And Now What You've All Been Waiting For.....Matt_G's BKLYN Review

[Matt_G]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:11pm

Okay, so I got myself a rush seat last night for BROOKLYN, (Music and lyrics by The Mickey Mouse Club and book by Hallmark) on a whim because I had to see this because I would be upset if I didn't see what all the fuss was actually about.

I almost don't know where to begin. I guess I'll start with the positive. The voices in this show are amazing. They're just incredible, especially that of Ramona Keller. She was great in CAROLINE, OR CHANGE but this time she has a chance to get front and center and sing. And does she ever. She made a fan for life out of me last night and I will now add her to the list of people I would pay to hear read the phone book.

And that's about it for the positive. The story was just plain confusing to me at times. I won't go into great detail because it's been discussed to death but honestly, I was looking around and saw other people with the same look on their face. In addition to the story not making a lot of sense, it just wasn't very good. I counted 18 songs in the playbill, and only 3 of those served the purpose of moving the story along. There were MANY times songs should have been used to explain motivation, but instead were just Pop-Tart songs placed in the scene. The majority of them sounded the same and were just plain boring. Oh, and before I forget. Eden, (Who played Brooklyn, a girl who speaks in greeting cards) PLEASE STOP SCREAMING. You're going to hurt yourself and others. You have a great voice but it's just not needed for these songs or for any other for that matter. I needed an Advil after ONCE UPON A TIME (which sounded strangely like "Once Upon A Time In New York City" from Disney's OLIVER & COMPANY)

Watching this show, the character I found most interesting was Paradice. Not only was she the most fully developed character in the show, but SHE was the one I cared about. She was the one I rooted for in the "competition" (and what the hell kind of a competition was that anyways? The loser was never allowed to sing again? What is that, like American Idol: Extreme Edition???)
Anyways, I don't have all day so let me wrap it up on a positive note and say that Keller's songs "Love Me Where I Live" & "Superlover" will be on my iPod when the recording is released. Sorry if this review was all over the place, but hell, so was this show.

Updated On: 11/6/04 at 01:11 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:18pm

ha! always a pleasure to read horror stories from the show that was written by the Mickey Mouse Club and Hallmark (can I use that when i describe the show please???)_

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:18pm

Haha--at least now when you violently bash a brooklynit, you've seen the show and have something to base it on.

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:19pm

That was a very civil review. Well done!

And I still will never see the show. Ever. No.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:19pm

Sorry YankeeFan, I'm claiming that as my own.

[jczelyph]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:22pm

Love that review! Hilarioso. Thanks.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:23pm

Tiny, are you there.... ??

Wait.. I will do it... "thanks for the review, Matt"...

My wife sold our "Bklyn" tix to one of the her co-workers for $20 each.

We went to see "The Incredibles" instead. Movie rocks !!!

[zoran912]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:28pm

I've got tickets for the 11th. I'll see if I agree with you then.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 1:31pm

Enjoyed reading the review, and glad you finally got to the city safe and sound!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 2:25pm

In an interview, Kevin Anderson even said that the show is a concert with a storyline.

[shesings]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 2:35pm

I've got to see this. I mean theres such a fuss about it, everyone either seems to LOVE it or HATE it. I imagine I'll probably be in the latter group, but I need to see for myself. I really don't like the idea of a "concert with a storyline". That's not a musical.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 2:36pm

Matt_G how DARE you write a negative review?

Telling the truth about shows- that really makes me sick.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 2:39pm

Lady, it is not the truth about a show. It is an opinion of a show. You might hate it, but others love it.

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 2:39pm

I LOVED wha you said about the book and music!!! I saw Eden and the cast on a show and she sang Once Upon a Time. I was like what the hell!? She just SCREAMED the whole time, and the lyrics were CHEESY!!!! From what I saw, I think Idina should play Brooklyn, at least sing the song.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 3:00pm

I completely disagree with you about Idina!

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 3:05pm

I'm just going to ignor that!LOL

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 3:06pm

I agree about Idina.

If they both play Brooklyn at the same time, their voices would give out a few more years later than planned.

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 3:42pm

[SPOILER BELOW}


While we're at it...

Did anyone notice that Brooklyn's father's unfinished lullaby is "From a Distance"?

And I've heard the story described over and over again as a fairy tale, but [SPOILER ALERT] what kind of fairy tale is it if the heroine loses? That's not what happens in a fairy tale. It's like the Prince running off with Cinderella's stepmother.

[starfromafar]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 3:52pm

Matt G I could not agree with you more that the character i really cared about was Paradice. Brooklyn's character totally annoyed me...its seemed that she was unreasonably sweet...to the point of all that niceness seeming totally fake...anyway, i'm glad someone else felt that way too becuase I was starting to wonder if something was wrong with me for really being glad brooklyn lost that whole competition thing.... Updated On: 11/6/04 at 03:52 PM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 11/6/04 at 4:13pm

Brooklyn losing the competition was the most realistic part of that show. But that character was so annoyingly sweet I really wanted someone to smash that guitar in her face just to shut her up for a few minutes and let Ramona sing another song.

[Swankified089]

Posted: 11/7/04 at 11:39am

Matt_G - that's EXACTLY how I felt!

Thanks for the honest review

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 11/7/04 at 11:49am

It must be a commonality that all the girls who play Elphaba have to scream and emote instead of actually singing. I swear, if I ever sang the way one them do I would have no voice.

No wonder Idina always sounds like crap on tv.

[Spooky]

Posted: 11/7/04 at 11:59am

I left the show wondering if I've become a theater snob, because the audience around me seemed to like it (though they restrained a few moments before giving a ovation)
I liked Paradice the best and like others have said, was rooting for her. By far she had the best wardrobe.
The costumes were better than the show.
By the end, I was confused as to the heck the father actually was.
And Kevin Anderson brings new meaning to white man "dancing".
I wish there was intermission, I would have left.

[pab]

Posted: 11/7/04 at 12:37pm

"I left the show wondering if I've become a theater snob, because the audience around me seemed to like it (though they restrained a few moments before giving a ovation)"

I sometimes feel that way after every show even if I like it a lot. There was a time when an audience gave a standing ovation to a show because it was extraordinary. These days an audience will stand for anything (pun intended).

[timote316]

Posted: 11/7/04 at 12:44pm

lol, good review Matt. I almost fell out of my chair when I read your comment about smashing Eden in the face with the guitar lol. Its a funny thing to picture.