#1
Posted: 6/12/05 at 4:07pm
And it took me long enought to drag my broke bum over to the Plymouth to witness Brooklyn. But with two weeks left, I had to see what all the fuss was about. But I will write about Bee first.
I'm not going to do a full review, just things I enjoyed, didn't enjoy, etc.
****************************
SPELLING BEE
For such a creative concept, talented cast, and hilarious book, someone should have clued Willian Finn in on the fact that the music is boring, bland, and stops the show. There were some average, but enjoyable, songs like "Magic Foot," "My Unfortunate Erection," and Celia Keenan-Bolger's beautifully delivered, "I Love You." But on a whole, the score was not anything special, and in a musical, that turns out to be a bad thing.
Every cast member did a great job. Special mention to Celia and Jesse.
TONY THOUGHTS
Having now seen all four nominated shows for Best Musical in the following order: DRS, Spamalot, Piazza, Bee - I can say Piazza deserved the tony for Musical, with DRS close behind.
Dan Folger, while very good, I don't think deserved the Tony. He has been with the show from the beginning and his character is one that is forced to run around the stage. He is very good, but Matt Morrison deserved that Tony.
OVERALL
Bee is a fun show I would recommend to all, but would not hurry back to see. I give it 6/10 Stars - while the idea is clever, the score is just too bland.
(NOTE: After listening to the CD more and more, I am beginning to like the music. Sounds much better on CD.)
****************
BROOKLYN
The name alone carries a sort of undistinguished, death of the theatre air with it.
I went in to Brooklyn expecting the worst, beyond the worst. I think this tainted my enjoyment of the show - because I enjoyed it more than expected. Nevertheless, it is still a bundle of crap wrapped in a plastic bag, neatly fitted to the actresses.
The show's biggest problem lies in the fact that the book is a whirlwind adventure leaving you destroyed, heart-broken and kicking yourself as you wonder, "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WITNESS?" It's like a train wreck and no one was saved.
The music wasn't as bad as I had expected, with a very enjoyable tunes. At least, whatever sounds were blaring at me, giving me the migraine of the century, was more entertaining then the book - which was a compilation of nonsensical rubbish.
The idea was good: A group of city weeds, as they are so-called, put on a show, describing a fairy tale. As they do this, passer-bys give them some money. It's sort of what we see on every corenr of Times Square - people performing.
There was some clever staging, such as the Eiffel Tower. But in context of the story, everything was just plain ridiculous.
The story goes back and forth between the story of Brooklyn (Eden Espinosa) and Paradice (Ramona Keller). They are competing, winner takes all - fame, glory, money, most outlandish costume. Thankfully, the true talent of the show wins.
The other story is Brooklyn trying to find her father, played by Lee Morgan (UNDERSTUDY). He was very good - in fact he was great. But his role was just too pathetic. Karen Olivio, as Faith, Brooklyn's dead mother, was also a stand out. Finally, Horace V. Rogers (UNDERSTUDY) as the streetsinger was also great - or as good as one could be in such a drab part.
As the plot thickens with stupidity and the songs blare louder and louder....nothing really happens. A huge problem with the show is that it is anticlimatic. Nothing leads up to anything. Nothing, from the beginning makes you care about the characters.
The costumes went to the extreme and worked well in the "fairy tale world." Things look bad when you think the costumes are more intriguing and interesting (not necessarily in a good way) than the story itself.
So Brooklyn turns out to be Rent, without substance. The show makes a fool of itself as it tries to change the world of drugs, AIDS, and sex in a haphazard, meaningless way.
Fear not, if in the next two weeks you can't obtain tickets to Rent, see Brooklyn. You will still have a pickle drum bucket and a character with the initials TC (Tom Collins (Rent)/Taylor Collins (BKLYN).
Final note, Ramona Keller steals the show from Eden's ear-piercing singing. Ramona is worth the price of admission (Student Rush, that is) alone.
Overall, 2/10 Stars.
[In blog]
I'm not going to do a full review, just things I enjoyed, didn't enjoy, etc.
****************************
SPELLING BEE
For such a creative concept, talented cast, and hilarious book, someone should have clued Willian Finn in on the fact that the music is boring, bland, and stops the show. There were some average, but enjoyable, songs like "Magic Foot," "My Unfortunate Erection," and Celia Keenan-Bolger's beautifully delivered, "I Love You." But on a whole, the score was not anything special, and in a musical, that turns out to be a bad thing.
Every cast member did a great job. Special mention to Celia and Jesse.
TONY THOUGHTS
Having now seen all four nominated shows for Best Musical in the following order: DRS, Spamalot, Piazza, Bee - I can say Piazza deserved the tony for Musical, with DRS close behind.
Dan Folger, while very good, I don't think deserved the Tony. He has been with the show from the beginning and his character is one that is forced to run around the stage. He is very good, but Matt Morrison deserved that Tony.
OVERALL
Bee is a fun show I would recommend to all, but would not hurry back to see. I give it 6/10 Stars - while the idea is clever, the score is just too bland.
(NOTE: After listening to the CD more and more, I am beginning to like the music. Sounds much better on CD.)
****************
BROOKLYN
The name alone carries a sort of undistinguished, death of the theatre air with it.
I went in to Brooklyn expecting the worst, beyond the worst. I think this tainted my enjoyment of the show - because I enjoyed it more than expected. Nevertheless, it is still a bundle of crap wrapped in a plastic bag, neatly fitted to the actresses.
The show's biggest problem lies in the fact that the book is a whirlwind adventure leaving you destroyed, heart-broken and kicking yourself as you wonder, "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WITNESS?" It's like a train wreck and no one was saved.
The music wasn't as bad as I had expected, with a very enjoyable tunes. At least, whatever sounds were blaring at me, giving me the migraine of the century, was more entertaining then the book - which was a compilation of nonsensical rubbish.
The idea was good: A group of city weeds, as they are so-called, put on a show, describing a fairy tale. As they do this, passer-bys give them some money. It's sort of what we see on every corenr of Times Square - people performing.
There was some clever staging, such as the Eiffel Tower. But in context of the story, everything was just plain ridiculous.
The story goes back and forth between the story of Brooklyn (Eden Espinosa) and Paradice (Ramona Keller). They are competing, winner takes all - fame, glory, money, most outlandish costume. Thankfully, the true talent of the show wins.
The other story is Brooklyn trying to find her father, played by Lee Morgan (UNDERSTUDY). He was very good - in fact he was great. But his role was just too pathetic. Karen Olivio, as Faith, Brooklyn's dead mother, was also a stand out. Finally, Horace V. Rogers (UNDERSTUDY) as the streetsinger was also great - or as good as one could be in such a drab part.
As the plot thickens with stupidity and the songs blare louder and louder....nothing really happens. A huge problem with the show is that it is anticlimatic. Nothing leads up to anything. Nothing, from the beginning makes you care about the characters.
The costumes went to the extreme and worked well in the "fairy tale world." Things look bad when you think the costumes are more intriguing and interesting (not necessarily in a good way) than the story itself.
So Brooklyn turns out to be Rent, without substance. The show makes a fool of itself as it tries to change the world of drugs, AIDS, and sex in a haphazard, meaningless way.
Fear not, if in the next two weeks you can't obtain tickets to Rent, see Brooklyn. You will still have a pickle drum bucket and a character with the initials TC (Tom Collins (Rent)/Taylor Collins (BKLYN).
Final note, Ramona Keller steals the show from Eden's ear-piercing singing. Ramona is worth the price of admission (Student Rush, that is) alone.
Overall, 2/10 Stars.
[In blog]
Updated On: 7/14/05 at 04:07 PM
