So, here's my review.
I tried lotto and SRO for both shows on Sunday. Shut out of the matinee completely and ended up making other plans, but I came back for SRO at about 3:40 to secure tickets. I knew Jared and Nic had been on for the matinee, as well as John Eric Parker for the General as well as various swings, but to our surprise they updated the board at around 5:30 to say that Asmeret Ghebermichel would be on for Nabulungi.
The. Show. Was. Awesome. It started off okay, seemed like weaker vocals during Hello than the previous times I have seem the show, but the cast amped it up pretty fast. (I have seem one full cast minus Rema Webb and then another full cast minus Jared for Josh and Brian Sears for Rory). Nic sounded quiet, could have just needed to turn the mic up a bit, but he was great! Different from Rannells, but really good. Jared was fantastic from start to finish. The best thing about it, though, was Jared and Nic's "Room 601" chemistry/bromance. They really had better chemistry than even Gad and Rannells do. Seeing them so comfortable with each other was great and added so much to the story. I am a Nikki James fan, but let me tell you, Asmeret carried the role just as much. Her vocals were slightly less than Nikki's, but it didn't matter. Her acting was very strong and she was funny, and heart breaking on the *spoiler* "You have crushed my soul" line. Her Sal Tlay Ka Siti was amazing and the audience was rooting for her the whole way. Valisia was fine in her usual "what the f..." track.
My favorite Nic moments were You and Me But Mostly Me, Spooky Mormon Hell Dream, the eureka moments near the end after Joseph Smith All American Moses, and his I Believe was "something increadible! He has a great voice. He carried the show with Jared so well. Nic didn't have quite as much star power as Rannells, noticeably during All American Prophet, but I really liked him. His portrayal had different depths to it and he had great moments. Jared is a star. The national tour would be lucky to have him as full-time Cunningham. He sings the role beautifully, he's hysterical, and really just a goof ball. He brings a lot to the role, and I can't decide if I like him or Gad better. I think there's something more polished about Gertner's Cunningham, but its good to see the role in a different light.
Tamika Sonja Lawrence rocks! She nailed the Mrs. Brown bits and the "metaphor" part at the end. Congrats to her for making it through her first week and giving a great last show of the week. Nick Spangler didn't quite fill Jason Michael Snow's shoes as Elder Cross, but the part is very tailored to JMS. He didn't get laughs, but got better as the show went on. Matthew Marks was great in Justin Bohon's track! Justin is a strong dancer as was Matthew. (Sidenote: when Matt Marks was a swing in WSS, did he never go on? His bio said he was "kind of" last seen on Broadway...) Doug Lyons also was great as the doctor, even though Michael James Scott is a usual favorite. The ensemble really did shine. Everyone did a great job.
It was quite the experience and I'm so glad I went. I'd love to see Kevin Duda/Nick Spangler take on Price and Ben Schrader/Will Blum(who was in the audience) as Cunningham. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Updated On: 4/3/12 at 02:52 PM
