Carolee. Was. Amazing.
Having absolutely loved Vicki Clark in the Clark in the role (and detesting Jennifer Allen), I was excited for Carolee, but wondered if she'd be able to top Vicki, and she does, in her own way.
Clark's Mother was stern, there was still always a bit of warmth to her. Perhaps it was her calming midwestern tone. Carmello's Mother has none of that for 98% of the show. She's stern, cold as ice, and you can tell that she openly detests Deloris, whereas with Clark, you got the sense that she found her somewhat amusing. All of the one-liners Mother gets (and she really does get the best lines in the show), were delivered with a dead-on seriousness by Carmello that was hilarious. She absolutely nailed all of the acting moments- her frustration turning to sheer anger at the end of act 1 was a highlight. I was actually terrified when she yelled at Officer Souther to get her out of here NOW.
Another fine moment was at the top of act 2 during Sunday Morning Fever, when she gets roped into joining the line- her look of absolute disgust as she's doing leg kicks is hilarious.
I could go on and on about the one-liners, because she nails them all. Her facial expressions are also priceless- there's one in particular that really stands out. Late in the show, when Mary Robert finally stands up to her and is defiant, she sneers to her, "This doesn't concern you, dear" and then gives her the nastiest, most condescending smile I've ever seen.
She belts most of Haven't Got a Prayer, with the exception of the very end. She does a great job with that number, which she delivers with complete deadpan. She removes her habit when she sings this song (something Clark started doing later in her run), and allows us to see just enough of her humanity to know that she isn't a total ice queen. Her trademark vibratto is out in full force throughout the evening.
The rest of the cast remains outstanding. I continue to be in awe of Patina Miller (who should have a Tony...there I said it), whose boundless energy and enthusiasm is infectious. She still sounds as strong as she did at the beginning of the show's run. It's also impressive that in age where people seem to think everyone needs an alternate, Patina continues to show up every night (her only missed shows have been her pre-planned vacation), spends nearly the entire show onstage, and makes it look easy. The green girl down the street has nothing on Deloris van Cartier when it comes to a demanding role.
One of the show's strongest assets has always been its impeccable supporting cast. They're all quirky, and they're all outstanding at what they do. From Sarah Bolt, whose facial expressions are worth the price of admission, to the hilarious Audrie Neenan (who steals every scene she's in), to the belty Marla Mindelle (who needs to play Elphaba after she leaves this show)- they all amaze.
After suffering through the hell that was Lysistrata Jones this afternoon, it was nice to sit back and let the nuns take me to Heaven tonight.
Updated On: 11/20/11 at 11:04 PM
