I just caught the first night of the tour stop in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center. I saw the show in London and again on Broadway, but it was up on Goldstar for discount tickets and I thought "why not?" Sheen was certainly wonderful both acting and singing-wise and Lee, who I missed in NYC, was charming even though I much preferred Gavin Creel in the London production.
I detested the new song "Playing the Game" though I admit I was a fan of "Temper Temper," especially as it was presented" in London so I missed that. Even so "Step in Time," which has long been my favorite part of the show, was still enthralling. While I much prefer the production I saw in London to the Broadway version and now the tour, the tour (thanks to Sheen and Lee) is in great shape and I highly recommend it. It did not disappoint.
The Kennedy Center audience, not usually the most enthusiastic, seemed to really like the show and showed much appreciation. There were a few walkouts (mostly families with very young children), but I think this will be a hit with the DC crowd. I wonder why one would bring kids no more than 6 to an almost 3 hour musical like this, but I digress. I realize some kids have the attention span to sit through things that are a bit dark and heavy (though the London version was far more so than what was presented here), but the average kid who is not an avid theatregoer already? Why waste your money? Do your research ahead of time, parents. This isn't children's theatre or a recreation of a movie.
"Why do you care what people might say? Why try to fit into their design?" (Side Show)
Updated On: 7/1/10 at 11:56 PM
