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re: 'Chess' To Return To Broadway. Sep 4
2009, 12:42:02 PM
I actually liked Idina.
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re: 'Chess' To Return To Broadway. Sep 4
2009, 10:25:47 AM
Why bother? Just buy the recording and love that, because the show is a complete mess.
(So Freddy is a jerk throughout the entire show, and then sings a sad song about how Daddy [and Mommy!] didn't love him, and we're supposed to care? Why do Svetlana and Florence sing "I Know Him So Well," and then completely contradict that song during "Endgame"? How are we supposed to pity Anatoly for making his entire life about chess ["It's the only thing I can stay true to..."]? Why does Flore
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re: NY's Signature Theatre to revive Angels in America Sep 1
2009, 06:09:38 PM
OH MY GOD! If there was every something to hide your money away for...
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re: Raul Esparza records King's UNDER THE DONE... on 30 CDs! Sep 1
2009, 06:07:44 PM
Am I the only one who couldn't get through THE STAND?
Loved CARRIE, though. Looking forward to this.
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 11:54:17 PM
Entertainment Weekly gives the show a C-:
"As Dionysus' enemy, the rational, principled King Pentheus, Mackie rants and raves with great authority, but shows precious little vulnerability. Though he rails against Dionysus, his highness needs to be slightly intrigued by the handsome, curly-haired troublemaker. (Why else would Pentheus suddenly allow himself to be talked into wearing a blond wig and flouncy purple evening gown to join the Bacchants?) And though Groff works his denim-clad behind off, he's a good five to 10 years too young to play the god of wine, women, and song.
There is one brief glimmer of vitality in this Bacchae ? a monologue at the play's end of only about 100 lines or so, in which a messenger (the underrated character actor Rocco Sisto) relays the details of his master's death and dismemberment at the hands of the Bacchants. He speaks with no flourish or fanfare. There's no musical accompaniment. In fact, he hardly moves while recounting the grisly tale. But Sisto, with sad eyes and heavy heart, possesses more passion than all the women of Thebes combined. And this character, whom Euripedes neglected to give a name, succinctly and somberly conveys the fable's meaning: 'It is best to fear god and live a simple life.'"
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20300085,00.html
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 11:43:56 PM
John Simon is Negative:
"Jonathan Groff?s Dionysus is too often cutely precious, unfearsomely laughing a lot, more prettily boyish than sexily virile and as likely to be a teetotaler as the god of wine. Equally unconvincing is David Neumann?s choreography for the Chorus. Rather than orgiastic bacchantes, the 12 women mostly suggest synchronized gymnasts in Olympic routines. And, alas, they sing to music by Philip Glass.
This scoring isn?t quite as bad as much of Glass?s usual work, but it is highly erratic. Often, with barbaric percussiveness or mere loudness, it drowns out the Chorus?s song; at other times it becomes too musical comedyish. It does have its moments, but there is altogether too much of it. The Chorus of Euripides was often accompanied by a mere unswamping flute."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601098&sid=aj89TNuVxz1o
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 10:12:17 PM
Ben Brantley is a gentle Pan:
"What is [the point of BACCHAE], according to Ms. Akalaitis? She doesn'€™t seem to know. The only consistent interpretive thread in this production has to do with the societal repression of women, indicated by the emphasis on choral passages about the heady freedom experienced by the Bacchantes and by having Mr. Mackie speak of the female characters with an exaggerated sneer.
There is, in other words, very little to grab the audience emotionally. As Pentheus€™ tragically deluded mother, Joan MacIntosh speaks of blood-letting revels with the prosaic satisfaction of someone fresh from a cutthroat sale at Bergdorf€™s, and even a veteran scene stealer like Andre de Shields, playing the blind prophet Teiresias, doesn'€™t leave much of an impression. As Pentheus'€™ grandfather, George Bartenieff has a haunting moment as he kneels over a corpse and sees his past and future instantly erased.
Only Rocco Sisto, as a messenger with a woeful and lurid tale, made the audience ///// up its ears and want to cover them. This is how 'The Bacchae'€ should make you feel. For just a few seconds I was immersed in the immortal darkness of Euripides' vision of human beasts. Otherwise, my thoughts kept returning to those fascinatingly self-possessed raccoons [mentioned in the full review]."
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/theater/reviews/25bacchae.html
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 09:47:33 PM
Backstage is Mixed:
"John Conlin's curved set of bleachers rising from a single point on the stage is attractively reminiscent of the shape of a Greek amphitheatre and provides useful playing levels. Kay Voyce's contemporary costumes reflect character and position, though her orange chorus outfits seem left over from Christo's Central Park installation.
"The Bacchae" is worth the trip for serious theatergoers, but Akalaitis hasn't solved the problem of making it relevant."
http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-off-broadway/ny-review-the-bacchae-1004006021.story
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 07:10:01 PM
The Associated Press is Very Positive:
"...MacIntosh has a heavy job, appearing in a lengthy denouement, still bewitched and bragging about her superhuman hunting prowess. A horrified Cadmus must show Agave the ghastly nature of her hunting trophy, as MacIntosh heartbreakingly transforms back to her real self, now devastated. As a final blow, Dionysus mercilessly throws them into exile, coldly exclaiming, "Zeus decreed these things long ago."
Even at just 90 minutes in length, the production leaves the audience emotionally drained, pondering the ancient message that man is essentially powerless against forces he cannot control."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hxsnLnAYrG_FMDy4HHQY303WtRCgD9A9GG580
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re: THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 06:47:08 PM
The Bergen Record is Negative:
"The 2,500-year-old tragedy can support various interpretations. It can be seen as asserting the importance of deference to a higher authority, or simply charting man's puniness; of praising the value of letting go and embracing our passions, or warning of the danger of doing that. And then there's its suggestion of the struggle between masculine order and feminine emotion in each of us.
The problem with the park's abbreviated, choppy 90-minute revival, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis, is that it simply touches on the conflicting possibilities without giving dramatic drive to any of them. Sometimes, it seems that the pokey evening is principally about theater as ritual."
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/theater/BACCHAEREVIEW0824.html
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THE BACCHAE Reviews Aug 24
2009, 06:39:36 PM
Variety is Negative:
"Curiously, the contemporary image in which the young god has been cast seems inconsistent with the rest of Akalaitis' production. John Conklin's austere set -- dominated by graduated metal bleachers that beckon the eye to climb the tragic heights -- is certainly striking for the severity of its clean sculptural lines. But it seems an unlikely choice of pulpit for this modernized deity. And while Glass' abstract music advances Euripides' poetic tropes, its otherworldliness feels at odds with the high anxiety levels Nicholas Rudall's new translation brings out in the chorus -- led with practiced grace by Karen Kandel, but clad, for some reason known to costumer Kaye Voyce, in harem outfits in an electrifying shade of orange...."
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940883.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
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Roger Ebert's review of PASSING STRANGE Aug 19
2009, 11:56:07 PM
""Passing Strange" is one of the best musicals I've seen..."
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090819/REVIEWS/908199983
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re: STAGE TUBE: Jeremy Piven On His Sudden Broadway Exit To Parade Aug 12
2009, 05:50:21 PM
Piven: You can either continue to be angry, and hold on to that, or you can go out [to THE GOODS and ENTOURAGE] and have a good time!
I will have a good time, Mr. Piven. You are a very good comic actor, and you make me laugh in a THE GOODS trailer that doesn't even have any jokes in it.
But, believe it or not, liking your work and not respecting you as a person are not mutually exclusive ideas.
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re: Rock, Rockwell, and Kazan Eyeing BEHANDING Aug 11
2009, 10:02:44 PM
I really hope they get Kazan.
And McDonagh coming back to Broadway is good news, of course.
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re: NEW INTERVIEW: Arthur Laurents is responsible for the success of WICKED Aug 3
2009, 09:49:39 PM
So here is what I have:
I will point out the faults of others, in the most biting language I can find.
I don't want to say any more, I don't want to cause more trouble.
I will sometimes think of the best way to phrase a discontent I have with someone or something.
In life, honesty is everything.
I will throw in small, bitchy discontents about others at random moments ("...the producers of the Broadway run [of GYPSY] didn't like the new ending.")
Except for the ones w
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re: BURN THE FLOOR Reviews Aug 3
2009, 07:33:32 PM
My favorite line from WORD OF MOUTH:
DEANNA: "If you're having a 'bad body image'-day, don't see this show. Because everyone on that stage is... so hot and sexy... I totally went lesbian after watching this show."
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re: BURN THE FLOOR Reviews Aug 3
2009, 12:48:49 PM
The Bergen Record is Mixed:
"The show's music is recorded, augmented by two very busy percussionists – they have the most extensive drum kits I've ever seen — with a violinist and a saxophonist occasionally joining in.
There are also two singers, an overly passionate female and a bland male.
"Burn the Floor" is an experience that alternates between exhilarating and contrived. As a bonus, just thinking of what those dancers put themselves through should give you a great night's sleep."
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/Ballroom_show_turns_out_dance_inferno.html
Entertainment Weekly gives the show an A-:
"...DWTS' Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff, appearing as guest stars for the show's first three weeks, are mostly beside the point, though the real-life couple does pull off one hot, stripped-down rumba. A polished production makes all the difference, with classy costumes that prove glitter and kitsch aren't ballroom-dancing requirements. The show also boasts stunning vocals (particularly from The Boy from Oz's Rebecca Tapia). Two-plus hours of dancing flies by with storytelling and pacing worthy of any Broadway musical."
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20295500,00.html
The New York Daily News gives the show 4 Stars out of 5:
"Since then, dancing has become an American fixation, from TV reality shows to viral videos. In the last week, a routine on "So You Think You Can Dance" brought people to tears, while a boogieing online bridal party made folks beam.
Dance can do that ? really grab you and move you.
"Burn the Floor" does as it celebrates the foxtrot, samba, cha-cha, jive, waltz, tango and swing. The music is taped and enhanced by four onstage musicians and two singers. Choreographer and director Jason Gilkison has packed the two-hour show with moves that are athletic, sensual and rocket-fueled (except the waltz, which, though elegant, is less than a thrill)."
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2009/08/03/2009-08-03_broadways_ballroom_extravaganza_they_got_talent_to_burn.html
The New York Post gives the show 2 1/2 Stars out of 4:
"IF you've never watched "Dancing With the Stars" and don't know what "SYTYCD" stands for, you have no business being at "Burn the Floor." (It's "So You Think You Can Dance," by the way, and the acronym frequently pops up in the program's bios.)
"Burn the Floor" consists of a breathless, plotless succession of ballroom routines. That's it, and it's either a lot or not very much, depending on your love for this type of dancing."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08032009/entertainment/theater/rhythm_and_shoes_182712.htm
Newsday is Negative:
"The problem is that, for all Gilkison's attempts to superimpose coherence and variety, he has not been able to develop an internal logic or interesting dance ideas from this limited and repetitious vocabulary. The steps and rhythms may be complex, but the emotions are generalized. Love is combat. Love is mean sex. I need you, go away. Don't leave. He hangs on her. She hangs on him. Kitsch is romance. Attitude will prevail.
When the dance cannot turn a full evening into more than a series of strenuous effects, Gilkison switches the lights from green to purple. When all else fails, we get the fog machine."
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/theater-review-burn-the-floor-1.1343252
NY1 (with video) is Very Positive:
"There's bound to be a lot of tongue-clucking from Broadway purists who regard the encroachment of such shows as heresy. Some might even bristle at calling it "dance theater." But few can deny that "Burn The Floor" has plenty to offer audiences looking for a two-hour escape in the company of gorgeous-looking people who happen to move to some great music really, really well."
http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/theater_reviews/103516/ny1-theater-review---burn-the-floor-/Default.aspx
John Simon is a Rave:
"“Burn the Floor†is a dance show I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone, even to people who can’t tell an entrechat from an entrecote, and those who think that watching dance on the stage is for sissies.
What is on offer at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre should change the mind of the most hard-bitten terpsichorophobe who thinks the boards are just for treading. This show is, as its director-choreographer, Australia’s Jason Gilkison, rightly calls it, dance theater. It is comic and dramatic, sensual and lyrical, acrobatic and romantic -- in short, utterly theatrical."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601098&sid=a5VCsNsP5TVw
Time Out New York gives the show 4 Stars out of 5:
"If, as George Bernard Shaw quipped, dance ?is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire,? then the cast of Burn the Floor is one horny bunch. Come to think of it, these grinding, sweating, limb-tangling hoofers might be killing two birds with one stone: cha-cha-cha-ing their asses off while also turning each other on. In any case, spectators who want to see 20 extremely fit ballroom specialists in a two-hour workout, this is your show. Burn the Floor executes its moves perfectly: It?s a heart-pounding, sexed-up showcase of splendid dance and gorgeous dancers."
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/theater/77117/burn-the-floor-at-longacre-theatre-theater-review
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re: BURN THE FLOOR Reviews Aug 2
2009, 10:21:18 PM
Charles Isherwood is Mixed-to-Negative:
"While it has been spruced up for its arrival in New York with new sets and costumes, the production still looks more ripe for Bournemouth than for Broadway. The set consists of little more than a bandstand with steps, some flimsy-looking backdrops and a disco ball. (Maybe in Bournemouth the disco ball was smaller?) The costumes, clingy sequin-spattered and fringe-trimmed dresses for the women and tight black slacks (and the occasional shirt) for the men, sometimes look cheap. Two percussionists and two other musicians perform live, but much of the music is recorded.
A little tacky too is the brevity of Mr. Chmerkovskiy and Ms. Smirnoff?s tenure with the show. They will appear only through Aug. 16 before they cha-cha off to other pursuits. That is a shame, because they provide ?Burn the Floor? with a jolt of real charisma and heightened style in their duets. One flashy dance finishes with an electric flourish, as Ms. Smirnoff suddenly kicks up a heel and slings herself upside down over her partner?s arm. And Mr. Chmerkovskiy surfs the high-velocity, intricate choreography with a legato ease that makes it seem effortless.
Amid the general frenzy, his smooth operating comes as a distinct relief. So do the slower-tempo waltzes performed with a debonair sweep by the Australian couple Damon and Rebecca Sugden, although their peculiar facial expressions ? his waxen affect and her open-mouthed rapture ? can be a little distracting."
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/theater/reviews/03burn.html
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re: BURN THE FLOOR Reviews Aug 2
2009, 08:19:17 PM
Variety is Very Negative:
"Let's call it "So You Think You Can Step It Up and Dance Your Ass Off With the Stars of America's Best Dance Crew." While ballroom blitz "Burn the Floor" has been touring internationally for 10 years, its arrival on Broadway clearly aims to cash in on the resurgent popularity of dance on television reality shows. But if you're going to invade the turf of Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and Michael Bennett, you need to bring something beyond adrenaline and aggressive sizzle. Something like grace, style or wit. While there's only about 15 ounces of collective body fat onstage, there's also about 15 ounces of imagination."
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940762.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
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re: BURN THE FLOOR Reviews Aug 2
2009, 07:47:30 PM
Backstage is Positive:
"While Broadway theater lovers will undoubtedly find the Fosse-influenced scenes the most satisfying, real dancesport aficionados may go wilder over "The Latin Quarter." Though the dancers are nothing less than brilliant all evening, it is in these tricky Latin numbers that one really appreciates their world-class talents. I couldn't help but wish that the tiny seed of a love-triangle narrative planted during a luscious rumba (featuring the gorgeous Peta Murgatroyd) had been further extended dramatically. Yet Gilkison lends choreographic intrigue to a tango by surrounding the central couple with a male quartet that reflects both the lines and ardor of the duo. (And yes, the tango was included in the Latin portion of the show, even though in competitions it is classified as a standard, not a Latin, dance.)
The evening culminates with the disappointing "Contemporary" segment, in which no real contemporary dance flavors (e.g., hip-hop) are tasted. Instead, every dance cliché in the book is revisited, including the requisite chair number and the "steamy" pas de deux, with him in torn jeans and her in sexy underwear. But don't leave early! There's an electrifying finale to "Proud Mary" that will surely inspire you to cash in the coupon for a free ballroom dance lesson that a local dance studio is distributing outside the theater."
http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-broadway/burn-the-floor-1003999353.story
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