Brooklyn Tour - 7/27/06- Page 2

[Parks]

Posted: 7/31/06 at 4:38pm

Good review. I could hear everyone fine...including Lee. I love Julie's voice--it's so beautiful. I have a crush on her too, btw. Melba...I can't have a crush on. She's so edgy in the show...she's more like a faghag for me. We can go shopping or something while Diana, Julie and I go out to dinner and a movie.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/31/06 at 5:22pm

You called Melba a faghag? Ha. Brillant.

[dutch46mill2]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 8:45am

Parks Three days ago you wanted Diana now you also want Julie. Wow you young guys want to start a relationship with a threesome.lol

All kidding aside They are both wonderful.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 1:47am

I ended up going to Brooklyn tonight (8/1). I saw the show in NY, and I must say that the powerful vocals completely held that show together on Broadway. I remember having chills for the majority of the night because of the beautiful vocals.

Diana - I went into the show wanting to dislike Diana. I actually enjoyed her on idol, but I just loved Eden as Brooklyn; I didn’t think anyone could replace her. Diana wasn’t Eden, but she most definitely held her own. In fact, she was one of the strongest singers in the show. And her voice FIT the show. It wasn't a pop singer trying to sing a score that they didn't have the voice to sing. It was very pleasant and pure, and it was lovely to listen to. Chill worthy in spots even!

I enjoyed her singing a great deal more than her acting. I missed the feistiness that Eden brought to the role. And I have to say that Little Brooklyn won't ever allow for a Tony winning performance! Diana had a great belt, but it seemed that her voice became stronger/louder throughout the show. In particular, the Brooklyn/Street Singer duet was her best number. She really let it all go.

Clevant Derricks was AMAZING, and I was so happy to see him as the street singer again. His role is small, but in a way I feel it is the heart of the show. That man’s voice is incredible; I certainly wished he had a larger/deeper role. There are certain voices that just hit you in the gut, and he has one of those voices!

Melba Moore- Well, I heard that she was pretty weak through various reviews. I personally thought that she brought an interesting twist to Paradice. The “faded diva” really worked for her, and I think it was a softer Paradice from what I saw on Broadway. Ramona Keller really took an angry/jaded approach to this character, but there is a lot of comedy written for this part. Melba seemed to balance the aspects of this role well. Not too many problems with the lines tonight, and the comedy played very well with tonight's audience. Now, I do think that Ramona has a stronger voice over all, and to be honest while Melba was a very good singer, her songs were a tad boring compared to what I saw in NY.

Lee Morgan- Someone else said that Lee Morgan reminded him of Taylor Hicks from AI. I completely agree with this assessment, and once again, the character changed a bit from what I saw on Broadway. He is supposed to be a Vietnam vet, and I completely bought into that. He was raw and rough. His voice and portrayal of “Taylor” was very layered and believable. I also like that he brought a different style of singing to the table. It was a nice variety of voices/genres of singing.

There were some changes from the Broadway production – “Brooklyn in the Blood” is one of my favorite numbers. It was cut. The show did drag without an intermission, but there were plenty of other songs that could have been cut. I don’t think it helps the show to cut an upbeat energetic number. There were several slow numbers that brought the show to a crawl.

The “preachy” dialogue was slimmed down and spread out throughout the show. This really helped the flow of the show in my opinion, and it gave it the feel of a sidewalk fairy tale instead of a sermon.

The costumes seemed a bit less extravagant. I really loved the costumes on Broadway. It was really a neat aspect of the show. The general ideas for the costumes were still there, they were definitely made on a slim budget. That or they took remnants from the Broadway production.

The plot seemed to be edited for content and length, and personally, I think the majority of choices were well thought out. I’ve always thought that the plot was the weakest part of the show, but, like Bret said, the story has a great frame.

The biggest change from Broadway is that this show is playing in a much bigger venue. I think this really hurts the show overall. I would love to see this edited version of the show in a smaller theatre; I think it would be stronger than what was playing on Broadway.

Edited to add: The sound crew deserves a round of applause. I've had constant problems with hearing shows in this venue since the new sound system was installed. I could hear the majority of the show perfectly. No problems with mics or volume at all.

Updated On: 8/2/06 at 01:47 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 2:06am

"I’ve always thought that the plot was the weakest part of the show"

Preach it!

And I also think the show doesn't work as well in a bigger venue. I was "wowed" by Diana's vocals, but I also thought the show just got swallowed by the huge theater I was in. I felt I would have been more "wowed" had I been in something a bit smaller.

[nannerz60]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 2:18am

HJ -

Thanks so much for your amazing review! Glad you enjoyed, for the most part! That Streetsinger duet is amazing, isn't it?

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 4:15pm

It really is. I'm going again tonight (for free) with someone else, and it's worth the trip to the theatre just to hear that song again. And Rentboy, I'm completely with you the WOW factor faded in the venues chosen for this tour. In the future, I could really see Brooklyn working well for smaller local theatres with strong singers and a great creative team. They could really make this show their own.

[nannerz60]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 9:01pm

Be sure to let us know what you think when you go again, or if any funny things happen. Did you stagedoor last night? Do you plan to tonight?

[BruceWayne5148]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 9:14pm

something about this show just did not click with me. i saw it in atlanta in diana's home town and it wasn't even close to half full. good thing there wasn't an intermission or i would have left.
i've met diana a few times and she has not been the nicest person. i also have some friends that went to her high school and said the same thing.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 1:50am

Funniest part of the night - the merchandise stand. Since I saw the OBC, I wanted a program. Anyway, it was clear that people had no idea what this show was about. The merchandise guy kept answering questions about the show/plot. This group came up to him and asked if it was anything like Rent. He replied that there are similar elements, but the story isn't like Rent at all. Then the group asks if it has the same songs as Rent. And they didn't mean the same style of music because they replied that they should buy the album since it didn't have the same songs! Odd.

Didn't stage door, but I was thinking about peeking in the pit and seeing if I could see John McDaniel. I loved him on the Rosie Show.

Nothing too different. The house wasn't as full as last night, cell phones went off more than once, and the audience wasn't as enthusiastic. It showed in their performances - especially Melba. I think Melba had a really good night on Tuesday! The person I went with didn't like Melba's voice at all. She said some of the notes were questionable. I agree with that statement tonight. Cleavant was AWESOME again. There are no other words! Diana seemed to have more energy than last night oddly enough.

Oh, and I forgot to add that last night Diana gave her ticket/merchandise speech. She was showing off the t-shirts, and she didn't know how much they were so she was like "I don't know, $45. Just kidding, if they are $45 they are SO not worth it." It was amusing. Curtain call was kind of sad tonight. People wanted to get out quick to get to their cars, and they started leaving as she was speaking. I don't care if you like Diana or you don't, that is so rude!

Updated On: 8/3/06 at 01:50 AM

[Parks]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 2:34am

Oh--people leaving absolutely disgusts me. Especially DURING curtain call. One of my friends suggested that we leave during curtain call (to avoid traffic) and I snapped back at her for even thinking about it.

Diana's so funny . That's why I'm dating her.

[Marie2]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 2:48am

Parks, you really need to go to Diana's fansite, www.dianad.com and join. I think some people are probably awaiting your arrival at this point. :)
Diana is incredibly funny -very quick witted. She's a genuinely nice person as well. I think that's part of what makes her such an excellent "Penny" in Hairspray.

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 7:52am

LOL, that's awesome. She's right though. I do find the leaving at that point rude, but I'm sure it happens a lot.

Diana does seem to be a very nice/sweet person from what I've seen. Oh, well.

Parks, you really need to ask Diana out. I think her reaction would be priceless and in any case, that would take a lot of guts and we would love you for it. As quick witted as she is, she might actually be taken aback by it.

[nannerz60]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 9:20am

Diana is quite funny. I love those little stories.

I can't believe people left during curtain call...

How was the Streetsinger number last night? :)

[idolseacrest]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 10:59am

Parks - 3 things I've got to say to you!

1. Come join www.dianad.com, there are bunch of us who love Diana!!

2. Please ask Diana out!!!! I'd love to know what her reaction would be like!! I can only imagine...

3. I'd be forever grateful if you could ask Diana if she met Kelly or attended her concert.

Thankyou!!! Glad you enjoyed the show and especially Diana!

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 7:38pm

Parks,
Diana doesn't have a boyfriend according to this article.
https://www.dallassummermusicals.org/dsm_bklyn.shtm#interview

And the Streetsinger duet was awesome once again . I refuse to stop raving about Cleavant Derricks!

I have to admit that I really enjoy the music in this show. I wonder if they tested the show anywhere or spent time reworking the plot. It seems if they would have spent more time refining the story that it could have done alot better on Broadway. The sound and the look of the show is quite engaging in my opinion.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 9:05pm

They did a try out in Denver before it went to Broadway.

[Parks]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 9:21pm

I'm going tomorrow night.

haha, I'd love to ask Diana out--but she might be weirded out.

but then again...I'm like totally adorable.

but then again...I'm gay.

Hm.

[dutch46mill2]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 10:04pm

You also might find she is the nicest person you ever met and will instantly be straight. Lifes about risks dude.
.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 10:15pm

ROFLOL, Parks.

But did they make many changes after the try out, Emo?

[nannerz60]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 10:33pm

C'mon, Parks, we're counting on you! At least find out if she went to the end of Kelly's concert!

I'm sure Diana would be tickled if you asked her out! You can't not! She must be informed that you two are dating, after all!

[emo_geek]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 10:35pm

They made many many changes, with the script and with the music. They did a really nice job with changing some things with the music to be where it is right now.

[Marie2]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 11:32pm

Parks, Diana won't care that you're gay. At the very least you must confess your crush. You can be the "Will" to her "Grace." She seems to have many many gay friends, especially males.

[hyperchet]

Posted: 8/4/06 at 12:29am

yes, the show sucked.
diana degarmo was the best in the show...her lisp was annoying, though.
once upon a time was the only good song in the show...and it was amazzzzinng.
but other than that, it was pretty bad.
and what happened to "brooklyn in the blood"
it was cut.
shame shame

[BroadwayGirl3]

Posted: 8/4/06 at 12:32am

Since when does Diana have a Lisp?