#1
Posted: 1/15/05 at 10:36pm
Saw Brooklyn tonight with Standing room tickets. The first time i've seen shows two days in a row. I figured I should take advantage of free time before school starts next week. So I very much did not want to like this show. Don't ask why. I don't know. Maybe the whole american idol aura people have been giving it. So I went into the theater with not very high expectations. I must say the man at the box office wasn't very nice. Lots of attitude and screaming at people. Even some of the ushers were rude to us. ANYWAYS. to the show. The only understudy was Hanneefah Wood as Paradice.
The show started with Heart Behind These Hands which was very soulful. i didn't like listening to it on the cd, but it started to get me warm for the show. Christmas Makes me Cry was probably Karen Olivo's shining moment. She doesn't do a lot in the show but when she does, she really shines. She's got a lot of spunk and energy that is very admirable. Once Upon A Time was brilliant. Eden has a really amazing voice and she knows how to use it. DAMN that girl can sing. Her acting is another thing. I didn't really feel like she had any intention to what she wanted to accomplish. She commanded the stage, yes, but I didn't see any need for what she wanted. But her vocals more than made up for it. Paradice's entrace was absolutely commanding. I couldn't believe I was watching Paradice's understudy. This chick took command from her entrance to her bow. She had so much confidence and sang beautifully. I really enjoyed Kevin Anderson as Taylor. Vocally he was fabulous and he had great acting to support the character. As the streetsinger, Cleavant Derricks was vocally well. I didn't feel like he had much character.
Ok, so here's what it comes down to for me. I had listened to the studio recordings and the cast recording and wasn't that impressed. Aside from Once Upon A Time, raven, and streetsinger, I really wasn't impressed with the recordings. Seeing the show live, I loved the reverb they used because the cds were so dry and hearing it live made their voices sound effortless. Right up until the end of Once Upon A Time, I thought my mind would change and I'd ADORE the show because I actually started to feel something for the characters. That ended there. I didn't feel sorry for Brooklyn when she realized all that her father had gone through. Or even when her dad didn't show up at madison square garden. I just wasn't feeling it. Even during the song Raven, I LOVED the transition. It was one of the few times the transition was smooth and I could see a character's NEED to sing. A lot of the show seemed like, this is a great place to put a song so let's sing. And that was fine. Just fine.
Yes, I'd see brooklyn again. Never at full price, but if it were last resort to seeing a show or having a very cheap ticket. There is an incredibly talented cast at that theater. Avenue Q last night, I actually felt for the puppets, to Brooklyn and not feeling much. Listening to the Brooklyn cd right now after seeing the show, still doesn't do much for me. It really is a show you see. Oh, and I was expecting the audience to go wild from what i've heard frlom others. (standing ovations during the show, etc.) no standing o's during the show, and the applause were loud but faded out pretty quick. So I'd give Brooklyn a rate of 2.5 out of 5.
The show started with Heart Behind These Hands which was very soulful. i didn't like listening to it on the cd, but it started to get me warm for the show. Christmas Makes me Cry was probably Karen Olivo's shining moment. She doesn't do a lot in the show but when she does, she really shines. She's got a lot of spunk and energy that is very admirable. Once Upon A Time was brilliant. Eden has a really amazing voice and she knows how to use it. DAMN that girl can sing. Her acting is another thing. I didn't really feel like she had any intention to what she wanted to accomplish. She commanded the stage, yes, but I didn't see any need for what she wanted. But her vocals more than made up for it. Paradice's entrace was absolutely commanding. I couldn't believe I was watching Paradice's understudy. This chick took command from her entrance to her bow. She had so much confidence and sang beautifully. I really enjoyed Kevin Anderson as Taylor. Vocally he was fabulous and he had great acting to support the character. As the streetsinger, Cleavant Derricks was vocally well. I didn't feel like he had much character.
Ok, so here's what it comes down to for me. I had listened to the studio recordings and the cast recording and wasn't that impressed. Aside from Once Upon A Time, raven, and streetsinger, I really wasn't impressed with the recordings. Seeing the show live, I loved the reverb they used because the cds were so dry and hearing it live made their voices sound effortless. Right up until the end of Once Upon A Time, I thought my mind would change and I'd ADORE the show because I actually started to feel something for the characters. That ended there. I didn't feel sorry for Brooklyn when she realized all that her father had gone through. Or even when her dad didn't show up at madison square garden. I just wasn't feeling it. Even during the song Raven, I LOVED the transition. It was one of the few times the transition was smooth and I could see a character's NEED to sing. A lot of the show seemed like, this is a great place to put a song so let's sing. And that was fine. Just fine.
Yes, I'd see brooklyn again. Never at full price, but if it were last resort to seeing a show or having a very cheap ticket. There is an incredibly talented cast at that theater. Avenue Q last night, I actually felt for the puppets, to Brooklyn and not feeling much. Listening to the Brooklyn cd right now after seeing the show, still doesn't do much for me. It really is a show you see. Oh, and I was expecting the audience to go wild from what i've heard frlom others. (standing ovations during the show, etc.) no standing o's during the show, and the applause were loud but faded out pretty quick. So I'd give Brooklyn a rate of 2.5 out of 5.
but even the standing room tickets weren't bad. back of the orchestra and we could see everything.
