4 shows, 3 days - reviews of Drowsy, Apple Tree, Vertical Hour and Les Mis

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 12:34am

I rarely post reviews of shows I've seen recently since I could only dream of being as eloquent and articulate as, say, MargoChanning, so I'll keep this short and to the point. Please feel free to leave comments or questions; I'd like to discuss these shows with people because some of them seem to be "old news" so there doesn't seem to be any point in reviving old threads, and I didn't follow the threads before so I'm not sure what the general consensus was.

Thursday, December 21, 8pm - The Drowsy Chaperone
Full cast

Loved: Bob Martin (a fellow Canuck!) as "Man In Chair", the double-entendres (disappointed in myself for not catching on to "love is always lovely in the end" until Martin mentions it), the hilarious "Asian" number after the non-intermission ("Message From A Nightingale"?)...of course the people near us were glancing in our direction to see how the two Chinese girls in the audience were reacting and we were hooting with laughter. Beth Leavel was terrific as well.

Liked: Sutton Foster (those legs!!), the score and book

Surprised by: Georgia Engel being in the show - I had no idea! I loved her in The Mary Tyler Moore Show but she seems to be playing a carbon copy of that character here.

Disappointed by: Nothing in particular except that I didn't think the show lived up to all the hype I'd heard. It was entertaining and original and the entire company was strong, but I wasn't blown away.

Disliked: Nothing that I can articulate very well. At times I thought the jokes got tired (i.e. the Gangsters punny banter) and while Man In Chair tries to make a joke out of the repetitiveness, it didn't make it any more enjoyable to have to put up with.

Friday, December 22, 8pm - The Apple Tree
Film Critic played by Jennifer Taylor Farrell

Loved: Nothing

Liked: Marc Kudisch, whom I'd only previously seen in "See What I Wanna See" and enjoyed immensely as well. Even though I thought he was woefully underused, he made the most of his material and oozes enough charisma that I just wanted to watch HIM!

Surprised by: Brian d'Arcy James. First show I've seen him in. Also didn't think the sets were as bad as people had said they were; the space was well used. Having said that, I also thoroughly didn't enjoy the show (see below) so maybe elaborate sets would have given me something to look at.

Disappointed by: The book and most of the score. How did the original production differ from this? If it was anything like this revival, I just don't understand why people thought it should be brought back. The songs were unmemorable and the dialogue was lame and the pace was uneven. But in particular...

Disliked: Kristin Chenoweth. And let me preface this by saying I wanted to like this show and Kristin was the main reason I wanted to see it, since I enjoyed her in other productions. Here was my beef - it was Kristin being Kristin. And yes, in the Times interview, she says that it's too simplistic to write her off as being typecast since she works very hard at what she does, and I don't deny that. But how long can we stand the chirpy, perky, bubbleheaded ditz shtick? Her voice is beautiful and she's attractive to look at, but the amount of mugging and other Cheno-isms was tiresome. (And yes, we get it. She's stacked. And since costumes has already made sure we don't forget it, surely the girls don't need to be referenced constantly too?) This might not be all Kristin's fault - for all I know, it was poor direction that made her performance seem entirely one-note. But this is meant to be her star vehicle and she simply cannot carry an entire show and impress a more discerning theatre crowd by acting cutesy just to appease her younger teeny bopper female audience. (Especially since, surprisingly, the audience I was with was comprised mostly of an older crowd.) Nevertheless, I was shocked at how often the show got big laughs and not so surprised that the audience jumped to their feet at Kristin's curtain call, so maybe I'm the minority here.

Saturday, December 23, 2pm - The Vertical Hour
Full cast

Loved: Bill Nighy. He stole the show effortlessly without chewing the scenery or upstaging his fellow actors. I, and seemingly the entire audience, hung onto his every word, his every gesture. He was a natural and made it look easy. I also loved the dialogue - quick, witty, provocative. I don't get many chances to see such topical shows on Broadway, so while I thought the show was flawed, I also felt very privileged to see a world premiere of something so relevant in today's times with such a talented cast.

Liked: Andrew Scott, very much. His character seems to be not much more than a plot device, but he was very engaging and had a mesmerizing dynamic with both Moore and Nighy. I also thought the sets and use of lighting were impressive.

Surprised by: how much I enjoyed Julianne Moore. I saw the show primarily because of Nighy and Mendes and had low expectations for her (I'm consistently impressed by her film work but I didn't assume it would necessarily translate into a good stage performance). While I thought at times she was self-conscious, unsure and a bit tentative in her movement and the way she delivered some lines, overall I liked her. Still, I thought in the scenes with her and Nighy, she was clearly less in her element as he was.

Disappointed by: Not much. This show was definitely the highlight of my trip. If I had one quibble, it would be that whether it be the dialogue or the performance to blame, I didn't sympathize with Nadia as much as I expect I was meant to. There was depth without character, if that makes any sense. Damn Bill's enigmatic and charismatic performance.

Disliked: Nothing.

Saturday, December 23, 8pm - Les Miserables
Misplaced the slip but all of the main cast was in

Loved: Norm Lewis (Javert); he gave me chills!

Liked: Alexander Gemignani more than I expected to, having previously seen Randal Keith and adoring his performance. Sometimes I found that he yelled the higher notes rather than sing them, but his portrayal had a depth and intensity that defied his age. Also liked Celia Keenan-Bolger but I'm partial to Eponine anyway (who isn't?). Her "On My Own" didn't give me chills or make me teary, unfortunately.

Surprised by: Aaron Lazar. Enjolras has rarely left an impression on me but I found him more captivating than anyone else in the "younger" cast.

Disappointed by: Daphne Rubin-Vega. Woefully miscast. Her acting was solid but her raspy vocals do not combine well with the score. Distracting and painful at times. It seemed to be the big topic amongst the audience members I was overheard at intermission, with the majority having the same opinion as me and the minority (namely the two in the row in front of me who were wearing "No day buy today" t-shirts) thinking her vocals were true to her character's nature and circumstances. Also disappointed by a relatively weaker orchestra (not in quality but by volume and richness of sound). Has it been scaled down? Also disliked the lousy gunshot effects and whoever my Gavorche was, but generally, I find that character grating.

Also, is there any confirmation re: a revival recording? The friend I saw the show with would really like it for a belated Christmas present and I don't know whether to wait for it or buy her the 10th Anniversary CD instead.

Disliked: Nothing. I liked the show over all.



Sorry for the length!

Updated On: 12/28/06 at 12:34 AM

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:05am

That's just the thing about Daphne though - her voice wasn't true to the character the way those girls thought. Fantine is weak she is not strong in the least. Look at the title- she's miserable. Daphne's too tough.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:06am

Since when was The Vertical Hour a musical??

Great reviews though! I have a different opinion on Chenoweth than you but I agreed with mostly everything else. I still have to see Vertical Hour though.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:09am

Your avatar is hot. is it you?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 2:36am

SallyB, agreed, although when Daphne performed on Saturday, her voice was a weaker sickly raspy, rather than a strong belty Rocky Horror/Rent-type raspy, so I could understand where those fans were coming from. Still, I just found that with the musical orchestration, her tone is just too jarring.

LuckyDave, oops I wasn't thinking. Title has been changed. Do see Vertical Hour. It was the best $95 I spent. Like I said, I felt privileged to have the opportunity to see this show with this cast. What were your thoughts on Chenoweth?

B3T, yes, it is me. And thanks to a little Chinese lady on Canal yesterday, I'm watching me in this movie as I type this.

[NJRae]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 10:38am

According the the guy selling the merchandise the last time I was there (about two weeks ago) there will not be a recording of this cast. Of course he could be wrong. And as someone who had never seen the show before this I would really like him to be wrong!

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 12:26pm

"B3T, yes, it is me. And thanks to a little Chinese lady on Canal yesterday, I'm watching me in this movie as I type this."


*falls off chair laughing*

[StarStruckGB]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 12:45pm

*same as lorelai*

Glad you enjoyed your shows =).

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 12:45pm

BTW, anyone else who's seen Les Mis, have you ever found a Marius/Cosette/Eponine trio that's actually had any chemistry? Maybe the roles are just horribly under-written and one-dimensional but I've never found myself particularly engrossed in that storyline, even though on paper I tend to be an Eponine sympathizer. (And maybe not too huge on Cosette because of it...er, I would choose the tiger over the lady BTW. )

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 12:58pm

BTW, anyone else who's seen Les Mis, have you ever found a Marius/Cosette/Eponine trio that's actually had any chemistry?

Stephen Patterson/Stephanie Waters/Ma-Anne Dionisio, although you do bring up a good point. It's usually two out of the three who gel the best.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:39pm

I saw The Apple Tree the same night as you. Anyway, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I think that the first act was much stronger than the others. The songs were not memerorable in the least bit. I too was blown away by Marc Kudisch and Brian D'Arcy James. As for Kristin Chenoweth this was my first time seeing her "shtick" so I wasn't dissapointed. Overall, I think it's worth seeing. Sorry for my thoughts being scattered all over the place.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:48pm

Don't worry, you don't seem scattered. Anyway, did you find any parts LOL-worthy? I saw this show with another BWWer, and both of us are probably as familiar with the story of Adam and Eve as the next person, but we kept exchanging glances at each other when people were roaring with laughter over the most innocuous things Kristin would do!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:54pm

Congrats! I didn't know actors posted here.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 1:56pm

I don't post very often; I find my glistening arm muscles block the view of my computer screen.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 3:32pm

LMAO!

Thanks for the great reviews!

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 3:53pm

Tiff- I really like the format of your review!

[WellIfYouInsist]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 3:56pm

No but seriously who is that in your avatar?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 3:59pm

Adam Jacobs and Ali Ewoldt added something into the performance that made it more awkward and they are not sure how to precede. Usually HEART FULL OF LOVE is like a marriage proposal.

Celia Keenan-Bolger didn't do anything for me to make me feel pity. Maybe the first time. When she died, the sad part was the idea of what had died with her - not poor Eponine (although I know people in the audience were crying when she died).

I thought Alexander Gimagnani was probably the strongest link in the cast in terms of overall performance and finally bringing emotion to Les Mis.

Nice to see you again, Tiff!

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 4:00pm

It's Daniel Craig in the new Bond movie.

And I loved Chenoweth's performance. I especially loved her portryal of Ella. True, many of the mannerisms that she used were some that she had used previously, but she made them work and she made those parts her own. And her voice is wonderful here.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 4:00pm

WellIfYouInsist - James Bond

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 7:10pm

I've never liked the characters of Marius or Cosette- novel and musical. In the musical especially they're very underwritten and looking at it like an actor, I don't think there's much you could do with the part. For Eponine I think there are a lot of directions you can go with but Marius and Cosette are pretty much going down one road. Adam Jacobs has a beauitful voice, as does Ali Ewoldt, and his "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" was wonderful, but I think Marius and Cosette are just forgettable. Eponine can be unforgettable (if done right) because she dies, but Marius and Cosette (well, Cosette especially) are just kind of... there. I actually thought there was more chemistry between Adam and Celia than Adam and Ali but I am biased because I don't like Cosette at all and everytime she's on stage I honestly tend to just not care. Which is sad, because I think Ali Ewoldt is cute. But what can you do. It's not her fault.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 7:53pm

I guess those three characters are just plot devices really, especially Marius and Cosette's relationship, which is just to provide a greater incentive for Valjean to, er, bring him home. Eponine, as much as I like her, is kind of a pointless character - it's not like her love for Marius actually amounted to anything, did it?

But since those three are just so pretty to look at, I can't complain TOO much.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 7:57pm

Eponine's character might not move the plot forward too much, but I believe the point of her being in Les Mis is to add further emotional poignancy to the show.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 8:00pm

Yep, that makes sense, Siamese. She also shows the Thenardiers' fall from grace into poverty by the time the revolution was approaching. And she's la miserable.

Has anyone ever had a good Gavroche? I just don't like the character...precocious little brat. (If I ever have children, please call social services.)

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/28/06 at 8:00pm

Yeah I see Eponine as a way of enforcing the "these people are dirt poor, miserable, and have nothing to hope for" aspect of Les Miserables.

But I loved when Marius punched Thernardier. Finally he does something worth his "manly god" status.