Here are some REAL reviews from last night's show (taken from the other board)...
I found the show to be a fatally flawed production. It was melancholy without having any energy to keep it compelling. It lacked a central conflict, thus destroying any plot arc it might have been aiming for. It's a wandering, lifeless musical with no real reason given for its existence.
The music only hurts the show. Elton Johns tunes are forgettable, dragged out, and tend to bring the story to a stop instead of projecting it furhter. Bernie Taupins lyrics are at best boring, and at worst(more than less) melodramatic and disastrous. Every time the music began, I cringed knowing I would have to sit through another five minutes of characters repeating themselves over and over again.
Having been familiar with the material, I was somewhat relieved that they did not destroy any of the characters. However, they never created a solid plot. When dealing with an immortal character, an interesting challenge arises; how do you create a satisfying beginning, middle, and end? The show opens with Lestat kneeling over a dead wolf, singing a song about being a "wolf killer." This scene is so campy people around me were heard laughing. The opening fails to set the right tone, or create a connection between the character and the audience.
The rest of the show abandons the camp, and roams over some of the major story bullets in Lestats life. Had the creative team focused on a central conflict, the rest of the show might have been salvagable. Instead, they simply show a series of events from Lestats life that chronicle his relationships and journeys. The theme of immortality and coming to grips with neverending life is just breezed over, when it should have been the central focus. The abriged telling of the story leaves numerous crippling plot holes. This brings us to the finale, which is anything but. I was left so completely unsatisfied by the closing scenes I wished for the (reportedly) atrocious ending from LA.
The performances were generally good, especially Allsion Fischer as Claudia. She easily steals the show with two numbers in the second act that offer the only energy present in the entire show. "I'll Never Have That Chance" gives the musical version of Claudia a unique and gratifying take. It's too bad that the other characters, Lestat included, had such focused yet complicated internal conflicts.
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I agree.. very flawed and it did not know where to go a lot of the time. Meandering all over the place. Hugh's big solo in the second act on the ship just came out of nowhere and the opening of ACT II had to be one of the worst I've seen.
The music was non-melodic slop and the lyrics, were even worse. Quite a few people in the mez did not come back after intermission and a good number left during the second act. My friend overheard at intermission in the lobby a couple saying that "this is the next Carrie." not good.
The only disagreement I have is Claudia. One of her second act songs, "I Want More", is quite possibly, one of the most horrendous numbers that I have come across on Broadway. You haven't lived till you've seen a 10 year old vampire girl in a party dress throw a temper tantrum to her two daddies because she wants "more" blood. I hate to say this, but at least "In My Life" was laughable bad. That was just appalling.
