Bright Lights review in VARIETY

[ruprecht]

Bright Lights review in VARIETY#0

Posted: 6/19/06 at 6:02pm

The "Variety" review is up:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930867?categoryid=33&cs=1



Highlights:

Jay McInerney's story lost its edge since the Eighties.

Paul Scott Goodman's score is too mild (I disagree!).

One phrase reviews for several cast members, both good for Orfeh ("Impressive"), and Jonathan Shade ("Strong, Sweet Voice") and not good for Jeremy Kushnier ("Too Old") and Kelli Barrett as the model wife ("Has the body and the hair but not the walk or the manner"). No mention at all for the others. Andy Karl gets the best mention of all with:

"Jamie's pal Tad (the sexy Andy Karl), whose song is "Monstrous Events," nearly runs away with the show".

Direction is questionable. The critic openly makes fun of a few of Stafford Arima's devices.

That's about it. I'm glad some of the talented cast members got notice at least.

I guess this sort of puts an end to any hope for a longer run?

[Al Dente]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#1

Posted: 6/19/06 at 6:06pm

Seems pretty much in line with what Bree and you said, at least with regards to the cast. Sundaymorning is now officially the only person who didn't "love" Karl. :)
Updated On: 6/19/06 at 06:06 PM

[BreeDaniel]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#2

Posted: 6/19/06 at 6:10pm

I liked the show more than the critic did but he's pretty much spot on with the exception of his comments about the score.


Edited for afterthought, I also disagree about Kushner "looking too old". Haggard yes, but I thought that was deliberate. Updated On: 6/19/06 at 06:10 PM

[sundaymorning6am]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#3

Posted: 6/19/06 at 8:06pm

Excuse me, Al Dente. I never said I didn't love Andy Karl. He gave a fine performance, I just would've prefered more energy in the beginning.

[ruprecht]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#4

Posted: 6/19/06 at 8:23pm

To each his own. Maybe the critic saw the show on a night when the cast had better luck with their sound. IMO, Andy Karl is perfect as Tad throughout.

[FosterChild]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#5

Posted: 6/19/06 at 8:31pm

Although I have to agree that the production is uneven (despite bright turns by Orfeh, Tolivar, Karl and Kushnier), this is a very challenging piece to stage. I'm more disappointed that the critic didn't seem to be a fan of the score, which is IMHO severely underrated.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#6

Posted: 6/19/06 at 10:56pm

Please, the score is a talent-free piece of crap.






Vivian Darkbloom
Ramsdale, New England

[mallardo]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#7

Posted: 6/19/06 at 11:02pm

Enchanted Hunter, you are clearly a Lolita fanatic - why not, it's genius! - but enough is enough already.

Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!

[RentBoy86]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#8

Posted: 6/20/06 at 12:55am

I love the score, it's a great listen, but I'm not sure it does much for the story. I always thought there was more to the story or some spoken dialogue because if someone were to just listen to the Cd, they'd have no clue as to what was going on half the time. I think this would make a great movie-musical though.

[Jazzysuite82]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#9

Posted: 6/20/06 at 1:18am

I think people are apt to throw around the word genious too librally. Mozart was genious. Bright Lights is a very nice score with a questionable lyric spattered here and there.

[FosterChild]

re: Bright Lights review in VARIETY#10

Posted: 6/20/06 at 2:35am

I hope they find a way to make it work 100%. I'd still love to see a bunch of actors on the level of Orfeh, Andy, Jeremy, etc. who can really take it up a notch.