Looks like I won't be seeing this when it comes to Chicago.
"Chicago is it's own incredible theater town right there smack down in the middle of the heartland. What a great city! I can see why Oprah likes to live there!" - Dee Hoty :-D
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
That second song, with the multicultural humans playing dogs in sweaters & jeans, was just glorious - reminded me of something I would hear in "Big: The Musical"
And I too think the stilts are just an accident waiting to happen, regardless of their construction.
I feel like I would like this better if they had just picked one concept for the dogs and not just compiled a list of every conceivable way to do it and then include them all.
After the First Wives Club video clips debacle, you'd think someone would be a bit more discriminating when releasing clips of their show. Hideous is right. The kids dance number looked like something one would see at a Broadway summer camp.
Rachel York is a STAR! There's no business like... even with a turkey that you know will fold... Saw this show last night in Miami - It's the worst thing I've ever seen and I love everything.
I saw it in Boston last week and found it to be charming. Is it perfect? No. There could definitely be more dramatic tension in the second act chase/escape sequences. And I personally would love to see one more number for Cruella at the top of Act II to really get things rolling. But it is cute without being sickly sweet and the whole concept of being from the dogs' point of view is quite clever and very well executed. I also enjoyed the music, which I thought was catchy and fun, especially for kids.
The show is not meant for an adults only audience. It's a family musical. On that level I think it succeeds very well. I found the dogs' story (as played by actors and children) to be touching and tender, and the human characters (all on stilts) were kind of cartoony funny and grotesque. The real Dalmatians were fun to see, but they were really only the icing on the cake. The entire cast is excellent, with James Ludwig as Pongo a standout.
And then there is Rachel York. She is a spectacular Cruella! Funny, scary, a rock diva! What a powerhouse. Norma Desmond, Eartha Kitt, Mommy Dearest and the Wicked Witch all rolled into one. Hilarious. Her songs shake the rafters.
Reviews in Boston (Globe, Herald, Edge) were very solid. TheaterMania glowed.
If people are willing to check their snarky cynicism at the door, they can be caught up in a very sweet, old-fashioned story. I had a smile on my face the whole night. And the host of kids who surrounded me seemed very entertained throughout. They didn't fidget, they bounced along to the music, and they leaned forward numerous times to pay rapt attention. Everyone was singing "Be a Little Bit Braver" on the way out. TheaterMania Review of 101 Dalmatians
It seems that there really wasn't any effort put into the music to this show. I thought it was painful to listen to some of it at Broadway in Chicago. At least the music in "Shrek," "Mary Poppins,' and "Beauty and the Beast" was music that adults and kids would like. This music sounds like something from "Blues Clues Live" or "Dora the Explorer Live." Rachel York is better than this material. Updated On: 1/1/10 at 12:37 AM
This is right now here in Florida (Miami, I think until the 3rd), and it was getting a lot of publicity. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend, even though I really wanted to see Rachel in this. the score sounds good, and the choreography is hard to judge until you see the whole show and how it developes.
I definitely think there's an audience for this show. The music's catchy, Rachel York's clearly walking away with the show. And I've watched the interviews with the kids and they're adorable. How's Catherine Missal in this?
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ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
When i heard about this, I was wondering how they were going to make the dalmationans work on stage. I bought a ticket to find out how.
They simply didn't
Humans in spotted outfits? And in case you didn't know they were dogs, the real dogs come charging out every 45 minutes or so to remind you. Oh my god.
This was the worst night of theatre I spent in years. Not since Starmites or Doctor Jazz. They took a wonderful disney film and made into 101 abortions.
Where do i begin? The awful Songs? The mugging and playing out to the audience like the worst chidlren's theatre in the world? The stilts which made for virtually no choreography. Some of the most untalented Kids dressed in dog outfits in the history of theatre.
Any idea if the LA engagement for June is still on? It was as of a week or so ago. After the epic win of FIRST WIVES CLUB last year, there's no way I can miss this disaster.
Will the 2021 Cruella film revive interest in school productions of Dennis DeYoung's 101 Dalmatians' musical? I recall stories of the show being bizarre, but reviews just make it sound boring. Do I recall correctly that Cruella burns to death at the end of it?