Posted: 7/21/16 at 11:09pm
Finally saw this show last night and enjoyed it a great deal for what it was- a fast-paced musical comedy based on a film I really enjoy.
The thing that impressed me the most was that not only was almost the entire original cast still in the show, over two years into the run (Disney pays well, I assume!), but they were all in last night. That doesn't happen often. They were all quite good, too. Courtney Reed looks beautiful but Jasmine is very underwritten. Her voice is pretty thin, which I remember being my complaint about her when I saw her in In the Heights. Adam Jacobs was a lot of fun, too (and is pretty easy on the eyes). He sounded good and still seemed quite committed to the character.
The star of the show, as I'm sure everyone on here knows already, is James Monroe Iglehart. Talk about energy! What a performance- he appeared to be having a blast up there. You can tell he enjoys what he does a great deal. He steals every scene he's in and Friend Like Me was every bit the showstopper I've heard it was. He's definitely the main reason to see the show.
My only complaint would be the unimpressive set. The set for the theme park version of this show was more impressive, but that's a minor detail.
It's definitely a Nicholaw show in the sense that it's fast-paced, zippy, and has plenty of dance breaks. I enjoyed it a great deal. Certainly not life-changing theater, but good musical comedy and a fun way to spend a summer evening.
Random, but the conductor, Annbritt du Chateau, was a treat to watch during the overture and entr'acte. I love when conductor get into the music they're conducting! She was so joyful!
Updated On: 7/21/16 at 11:09 PM
