BKLYN Tour in Dallas?

I am going tonight. Anyone else?

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I'm going on Sunday night. I'm somewhat excited, although I'm not a fan of the show, based on the CD. I am, however, thrilled to hear Ms. Deguarmo(spelling?) sing "Once Upon a Time".

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I said last night to my "date" that, at the very least, the score should be well sung. I do not know the music, so the whole experience will be fresh.

Besides, the tickets were free.

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the most cohesive Houston review of the show (it moved from here to Dallas):

http://www.houstonvoice.com/2006/7-21/arts/feature/brooklyn.cfm

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I went to try to buy tickets about an hour ago and the box office was closed I'm going tonight though! Just will buy my tickets before the show. 13 dollars a piece for 3rd balcony? That's pretty crazy seeing how I paid over 40 for Wicked...might see it a few times if I don't hate it!

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I don't think that's the case at all. I don't think she would essentially put her recording career on hold for over a year for this if she didn't love theatre. I think she just wants do both (theatre and albums). That reporter just chose to focus his interview on that other than just musicals. There's another article that I read advertising Brooklyn where Diana said that she would love to play Elphaba in Wicked someday. That would definitely be interesting.

I hope everyone has fun at the Dallas shows. Make sure to report back when you see it.

"Fallback career" was the author's words, not Diana's. She's anxious to continue in theater but also anxious to do her second CD. Why does one have to lessen the importance of the other? Seems like a silly thing to pick on her for, considering she has also made it clear in many other interviews that she'd love to return to Broadway after Hairspray and her album to be in Wicked or an original cast of a new show.
I guess I just read her comments differently. *shrug*

Anybody who goes, please review. I saw the show in St. Paul and liked it a lot. Diana and Cleavant's duet in Streetsinger was especially powerful.

I was! And you didn't say hello?!?

Now, my mini-review:

I enjoyed the show a lot. Now, keep in mind I got free tickets and had no, not low, but no expectations for the show. I knew very little about it and had not heard the cast recording. I will be buying it after seeing the show.

Diana is very good. Although her acting is weak, her voice, presence and spunk carry her through the show. Cleavant Derricks and Melba Moore are wonderful. I do not, however, think the show "belongs" to any one of them individually. All five performers give it their all, and, together, they create the fairy tale.

As an audience member, I think you have to agree to accept the conceit that you are being told a fairy tale by street performers and then just go with it. Once that is done, however, I think the creators short change the audience. I followed and bought into the story until the winner of the competition is announced.


SPOILER AHEAD ...


YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ...


The real-life audience goes nuts for Brooklyn and Street Singer, as though we are the "America" that will be voting. So, how does she not win? No explanation is offered. This is not American Idol where odd things happen, and the producers cannot explain why. It is a fairy tale, and I think the audience deserves, at least, a sentence or two in the script saying, "America, though taken by Brooklyn's voice, felt cheated when her father didn't appear and voted for Paradice instead," or something like that. It's the explanation people want when the favorite is inexplicably voted off of the reality show, and the public is stunned because they can't figure out why. (I don't watch American Idol, so I can't give an example.) I know we are supposed to feel that Brooklyn gets her "happy ending" with her father, but why not let her win, give the money to the poor AND get her father?!?

More importantly, the song is never finished. I think that cheats the audience. You spend an hour and a half waiting for the rest of the song, and you don't get it. Taylor's "I can't finish something that in my heart will always be unfinished" didn't quite work for me.

In spite of that, I did really enjoy the show and will buy the cast recording.

EDIT: I found the staging very clever and highly effective, though I think the show is far too intimate to fully work in a theater the size of the Music Hall. It would benefit greatly from being seen in someplace like the Majestic.

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Updated On: 7/26/06 at 11:57 PM

DBillyP, thanks for your review! Glad you enjoyed the show! I, too, bought the cast recording after seeing it, and wasn't disappointed.

Diana's acting was not the strongest in parts, but I especially liked her Little Brooklyn portrayal. And her voice is superb.

The outcome of the contest was a little unsettling, but I liked it because it was real, fairytale or not. I really liked that The Unfinished Lullaby was unfinished myself. I thought the line worked in there...

Parks, Diana did the same thing in St. Paul, encouraging people to buy tickets and tell people about the show. It was kinda sad. Can't wait to read what you thought of the show...

Updated On: 7/26/06 at 12:15 AM

Parks,

When did she do this speech. After curtain call?

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Is your name Parks?

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Eh, I don’t have a problem with Diana’s comments. It’s no different than a seasoned Broadway perfumer breaking into TV and movies, and eventually going to Broadway (Cheno comes to mind.). Diana does have a genuine respect for Broadway, and the work involved in it.