#1
I thought I'd post my mini reviews and opinions about the shows I'm seeing this week all in one place. The photo of Times square was taken this morning in between rain showers on my iPhone and stitched together automatically with the AutoStitch app - not bad,eh?
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Friday March 19th 2010
YANK! The York Theatre Company at St Peter's Church
Saw 'Yank' last night, from the front row no less, so got a nice eyeful of the brief nudity!
A great little show, corny at times, but full of heart and boasting some fantastic musical numbers, particularly good lyrics and all-round good performances. It was really nice to see some good tap dancing for a change, I don't think we get to see it enough, as well as a beautiful dream-sequence ballet straight out of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
When I saw that the venue was inside a church I had my doubts but there was nothing to fear. It's a proper and obviously well-equipped theatre in a very modern building.
Before the show the York Theatre Company artistic director gave a little speech to set up the show, which was a nice touch. He warned us that the show contained profanity, adult themes and nudity (which got a large round of applause) and explained how, in the intermission, the lines were always at the mens' room for a change (which drew applause from the few women in the audience).
I almost hope that the producers of 'Yank' don't get too big for their boots and try to resist the temptation to over-complicate it especially by moving it to much bigger theatres. Its charm owes a lot to the intimacy with the audience that a smaller space allows.
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Monday March 22nd
COME FLY AWAY Marriott Marquis Theatre
As most Broadway theatres don't open on a Monday night there was little to choose from that I hadn't already seen. I did consider the TKTS booth for a half price ticket but the queue was so long and the rain was bucketing down and anyway I don't really do queues. I called into the new box office at the Marquis to see what they had available and it was certainly worth trying - they had one seat in the middle of row C in the orchestra (stalls). It is rather shocking to discover that previews aren't usually discounted but the show has its first night this Thursday so the cast should be pretty well prepared at least.
"Come Fly Away" is the latest dance show to be conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp who achieved great Broadway success with "Movin' Out", the show featuring the music of Billy Joel. I was very lucky the night I saw "Movin' Out" because Billy Joel was there, took to the stage at the curtain call and performed the title song and 'New York State Of Mind' - the audience went wild.
This new show features the music of Frank Sinatra - I had an idea that Frank wouldn't be appearing at last night's performance but, thankfully his vocals did. The 19-piece band provided the music with guest vocalist Hilary Gardner who was underused, providing a few live vocals and the odd duet with Frank, I would have liked to hear more from her. I can't figure out how Frank's vocals were cued up to match the live music because it was flawlessly done every time.
But this was far from a rip-off of "Sinatra" which played The London Palladium a few years back, this show stars some of the best, most athletic, sensuous dancers I have ever seen. Combining jazz steps with street dance and the most wonderful modern ballet, the cast of 15 dancers all displayed amazing skills. My favourites had to be Karine Plantadit, sometimes sexy, often fierce, you couldn't take your eyes off her. Charlie Neshyba-Hodges looks the least like a dancer of the lot, short, bald with a very cheeky grin, I guess you might compare him to a young Wayne Sleep. He played the waiter in the nightclub setting and started off with a series of prat falls and rolls so I assumed he was just the comic relief but he ended up displaying the most incredible ballet dancing - his leaps were so graceful you'd think he was on a wire.
There is no story to speak of save the fact that various couples split up and dance with others etc. and in the second act various articles of clothing are removed (yes, I've been to nightclubs like that too!). At just under two hours with one intermission the show felt just the right length - if it wasn't for my dodgy knees I might have danced my way back to my hotel.
Posted: 3/23/10 at 4:33pm
I thought I'd post my mini reviews and opinions about the shows I'm seeing this week all in one place. The photo of Times square was taken this morning in between rain showers on my iPhone and stitched together automatically with the AutoStitch app - not bad,eh?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Friday March 19th 2010
YANK! The York Theatre Company at St Peter's Church
Saw 'Yank' last night, from the front row no less, so got a nice eyeful of the brief nudity!
A great little show, corny at times, but full of heart and boasting some fantastic musical numbers, particularly good lyrics and all-round good performances. It was really nice to see some good tap dancing for a change, I don't think we get to see it enough, as well as a beautiful dream-sequence ballet straight out of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
When I saw that the venue was inside a church I had my doubts but there was nothing to fear. It's a proper and obviously well-equipped theatre in a very modern building.
Before the show the York Theatre Company artistic director gave a little speech to set up the show, which was a nice touch. He warned us that the show contained profanity, adult themes and nudity (which got a large round of applause) and explained how, in the intermission, the lines were always at the mens' room for a change (which drew applause from the few women in the audience).
I almost hope that the producers of 'Yank' don't get too big for their boots and try to resist the temptation to over-complicate it especially by moving it to much bigger theatres. Its charm owes a lot to the intimacy with the audience that a smaller space allows.
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Monday March 22nd
COME FLY AWAY Marriott Marquis Theatre
As most Broadway theatres don't open on a Monday night there was little to choose from that I hadn't already seen. I did consider the TKTS booth for a half price ticket but the queue was so long and the rain was bucketing down and anyway I don't really do queues. I called into the new box office at the Marquis to see what they had available and it was certainly worth trying - they had one seat in the middle of row C in the orchestra (stalls). It is rather shocking to discover that previews aren't usually discounted but the show has its first night this Thursday so the cast should be pretty well prepared at least.
"Come Fly Away" is the latest dance show to be conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp who achieved great Broadway success with "Movin' Out", the show featuring the music of Billy Joel. I was very lucky the night I saw "Movin' Out" because Billy Joel was there, took to the stage at the curtain call and performed the title song and 'New York State Of Mind' - the audience went wild.
This new show features the music of Frank Sinatra - I had an idea that Frank wouldn't be appearing at last night's performance but, thankfully his vocals did. The 19-piece band provided the music with guest vocalist Hilary Gardner who was underused, providing a few live vocals and the odd duet with Frank, I would have liked to hear more from her. I can't figure out how Frank's vocals were cued up to match the live music because it was flawlessly done every time.
But this was far from a rip-off of "Sinatra" which played The London Palladium a few years back, this show stars some of the best, most athletic, sensuous dancers I have ever seen. Combining jazz steps with street dance and the most wonderful modern ballet, the cast of 15 dancers all displayed amazing skills. My favourites had to be Karine Plantadit, sometimes sexy, often fierce, you couldn't take your eyes off her. Charlie Neshyba-Hodges looks the least like a dancer of the lot, short, bald with a very cheeky grin, I guess you might compare him to a young Wayne Sleep. He played the waiter in the nightclub setting and started off with a series of prat falls and rolls so I assumed he was just the comic relief but he ended up displaying the most incredible ballet dancing - his leaps were so graceful you'd think he was on a wire.
There is no story to speak of save the fact that various couples split up and dance with others etc. and in the second act various articles of clothing are removed (yes, I've been to nightclubs like that too!). At just under two hours with one intermission the show felt just the right length - if it wasn't for my dodgy knees I might have danced my way back to my hotel.
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