Chorus Line and Final Beauty and The Beast Performance Reviews FINALLY UP!

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 9:59pm

i'll write a full review in about 45 minutes.
to sum it up:
chorus line- great as usual- 6th time!
beauty- good! although annelisse was EXTREMELY rude at the stagedoor. Not talking to anyone, running out, and not taking pictures.

like i said i'll post reviews soon!

Updated On: 7/30/07 at 09:59 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:02pm

Oh I just can't wait.

[molly.]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:05pm

mee too!

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:12pm

I love how your short BATB review is just there to bash Anneliese, who has been known not to sign.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:29pm

Hey! You were behind me at Beauty! :) I was in the green shirt with the tank top underneath it! :)

I didn't stay for the stage door there. Came on home. Between Beauty and 110 I was DRAINED. Still am!!

Excellent show...rude woman in front of me aside. I did find out from my friend who was sitting elsewhere that she went to find...I guess the head usher to complain about how rudely she was treated. I just dropped my jaw and said "She almost pushed the usher down the stairs grabbing a playbill! She was NOT treated rudely." He said the usher knew that and wanted to slap the woman. I notice she never came back for her bag during Act II. Wonder if she got so bad they had to call someone.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:39pm

Let's start with A Chorus Line!
It was my first time seeing the show from the mezzanine and let me tell you it was so much better than the orchestra in my personal opinion. I was in the front row of the mezzanine on the aisle seats- perfection!

The cast of spring awakening were in the second boxes both left AND right. It was so funny! Right was Remy and Jon Groff and they were waving to Lili Cooper and Gideon Glick! Ahh I love those guys- they're so cute!

I personally LOVED all of the replacements EXCEPT for Michael Gruber as Greg. Man did he look bored... very bored. The lines didn't come across as funny as they should and his performance was very forgettable.

I was so happy to see Natalie Cortez back in-she truly makes the show for me!

Jessica Lea Paty was on for Cassie. Wow- she was simply amazing! Although she did look very young to play Cassie, she nailed it! Her Music and The Mirror was powerful, great, and classic. Now I know to go see the shows on Sundays =D

Jessica Lee Goldyn is just adorable! I love her as Val- she adds comic relief at times when the show needs it most!

Another disapointment was Lorin Latarro who went on as Sheila. Compared to Deidre, her performance was mediocre. Her acting was not the only dry thing, her humor was as well.

James T. Lane is a complete distraction when Zach announces they've got the job. I mean, I understand he's happy but he just takes away from the moment in my opinion.Other than that, he's okay-I wish he was replaced.

Mellisa Lone was a good Maggie. She has such a poweful voice, like Mara. After her At The Ballet solo she got a standing ovation, practically. She was a great addition to A Chorus Line!

J. Elaine Marcos was okay as Connie. She gave a forgettable performance and I think they should have kept the original.

Krysta Rodriguez was a great Bebe! She was so into it and just gave a great overall performance. She got screams and claps from her Spring Awakening buddies at curtain call!


I really enjoyed A Chorus Line and plan on seeing it again... very soon for my 7th time =D

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:42pm

I must disagree. J. Elaine creates a much more well rounded, real person than Yuka EVER did.

Greg, played by Michael Gruber, can be, and here is, as a jaded upper east sider... the disinterest for that around him is the chaacter. Not a disinterest of the actor. Once again, mush more of a real person than Paternostro created.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:53pm

broadwayguy2 - I can't disagree with you more.

[goofy108]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:01pm

its okay to disagree.



...just do it peacefully.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:02pm

Perhaps we saw different show......
I hated Yuka and was always indifferent to Paternostro, though I disliked the way he always went for an easy laugh. Yuka played Connie like it was a third rate stock children's theatre. You always KNEW that Yuka and Paternostro were PERFORMING, and not BEING. it LOOKED like they were trying to perform. How many times does the character of Zach say "don't perform"? ACL is about the hard lives of dancers/performers and is based off of real stories, funny, tragic, and all in between.. it isn't about going for a cheap laugh as those two did.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:04pm

"How many times does the character of Zach say "don't perform"?"

Once.

ETA: What does Ebersole have to do with it?





Updated On: 7/29/07 at 11:04 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:05pm

Har. har. You know what I mean.
SOMEONE obviously didn't get to see Ebersole's final bow, now did they?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 11:41pm

"Yuka played Connie like it was a third rate stock children's theatre."

Yuka wasn't a real standout, but I loved the delivery of her line about having one of Val's tits.

[molly.]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 8:42am

chorus line sounded really good that nightt, aside from all of the stuff about some cast memebers,
especially seeing the cast of spring awakening!
that must have been cool

anyways how was beauty's last performance?

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 6:45pm

yes, I would love your review of B&tB! and what did Anneliesse do? I've heard so many times that she is extremely rude and doesn't take pictures or sign stuff for people or anything. tell all of the details!

[molly.]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 9:35pm

i agree with lizzy :)

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 9:37pm

sorry i was sick last night and i didn't get to post a review about batb. i'm going to work out and then in about 45 minutes a review will be up.

for the most part- annelise was AMAZING as Belle.
i thought the actors played the final perfoamce as " i can do whatever i want its my final show tonight." the audiene was a bit too much especially with donny osmond. they got too carried away and it reminded me at a day at spamalot- where the audience would yell and shout and scream at things that didn't deserve it imo.

[molly.]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 9:44pm

lol np :)!
ive herd it was a greatt showw!
+ i love the playbills :)
lol

+ yupp thats probably those donny fans that get all excited when he comes on stage loll :)

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:12pm

Annelise had a party planned right after the show by family and friends so thats why she didn't sign autographs..from what ive heard.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:22pm

My Beauty and The Beast Final Bow Review!
I've always wanted to go to a closing night of a performance and now I can finally say I have. I kind of felt like all of the performers felt like they could do whatever they wanted. For example Annelise told everyone to stand up and give Lumiere a standing ovation at the end of Be Our Guest. The Donny Osmond fans really got to me and a lot of the other audience members- it was just rediculous. Yelling and screaming for no good reason. Like I have said, it reminded me of a night at Spamalot having people laugh and clap for no good reason. I undrestand that people were sad to see it go, but last night was a bit much. For example, people were like going crazy when a set changed.

Now to the good stuff!

I loved Annelise Van Der Pol as Belle. Her voice reminded me of Judy Garland's like in the Wizard of Oz. She was very strong, and was a sweet(at least in the show)Belle. When she sang "Home" and "A Change in Me" the audience, and myself, went crazy because she was awesome. She blew the roof of the house- I got goosebumps and the chills! The stagedoor was crazy because everyone wanted to see her and meet/ get a picture with her. I couldn't believe what I saw. Annelise came out of the stage door, signed 4 playbills and literally "ran" away. A mother came up to her and she was like how would you like to take a picture with the birthday girl(she was five). Ms. Van Der Pol simply said," No. It says so in my contact sorry." I think that was complete nonsense because of this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=hIWg-ylnBTg). She signed playbills and took pictures with everyone! I was trying to follow her and her boyfriend was there and he said good show hun. Annelise, her friend, and her boyfriend drove off- upsetting everyone at the stagedoor. I left as well because I was extremely upset at how rude and inconsiderate she was- probably the rudest stage door experience I've ever encoutnered.

Steve Blanchard got out of character the most. One minute he would be yelling and the next he would be talking in a high pitched funny voice. I truly hated his performance as the Beast. This isn't the first time he's been out of character- every other time I've seen the show with him he was out of character throughout the whole show. He can't sing to save his life and his acting is mediocre. Completely miscast in my opinion...

I loved Savid deVries as Lumiere and Glenn Rainey as Cogsworth. Their acting and comic relief was just great! I hated Mary Stout as Madame de la Grande Bouche- she gave me a headache. When Belle first got to her room and she gives her a dress, Mary Stout COMPLETELY overdid things. She was singing in an opera voice for about 10 minutes- no joke. She wasn't funny, rather annoying in my opinion and I couldn't wait until she left the stage.

Donny Osmond was an okay Gaston- nothing special. He too got out of character at points and was a bit of a pain. I couldn't deal with the yelling and screaming for no reason from his fans. He was okay... nothing special.

All in all a good night of theater, although it did remind me a lot like sitting at Spamalot. With the uncontrollable laughter, random pauses, and crazy screaming I left with a migrane. I'm sad to see it go, but I can't wait for the Little Mermaid to start!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:26pm

Broadwayguy, what does Ebersole have to do with ANYTHING?

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:30pm

Annelise did a very similar thing at the end of Be Our Guest when I saw the show on Saturday.

[molly.]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:38pm

thanks for the review!
:)
i hear that anneliese does that a lot, especially when i went i didnt even realized was there until i saw her almost down the street about 2 mins later. but whatever.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 9:57am

she did molly.