The Official Greg Jbara Love Thread: He's So Nice We Did It THRICE- Page 168

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 9:18pm

Alright.

It will put your skills to the test.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 9:59pm

I rewrote my Sweeney Todd review, I wasn't pleased with it, and was not pleased with the negative connotation, so this is my review that I am quite content with it! .

Ah, okay, the Sweeney Todd Review.

I went in with really high expectations. Everybody said that I would love the show and most of the people I've spoken with about it had loved it. So I was basically walking into the theatre thinking that Sweeney Todd would change my life…

I'm a bit iffy about Stephen Sondheim's music in general, so wasn't sure what I was going to think about it. I never really caught on to the whole Assassins and Into the Woods thing (Seriously, how many times can you hear a bunch of kids saying, into the woods to grandmother’s house we go…?).

Got to the theatre and the line was freaking loooong. The performance was apparently sold out, good thing we bought tickets way ahead of time, lol. Walking down the line I saw James Lipton (Dean at NYU and Inside the Actor's Studio Host aka the man I should become friends with) I just smiled, which is why I’m an idiot, lol.

So after finally getting into the theater we were seated, Row D front mezz (was really worried about the sound because people had said the sound in the mezz had been iffy, luckily that wasn't the case).

Man, that theatre was tiny, I was a bit surprised with the size of the stage and lack of pit (despite the fact I already knew that the cast all played their own instruments).

The show starts and these two old people in front of me were talking, it took every ounce of me to not kick them. Obviously etiquette does not always come with age. ANYWAY...

Ballad of Sweeney Todd was GREAT, man, Manoel can play that violin (and he is freaking HOT lol). Loved the song, which was a good sign because the first song usually determines what I was going to think of the rest of the show.

As the show kept going I realized how Sondheim-ish the music was, so it took me a while to get used to it (and also get used to the fact that there was no ensemble or dancing lol). I was also trying to get accustomed to not clapping after every song. They just finish the song and go into their lines…I clapped once after a song while Patti was delivering one of her lines, such an ass I am.

The whole no applause thing was a problem, because first of all I couldn’t tell the songs apart, and this sounds dumb, but during applause is when I can think about the song before I’m hit with another one. Freaking 17 songs in the first act, lol.

I won't critique every song, probably due to the fact that I don’t remember every individual song, but here's what I thought of the show as a whole. The show is definitely an acquired taste, if you will. I really did love the show, at first I got home and was really disappointed, but looking back on it I realized how much I enjoyed it. My mom and sister on the other hand, hated it and actually fell asleep, lmao.

I felt that it was very well staged and loved the simplicity of the set and how well they used every bit of it. I really had no idea what to expect of the stage, but thought it was a bit odd how every prop was used as 10 different things, and so I got confused at some points as to where they were.

The actors playing their own instruments aspect of the show was GREAT. I was really skeptical about it just because the idea seemed so far-fetched, and has never been done before, but it worked so well with the show. The actors all played the instruments so well, I was really impressed with their abilities to sing, act, and play their instrument (thankfully not at the same time). It was, however, distracting at some points, I kept staring at Manoel Felciano playing the violin (but then again, that could've been for other reasons *cough*).

One thing that I was a bit disappointed with was the murdering of the people, this sounds strange, but seriously. I was expecting to walk in and get the crap scared out of me, tons of gore and such. Definitely not the case. I had seen shots from the original production with blood flying and dead people, but instead it was a red light, a whistle, Patti LuPone pouring buckets of “blood” into another bucket, and [kind of tacky] white coats with blood on them.

Now, I'm not some blood crazy freak, but I mean, ya want a little gore for "the demon barber of fleet street." There was definitely not as much action as I expected either, the characters were basically sitting ducks and you know someone was gonna get killed because they kept walking out with the damn white coats.

I also had a serious problem understanding what the hell the actors were saying sometimes, I felt their voices were too strong at some points and really couldn't comprehend some of the lines, it just sound like a bunch of words put together. Some of the accents were overdone which also posed a bit of a problem…


As for the actors...


Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett)- WOW, just wow. She really blew me away. Her looks kind of scared me at first, not from the show, but just in general. But she really did a wonderful job. She played Lovett sooo well and I see what people mean about her making Mrs. Lovett "sexy." But I guess anything is more attractive than Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett (bleck). Her comedic timing was spot on and her singing was great, as well. And damn, I applaud her walking around in those heels the entire time, I have no idea how she did that, lol. I was a bit entertained as well with her playing the triangle, what a random instrument, lol. And that tuba, lol, it's so big and she was just walking around with it, lol. Overall her performance was so strong, really did a great job with the role.


Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd)- Holy crap, this guy's brilliant. His voice was terrific (definitely see him as Jean-Valjean in Les Miserables). Really beautiful and powerful (and very fit for Sondheim music, probably why he won the Tony for Assassins, lol). He was great, a wonderful Sweeney Todd, I loved his performance. I did find it odd when he gets killed and he just exhales for about 30 seconds, but that could just be me. Loved him playing the guitar, thought that was pretty cool. Overall really admire the guy, what a great all around performer, did sooo well as Sweeney.

Manoel Felciano (Tobias)- Definitely my favorite in the show, and not just because he's hot, lol...which, he is. His voice was amazing and he played Tobias so well. Not to mention he's running around with that violin, clarinet, AND played the piano, I was so impressed with his performance. What I loved about him was that while a lot of the other actors were playing their instruments, they were either staring off into space, or concentrating so much on the instrument itself that they fell out of character. Manoel stayed in character the whole time, this guy was seriously crouching over; keeping the insane asylum persona Tobias has while playing the violin. Which is a very difficult thing to accomplish, I would know from my…3 months of violin playing. His singing of Not While I’m Around made me cry, such a beautiful song and he sung it with so much emotion, I definitely see him moving on to headlining a show in a couple years. He really put his all into his show, and really seemed to enjoy himself, so yes, definitely my favorite.

Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli)- Hmm. Don't really know what to say about her... I just found it odd in general that she was playing a male character. She really overdid that accent, not really sure if it's supposed to be played like that, and if it is, well, they should reconsider that…Her performace was okay, nothing very memorable except that I hated the accent. Granted, Pirelli is supposed to be a performer more than an actual barber, so I should take that into consideration. I loved her on the accordion, at first I thought it was pointless and they could have had her on another instrument, but listening to the music specifically for that instrument I realized how important it was. Overall her performance was just okay, nothing out of this world.


Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman)- HATED her. She oversang just about every single one of her lines, couldn't wait for that chick to get killed. The beggar woman is already a character that is annoying, to the characters, as well as the audience, but she took it from annoying to just painful to watch. This was her Broadway debut and I do realize that she comes from an operatic background, but, well, just no. That's really all I have to say about her.


Alexander Gemignani (Beatle)- Really liked him, loved his dry comedy and delivered his comedic lines well. He has a great singing voice, but I had some difficulty understanding a few of his lines at some points, sort of mumbled. Overall I really enjoyed his performance.

Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony)- Mixed feelings about him… He really does have a beautiful voice, but NOT for this show, seriously. His voice is too deep and too Phantom-esque. I cringed every time he sung the name “Johanna.” Don't get me wrong, he has a lovely voice, but I feel he was miscast, I imagine Anthony with maybe a lighter voice. So I'm pretty much neutral with him.

Lauren Molina (Johanna)- Nothing too special there. The only highlight of her performance was the awful facial expressions she made during, gee, I don't know, the entire freaking performance. I was so distracted with the way she contorted her face that I couldn't pay attention to the show at some points. Her singing was good, but not great. Yet again, another Broadway debut, really only cast for the fact that she could sing and act somewhat well and that she can play the cello beautifully (I did enjoy her cello playing). Overall I thought her performance was mediocre, but very good for a Broadway debut for such a good show.

Mark Jacoby (Judge)- Don't remember anything specific about his performance…He had a pretty good singing voice and played the trumpet well, the judge really isn’t that deep of a character, I mean he’s freaking in love with a girl he’s raised as his daughter, but I thought he did well with the role.

John Arbo (Doctor)- Yeah, didn't do much, but felt I should review him, too. He played the bass very well, I guess that’s really the only reason he was needed…Erm..bravo, John!

Stage door:

Got out to the stage door, which was pretty crowded, managed to get a good spot right in front. I later found out that the girl standing next to my stepsister and me was hypertruffle from the board (very nice girl, by the way). We chatted for a while and the first person to come out was Benjamin Magnuson. He was really nice, had a really spiffy hat on, asked him about it, said he stole it from My Fair Lady. We asked him if he would steal anything from Sweeney he said he wanted to start a new trend and wear the blood coat everywhere. He was really nice, there was a guy by us who was flipping out about meeting him and kept showing everybody around him his autograph, it was quite entertaining.

Alexander Gemignani came out next, he was SO nice, he was a really funny guy and could tell he really enjoyed being around all the Sweeney fans and chatting with them, we had a quick discussion about nicknames (his Sweeney Todd jacket that he had on said knuckles, so that’s why).

Lauren Molina came out next, she was really nice, mad short. That’s really all I could remember because as she was singing, Manoel walked out and I was staring at him the entire time. I was like buggin' out, He worked his way around all of the fans and then finally came over to us. I managed to tell him how much I loved his performance and asked how long he played violin (since he was 5). Then asked for a picture, he obliged! I felt pretty special since I was the only person at the stage door to get a picture with him, quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself. Can't wait to get that picture developed! The girl across from me at the stage door shot me dirty looks because I got a picture and she and her friends didn't, but, yeah, don't care, I didn't like them anyway, the bothered me. Not to mention, they were talking about Norbert Leo Butz, and how much they loved him in Wicked, my god he has done other things besides Wicked!

Michael Cerveris came out and he was so nice! I was kind of intimidated just because, well, he's Michael Cerveris, but he was really nice. Another shining moment that day, the girls across were going on and on about how he’s such a big star and how they couldn’t wait to meet him. He comes out, walks over to them, they get all excited, and then for some reason goes, I’m going to start over at this (meaning my) side, I’ll come over. They were PISSED OFF. It made me pretty happy. We told him how much he loved his performance and he was really sweet about it. Hypertruffle also commented on how shiny his head was, and he said it was because he just shaved it. She then freaking asked him if she could rub it, it was hilarious!!! I was expecting him to be like “wtf mate, NO!” but instead he said, “Rub away!” and had this huge smile on his face. I am proud to say that I did not rub that man’s head, that would have been so awkward, him having 3 girls rubbing his head. Although, I was quite tempted to rub his head. Looking back on it, I know I made the right choice in refraining.

Patti apparently doesn't come out during matinees, c'est la vie, heard she's a bitch, so don't really mind. But I wish I could’ve told her how much I loved her in the show, but I’m sure she gets that all the time anyway, and I got my picture with Manoel, so I was content.


Looking back on it and reading over the Playbill biographies for each of the actors, I realized how it was, for three of the leads, their Broadway debuts, and the reason that they really were cast was for their instrumental abilities.

I was really mesmerized by the staging of the show and was so glad that they were able to revive it well, seeing as how this is now apparently the third time it’s been on the Broadway stage.

So overall, it was a great trip. The show definitely was not what I had expected at all, and although it fell a bit below my expectations, I still really enjoyed it, and was glad I saw this over anything else. I will definitely be purchasing the cast recording and recommending it to people who are looking for a great show to see.

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 10:22pm

I'll just pretend I read that.

[ilovedrsandNLB]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:10am

i'm listening to the little mermaid.
it makes me happy. it reminds me of...a lot of stuff. and one person in particular. he shall not be named. i hate him now, but the times that these songs remind me of were awesome times. i love thinking about them.

i should go to sleep soon. eh, details

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:12am

What am I going to do without BWW for one day?

*hyperventilates*

[ilovedrsandNLB]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:14am

woah...
why are you leaving bww for a day?

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:20am

NYC

[ilovedrsandNLB]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:33am

oooh right
i knew that

*shifty eyes*

[Dre2387]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:44am

hey all!

thanks Liz!

and ryan, that is funny. and I must admit, sort of true. I hate to say it but I curse guys every time this happens. Not to their faces of course, and just guys in general. but then i heard that labor is this but worse, so, kinda scared now.

sorry, when you are like this, you get emotional and weird and think about the weirdest thing.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:17am

lol, my friend told me that when she was in NYC on Tuesday, she could have sworn she saw Greg, I am so proud of myself that my friends actually know what he looks like, lol.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:22am

nice!

haha!

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:37am

If I don't see Les Mis when it comes back to Broadway...I will cry for the whole 6 month run, and then another 6 months after.

The end by Dirty Rotten Scoundrel.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:43am

i agree. but i think i will see it.

oh, and Bruce Kuhn (who was in Les Mis on Broadway, small character and understudy Javert I believe) is at our school now. And I saw his piece, 'Tales of Tolstoy.' he was good.

going to take a workshop with him tomorrow, master class and see his other performance. excited.

[cserannie]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:48am

hi girls,

from Monday I can order tickets for the Producers which will open in June 2nd here in Budapest. I know it will be worse than the American version but I have to see it to judge it (I especially won't like Roger DeBris character because I hate all the three actors who will pay him, but I am quite impressed those who will play Bialistok (sp?) but unfortunately two of them is a little old for the part but there have great comic timing and the third one is too young I guess but who know.

What I am really worry about that the Hungarian Theatre Community got the permission from the American Theatre Something and from Mel Brooks that they can change the script a little...WTF? Change? No way...they souldn't change anything.

Whatever...I will order tickets on Monday oh I have to wait too more weeks to finally see the movie verson of the Producers. I can hardly wait...

ok, I am off to work...I am pretty tired. Last night I watched the Olimpic Games - Women Figure Skating (glad that finally won a girl who didn't fall at all and it was deserved, I especially liked the Hughes sister - 7th place - she skated with a such a joy and dinamic it was a pleasure to watch. Oh and after that I watched rodeo...so cool we have that new sportchannel...I heart cowboys...


...oh, and I heart Greg...even if I voted for Tom

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 4:45am

I GOT MY VERY FIRST PIT JOB IN A COMMUNITY THEATRE! YAAAY!

Back to homework. *Looks at time* Oy gavolt.

[hypertruffle]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 6:49am

*throws confetti* Congrats dear!

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:49am

RPotD:

Mylinda Hull as Gladys in The Pajama Game

[Dre2387]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:13pm

nice.

tired.

going now.

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:38pm

Bye bye bww!

[BluCat500]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:22pm

If I don't see Les Mis when it comes back to Broadway...I will cry for the whole 6 month run, and then another 6 months after.

The end by Dirty Rotten Scoundrel.

I second that...and I accuse Liz of Catch phrase thievery.

I watched ice skating too last night Annie!

I was bummed for Sasha cohen, she was amazing with the exception of the falls...

So do Hungarians skate?

Have fun Mary! Tell me if you enjoy Phantom as I've yet to see it!

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 4:48pm

Tell me, Cat, why is "catch" capitalized and "phrase" not? Hm?

[BluCat500]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:53pm

It blucatipalization...Don't QuEsTiOn It!

Got a light?

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:01pm

Um...k. *drops subject*

[circusliz]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:18pm

Just dropping in to say hi....

....and to say that Ryan rocks, for no particular reason....


Also, do we know yet if Norbert's last day is the same as Greg's?

Updated On: 2/24/06 at 09:18 PM

[ohhoney_]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:17pm

laaa la la.
happy birthday
good luck on foot surguries
have fun at phantom
and congrats on the pit job!

you're all fabulous people.

my school's improv team is currently in THIRD PLACE. tomorrow night, if the 2nd place team from that night has less points than us...we go to finals!

yaaaaaar! GO BLUE&GOLD GO!