can safely stop the show for it, without taking you too far out of the story. But other than the achy feelings, I didn’t realize I was sitting there for two hours. It kept my attention. I can see some areas definitely needing work, but like I said, for a first time production it was very good. I hope it continues to be developed and moves ahead, along with the cast who were superb. I also look forward to seeing other initiatives from the Roundabout Underground program.

Review - Curtains - 9/21/07

Curtains

Al Hirschfeld Theatre

9/21/2007 – 8:00 PM

Curtains is a good old fashioned style feel good musical. Essentially a musical type “Clue” set backstage at an out of town musical tryout in the 1950’s. Lots of simple yet catchy songs with big chorus dance numbers. I have seen a lot of good shows recently, but this just made me smile like a child seeing something flashy. The story is very captivating and light hearted. A great evening out.

Disastrous leading lady Jessica Cranshaw is killed during curtain calls of ‘Robbin’ Hood”, and all cast members are locked in while a Boston detective tries to figure out who the murder is. Along the way, he helps the cast members rewrite and rework the show from a flop into a hit. And a lot more stuff, obviously but that would be giving too much away.

Debra Monk is a force to be reckoned with as Carmen Bernstein, the producer. She completely commands the stage. I think it is part due to her fame and past stage successes, but it is also that this role IS her! Karen Ziemba, playing Georgia Hendricks the song writer turned leading lady, is also a great talent. I have heard plenty of her dancing abilities, but she definitely wowed the audience during numbers like “Thataway”. It is especially impressive because she isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore, but she still nailed it.

Aaron Fox, composer, was played by Jason Danieley, and he has a new fan in me. I came back and sought out his solo work because his classic broadway tenor voice was beautiful. I listen to “I Miss the Music” on the cast recording but it doesn’t live up to the emotional live performance. I know the song has a double meaning with the relationship of Kander & Ebb (the Composer/Lyricist of the show itself), which made it that much more touching. The rest of the supporting cast was also talented and brought a lot to the show. Only character I wasn’t overly thrilled with was Jill Paice as Niki Harris, the ingénue. I’m sure it was meant to be played like this, but I always want to take a shotgun to the naïve damsel in distress characters. Plus, oy, that high pitched voice was giving me a headache!

David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Frasier) is considered the ultimate star of the show, and he lived up to it. He played Lieutenant Frank Coffi, the detective in charge of the investigation and a budding thespian. His numbers are cute and his character is played with the right mixture of innocence and intelligence. His dance number is “A Tough Act to Follow” was very impressive.

I hopefully will get the chance to catch this show again. The material is good enough, in my opinion, to last on broadway a bit longer, but it all depends on how the eventual replacements of Pierce and Monk do. I sat in center front mezzanine and they were great seats. Not great leg room, but better then some other theaters. This is a big ensemble piece so sitting a bit further back helps you take in everything.

Review - Legally Blonde: The Musical - 9/18/2007

Legally Blonde: The Musical

Palace Theatre

9/18/2007 8:00pm

This outing started out more as a joke, but turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I saw the press release about free tickets to the MTV taping of a live Legally Blonde performance. I submitted an e-mail for me and a friend just for giggles, and we got tickets. They were in the upper right balcony which is essentially miles from the stage, but it was free. Having adored the movie, I always had the urge to see the musical but I part scared me away. So couldn’t beat a free chance.

One of the stipulations of the free tickets was we had to dress in pink, which sucked, but we soldiered forward. They had set up a “pink carpet” for arrivals of D-rated celebrities, and had the crowd stand outside almost taking over that corner of Times Square. A sea of pink, screaming, attention wanting fan girls and boys, I almost wanted to run for the hills. We finally entered and was instructed by a cute chorus boy for pre planned crowd shots, expected at a taping. We were in the country Balcony, so it really didn’t mean anything for us.

The show itself is very flawed and rushes the story way to fast. Even If I had never seen the movie, I still would feel it was rushed. But the supporting cast made up for all of that with their performances. The Greek Chorus - Serena (Tracy Jai Edwards), Margot (Annaleigh Ashford), and Pilar (Asmeret Ghebremichael) were my favorites. They were completely perky and fun throughout the show. The characters in the movie actually annoyed me to no end, but they rocked the musical.

Richard H. Blake was cute as Warner played like a boy band member. Orfeh as Paulette was a real delight. I had never understood the fascination with her, but then she started singing and I was a believer. But no matter how great she sounded it was not the voice I imagined for the role of Paulette though. “Ireland” was a cute song, but didn’t thrill me. Andy Karl was obviously adorable as Kyle the UPS guy. Knowing they are married in real life made it that much cuter.

As for the lead, Laura Bell Bundy, she ruined the show for me. Don’t get me wrong, I respect the talent to get up there and sing and dance 8 times a week, etc. I could never dream of doing that, but she just didn’t do it for me. She tried too hard for a valley girl type voice and it sounded way too nasally. Plus, I didn’t feel anything for her character. I just wanted her to shut up and let everyone else talk. The very essence of the Elle character is being very strong willed and confident, and I just felt like she whined about everything. I gave consideration to the thought that this could be that they gave too much importance and character to the Greek Chorus, but still didn’t convince myself. She and Emmett (Christian Borle) had no romantic chemistry, which is a big part of the show. Christian was adorable given the material given to him.

During the show itself my eyebrow was raised many times in a “Really? I have to endure more of this?” fashion. “There! Right! There!” was pointless and borderline offensive. The gay pool boy scene in the movie was critical but very quick. There have drawn it out into a whole song with many stereotypes. Many shows have songs like that that are praised, but this was obviously going just for cheap laughs. By the end of the show, I felt a bit better just being happy with the actual performances. Whipped Into Shape” was impressively choreographed with a dance number done with jump ropes.

I waited a few days and listened to the cast recording and it grew on me, but I still won’t go gushing praises or anything. I may consider going back again if there is an understudy for Elle, but I won’t put it on the top of my To See list. But it was a fun, light show, so if that is what you are in the mood for, it can be enjoyable.

Review - Les Miserables - 8/29/07

Les Miserables
Broadhurst Theatre
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 2:00pm

I was fortunate enough to have seen Les Miserables twice during it's original broadway run (1997 & 1999 I believe). Unfortunately, I don't remember too many specifics from those trips, but I do remember being in complete awe each time. "On My Own" can still make me tear up when listening to it. So when the revival opened I was interested in revisiting the show again, but now it a hurry, especially since the "limited engagement" has been extended with no end in sight.

A friend finally returned home to NYC and we decided to try student rush for a Wednesday matinee. We got decent left mezzanine seats. I was in shock over how small the theater is. That is a positive in the sense that anywhere you sit is a good seat, but bad because a production like Les Mis should be big! Honestly, I felt like I was watching a local community production. Don't get me wrong 90% of the actors were amazing, but the show was just, small. Maybe it was just because I was young, but the show always seemed massive and grand to me. This was like a few people and a couple of props.

The music was as beautiful as always, even though musically challenged as I am I could tell half the orchestra wasn't real. "Do Your Hear the People Sing" and "One Day More" still gave me goosebumps.

Drew Sarich gave a very impressive performance as Jean Valjean. His acting was excellent, and the slow but big transformation between ages was comical but still believable. His voice was beautiful and it didn't seem like he was straining to hit any notes. His "Bring Him Home" was fantastic. I had heard good things about him before hand and I will definitely look into his other works.

I would have loved to see Norm Lewis as Javert, but Robert Hunt did not disappoint. However, the staging for the suicide was stupid. Nikki Renee Daniels was on as Fantine and has an angelic voice. I was not disappointed one bit that Lea Salonga was not there. However, Idara Victor was horrible in the role of Cosette. I never really cared for the character, but her singing actually made me like it less. I don't know if she was nervous or what, but yikes. Megan McGinnis was impressive at Eponine, except during On My Own. Her voice was very generic and all she did was stand there in the middle of an empty set. As much as I love the song, I had trouble paying attention. Her and Adam Jacobs were wonderful in "A Little Fall of Rain". Adam really impressed me, and I totally swooned during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". The rest of the cast was good, but nothing really stood out for me.

If you for some reason have never seen the show at all, this production is definitely worth checking out. But if you have seen the original production, this may not be up your alley unless you are just having a Les Mis craving and need a quick fix.

Review - RENT - 8/7/07 & 8/25/07

I was blessed with seeing RENT again on 8/7/07 and 8/25/07.

8/7/07

Had Row C Center mezzanine seats, which were better than the prior week, but still high. Not much to comment on the performance that hasn't already been said. If anything they were so much better. They had over a week back in the roles and it showed. The cast really appeared to be gelling together. Stagedoor was still mad so we didn't stay. I don't think Adam came out anyway.

8/25/07
These were the tickets I had bought when they first announced the Adam/Anthony return. 8th row direct center baby! Well worth it! The mezzanine definitely holds it charms, but being so close you get to see the emotions on the actors faces. It was so great. The show as 10x better than 8/7, which was 10x better than 7/31. The entire cast is just on fire. Adam has made Roger come alive with his brooding anger yet vulnerability. Anthony is perfection as Mark. Most importantly, you can tell they are enjoying themselves. I actually stage doored afterwards since the new layout. I got a front spot without rushing and everyone was really cool and calm. D'Monroe (Benny), Nicolette Hart (Maureen), Anthony and Tamyra came out and signed. They were all very nice but you can tell really exhausted, especially Anthony. I was secretly bummed Adam didn't come out, but it's all good. I think he had family in town, and he should get to spend the time with them. Just when I thought I was cool with not seeing the show in September, I want to go back like today! :) Yesterday (8/26) marked exactly 8 years since the first time I saw the show, and it still makes me as giddy as a 12 year old.

Review - RENT - 7/31/07

Warning - VERY long!

RENT

Nederlander Theatre

Tuesday July 31, 2007 – 8:00 pm

I don’t think it came as much of a shock that I was more than excited when the announcement was made. Adam and Anthony are returning to RENT for a six week engagement. This was a dream come true for me. I, along with many others, never thought we would ever see them back on the stage at the Nederlander for anything other than a reunion. But oh what I would have done to have seen it happen. Dreams really do come true.

Well to start, the line was snaked all the way around to 7^th avenue just to get in. Once in, the place was packed, but you could sense the excitement in the room. It felt surreal to be back there, since I hadn’t seen it since 1999 when I was 16. Things have taken a bit of a different view now than they did then. The stage and scenery were more nostalgic than “innovative”, etc. But I will fully admit to resorting to a twelve year old girl and squealing with delight when Adam first walked on the stage, clad in those irresistible plaid pants! The crowd went nuts, but then Anthony walked out and they went even crazier. It was amazing and you could tell they were just soaking it all up. It took me a few seconds to actually believe I was actually seeing it all.

“RENT” was packed with power and angst. I will say this many times, but I swear they sounded like the stepped out of the cast recording, they were THAT on. Adam was jumping on and off things with ease, and just really getting into it, along with the rest of the cast. “One Song Glory” was raw and beautiful. I have heard him sing it at his solo shows, but nothing is like seeing it in its actual context. “Light My Candle” was adorable. He and Tamyra Gray had cute chemistry, but not great. She, however, is incredible, more on that later. They were more hands on than I remember the roles being, but it all worked! Adam did a cute little “shimmy” silly dance move when he sang “I’m Roger” and the crowd ate it up.

I was lucky to see Wilson (the original Angel) when I saw my first performance, and he is definitely someone hard to live up to. Justin Johnston really did a good job trying. He was adorable, heartfelt, and a damn good singer. He nailed “Today 4 U”. When Collins enters in the beginning and throws the items, the bag of bananas slipped through Adam’s hands and went straight to the floor. It was pretty funny, but they just kept going. Troy Horne was a decent Tom Collins, but he took some getting used to. He had the voice, but the acting was a bit odd in the beginning, very dry. “You’ll See” was adorable, but I am not very fond of D’Monroe as Benny, just very blah.

One of the other reasons I rushed to see the show so soon was because on top of Adam and Anthony, Merle Dandridge was returning for a quick stint as Joanne. I missed her when I saw Tarzan and was very upset. She was just as awesome and I expected. I love her take on Joanne best out of all I have seen via youtube, etc. “Tango Maureen” was enjoyable and she and Anthony danced the hell out of it. Tamyra definitely is my favorite Mimi. I wasn’t fond of the look, she was a bit too small and skinny, and really didn’t dig the short hair. In the “Out Tonight” outfit and the hair, it kind of looked like she belonged in Rainbow Brite. Don’t get me wrong, she herself looked amazing, just didn’t fit the show. I would love to have my legs look like that in tight blue leather! However, she wowed me with the vocals. I was never a big fan of Daphne or any others take really. She really made me love it. She rocked out and nailed all of the banister dancing. I was not a fan of the pulling the glitter out of her shirt and releasing it. Since she couldn’t do it from her hair, they should just cut it completely. “Another Day” was emotional. Adam remembered all of his lines, and he and Tamyra really got into it.

“La Vie Boheme” was energetic and spot on. Even Adam actually looked like he was enjoying the beginning dance moves. As an obsessed fan, I couldn’t stop giggling just because it was uncoordinated Adam doing it. I also totally fangirled it when he stripped to the black cut off tank, I will admit it proudly! With Anthony, it felt like I was watching a bootleg from 1996, he was just that perfect - movements, singing, everything! There were some added movements and little things from when I last saw it, especially Adam’s graphic and hilarious motions for “hold an erection on the high holy days”. “I Should Tell You” was touching and mushy. Like stated above, they were very “gropey” during it.

I got all jittery when they came out for Act II and lined up for “Seasons of Love”. It is such simple staging but still just tugs at your heartstrings. However, it was short lived for me because I thought the female soloist just butchered it. It’s similar to people butchering the National Anthem. I don’t understand why people just can’t sing it, but have to add all weird “riffs” (I’m musically challenged) and ruin it. Back to point, I LOVED “Happy New Year”. It was one of three songs I was most excited to see. Adam even nailed the simple little lines I loved (going higher at the end of door in “they padlocked the door”, bad british accent “That’s shaken not stirred”, etc.) Wasn’t too fond of the actress playing Maureen, but she did look really good in the cat suit! “Take Me or Leave Me” was good, but mainly because Merle rocked it. “Without You” started my tear ducts. It was beautifully sung by Tamyra and Adam, and it is the start of Angel’s death. I forgot how “wow” “Contact” was, and “I’ll Cover You(Reprise)” did me in. But I didn’t cry as much as I do when I hear Jesse sing it, sorry. I know I am not supposed to compare, but that is one song that I cannot bare to depart from the original. Troy did it justice for the moment though.

Move on to the moment I was most anticipating, “Goodbye Love”. Amazing! I don’t know how to elaborate on it. It was just perfectly done. I was speechless. And then they kept me that way with “What You Own”. Once again, it was like I was listening to the recording, they were just that on. And it was nice to have new images and get the movie Bon Jovi/Britney Spears video images out of my head! “Your Eyes” was the third song I was looking forward to, and big surprise, I loved it. As much as I love it though, I do still get a sarcastic laugh thinking that he goes and gets his freakin guitar when the chick is sitting there dying, but what can you do! “Finale” was powerful and moving. The projection images were the only things I couldn’t really see from our seats though.

Everyone jumped to their feet the minute the stage went black and cheered passionately through curtain calls. I really like that they bow as a cast, and not one single person gets an individual bow. We went outside and it was pandemonium! People were just swarmed around the barricades. I was just speechless. We had walked down to the corner by 7^th Ave, and when you looked down, it was a mob scene. Cars couldn’t get down the street because everyone flooded out into. Out of no where you heard a roar of screams (Anthony coming out), and it was so loud it stopped everyone walking down 7^th! If they didn’t have egos before, I am sure they have them now! I couldn’t really see but it looked like they were signing and smiling. Once the girls started crying and screaming we made our retreat. I would have loved to have gotten close, but I am not that obsessed that I would brave the mob. People were on top of each others shoulders it was that crazy.

All in all the night was better than I could have imagined. They definitely proved all of the cynics wrong and came back with fury. I am glad to be seeing it again because I was focused solely on Adam tonight, so I really didn’t take in the full show. Now that I have gotten some of it out of my system, I can sit back and enjoy.

A lot of people are saying that RENT should close because it is outdated. Yes, it is no longer 1996, but so what. It isn’t the early 1900’s but you still go to watch Phantom. The underlying themes and messages are still relevant. I honestly can’t see it staying open too much longer, but I hope it still has another year or so left. But Nederlander, please fix up the theater. I love that is mostly decorated to fit the theme, but the cracks in the ceilings and stuff need to go. Ok, I can’t believe how much I just wrote and will stop rambling!

Review - Grey Gardens - 7/29/07 - Closing Performance

Grey Gardens

Walter Kerr Theatre

Sunday July 29, 2007 – 3:00pm

Since the last time I saw this show, I have lived it vicariously through the cast recordings. By doing this, I fell more in love with the show. I was a full on supporter for the Tony wins! So when I heard it was closing, I got sad. I wasn’t going to get a ticket for the closing performance, but I was glad I did. First, let me say that the mezzanine seats are amazing in this theater. I think I will continue to sit up there and not even bother looking for orchestra tickets.

The show itself was as amazing as everyone expected it to be. There is not much more to add from my last review. Each actor was giving 110% and it was very evident. The crowd gave very loud entrance applause when Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole first appeared. John McMartin also got a pretty loud entrance applause, which I don’t think he was expecting.

The crowd went NUTS when Christine came on at the beginning of Act II for “Revolutionary”, full on standing ovation. It had to be a few minutes and she was just so emotional and shocked by it. But once the audience somewhat died , she went on and just killed. All of Act II was pretty flawless. I had the real life “Jerry” sitting a few rows ahead of me. So during scenes like “Jerry Likes My Corn”, I couldn’t stop myself from watching his reactions. He was crying, which made me tear up. You could just tell how much it all meant to him! That was a moment I will never forget. He was also very kind to everyone that went up to him before the show.

The crowd went wild at curtain call. A few directors (I think) came out, and the composer gave a quick speech. Most of the audience was taking pictures, and the people on stage were taking pictures of the audience. It still wasn’t what I was expecting from my first “closing” but it was still amazing. It is so sad that this wonderful piece is not around anymore. It was so different and intriguing. But then again, I honestly couldn’t see myself seeing it once they start with replacements. Christine’s performance was so layered and breathtaking, I don’t think I would want to replace that image in my mind.

Review - GYPSY - 7/20/07

Gypsy

NY City Center

Friday July 20, 2007 – 8:00 pm

I will admit to being a very bad theater lover. I had no real idea about Gypsy or Patti Lupone until about two weeks or so before I saw this. Yes, I am hanging my head in shame. I finally sat down and watched the original movie and fell in love. The songs, plot, performances were captivating. Then I heard all the hype and reviews regarding this performance, and really got psyched!

I went with a group of friends, and was surprised to find out that I had second row center orchestra seats. It was indescribable. Patti is just a force to be reckoned with. From the moment she entered the theatre the crowd went nuts, and pretty much never stopped!! She just controlled the stage with ease and grace. You could tell she was enjoying being Rose. Boyd Gaines stole my love in Journey’s End, and kept it going. He was great as Herbie. Patti and he had fabulous chemistry in their roles. Laura Benanti was hard to get into at first, but by the second act she had the audience eating out of her hand. I know people have had issues with past performances of hers, but she really nailed this role. And what a gorgeous body!!

The show stealer for me was Leigh Ann Larkin as Dainty June. She had a phenomenal voice that just blew me away. I still have her and Laura’s “If Momma Was Married” going through my head. The playbill said this was her broadway debut, but I am confident this won’t be the last we see of her. At least I hope not. Tony Yazbeck showed off his impeccable dancing in “All I Need Is the Girl”. Nancy Opel, Alison Fraser, and Marilyn Caskey were hilarious as the strippers, they really nailed their scenes.

Patti got a huge standing ovation after “Roses Turn”, but it was like you didn’t have any control. It was so intense that your body just reacted and shot up to cheer! She had to come out a few times at the curtain call because the audience would just not stop.

I have officially been turned on to this show. I have all of the cast recordings and have listened to all of the interpretations! I’m in love!

Review - Chicago - 6/13/2007

Chicago

Ambassador Theatre

Wednesday June 13, 2007

Chicago is supposed to be one of the greatest and most brilliant stage musicals of all time, or something like that, correct? I think I must have seen the wrong show then. Ok, I’m starting out a bit too harsh. Before seeing shows for a second time, I have been trying to catch up on the various ones I have not seen at all. So when I decided to catch a matinee one day, Chicago was high on my “to see” list after hearing so much about it. I saw the movie when it was released on DVD and rather enjoyed it. I should have just stuck with that vision.

I had an 8^th row left orchestra ticket, which was a great seat, but I think I would have been just as fine in the mezzanine. The stage is bare, that is the best way to describe it I guess. They have the orchestra sitting on stage in a riser like thing, which was kind of cool.

The show in itself has an o.k. but somewhat flaky plot, but that’s not what you care about. I did enjoy seeing the dancing “Fosse” moves, and the ensemble really pulled their weight, so did the leads, but I still was not impressed. Joey Lawrence was in his final days as Billy Flynn. He was adorable and did a decent job in the role, but that was only because he was charming. His voice was just enough to pass, but he had a really good stage presence so it made it bearable. Brenda Braxton and Bianca Marroquin were also good as Velma and Roxie. They had decent chemistry and good dance talents. I really think they need to replace or fix those ladders on the side of the stage. I was so fearful they were going to break and the actress was going to fall off. That is never a good feeling.

During scenes like “Razzle Dazzle” was I wrong to expect some razzle dazzle?? Other than some sparse confetti like substances falling from the ceiling, it was so…blah. Same thing was with Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag at the end. I used to sell those sparkly curtains at Party City. It just left me with a very bad taste.

And I finally had my first problem with audience members. I would hear the horror stories, but had yet to really experience it. Well I had the tourists that spoke loudly, sang, kicked chairs, etc. throughout the whole show. People please learn some manners.

The only way I expect to ever go back again is if they get Jesse L. Martin or Adam Pascal as Billy Flynn. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Review - Journey's End - 5/26/2007

Journey’s End

Belasco Theatre

Saturday May 26, 2007 – 8:00pm

In the past year I have been able to see a lot of musicals, but had been lacking in enjoying a play. In my youth I was involved with more plays than musicals, and it was more of where my passion was. I kept telling myself to go see a play, but the glitz and glamour of a lot of the more recent musicals kept my attention. I happened to be going into NYC to meet up with friends and figured I might as well catch a show. I did not know much about Journey’s End except that a lot of people liked and it was closing soon. So I went ahead and booked a ticket. It was probably the best decision I have made all year!

It is true that the subject matter and plot line of this play does not differ from most of the recent war box office movies (Saving Private Ryan, etc.). It focuses on a group of soldiers’ right before an attack, and the bonds, friendship, and internal struggles that ensue. But there is something completely different from watching a movie screen, and seeing it live in front of you. First of all, the stage design, set, and lighting was perfect. Each detail made it believable and brought you that much more into the story. At first I thought the low lighting would put me to sleep, but it really enhanced the mood. The story did drag a bit at points, and without the flash of set changes and lighting tricks, could get dull, but luckily it would quickly redeem itself. The last 20 minutes had me mesmerized. The acting and sound effects blew me away (no pun intended). I also really admire how they did the final bows. I was a little confused at first, but my hands would not stop clapping. I was only in the forth row, and I swear a few actors were fighting back tears. I can’t blame them, because the standing ovation was indescribable. Everyone was on their feet and clapping so hard!

The cast was phenomenal. I just can’t get over it. While Hugh Dancy was very heart felt and easy on the eyes, my favorite was Boyd Gaines. I felt for him from his first scenes.

If you have not seen it yet, GO!!! It is a shame that this production must close, but I am SOOO happy I was able to see it before it does.

Review - Company - 4/21/07

Company

Barrymore Theatre

Saturday April 21, 2007 – 8:00pm

This play was my first real exposure to Sondheim and his works. Of course I have heard about him and his masterpieces many times, but had never actually experienced it. So I figured it was about time.

The story of “Company” is good and well thought out, but left a bit to be desired. I felt for Bobby, but not as much as I think I should have. And I think I felt more for the character because of Raul’s incredible performance. His singing and expressions during “Marry Me a Little” and “Being Alive” was what drew me in. I know many people like Bobby, and just didn’t see what the big deal was. The supporting cast of characters was interesting and unique in their own stories, but once again, I just didn’t connect with them.

The most appealing aspects of this production for me besides the already stated performance by Esparza, was the direction. I actually enjoyed the staging and playing of musical instruments. Not having seen Sweeney Todd, it was an element I had never really seen in a production and intrigued me. I will definitely keep my eye out for future works directed by John Doyle.

The performances were all on and I really have no complaints there. Sometimes the entire score seemed a bit rushed and hard to understand in the mezzanine of the Barrymore Theatre, especially with some actresses singing in high voices. I had never seen Raul perform live and he lived up to all of my expectations. His voice was beautiful. I fully support him for Leading Actor Tony.

Overall, I am very glad I was able to catch this production. I wouldn’t rush back to see it again, but I would like to catch it again before it’s run ends.

Review - Spelling Bee - 3/18/07

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Circle in the Square

Sunday March 18, 2007 – 7:30 PM

This has been a show high on my priority list to see. We tried lotto for this show in January but lost. Well, yesterday, luck finally found me and I won lotto. Having just seen Grey Gardens earlier in the day, this was a complete turn around in style of show, but it was perfect.

To start, I am in love with the actual theater. I love it when I really feel that I am there with the actors and in the story. The theater itself is really interesting as it is not laid out like normal theaters. Add the fact that almost every aspect is set up like a gymnasium, all the way down to the bleacher stple seats we were in, and it was perfect. This is a completely interactive musical, which was so much fun. You just never know what to expect. One minute the characters are on stage, and the next they could be sitting on your lap! I was lucky enough to catch the show as they were hosting a Broadway themed night, having three of the guest spellers be broadway actors Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga, and Raul Esparza. From the moment the show started I was entranced. I do not think I have laughed that hard at a performance, ever. The story plot is just cute and comical, and acted to perfection. The nuisances and quirks of children at a spelling bee would have never been my first idea for a musical, but it was amazing. The original creative team for this show really deserves props!

You can definitely tell that the current cast loves what they are doing because no one looked like they were “phoning in” the performance. I caught some of them laughing at jokes they were not expecting. Greg Stuhr and Lisa Howard really need to go into stand up comedy if they ever decided to leave singing (not that Lisa should, her voice is beautiful!). Nothing brought them out of character, and they reacted so quickly to added unexpected material. I will never understand how Greg makes it through some of those sentences with a straight face! You can also tell that they constantly have to learn new material because it all stays current. As for the spellers, they were adorable. I was originally only excited to see Barrett Foa finally in person, and I was not disappointed. However, I left the show a new fan of Jose Llana. The other characters/actors were very good, but those two took the show for me. They all portrayed the naïve, silly, awkward child so well it was sort of scary, since they are in their mid 20’s and older.

The three actors who were chose to participate in the special themed night did not disappoint. They threw themselves in there amidst the chaos and had a good time. Raul was the first one disqualified, but he was so cute up on stage next to Leaf. His "what the hell" faces while looking at Leaf do odd things were priceless. I do wish he had not gotten out so fast. It was also my first time seeing him in person, and he is quite cute. I can see where people get their high opinions of him. Now I just have to see him act in an actual play. Lea & Brian I was less familiar with but they were great. Totally good sports and really cute. I was really happy I was able to experience this special night.

It is very upsetting to know that some of the cast will be leaving the show soon, because I would love to see them in action again. I can definitely see myself attending this show again and again with new people, and I will definitely be out there spreading the word to make sure that happens. As long as the new cast(s) keep the same type of charisma, the show should still achieve the same success. I will also not miss the next “adult” night, because I can only begin to imagine how enjoyable that can be.

Review - Grey Gardens - 3/18/07

Grey Gardens

Walter Kerr Theatre

Sunday March 18, 2007 – 3:00PM

I did not know much about this musical when going into it. I had read and heard a lot about this show, and more importantly Ms. Ebersole’s performance, so I decided to see what it was all about. I am really glad that I did. I have been trying to catch up on the many shows I have not seen, and all of the different genres I had never experienced. It has been a tiring (and expensive) journey but I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment so far. Even in the shows I may not be crazy about, I have found something to connect too. I was secretly afraid that this would be the show that stopped my success. I was really wrong. It was the type of show I needed to feel like I have been “spreading my wings”. It was a musical, yes, but I don’t think I can compare it to the other ones I have seen. The material and base of the show were very unique and very well executed.

Based off the mid 1970’s documentary about eccentric socialites Edie & Edith Beale, this play is placed in two different eras. The first act (other than Prologue) takes place in 1941 and Act two in 1973. This transition was pulled off seamlessly. The thing I was most afraid of was how the material would translate into song, but it worked nicely. I guess part of it was a little easy since the Beale’s were known for their singing, so some of the songs were the characters actually singing it as part of the show. My only personal complaint was that the show was sung mostly in a high soprano note, which made some of the lyrics hard to understand, but that would be a very minor complaint at best.

From the moment I sat down (Left Mezz Row A – great seats), I began to appreciate the show. Similar to what I liked about Tarzan, the stage was already set, so it helped put you in the right mind frame. For GG, you looked at the exterior of the “mansion”, complete with the vines growing up the side of the stage. Also, they played bird chirping/nature music lightly in the background, to help you feel that you were outside the house. These are the little details that really get me into the show. When the show began, it kept my attention the entire time. In the first act, the material can be related to by mostly anyone (mother/daughter relationships, crazy families, etc.). The sets and costumes set the story nicely. In the second act, I was just mesmerized by the acting of Ebersole/Wilson along with the actual story taking place. My favorite scene would have to be early into the second act when the “ghosts” of the past characters are floating about for brief moments. It was haunting.

There was no weak link in the cast. Ms. Christine Ebersole is a force to be reckoned with. I had heard rambling about her stage presence and talent, but I was blown away. They should not even bother nominating anyone else for the Tony. I don’t even think I can put into words how incredible her performance was. This is by no means my favorite show of all time, even though it does have a high ranking, but I will rate her performance as the best I have ever seen live. Mary Louise Wilson pulled off the fine line between vulnerable old woman and determined strong willed woman in her performance of Older Edith. She tugged at your heart strings out of pity as well as out of compassion, a distinct difference. The other stand out character for me was Matt Cavenaugh. Yes, I have not really seen a show where I wasn’t smitten with one of the male leads, but he was different. Of course he had the good lucks, but his charm really pulled you into the somewhat minor role of Joe Kennedy. I guess it was more that I found that weird but accurate accent appealing. I also really like how the cast played all the other roles in Act Two.

Overall, I am really impressed by this show, and really glad I decided to not be afraid of the unknown and see it. I just don’t know if I can see this becoming a long term show, due to the fact it isn’t for everyone. I think the draw so far has been the good reviews, but mainly Ms. Ebersole, but I could be wrong. If and when Ms. Ebersole leaves, I think a portion of possible new comers might go out with her. Not that I don’t think someone else could do her role justice, but because of marquee power. However, I do hope it has a very healthy run. I don’t think I will see it again soon, unless someone I know invites me, but I do hope to catch it again once I get more shows under my belt. I will definitely be looking forward to the cast recording release.

Review - The Drowsy Chaperone - 3/11/07

The Drowsy Chaperone

Marquis Theatre

Sunday March 11, 2007 – 3:00 pm

Preface: Going into this performance, I only knew basic facts about the show. I had bought the Cast Recording but had only actually listened to a few songs. Along those lines, I also was not very educated in the actors either. Obviously I have heard the names before but have not researched their careers. Of course I had the show on my list of “too see” because a lot of people I trust enjoyed it. When I got the offer for tickets on Bob Martin’s last day, I couldn’t pass it up.

Second Preface: I ended up being very sick during this performance, coming down with a bad case of food poisoning after the show. Therefore, my attention was not quite with the show the entire time. So if I missed something or didn’t “get” something, I apologize in advance, my mind was elsewhere. Having said all of that, let’s continue.

The entire basis of the show interested me. As “cliché” as it sounds there is not a lot of originality on broadway right now. I’m not complaining, but mostly everything is a revival, based of a major movie, etc. So it was really interesting to see some new breath. I’m always interested in movies or books that are about being in the actual movie or book. So this was naturally up my alley. However, it didn’t quite live up to my personal hype.

Set & Costumes:

I loved the simplicity of the set and the fact that they used every inch of it in some way or another. Not much to say about the costumes, but they fit the time period. Man in Chair did really remind me of a creepy Mr. Rodgers though!

Cast

Bob Martin – Man in Chair – The one thing I do agree with everyone on is that Bob is that role. I know he created the entire idea, but it was just him. He is that “strange” uncle everyone has but doesn’t like to talk about! He played the character very enthusiastically and heart felt. What I may have felt was lacking in the plot was made up for in his performance. I have never seen a performance when an actor was leaving, but I have heard stories and seen pictures. Bob not having the second curtain call or big speech, kind o f made me respect him more. Even I knew the kiss on Troy wasn’t planned and was hilarious. I don’t like to type cast, but I don’t know if I can see him in another role!

Georgia Engel – Mrs. Tottendale – Ok, so I was a little bit of a fan girl knowing I was going to see Mrs. McDougal from Raymond. I still didn’t really see the total point of her and Undeling’s role, but I guess that was part of the story, but she did well with what she had. But was it me or was it very hard to hear her? I know part of her charm is her how soft spoken she is but I would think they could’ve raised her mic levels a bit.

Peter Bartlett – Underling - Same as above, he did a good job with what he had to do.

Troy Britton Johnson – Robert Martin – Hello Nurse! He was the epitome of the early 20’s chiseled just perfectly handsome man, but he can sing AND dance too! I don’t know why I have this soft spot for tap dancing. I know nothing about it but it has always fascinated me. So it was wonderful to see that great tap scene between Robert & George. He was also very cute with Sutton.

Eddie Korbich – George – As said above, he is a fabulous tap dancer. He strangely reminds me of one of my fiancée’s best men and I don’t know if that was a positive or negative!

Danny Burstein – Aldolpho – His character is still making me shake my head in confusion, but he pulled it off perfectly. Every time I need to respond to a question with “what” I have this desire to say it like Aldolpho! He and Beth had great chemistry!

Sutton Foster – Janet Van De Graaff – Ok, shoot me if you must, but I don’t see the big deal. Yes, she has a beautiful voice and was adorably naïve in her role, but I don’t know. With how much I hear people talk about her, I was expecting a bit more. I would rather stick the her Chess Benefit performance. She did look absolutely stunning at the end in the white lingerie costume.

Beth Leavel – The Drowsy Chaperone – If I had to pick, she was my favorite from the cast. What a beautiful voice. She also captured the absurdity of the roles perfectly. I was amused when she almost lost it during Bob’s “Happy Birthday to Ewe”.

All other roles were very cute and well done, but nothing to particularly comment on.

I guess I just missed something somewhere in the story line. I definitely will want to re visit one day in the future when I can actually focus on the entire show. I did enjoy the black out scenes and a lot of the staging. The entire show was very light and upbeat, which is sometimes just what you need, pure entertainment without too much thought.

Review - Wicked Tour - 3/3/07

Wicked Tour

Tampa Bay Performing Art Center

Yes , I live 25 minutes from NYC and I went to Tampa, FL to see Wicked. I got see the show with my Step Mother who had seen the tour the last time it was there also. We had wonderful seats (Orch Row M). I believe what others said about sitting a bit back from the stage is much better. I had listened to the cast recording and seen promotional clips of the show previously. I had also read the book, so I was pretty prepared going in.

To start, the theater was just beautiful. Much different from most of the theaters I had been in lately, more grand instead of historic and rustic. Although with the amount of souvenirs being sold I thought I was at a rock concert or something. The store outside the theater had some very interesting old tour promotional materials and such.

Sets

I have never actually seen the broadway production yet but I would believe it was along the same scale. I think it was well done and really helped set the mood of the show. Same with the costumes.

Cast:

Christina DeCicco – Glinda – Very bubbly, very giddy, very energetic, perfect for the role of Glinda. She had a beautiful voice. Personally, I loved this role beforehand because I loved Cheno’s vocal range ability to go from regular to operatic sounding so gracefully (please remember I have no vocal/singing knowledge so I don’t know technical terms). I think Christina did a wonderful job with it and threw in little things that made it her own. She was also the spitting image of what I think of when I think of Glinda. Her “Popular” was very funny but a bit rushed and just a tad over the top. My favorite Glinda song going in was “Thank Goodness” and she made me proud. She and Victoria had very good chemistry so it helped the story flow tremendously. I can not imagine seeing and enjoying this show if the Glinda/Elphie pair do not have a good repore.

Victoria Matlock – Elphaba – I would imagine it must be very hard to play this role knowing that most “first timers” are comparing you to Idina and her style. I like Idina, don’t get me wrong, but I believe all the belting/screaming wasn’t as mesmerizing as some do. Victoria took a few lines to come out of her shell in “The Wizard & I” but once she did, she was on. Very different in a broad comparison, as Victoria “sang” mostly everything and I really enjoyed it. She seemed more angry than I would’ve thought necessary in the beginning, but it eventually gave way to superb acting. Of course I was looking forward to “Defying Gravity” and she nailed it. I didn’t gasp and cry like others did at the end of the song, but it had nice effects and good singing. She really shined in the second act, and her “No Good Deed” was phenomenal. Very well sung and not over acted. Luckily, “For Good” was sang and acted at the right level of emotion (I have seen clips where there was just too much damn sap and emotion portrayed and ruined the scene), that it was very enjoyable. I hope she gets to play the role on broadway one day, I will definitely go see it.

Cliffton Hall – Fiyero - I was a little skeptical of this role going in. Even though Fiyero is not the main main character, without the correct level of suave charming appeal in the character portrayal the story lacks something important. Cliffton did not disappoint. While they didn’t look a like, he reminded me a lot of Norbert, who I adore, so it really helped my attention span! His ‘Dancing Through Life” was very enjoyable thanks to his charisma and charming voice. He was also a good dancer, so it didn’t seem forced like some. He grabbed heartstrings in “I’m Not That Girl” scenes and was very sexy in “As Long As You Are Mine”. I noticed in the playbill that he is married to the actress who played Nessarose, so is this a role requirement or new trend (reference – Norbert & Michele)? =)

All the other roles were all well acted and sung but no one “popped” out for me. Is it me or does a lot of the chorus song parts have way too loud shrieking? I always noticed it at the very end of the show with the final “Wicked” notes, which are VERY high pitched and borderline annoying. But it seemed to translate over to most of the chorus parts. Maybe it was always there and I just never noticed it, but I did during the show and I kind of winced a few times. No big deal, just wondering.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. It was really nice to finally have some closure to open issues in my mind of how some songs were acted out, etc. I didn’t get out all of the emotional impact I expected to, but that could just be from my prior exposure to the show and its music, who knows. I still am very happy I saw it. I’m not going to rush and see it this month, but I do hope to catch it on the Broadway stage sometime this year and see if I have

Review - Tarzan - 2/11/07

Warning: This is a long one, but I'm actually quite proud of it.

Tarzan

Richard Rodger Theatre

2/11/07 – 6:30pm

Preface: When Tarzan first came out I listened to peoples reviews and stayed away. I didn’t bother booking tickets or buying the cast recording. When other people asked me I told them that I heard horrible reviews and I didn’t plan on wasting my time. A month or so later while downloading other cast albums I decided “what the hell”, and downloaded the Tarzan OBC. It took me a few more weeks and then I decided to pop it in. The rest is history. I absolutely fell in love with Josh’s voice, loved the songs, and tried to ignore everyone’s reviews. So I booked tickets and waited patiently.

I was a little disappointed when I arrived at the theater to a list of four understudies, but all fears were soon put aside. We had seats Orchestra Row E, left, a few seats in. Obviously Center would have been better, but these seats were awesome. I don’t know what it is like sitting in the mezz, but sitting so close and seeing the actors faces and expressions really brought the show to a new level for me. I sat in awe the entire show because I was in love. Now, don’t get me wrong, the show has some obvious faults, but none of them bothered me.

People may think I am naïve because I haven’t seen many plays yet. Maybe people see that it’s Disney and that if they are going to be such a colossal figure on Broadway, it should be much better. I don’t see it that way at all. I didn’t look at it as “Disney” or this or that, I took it for what it was. I think that we as Broadway fanatics have become spoiled. Five years ago this show would be coveted, but because so many shows have such large scale special effects, etc., that we are harder to please. By no means am I saying this is an altogether bad thing. As our society ages, that is what all things must do, grow , adapt, re market, and continuously stay one step ahead of the competition. And now a days staying ahead of the completion requires pushing the boundaries and never ending technological advancements. Anyways, back to point.

Cast:

Darrin Baker (u/s) – Kerchak – I wasn’t attached to Shuler so I didn’t mind an understudy for this position, even thought I was psyched at thinking I was going to see a complete original cast for the first time. He was very good, and his voice very similar to Shuler. The only thing was that “No Other Way” was staged and sung a little too much like a ballad. He just seemed to stay in one spot of the stage to often facing the audience with his arms reached out. He had good chemistry with Kala. I will admit his little “ape sign off” we call it was a little comical. I didn’t mind the ape sounds or anything, but his was just quirky.

Andrea Dora (u/s) – Kala – I really wanted to see Merle Dandrige in this role, so I was a little disappointed at first. “You’ll Be in my Heart” was ok, but there was just something slightly off (my mind always resorting to cast recording, bad habit I know), which made me worry. However, she grew on me as the night went on. She was adorable with young Tarzan and also had good chemistry with Josh.

Alex Rutherford – Young Tarzan – Cute. Very cute!

Chester Gregory – Terk – Oh my, he was too adorable. I just wanted to go pinch his cheeks! He has an amazing voice and is very funny. “Who Better Than Me (Reprise)” still remains one of my favorite songs of the whole show. My only complaint was with “Trashin’ the Camp”, and it didn’t really have to do with him per say, but I was expecting something staged a little more elaborate. It was still good though.

Josh Strickland – Tarzan – Love, Love, Love, Love Josh!!!! When I first heard the OBC, the thing that made me listen again and again was Josh’s voice. It was intoxicating, than I happened to see a picture and well yeah, no need to say anything more. He was absolutely adorable as Tarzan. It was a little weird that all he did was grunt and the break out into eloquent song, but I’m just OCD like that. I really wish he was able to have actual lines. He had great interaction with each actor/actress. His voice was even better live than on the OBC in my opinion. His “Everything That I Am” took my breath away.

Jenn Gamatese – Jane Porter – I had never seen her work before, but she was brilliant. She had great comedic timing and a beautiful voice.

The rest of the cast was amazing as well. I had understudies for Mr. Clayton (he looked quite like Peter Facinelli) & Snipes.

Set – I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Yes it’s a lot of green, but it didn’t bother me. The opening sequence was great, along with the night scene in “Strangers Like Me” and the forest scene at the end when they meet the Gorilla families. Maybe it’s because my favorite color is green to begin with, who knows. I absolutely loved how they did all of the scenes with the leopard (panther? I don’t remember which cat it was exactly), esp. the end battle with Tarzan and the red glow.

“Waiting for this Moment” was staged beautifully. One of my favorite aspects of the show was the audience interaction, and the butterfly in this scene was exquisite. But at the end, it was quite strange when the plants were feeling her up! I am terrified of anything related to spiders, so I could have done without that scene personally.

Going with the scenes that I wasn’t expecting (plants feeling her up), I was shocked at that first scenes between Tarzan and Jane. It was hilarious and played perfectly by Jenn but for a show that was aimed at children they really focused on Tarzan’s manhood a lot!

Many people’s major complaints about the show was the vines/harnesses. I don’t know if maybe they have cleaned it up a bit, but I didn’t see anything that was too distracting. I mean, it’s a live Broadway show not a movie, some things you cannot get around to arrive at the effect one is seeking. I really only noticed obvious hooking of harnesses in a few scenes. Otherwise, too me, it was not as annoying as people made it out to be.

Which brings up the costumes, obviously I loved Tarzan’s costume, but I thought the gorillas were great. I liked that they still resembled humans. Blame it on my sophomore English II Honors teacher, Mrs. Dellanno. She made us relentlessly look for symbolism in every book we read (I love One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest, but I can never look at in the same way again!), so that is what my mind automatically defaults to when watching things. Seeing the human aspects of the characters helped bridge the feelings that they were really a family. Plus full ape suits probably would have been hard to maneuver in! But I’m also weird.

I may have not seen a lot of musicals in my lifetime so far, but I’ve seen a lot in the last 6 months, and none of them had this effect on me. I really liked them, but it wasn’t the same. I will honestly say it rivaled the emotional effects of Rent and Les Miserables when I saw them in my teenage years, and those emotions I had then led me to continue my love of theatre.

Review - The Producers - 1/27/07

The Producers – 8:00 pm

After Juniors, we attempted to do Lotto for the first time. First we went to Avenue Q and lost. Then we walked over to Spelling Bee and lost. We were going to give up and just head back, but then walked past TKTS. We had never done it before either, but were still undecided. So we continued walking, just to decide that since we were in NYC already, we might as well just do it. At 7:30pm, we walked right up to the window (not much of a line surprisingly) and got left Mezz tickets to The Producers. So after all of that, we ended up right back on 44^th Street.

Preface:

We are big Mel Brooks fans, so we had wanted to see this for awhile, just never got off our butts to do it. We saw the most recent movie (with Lane & Broderick) and laughing so hard we were crying.

Cast:

Tony Danza (Max Bialystock) - I’m torn about this. Tony is definitely not who I think about when thinking Max. He also did not help this fact during the show, however, he did put 100% into the roll it just wasn’t him. His singing was good and his acting was there, so I definitely give him an A+ for effort. I thought it was going to be a sinking ship after the opening number, but he did improve. I think anyone had tough shoes to fill after Lane left, but Tony’s Italian accent and low voice were tough to ignore.

Hunter Foster (Leo Bloom) – I was upset when Roger Bart shortened his original time in the role last week. I had really wanted to see him play Leo, because I just adored his Carmen! I had also never really heard much about Hunter, other than that he was Sutton’s brother and Seymour in Little Shop revival. He blew me away as Leo. It was like he was born to play that role. He has a beautiful voice and his acting/timing was perfect. He perfected every little quirk and look of the character. I had liked Broderick’s portrayal in the movie, but Foster trumped it. His reactions in “Keep it Gay” were hilarious and probably my favorite moments of the entire play.

Bill Nolte (Franz Liebkind) – Great job as Franz. “Der Guten Tag Hop Clop” was very funny and well done. “Haben Sie…..” was well done also, but I think could have been done just a bit better. I love the birds!!!

Brad Musgrove (Carmen Ghia) – Hysterically funny! I would have loved to see Bart in this role, but wow, Brad knocked it out of the park. Every look and gesture had the audience cracking up. He also looks really good in those tight black pants!

Lee Roy Reams ( Roger Debris) – Perfect in the role, don’t know what else to say.

Angie Schworer (Ulla) – Is Ulla’s accent supposed to be that annoying? She had a very pretty voice, and obviously is a beautiful woman, but that accent just killed the role. I just don’t know if it was her doing it, or the role actually required it. Everything she said was SOOO slow, and threw off the scene a little bit. Also, I know I will be shot for saying this, but I actually preferred Uma Thurman’s “When You Got It, Flaunt It” in the movie, it just had more oomph and pizzazz that what I saw last night.

Chorus, etc. – All did nice jobs.

The sets were great. I LOVED how they did “I Wanna be a Producer”. Foster rocked the song, and I loved the staging!

Seating wasn’t bad either. We were in left Mezz, and since it wasn’t sold out everyone spread out and we were comfortable. Several rows in the Mezz section were completely empty, which definitely makes me believe this will be closing soon. I hope to see it again before it closes with a real Max.

Stage Door – I really wanted to meet and get my playbill signed by Hunter after his performance. So we waited and got right up to the barricade thing. Now I know Tony has been around for a while but is he really THAT big of a star? They put the barricades right up to the car door that was waiting for him. So we waited and waited. It started raining, and we still waited. Franz & Ulla actors just walked right out of the stage door and into the street. Then, like lightning, Hunter came out and sped away. No one even realized he went by until I got all pouty. I would’ve just left then if I hadn’t waited so freakin long already. Tony finally came out escorted (really, you need to be escorted??), and started signing the playbills. He said he wouldn’t take pictures with you but you could take them of him (that kind of rubbed me the wrong way). He was very nice to all and signed for everyone I think. But is that normal that only 1 cast member signs and everyone else takes off? I was really disappointed!

I'm really glad we decided to do all the lottos/shows/stage doors, but I was very tired by the end of the day. I hope to do 2 shows in a day again, but not too often, at least not with out pre purchased tickets.

Review - Spamalot - 1/27/07

Spamalot

1/27/07 – 2:00pm

I never realized how many theatres were actually on 44^th street. It was a sight to behold when just standing there taking it in, which we had plenty of time to do waiting to get in! We had front balcony right seats (Playbill discount – booked a few months ago). They were not bad seats at all, except for the abnormally tall guy sitting directly in my view of stage center! But I do think that theater had the least amount of leg room out of all my visits so far.

Preface:

We are big Monty Python fans, so we have wanted to see this show for so long. I think I watched Holy Grail with my dad for the first time when I was 5 or 6, so you can get the picture. Chris fit in the family well when at his first Thanksgiving he started the whole table into reciting quotes! I could start a whole new blog post on the differences, good or bad, between the play and movie, but this is about the play.

Set: I loved it all! Very well done and kept in style with the original. However, we had heard a while ago that they did something with the llama credits, but didn’t see anything on our visit.

Costumes: Once again, very nice. I don’t know how you could really screw it up, but they didn’t.

Cast:

Jonathan Hadary (King Aurthur) – Job well done but he was quite a blah player in comparison to the rest of the cast. Now I’m not sure if the part was written like that, but I would have thought he would be the spotlight player. He was always on stage and had many songs, but everything sounded the same!

Marin Mazzie (Lady of the Lake) – I didn’t really like this part. At first it wasn’t too bad, but in the second act, the character was shoved in there. Marin had an amazing voice, and did a good job with the character I just didn’t find the point of it. However, for the straight male gender, be sure to sit in the balcony because the cleavage shots were very visible from up there. She is very well endowed and I don’t know how she stayed in those costumes!

Tom Deckman (Historian, Not Dead Fred, Prince Herbert, etc.) – He was amazing. Every character he played were spitting images of the movie version, esp. Prince Herbert.

David Hibbard (Patsy) - He was the show for me. His character performance made me laugh and smile the most. He had amazing comedic timing and reacted well with every other character. Patsy is not usually the main character, but he shined here!

Martin Moran (Sir Robin) – He reminds me of someone, and all night I thought and could not remember who. His character was well developed and he preformed well. “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” was well sung, but I did not exactly think it needed to be in the show. I personally wasn’t offended, but I could see how someone was. They could have found a different angle.

Rick Holmes (Lancelot, French Taunter, Knight of Ni, Tim the Enchanter) – He played ALL of my favorite characters, and he did it VERY well!!! Loved him. His French Taunter had me in absolute hysterics. Some of his new lines for the part were awesome. I can’t believe they actually went that far and stated the obvious about the Lancelot character! Once again, something in theory they didn’t need, but it was well done. What a cutie he is!

Lewis Cleale (Galahad, Prince Herbert’s Father, Black Night) – Cleale did a very nice job. He nailed the Mud Village scene and made every Holy Grail fan happy! “The Song That Goes Like This” was funny, but I had seen it in Forbidden Broadway first so it kind of lost it’s funniness. His Black Night was funny, but I think they rushed through the scene too quickly (and left out my favorite line in the whole movie).

Jeffery Kuhn (Dennis’s Mother, Sir Bedevere)- His parts were not exactly the show stealers but he did a good job. Chris liked his interpretation on Bedevere but was really hoping to see the Witch scene.

Chorus, etc. – Everyone did a good job.

I really liked how they worked in the audience interaction (D101). Our guy looked like "The Crow" so it was very funny. Show was sold out I believe ( No empty seats in balcony at least). The playbill was hilarious and I really enjoyed reading it.

I tried to “stage door” for the first time, but it didn’t exactly go very well. As soon as we got to the door John Hadary flew out and just walked off (he did not look that short on stage!). There was no particular order there (no fence things), and no one knew who anyone was out of character, so we just left. I would have liked to meet Hibbard and Holmes. We were hungry and went right across the alley to Juniors. Overpriced (not that we didn’t expect that) and I think I got sick off the tuna, but over all not bad. I don’t see myself going back there though.

Final thoughts: We are very happy we got to see it, but it did not live up to our expectations. Maybe they were a little too high, but still. I will probably take my brother to see it, but other than that I don’t see myself returning.

Review - Aida Tour - 1/20/07

State Theater - New Brunswick, NJ

1/20/07 - 8:00 pm

Intro notes:

I had never seen Aida on Broadway. It was out during my few year boycott of theater passion. When my Adam Pascal obsession began, I learned he was in Aida. After finally wanting to branch out from the RENT Cast Recording, I finally picked up the AIDA one. At first, I wasn’t into it. But after a few tries, the obsession grew quickly. I started listening to it non stop and fell in love with the story. Of course, I became upset that I could never see this story I fell in love with live. That changed when someone on BWW happened to mention the tour. So that is what I saw tonight. I waited in long anticipation for tonight. Having said all of that, I cannot compare the tour version and broadway version. I have read a lot of reviews with heavy debate involved, but this will not be one of them. Ok, here goes.

Sets: Not bad. One steady two story set with some statues/walls that were moved in and out by cast members.

Costumes – Not as bad as people had made it out to be. Radames wears Jeans for most of Act 1, but unless you are in the front rows you can’t tell too much. I knew going in this was a tour, not broadway, so I didn’t set high expectations. The only thing was the Michael Jackson impersonators (ministers)…..just weird!

Cast:

Amneris – Leah Allers

When the show started I got very scared. “Every Story is a Love Story” was very rushed. You could tell immediately that she had a beautiful voice, but she rushed through each lyric. The audio acoustics were not on par for the beginning of the show, which made it worse, but they did fix it soon after. However, by the time she came on for “My Strongest Suit” she was on her game. She was very funny and played the roll exactly how I pictured it. She did well in all of her scenes, but “I Know the Truth” blew me away. I had tears in my eyes. Her voice was not the same as Sherie Rene Scott, but it fit well with the play.

Radames – Casey Elliott

One word – YUMMY! I could hear the collective gasp from the ladies in the audience when he first shed his shirt. What a sight. Now I love Adam, and I would love nothing more that to have seen him in this role, but Casey is in quite good shape. I could wash laundry on his abs! Ok, back to point! His singing, like Amneris, was rushed in the beginning, but it eventually slowed down. I had chills during “Elaborate Lives”. However, in ACT II is where he really shined. In ACT 1, I heard many people commenting in the audience that it sounded like he was trying to hard to sound “rocker-ish”. And to a point I agree. But in ACT II, it all just came together. No one will still top Adam, but he did a good runner up position. I REALLY hope one day to see him in NY. Out of every song he sang, surprisingly, I left with “Radames’ Letter” as my favorite.

Aida – Marja Harmon

I have mixed feelings towards her. She was not the AIDA you see in the tour pictures (Edit - I just checked and she is the same person in the tour pictures. However, she now has hair and those pictures on the website do her no justice!). Her voice was strong and beautiful, but at times I felt she was trying to channel Heather a bit too much. The accent started interfering with her singing notes, in my opinion. She did make you feel for her character. She had decent chemistry with Casey. “Easy as Life” and “Elaborate Lives (reprise)” were her two best songs.

Mereb – Dane Harrington Joseph

I really thing his talent was underused. He got the most laughs and had a beautiful voice. I could picture him as a few different roles currently on Broadway.

Zoser – DJ Rudd

Ummmm, I was hoping other reviewers were over reacting, but they weren’t. He was so, umm, blah. Zoser isn’t exactly the most important character, but there is so much you can do with it, but he did not fulfill. “Another Pyramid” was rushed and you could barely understand what he said. “Like Father, Like Son” was very disappointing, but he did hit the end note decently.

All of the other characters were good, no complaints. Some good dancers but there were a few that were just plain off. Now I don’t have a rhythmic bone in my body, but I could even tell they were off.

- Few notes and observations overall:

- - I thought Radames and Zoser knew they were related the entire time, but in this production it was “announced” or “discovered” right before “Like Father, Like Son”. Am I missing something?

- - The props used were odd (i.e. machine guns, janitor mop buckets, janitor mops, etc.) but unless you were nitpicking, nothing too important that it ruined the story. The mop buckets were the only thing that made me chuckle.

- - Was there always “lap dancing” or something similar to it during one song (I think it was Another Pyramid, but I could be wrong)? It seemed a little risqué for a Disney show.

- - In the broadway production, did Radames really give all his possessions away and start scrubbing the floors, etc. right before “Elaborate Lives”? It just seemed a little over board, even for someone in love, to just do out of no where. But I could also be reading into things too much, like usual.

Like I said, I never saw the broadway production, and I’m sure this paled in comparison. But for what it was, I thought it was very good. It felt so wonderful to see this story I love brought to life, plastic mop buckets and all.

I’m sure in the next few days I’ll remember more and have more questions.

The theater itself was nice. We had 3rd row in the Balcony which were decent. I've been getting spoiled with seating lately, but it still wasn't bad. Funny note - We got there just on time and I went to turn into valet parking line. Well there wasn't enough room, so the guy made me pull my car completely up onto the sidewalk in front of the theater. Needless to say, everyone was staring at me while going into the theater, probably thinking I was drunk =). I had a really loud annoying older gentleman sitting behind us. He kept shouting "This sucks" or "Time to go back to sleep". We had to turn around twice to ask him to be quiet. His wife was mortified.

Edit - I found this on youtube.com. It's a 3 minute highlight of the tour... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP72dggQzMg. It did a good job capturing the show, but does Casey & Marja no justice. They looked and sounded 5x's better last night then on this video.

Review - Spring Awakening 12/27/06

Spring Awakening

12/27/06 - 2:00pm show

I did not know much about this show going into it. I read various reviews and knew the basics (an 1800's German play adapted into a musical, which featured rock music and shock value). We got student rush tickets (my first time - 2 hours standing outside in the cold! God bless all of ya'll that do this all the time!). We had Row B (second row) all the way at the end of the row, so the left corner of the stage was blocked, but no biggie. The house was totally packed.

For a quick overview, I enjoyed the show, however I do tend to think that it was a tad over hyped. The first act was very confusing. The songs were ok, but the story lines jumped all over the place. As soon as some type of character development started (which is usually what I like most in shows), it quickly stopped and moved onto something else. I'm guessing that the main theme in this show was teenagers coming into their own, rebelling against pre-determined rules from the elder generations, and coming into their sexual stages. Those themes are there, but the reasoning never really showed up. The pop/rock songs definitely didn't fit the whole 1800's time frame, but oh well. The songs were ok, nothing so great that I was singing them when I left the theater. I think a few scenes were added just for pure shock value. I know a billion people will fight me on this, but that's just how I feel. "Totally F**ked** I did not think was necassary. The second act really brought me into the show, but that song started taking me out of it. I also did not think the graphic sex scene between Wendla & Melchoir was needed. All it did was either make people gasp or giggle. It was a very turning point into the story, but it turned it into a specticle.

Acting -

Everyone did a good job.

Wendla - Lea Michele - Sweet voice but I don't see the hype. Seeing her live really made the resemblance between her and Idina Menzel even stonger in my mind. No matter how I feel, I can definitely see her continuing as a Broadway leading lady as she grows older. She has that aire about her.

Melchoir - Jonathan Groff - He's a cutie. Defintiely played the teenage angst role well. Awesome voice, but man, don't sit in the front row. I thought previous reviewers were just being petty, but damn he spits a lot. I don't understand why, but then again I don't sing, but damn it was like a shower. A little distracting, but it's all good.

Moritz - John Gallagher, Jr. - He stole the show for me. At first I didn't get the whole spaz thing, but man he was awesome all night. His performances were the most moving and got my heart involved in the story. I will definitely follow his career as he moves on.

The Adult Women/The Adult Men - Christine Estabrook & Stephen Spinella - These two actors played all adult parts, and were excellent. Estabrook (most known as ms. hoover from Desperate Housewives) was hilarious in all her roles, and Spinella was absolutely moving in a few of his (Moritz's father).

Other female roles - I actually think they had nicer voices than Lea Michele, esp. Lilli Cooper & Lauren Pritchard. Other than one song, they were pretty much always more of an "ensemble" than individuals.

Other male roles - Awesome voices, all of them.

I really didn't understand 75% of the choreography. Just groping yourself doens't really cut it for me. During "Bitch of Living" they were just too hyper for me. What was with all the freakin stomping? Same with the end of "Totally F**ked", what was with the super fast dance moves(groping), it just looked messy.

I have heard a lot of people comments beforehand and at the show that this is "the new RENT". No, wrong, don't even think it. While the staging is similar (SA - simple set with chairs serving as most props..RENT - simple set with table serving as most props) and both feature the band on the stage, that's the only similarities. I think people think it's similar because RENT was "controversial" & "shocking" when it first came out. But that was because it discussed topics that were pretty taboo at the time (AIDS, homosexuality, etc.). It was groundbreaking. Teenage coming of age, especially sexually, has been discussed in various mediums (90% of current movies) forever. The only thing that made this show "shocking" was how explicit they get with it, but to me that's not groundbreaking but looking for shock value. Just my opinion.

I will buy the cast recording because I would like to get familiar with some of the songs I liked. I would rate the show at a 3.5 on a 1-5 scale. It was good, I just won't be rushing back to see it anytime soon. I can see the show sticking around for a while, but not too long. Definitely check it out if you are in the mood to see a show, but I wouldn't tell you to "rush" to see it.

Edited: 12/28/06 to correct date