Aida at north shore music theater

[dididda]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:09pm

i went to see north shore's production of aida, usire of what to expect. having seen the show on broadwya i was interested in how the show would translate to the theater in the round.

it was amazing. The venue serves the show very well, providing an extremly intimate feel that makes the show all the more powerful.

montego glover as aida is a revalation. an insipred and powerful performence. I've seen saycon and toni broaxton on broadway and ms.glover far surpassed both combined. she has a very passionate take on the role and makes little quirky hand gestures and brings some really funny moments to aida while at the same time maintaining her integrity and adding layer upon layer to the challenging character. beutiful.

brad anderson was the best radames ive seen(ive seen adam pascal and will chase) he had a few weak moment but really captured radames and the conflict the character feels, without trying to hard. and he really looks the part to me, for some reason the other two ive seen havent really struck me as looking the part.

amneris (janine la manna) amazing vocally, acting started off a little too forced a little too dumb, its a challenging part and by the end she had a grasp on it acting-wise. i did not like her wigs at all. but vocally she was amazing and she did have some strong acting choices and moments.

zoser: i think this is the character i hate most in the history of musical thetaer. no motivation ofr his evil. so one-sided, no development and the worst songs in the show. A for effort, but i'm just not a fan.

the staging: Brilliant. instead of the sterile white exhibit in the b'way production this meuseam is more abstract, it was a sandy area with jugs and artifacts that two familys and a tour guide looked through. the tomb was a pyramid and the reincarnated aida and rademes were little children, which left the audience unaware of the fact of the reincarnation, but at the end it was very clear. ameneris entrance at the begginging was beutiful, really cool. the entire show is brilliantly and cleverly transfered to the round, really nice ideas are implemented and the simplicity makes it work nicely. the costumes are BEAUTIFUL, really gorgeous. my only issue with the staging was amneris in written in the stars, she was visible to the audience, intentionally. i really missed that gasp of shock from the audience when they discovered she saw it all, but i guess there's no place to hide her really in that setting...

if anyone is in mass and can get tickets, i highly recoment it, it is the show at its most passionate, most theatrical, and most brilliant form.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:15pm

When I first heard about this, and was still really upset (well, moreso than I still am) about the Broadway production's closure, I actually contemplated taking a trip up to MA to check this out - just to see it once more. Then, pathetic idiot that I am, I saw the production photos and ruled it out because it wasn't the same, and like it or not, I hate change. I suppose it was rather unrealistic for me to actually think I'd be able to get up to Massachussetts for this anyway, but this all is beside the point.

Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading that, and I'm so happy to hear that some incarnation of the show is still alive and kicking, and albeit not too far from home.

Updated On: 11/8/04 at 07:15 PM

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:17pm

Great review! I think I may be going to MA soon, so I'd love to see it!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:19pm

Who's going to replace IDina Menzel in WICKED?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:21pm

Honey, I love you, but no.

Updated On: 11/8/04 at 07:21 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:24pm

Sorry - I should have known not to try and sabatoge an AIDA thread.

[jmnpublications]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:30pm

Glad to hear a BWW'er saw the show. My review has been posted and will go live soon. I agree about Montego Glover - captivating and immensely talented. The production was very strong, and the crowd went wild the night I was there. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to go see this show.

Jan Nargi

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:34pm

That's right, you should know better, munkustrap. *points to icon*
It's still a very delicate subject.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:35pm

I got yelled at for last night. You didn't even get ot SEE the half of what I posted after you left.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:37pm

And yet I'm still dying of exhaustion. I'll have to go look around later, though. 'Twas entertaining.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:38pm

He took it down.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 7:44pm

Figured as much.

Okay, so. AIDA.

[Mythus]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 8:30pm

Is Aida still playing there? I should see it. I wanted to, when I first heard it was going to be there, but I don't have any money for tickets. I'd have to beg my mother. But, NSMT is only fifteen minutes away, so maybe I could convince her...hmm.

[timote316]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 9:03pm

I want to see it, but tix are a little on the pricey side for me, and its about 45 mins away... I dont know lol

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 9:24pm

didda you said that amneris entrance at the begining was cool? could you please explain how it was cool?? thanks :)

[ShineOn]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 10:00pm

I think I'm going to try to get tickets for next weekend...

glad you enjoyed it!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 10:22pm

I saw AIDA at NSMT this weekend also
I am a friend of Ms. Glover so take this as u wish
She is a Force
When she jumps like a child in her Lover's arm's
I guivered

[VivaBohemia]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 10:48pm

Does AIDA have a tour going? I want to see AIDA, but Im not travelling to MA and I never got to see it on Broadway

[dididda]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 10:56pm

so the wasy the stage is set up at NSMT is its a thetaer in the round with trap door in it, there is one spot of the audience where there would usually be an isle but for the sake of entering, etc. there's a ramp and small barriers so it becomes the tunnel that leads backstage. for every show ive seen there it has been left open and the actors walk out through there. for Aida they put platforms on top of it. so when the meuseam started it was closed and then the measeam people all exited as the every story music picked up. the platform covering the entrance slid to the top of the entrance and revealed a blinding light and smoke through this walke dout amneris, very cool. set up the whol "im going to narrate the story now" feel.

i dont know if that makes sense, HARD to describe, but brath taking and very cool effect.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 10:57pm

Tour starts soon, I think, Viva.

[VivaBohemia]

Posted: 11/8/04 at 11:20pm

Wahoo! There's hope for me after all!