Profile for alba

has anybody heard rumors that jayne houdyshell will be joining the cast of follies? i have heard as much, but have not confirmed them -- and thought i might be overlooking a thread on here...

Yes, I agree that the best numbers are the ones that should be first to go. But tho I hate to be harsh, the score felt very cliche to me.

Hey Brick, Nice update. I was there last night too. Saw Armistead himself crossing Geary before the show... I've rarely felt such a buzz at ACT -- it was definitely an exciting night. According to the ACT artistic director, who made the obligatory pre-show speech, this was the first time the cast had run the show all the way through -- and if that's so, it was an impressive first run. However, I think there is a profound amount of work to do. The good parts were: Judy Kaye; Betsy Wolfe's belt...

I was so intrigued that I flew down to see this production, and am so glad that I did. Truly extraordinary. The sumptuous quality of the physical production reminded me of the Lincoln Center South Pacific -- with that many musicians and stunning costumes, it's hard not to be blown away. The quality of the cast was beyond anything I had dreamed: it's unfair to single anybody out, but...I will! The Curly, Kyle Guglielmo, possessed what was probably the finest musical comedy baritone voice I had...

Saw the show Sunday afternoon (for the first time). It was not the trainwreck I had anticipated, nor was its technology mind-boggling. For the most part, though, I had a good time. Probably the biggest problem with the show is obviously that it ends in the middle of a story. It's a good thing they recalled Bono from Dublin, though it boggles my mind a) that they couldn't have seen this coming and b) that he wasn't there in person, regardless of touring or whatever else. Yet I still can't see ...

Um, as Phyl wrote in yet another fragment, "Because proper spelling and grammar are an important part of communication." At any rate, I think it's fine to point out to the writers that they would benefit from some attention to their language. I would go so far as to say that I think someone *should* point it out--but it needn't be done in some snide way. You're not going to win any converts with complaints designed merely to flaunt your own ostensible superiority. That reeks of arrogance. I a...

Isn't that last "sentence" actually a fragment, Phyl?

I think it's great that someone wants to create their own magazine--and more to the point, I find it bizarre that everyone feels so eager to make fun of people who are trying to create and communicate. This kind of pettiness reflects poorly on the sensitivity and manners of those who purport to be so cultured! Why not just be grateful that someone is trying to make something?

Yes, that's true, there was Broadway Baby. But that somehow doesn't count. It feels too "standard" or obligatory Sondheim tribute number, y'know? But it is from Follies. I agree that hearing Len Cariou was somehow eerie. His voice may have a little roughness around the edges, but it's undeniably that voice. The random notes from absent celebrities were fine, but they seemed a bit "random." Of all the actors and singers in the world, why these tributes? And the fact that a taped snippet of Jul...

I was a bit shocked by how pedestrian this was -- especially since John Doyle helmed it. No imagination whatsoever. Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou together on a stage, and they aren't even asked to eek out a few notes from Sweeney? If Glynis Johns wanted to be there, why weren't the seas parted to be sure that that happened? Nothing from Follies, except the overture? Half a song from Forum? Most everything done in reverse-chronological order? Snooze. Debra Monk was GREAT. Len Cariou sounded s...

I hate to do it, but I gotta bump.

Bought a ticket for the "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," but now I unfortunately can't go. Hoping this ticket can find a good home. Tonight, 8pm show, great seat. With "convenience" fees, it cost me $74, but I'd be happy to part with it for $35. Message me if you're interested... Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Newman Theater 04/22/2010 8:00 PM Orchestra K13

har har har jeremiah. but why is angel desai ALWAYS out of company?

is it worth going to see spring awakening if all you can do is sit onstage (i.e., $36 tickets)? there's no participation involved, is there?

I thought the Bernadette revival of Annie Get Your Gun was the lamest thing I've ever seen. Hokey sets, dumb concept, miscast stars, bland choreography...

I think "Repent" from On the 20th Century has some fantastically natural rhymes-- Jason and Schubert... are also right to cite 1776--"Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve" is top-notch. (Though "I do not know a participle from a predicate/I am just a simple cobbler from Connecticut" is a close second...) I'd also like to vote for "Shy" (from Once Upon A Mattress)--one of the cleverest lyrics without being remotely pretentious. Also, "Three Letters" or "Ice Cream" from She Loves Me, and "Do You Love M...

I've always been impressed by the job they did renovating Studio 54 and think it has some of the more intimate balcony seating on Broadway... The Belasco could use a little polishing, it's true--but I'd give anything to see a show there rather than the Marquis. My vote goes for the installation of extra staircases and escalators in that dreadful lobby.

Though Lenya performed in the Blitzstein translation, she did NOT "approve" that one, even though Blitzstein asked her to--if I'm not mistaken. Nonetheless, the '54 recording is absolutely beautiful--with Charlotte Rae giving some stunning vocal work. That said, the Donmar's translation of The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is PERFECTION.

To those who think Bernadette Peters not winning a Tony for Gypsy was a tragedy, I must say that I found that performance at best summer stock-quality: a very fine, but undistinguished performance. Surely one doesn't earn a Tony award just for assaying that role at all. (I did think it better, though, than her performance in Annie Get Your Gun, which was beyond feeble and hokey.) I also hope those considering it a "boo boo" to have given the Tony to Judy Holliday over Julie Andrews saw both t...

Whyever Jim Dale's gifted performance in Threepenny Opera went unrewarded, I do not know. (and Sweeney Todd.)