The Prince buys a wicked can of hairspray (a review)

[ThePrinceOfHumbug]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 12:37am

So, I had 2 days off of work and found me a cheap ticket to NYC. I found tickets for Hairspray and Wicked and here is a quick review of them.

Depart Minnesota at 6am (WAY TOO EARLY)

Arrive NYC at 11:15

Wicked at 2pm
This was the 3rd time that I have seen the show. The first time was the right side obstructed. The second was the left side obstructed. THis was 7th row center. I love the book. I love the show. They are both their own identity and should be taken as such. This is also not the Wizard of OZ, and the people that complain that it is not true to the original Baum books need to take it for what it is! As much as I loved it from the sides, the show is better from the center. Just lots of little things I never noticed before.

This is one of my favorite ensembles. Kathy Dietch is a star waiting to happen. Her performance has been first rate all 3 times I have seen it and she never lets down. Also Lauren Gibbs and Robb Sapp really keep catching my eye during the show. Would have loved to see Robb in Zanna, Don't!
Ensemble during Dancing through Life was STUNNING!!!

JLT was solid as Glinda. Nothing extrodinary, but solid.

David Ayers. The man is gorgeous! But I did not like his Fiyero until Act 2. I just wasn't sure what Fiyero was about. In Act 1, I think you should get the feeling that Fiyero is very much a pompus ass, and I did not get that ego from him. His Act 2 more than made up for my doubts in Act 1. It was like you could finally see what he was feeling. And the pain of the decisions that he is making. I would like to see him again in 3 or 4 months to see how he has grown with the role. Unfortutely I had 2 incredible Fiyero's at my other shows (Norbert Leo Butz and Kristoffer Cusick), so the standard is high for this role.

SHOSHANNA! Yes, I saw Idina. Twice. Idina has left the role in more than capable hands. I love the changes that Elphaba goes through. They seem a little more than Idina's portrayal. She does play some of the lines different that Idina did, and that is OK, because it works in the whole of her character. I would love to see her perform again. I hope she has a long stay with the show, because it really allows her to shine.

That is about it for my Wicked thoughts. Just an overall great performance.

After meeting fellow CB-er KruishnerFan for dinner at Oliver Garden, we proceeded down to the Neil Simon Theater for one of the funnest, side splitting nights of theater that I have ever had.

Hairspray-8pm
Full cast except Liz Larsen was on as Velma, but I think that is a pretty regular thing right now if I am not mistaken.

We were front row for the show. I did not realize how close front row is until Bruce Vilanch is dancing 12 inches away from you and you start to fear for your life and hope that the stage is structurally sound! :) This cast is so much fun and puts so much energy into this show.

Carly sounded a little under the weather to start, but really put on one heck of a show. Her passion drives this show and she is a class act on the stage. And how that much power gets into such a itty bitty package as her I will never understand. But that girl has pipes!!! Very hard to find anything wrong with her performance.

Bruce added a few new lines that I have never heard about. It's nice that he is able to work with the producers and use his incredible comedic talent within the role. At first I was thinking...he is one of the ugliest women I have ever seen. Why don't they make him look "better"? But by the end, the transformation from the housecoat and ratty hair into the red "hairspray can" outfit made sense. Never really noticed it before. He and Todd have such chemistry. It's awesome to watch the 2 of them when they are interacting.

Mary Bond Davis...DIVA! Plain and simple. No discussion needed. Ms. Paradice over in Brooklyn should come on over and take lessons from this diva, because this one is the real deal!

Love the interaction between Jordan Ballard and Liz Larsen on stage. They never break the 4th wall during the show, but I love how their characters never stop. If you watch the "conversations" that happen within the show even when they are not the main focus, they fit their characters so well. I really like Jordan's Amber because you really hate her up there and it helps you feel like you really want Tracy to come through and win in the end. During You Can't Stop the Beat, I never noticed everything that happens over by Amber's "throne". It happened to be right in front of us and it was so funny.

Richard Blake. I really liked him! The last time I saw the show, He was OK, but didn't make me go "Wow, that was great!" And tonight I came away thinking "Wow!" At the end of dodge ball as he was trying to get everything tucked into his pants to go to Motormouth's shop, there was a small zipper issue that went something like this:
-pants go on
-tuck in all imporant parts
-button pants
-try to zip pants
-pants don't zip
-try again without looking frazzled
-still not working
-try to untuck shirt to cover zipper with neon orange shorts showing through
-shirt not long enough
-try to pull on shirt to make it long enough...no luck
-pick up bag that faulty pants were in and use to cover crotchal area
-walk across stage through scene with bag in front of you and the people in the first row that noticed in tears from laughing!
-instead of walking directly into record shop, stop momentarily off stage to recieve help with malfunction.
-smile and return to stage as corrected zipper.

Ensemble. Love that they are 'over the top" perfect kids. With the perfect smiles and the perfect hair. Watch for the little things though. Serge as the hot dog man. That pair of tongs go where no pair of tongs have gone before. During "dodgeball", watch the couple on the left side of the stage go from perfect kids to perfect hornballs. Every once in a while that 4th wall was broken with a wink or a kiss or a grope, but it worked so well with the show. Incredible energy between this group. Loved the full cast, but hope to see some understudies on one of the next times I catch the show. This group is so talented and I would love to see what Serge or Andrew would do as Link, or Terira as Motormouth, or Tommar as Seaweed.

Finally, the 2 people in this cast that I had seen before, but were totally knocked over by: Chester Gregory II (Seaweed) and Tracy Miller (Penny)! Incredible. I could gush all night, but I was truely awestruck by them. They are both truely that good!

I have seen the show 4 times in NYC and 3 times on tour. This was by far the best of all the shows. The whole cast relates to each other so well and the energy and the passion is evident. That is why they ended up with a well deserved standing ovation from the crowd.

Got up the next morning and headed back to MN after an incredible 22 hours in NYC!

Was a great trip and I am ready to return in April with my tickets already purchased for RENT, POTO, Ave Q, Chitty-Chitty, Hairspray and SPAM.

Peace All!

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 12:15pm

During "dodgeball", watch the couple on the left side of the stage go from perfect kids to perfect hornballs. Every once in a while that 4th wall was broken with a wink or a kiss or a grope, but it worked so well with the show.-
Just wondering if the "kids" were doing this to eachother or were they doing that to the audience. I don't know how groping another cast member is breaking 4th wall....as long as it is contact with another cast member it is not breaking 4th wall.
ps
did you ever see Chandra Lee Schwartz in 'spray'? if so can you post a review? or pm me
thank you

[mleshawn]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 5:31pm

ThePrinceOfHumbug sooo glad you enjoyed the show. I have seen it 3 times myself and always leave the theatre happy. I loved your comment "Serge (Kushnier) as the hot dog man. That pair of tongs go where no pair of tongs have gone before. " I wrote www.sergekushnier.com because of that and the kicks he does at the end of the show.