Profile for SharpLapel

IN THE HEIGHTS performed by the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, a public magnet high school. The students clearly connected with the material and loved doing it. Because of their heartfelt exuberance and emotional energy, I preferred this version to the Broadway mounting.

I know this isn't what you're looking for, but my best friend's dad used to sing her "A Bushel and a Peck" at night. Yes, I know, it's a strip number in GUYS AND DOLLS, but in another context, it's actually quite sweet.

Judging only from the cast recording (never saw the show): I love the opening number of My Favorite Year, "Twenty Million People." After that...not so much.

I thought this was a great concert. I love this opera, and have seen it either 3 or 4 times before, so I was pretty well oriented, but I definitely agree that they should have at very least had a decent synopsis in the program and, preferably, titles. With extremely rare exceptions, no one can understand opera as sung, even when it's in your native language.I'm on the fence about the Prologue, which I found a bit long, but well-intentioned. I don't think it was necessary, or really added that...

I agree with Kad. This was one of the better Civilians' shows in a while (I'm generally a fan, esp. GONE MISSING). (mild spoilers follow) PRETTY FILTHY is overall sex-positive, and doesn't bang into too many tired clichés about p*rn. The staging is simple but very effective, and, as Kad said, the cast is terrific. Yes, Friedman's songs aren't the perfectly-crafted BMI-workshop-sanctioned gems that many die-hard fans of the genre require, but they have a lot of heart, melody, and sing with aut...

Seeing the original Sweeney Todd at the Uris, while tagging along with my dad the shrink (the APA used to have their meetings at the Waldorf around Christmastime). From the first shriek of the factory whistle to the final bone-chilling strings, I was rapt. I remember talking later in the week with some other shrinks and shrinks' wives who found the material "distasteful" (haha) and thinking how provincial they seemed (yes, the pretentious teen from Ohio was already condescending to his elders.)