#1
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.
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.
"Noah, someday we'll talk again. But there's things we'll never say. That sorrow deep inside you. It inside me, too. And it never go away. You be okay. You'll learn how to lose things..."
Updated On: 11/6/04 at 01:11 PM
