#1
Posted: 8/7/06 at 10:24pm
Why 6 shows in 4 days? Well, once I decided to fly to Dallas, it was a no-brainer. If I could have gone to more I would have. As I posted before, I have "Brooklyn in the Blood" both literally and figuratively. Besides, the show has a very special meaning to me because of experiencing street singing on Flatbush Ave. and surviving the Vietnam War.
Just a few quick thoughts before I continue. The Music Hall at Fair Park is a very nice theater. What it might lack in a sound system it makes up in very comfortable seats. Most importantly though, is that “Brooklyn – The Musical” must be experienced live. No recording does this play justice. Live, you not only hear the music, but with this tour cast, you can actually feel the music. Also, the audience reaction can be quite compelling. All my seats were in the orchestra no further away than Row D except for the final performance which was center stage Row H. I also sat stage right and left on purpose to achieve different experiences. As far as I could tell, all 6 performances had an excellent turn out and according to many overheard reactions and the sound of the applauds, most of them enjoyed the show very much.
I first saw the play in Hartford but the Dallas performance seemed to be more powerful. The reason for this might be that the play was put together in 2 weeks prior to its opening in St. Paul. I must give John McDaniel kudos. He did an excellent job of customizing the arrangements of the songs to maximize the unique and powerful voices of the touring cast.
By sitting stage left, I was right there to watch Diana’s rendition of “I Never Knew His Name”. I was close enough to see the tears in Diana’s eyes as she finished the song. I could actually hear sniffling in the audience attesting to the fact that she touched a lot of people’s emotions. Also, by sitting stage left and stage right you can see more of what goes on in the wings. Especially some of the casts interactions which is not really meant for the audience. Center stage was for the complete experience.
I’m going to concentrate on Sunday’s final Dallas performance for this show was absolutely the best. I’m glad I was center stage for this one. Everyone was right on. Notes were held longer and emotions went deeper. The energy level was terrific and there was a lot more playfulness amongst the cast. It was funny to watch Cleavant and Diana during “Love Me Where I Live”. Instead of boogieing in the background, both Cleavant and Diana were doing the robot.
Melba was excellent. She did not miss a line, her delivery was excellent and sang the most beautiful rendition of “Raven”. Melba received a very loud round of applaude and cheers as she held her very long note. Melba got the biggest laughs. Lee was also fantastic. For me, “Sometimes” is Lee’s best performance. "The Truth" was excellent. Lee and Diana are also great together. I really love Julie’s voice but you do not get to hear it often enough.
As I previously posted, you couldn’t have wished for a better performance of “Once Upon a Time” by Diana. It was astonishing. Diana held the last note longer than usual and with so much power that the audience actually started cheering and applauding before she was finished and it continued until Diana took a second bow.
“Streetsinger” was also fantastic. Cleavant and Diana were electric. Watching the interaction between Cleavant and Diana is a heartfelt experience. Each caused the other to raise the bar. At the end Diana, held that long high note what seemed forever. Here again, the audience started cheering and applauding before the song was over and continued until Diana and Cleavant took a second bow. Diana mentions this as being her favorite part of the play. When I talked to Cleavant about his and Diana’s interaction, the smile on his face gave me the feeling that this was his favorite part of the play also.
After each performance it was fun to have a small chat with each of the cast members. Lee is a real gentleman and Julia is quite witty. Melba is very charming and warm and Cleavant is very personable. Diana is adorable and very funny. She is willing to answer a deluge of questions and is humbled when adorned with praise. Knowing 2 of her obsessions as NASCAR and her car, we just has a small chat on both those subjects. I did ask Diana if she got to drive a race car and her eyes lit up and said no, but she will be working on it when she gets back to Atlanta. Besides being blown away by her acting and voice, there is one other thing that impressed me about Diana. Her Mustang is a 5 speed stick. I told her that I was very proud of her. Another big smile.
San Jose, if “Brooklyn – The Musical” is anything like its performances in Dallas be prepared to be blown away for this whirlwind is coming you way. Open your arms and get ready to be Brooklynized. .
Just a few quick thoughts before I continue. The Music Hall at Fair Park is a very nice theater. What it might lack in a sound system it makes up in very comfortable seats. Most importantly though, is that “Brooklyn – The Musical” must be experienced live. No recording does this play justice. Live, you not only hear the music, but with this tour cast, you can actually feel the music. Also, the audience reaction can be quite compelling. All my seats were in the orchestra no further away than Row D except for the final performance which was center stage Row H. I also sat stage right and left on purpose to achieve different experiences. As far as I could tell, all 6 performances had an excellent turn out and according to many overheard reactions and the sound of the applauds, most of them enjoyed the show very much.
I first saw the play in Hartford but the Dallas performance seemed to be more powerful. The reason for this might be that the play was put together in 2 weeks prior to its opening in St. Paul. I must give John McDaniel kudos. He did an excellent job of customizing the arrangements of the songs to maximize the unique and powerful voices of the touring cast.
By sitting stage left, I was right there to watch Diana’s rendition of “I Never Knew His Name”. I was close enough to see the tears in Diana’s eyes as she finished the song. I could actually hear sniffling in the audience attesting to the fact that she touched a lot of people’s emotions. Also, by sitting stage left and stage right you can see more of what goes on in the wings. Especially some of the casts interactions which is not really meant for the audience. Center stage was for the complete experience.
I’m going to concentrate on Sunday’s final Dallas performance for this show was absolutely the best. I’m glad I was center stage for this one. Everyone was right on. Notes were held longer and emotions went deeper. The energy level was terrific and there was a lot more playfulness amongst the cast. It was funny to watch Cleavant and Diana during “Love Me Where I Live”. Instead of boogieing in the background, both Cleavant and Diana were doing the robot.
Melba was excellent. She did not miss a line, her delivery was excellent and sang the most beautiful rendition of “Raven”. Melba received a very loud round of applaude and cheers as she held her very long note. Melba got the biggest laughs. Lee was also fantastic. For me, “Sometimes” is Lee’s best performance. "The Truth" was excellent. Lee and Diana are also great together. I really love Julie’s voice but you do not get to hear it often enough.
As I previously posted, you couldn’t have wished for a better performance of “Once Upon a Time” by Diana. It was astonishing. Diana held the last note longer than usual and with so much power that the audience actually started cheering and applauding before she was finished and it continued until Diana took a second bow.
“Streetsinger” was also fantastic. Cleavant and Diana were electric. Watching the interaction between Cleavant and Diana is a heartfelt experience. Each caused the other to raise the bar. At the end Diana, held that long high note what seemed forever. Here again, the audience started cheering and applauding before the song was over and continued until Diana and Cleavant took a second bow. Diana mentions this as being her favorite part of the play. When I talked to Cleavant about his and Diana’s interaction, the smile on his face gave me the feeling that this was his favorite part of the play also.
After each performance it was fun to have a small chat with each of the cast members. Lee is a real gentleman and Julia is quite witty. Melba is very charming and warm and Cleavant is very personable. Diana is adorable and very funny. She is willing to answer a deluge of questions and is humbled when adorned with praise. Knowing 2 of her obsessions as NASCAR and her car, we just has a small chat on both those subjects. I did ask Diana if she got to drive a race car and her eyes lit up and said no, but she will be working on it when she gets back to Atlanta. Besides being blown away by her acting and voice, there is one other thing that impressed me about Diana. Her Mustang is a 5 speed stick. I told her that I was very proud of her. Another big smile.
San Jose, if “Brooklyn – The Musical” is anything like its performances in Dallas be prepared to be blown away for this whirlwind is coming you way. Open your arms and get ready to be Brooklynized. .
"The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived".
Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance, Act 3
