I saw DRS Thursday and enjoyed it for the most part. The second act is MUCH stronger than the first (a frequent problem with farce -- the set up is rarely as interesting as the pay-off in Act Two in all but the GREATEST of farces..... the Act Two pay-off here is really terrific).
Too much schtick and lame jokes in Act One, like they brought in some Borscht Belt joke writer with the tiredest old jokes in the world to punch up the script. LOTS of real groaners. The plot felt uninspired and there was too much cribbing from other, better shows at points (Lithgow taking on Norbert as a pupil in the conman game was right out of "My Fair Lady" and Joanna Gleason's museum scene is a less-funny rip-off of Maggie Smith in "Lettice and Lovage" -- if you're gonna steal, as they did in "Urinetown" and "The Producers," make sure your version is at least as funny/interesting as the original ..... they weren't even close here).
Norbert is very good throughout, but pushes the comedy too hard in Act One and at times was so over-the-top that he nearly turned into Jerry Lewis. He settled down a bit in Act Two, finding the proper balance and ultimately, overall he gives the performance to beat at the Tonys this year -- simply fantastic. Lithgow is smooth and effortless and the pro's pro throughout -- he makes it all look so easy, and he's giving a great performance as well. Sherie Renee Scott is really beautiful and enchanting with a lovely voice -- I guess she'll be up for lead even though she doesn't even show up until the last 15 minutes of Act One.
Joanna Gleason does her best, but I think she's miscast here -- she's playing a character who's supposed to be completely clueless and gullible and a little ditzy and, I'm sorry, there's just something about Gleason that gives off a sort of no-nonsense intelligence and strength and common sense that made me not buy that she would have been so taken in by Lithgow...... she's fine, but it just doesn't quite work IMO (someone like Faith Prince would have been much better).
Yazbeck's score is first rate (lots of clever, funny lyrics with a very inventive latin-inflected score). Jerry Mitchell's choreography looks like leftovers from La Cage. A great set design. Jack O'Brien's direction holds the evening together well. I was very underwhelmed at intermission, but the show eventually won me over -- a B or B+ maybe (though if Spamalot is half as good as advance reports indicate, DRS is doomed at the Tonys).
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Didn't want it to end!
