#1
Posted: 7/13/08 at 11:24am
So with this show I chose not to read any reviews before buying my tickets...Cheyenne was enough of a reason IMO :)
So after I got home from the show last night, I was shocked to read some of the reviews, but it may have been that everyone was just so spot on last night (Saturday July 12th). I thought the set was innovative and really liked the placement of pieces throughout the show. Also the color scheme for the chairs in the house in the first scene was very clever (with the red chair Joe was sitting in). There wasnt a better person to start that show off than with Randy Graff. I thought she gave a heart warming and very subtle performance which captured the essence of Meg for me. There were times when PJ Benjamin would swallow his voice and we couldnt understand what he was singing, but a beautiful tone made up for it. There were a few microphone issues, some ripping and a few that came on in the middle of a line, but nothing really distracting. Jane Krakowski for me acted Lola very well, her signing was very passable, but her dancing at times was a little awkward...but during Two Lost Souls, as shes leading the company she looked like she was having so much fun, which is what Encores is about, so it was great to see. I was impressed with Cheyenne's vocals throughout the show, his voice is just so effortless and has a totally different feel than Xanadu. There were some vocal inflections he has slipped into onstage (some swooping stuff..) that comes out a bit too much....it was great for Xanadu, but it just seemed a bit out of place at points. Now what I do not understand is everyones critisim of Sean Hayes. I thought his performance was spot on...every single aspect of it. His comic timing was flawless and his song he carried with such character and charisma there was nothing to complain about. All of the tricks with the matches and the card were done perfectly, he was in no way a weak link as some are saying. Now my two favorite parts of the production were The characters of Doris and Rocky..Kathy Fitzgerald, every time that woman was onstage I was in stiches, the woman is utterly hysterical and added so much with her little part. And Jimmy Smagula was just teriffic, he stole all the scenes with the ball players. He was always moving and just fit right into that part perfectly. The best songs for me were "Near to You" which was so beautiful between Graff and Jackson, "Heart" and "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal MO"...led by Megan Lawerence who was a suitable replacement for Gasteyer...would have liked to see her in the role however. Lastly, the dancing...Well there were times when I felt Fosse had personally come to show them the dancing it was just so good, but others (Who's got the pain) when I cringed a bit at the movement...So overall the dancing I would say was the weak link, but still not poor enough to keep it from a transfer.
Is it worthy? I would say so, if they perform like they did last night, they deserve it!
So after I got home from the show last night, I was shocked to read some of the reviews, but it may have been that everyone was just so spot on last night (Saturday July 12th). I thought the set was innovative and really liked the placement of pieces throughout the show. Also the color scheme for the chairs in the house in the first scene was very clever (with the red chair Joe was sitting in). There wasnt a better person to start that show off than with Randy Graff. I thought she gave a heart warming and very subtle performance which captured the essence of Meg for me. There were times when PJ Benjamin would swallow his voice and we couldnt understand what he was singing, but a beautiful tone made up for it. There were a few microphone issues, some ripping and a few that came on in the middle of a line, but nothing really distracting. Jane Krakowski for me acted Lola very well, her signing was very passable, but her dancing at times was a little awkward...but during Two Lost Souls, as shes leading the company she looked like she was having so much fun, which is what Encores is about, so it was great to see. I was impressed with Cheyenne's vocals throughout the show, his voice is just so effortless and has a totally different feel than Xanadu. There were some vocal inflections he has slipped into onstage (some swooping stuff..) that comes out a bit too much....it was great for Xanadu, but it just seemed a bit out of place at points. Now what I do not understand is everyones critisim of Sean Hayes. I thought his performance was spot on...every single aspect of it. His comic timing was flawless and his song he carried with such character and charisma there was nothing to complain about. All of the tricks with the matches and the card were done perfectly, he was in no way a weak link as some are saying. Now my two favorite parts of the production were The characters of Doris and Rocky..Kathy Fitzgerald, every time that woman was onstage I was in stiches, the woman is utterly hysterical and added so much with her little part. And Jimmy Smagula was just teriffic, he stole all the scenes with the ball players. He was always moving and just fit right into that part perfectly. The best songs for me were "Near to You" which was so beautiful between Graff and Jackson, "Heart" and "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal MO"...led by Megan Lawerence who was a suitable replacement for Gasteyer...would have liked to see her in the role however. Lastly, the dancing...Well there were times when I felt Fosse had personally come to show them the dancing it was just so good, but others (Who's got the pain) when I cringed a bit at the movement...So overall the dancing I would say was the weak link, but still not poor enough to keep it from a transfer.
Is it worthy? I would say so, if they perform like they did last night, they deserve it!
