Sweet paragraph from playbill.com:
Some shows go out with a bang — Aida went out with a flash! During the final scene of the long-running Disney musical — as Radames (Adam Pascal) and Aida (Deborah Cox) were descending into the sand for eternity — what seemed like dozens of cameras sent flashes lighting up the Palace Theatre. Pascal even turned to the audience to offer a "what-in- the-world-is-happening" glance, which reminded me of an early Sunset Boulevard preview when Glenn Close stopped the show after being blinded by flashes as she descended the lengthy mansion staircase. The Tony-winning actress, in full Norma Desmond garb, said to the audience, "We can continue with the show or we can have a press conference." The crowd burst into applause, and the flashes ceased . . . As for Aida's final performance, all of the actors were in top form: Pascal's rock-edged voice remains a wonder, Lisa Brescia provided a well-sung and nuanced Amneris, and Cox — who I admit I had never seen nor heard of before she took on the role — impressed as the ill-fated Nubian princess. If she doesn't possess quite the powerhouse voice of the role's creator, Heather Headley, I found her acting more subtle and, ultimately, more affecting. I was also impressed by the beauty of Eric LaJuan Summers' voice, who plays Mereb and joined Cox for one of the show's best songs, "How I Know You." Other highlights: Brescia's belty "My Strongest Suit," Cox's terrific "Dance of the Robe," the Cox-Pascal duet "Written in the Stars" and the first-act finale "The Gods Love Nubia."
.... I guess seeing all of this stuff just keeps reminding me of the finality of it all. AIDA, I <3 you.
A work of art is an invitation to love.
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