I'm very glad I saw this tonight. The score is fantastic, and the book, as people have said, is extremely problematic and literally all over the place.
I loved Donna Murphy- she was very funny, and I wasn't expecting her to play it as manic as she did. She threw herself into it with reckless abandon.
Esparza sounded great, and his acting was very good.
And then there's Sutton Foster, the chorus girl who got lucky. I still don't get the hoopla over her- her acting in this was typical Sutton- bland. Her voice is fine, but nothing spectacular- Anyone Can Whistle barely registers. She had absolutely zero chemistry with Raul and I never bought their relationship for a second, though it was through no fault of Esparza's.
The orchestra sounded great, as did the ensemble. Edward Hibbert was his typical funny self.
I also have to gripe about the hideous sightlines from the rear gallery. I get that they're the cheap seats, and I had no problem being high up. I did have an issue with the bar that obstructs your view, and the fact that I couldn't see the front and back of the stage. People had to lean over like crazy, and when one person does it, it sets off a chain reaction of "leaners." Very frustrating. I'd avoid the rear gallery if at all possible.
Updated On: 4/9/10 at 12:17 AM