DRS's JERSEY BOYS and MAGICAL THINKING (closing) reviews

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:25pm

Hi everyone
Well, I just got back this morning from a nice trip to New York
It only lasted about a day and a quarter, but you know, it was definitely worth it.

I flew in Friday night, and got into the city around 7:45 or so.
It was a little too late to get tickets to a show, and I mean, I still had to have dinner, so my mom and I went and saw the movie Stardust which I HIGHLY reccomend, by the way.

So after a lot of decision-making, I decided I would do standing room for the JERSEY BOYS matinee on Saturday (yesterday, the 25th.) I got to the theatre around 9:35 or 9:40, and was I think the 8th or 9th person in line. I was a bit worried because I knew JERSEY BOYS only has 8 or 9 standing room spots, but then I realized most of the people in line were just waiting for the box office to open, not standing room tickets. Once the box office opened, there was only me, and 2 other guys in the SRO line. So basically, I was 3rd in line. I waited until 12, read a book, listened to the guy next to me reccomend XANADU to 2 Australian girls (haha), and waited. In total, there were only 8 people that showed up for the SRO. At 12 I got my ticket, and just hung out for awhile around the Marriott Marquis and had lunch at Cosi. So I got to the theatre at 1:30, got in, looked at my playbill, and found 2 understudies were on: Travis Cloer was on as Joey and the Engineer, and John Leone was on as Nick Massi. Oh yes, and Michael Longoria was on as Frankie Valli, but they didn't include an understudy slip for him.
Finally, the show started. I was a bit disappointed in "Ces Soirees-La", I thought Kris Coleman and the girl were a bit weak and hard to understand during this.
Basically, sorry to skip around so much, but I wasnt overly impressed with most of the book scenes. Like the first 20 minutes of the show was just kind of slow, where they're trying to start the group and all, and just with all the songs intermingled, it was just...I dont know, not very well written, I think they could've shortened it up that part a bit. I was all that interested in the show until "Sherry", honestly. Also, I think mid-way through the 2nd act, after the amazing scene (props to Longoria during this scene, by the way) where they are going to buy out Tommy, but yeah, after that scene, the dialogue and book scenes also were kind of boring up until the last 7 minutes or so.
I dont know, but my biggest problem with this show was the book scenes, I really think they brought the show down. They could've been tightened up more I think, and just have a little more punch to them. And nothing was wrong with the more comedic lines, there were a lot of funny parts and I enjoyed them, but sometimes I felt they kind of took away from the more serious issues and such going on.
Now on to the music. That was just incredible, I loved it. But there was just SO MUCH energy in that theatre, it was amazing hearing those songs with an actual orchestra playing them, and hearing them live. Seriously, the audience went nuts after every song, especially "Sherry" and "Walk Like a Man". I mean, audience members were standing and whistling, and I just loved it, it was pretty electric, if you get my drift. And that part where the Four Seasons are singing to the back of the stage and you see all the lights and everything at the end of the 2nd act? Wow, that was cool. So yeah, the songs were really the highlight of this show, I think thats pretty much the reason people see this show. "Walk Like A Man", "Dawn", and "Who Loves You" were my favorites.
I got to say I loved how well the transitions and everything worked for the scenes. You know, just how they wheeled on all those set pieces, and I dont know, but the show just has a very cinematic feel to it. It would make an incredible movie if they couldnt find actors that could do it. And the lighting was also fantastic, definitely worth that Tony.
Now on to the actors/actresses. All of the women did a very nice job in their acting scenes, and playing all of those different women, but I was too impressed with their voices. "My Boyfriend's Back" was pretty weak to me, definitely didnt floor you or anything like I thought it might. Daniel Reichard did a great job- his character was very vulnerable, very likable, and I dont know, I would've given him a Tony over Christian Hoff. Christian was great and all, I just thought Daniel had an even more well-rounded performance, instead of just a Jersey guy who is kind of Mobsterish, haha. Now on to Michael Longoria. He was amazing- I've heard so many great things on this board about him and I agree 100% with all of them. I mean, you really wouldn't be able to tell he was a standby for John Lloyd Young. He made a great transition from a young, gawky type of kid to a grown man with a lot of problems in his life. I mean, "Fallen Angel" was highly emotional, he did a great job with that. And that scene where he's yelling at Tommy, it was just, wow. Haha, he was superb. And his voice is very different from John Lloyd's. It is much...rougher, I dont know if thats the right word. But his notes kind of blend together much more, like, he doesn't enunciate as much if that makes sense. He has incredible range, his high notes are just angelic sounding, and yeah, he overall sounds a bit younger than John Lloyd when he sings. But I loved his voice, it was just very unique, I prefer it to Young's on the recording.
So overall, I had a great time at JERSEY BOYS. Was I a tad disappointed with all the hype around it? Yeah, a little. Do I think it deserved Best Musical? Probably not. But it was a great experience at the theatre and is really a crowd-pleaser.

And I'll post my THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING review, stage-dooring stuff, and pictures all in a bit :)

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 12:58pm

Wow, that last review was longer than I thought. Well, this next one is going to be pretty short.

So the main reason I went up to New York was to see THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING closing performance. I dont know, but I had picked up the play one day at Barnes & Noble, read it in a few hours, then picked up the original book and read that, so I was like, "Now all I have to do is see it live." So my mom and I got FANTASTIC seats in the 3rd row, dead center orchestra, for $52 each. Yeah, they were amazing seats, we felt so close. But anyways, I just got to say I love the Booth Theatre- its such a small, homey theatre, and it just had a nice, relaxed feel to it. I dont know, but the combination of the wood-type panelling in there, and then the white and grey curtain just felt really soft and...cool. I got to say, I love how like a sound or piece of music starts playing, then you hear a big WHOOSH and then the curtain falls down into the floor. Yeah, I loved all the different backdrops, they were a little distracting at times (I just wished like the curtain had an order, like going from dark curtains to light, or vice versa..I dont know, I'm weird), but yeah, they were very effective. And just the simple wooden chair there was a very nice touch. By the way, how did Vanessa just pull out the book that one point towards the end? Did she have it in her skirt or something? I dont know, but I was pretty curious. Anyways, what is there to say about Vanessa Redgrave? She was phonomenal, one of THE greatest performances I've ever seen. Julie White deserved her Tony, none the less, but Vanessa really could've won it as well. I dont know, but she mesmerized me, like, I usually cant pay attention to one person for THAT long, but the combination of her brilliance and the amazing material, I couldn't keep my eyes off her. She had such great facial expressions, and a lot of parts I didnt realize were funny when I read the play until she said them. She had such great delivery, and poise, and emotion, and yeah, I mean, when she was getting all teary-eyed and everything, my heart just went out to her. It was just such a moving experience, and just watching her onstage was beyond words. Um, I think some bits at the beginning were a little rushed, but that was about it, NOTHING major. This is one of my favorite shows I've seen on Broadway (and now I'm up to 44, I believe), and I am so glad I was able to see it.

:)

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:10pm

Okay, now for stage-dooring.

I decided that I wasn't going to stage door JERSEY BOYS because I wanted to go and stage door HAIRSPRAY across the street because I really wanted to meet Ashley Spencer. So I picked up some ads for the show, and once JERSEY BOYS got out, I went over and got right at the front of the barricades for HAIRSPRAY. Then HAIRSPRAY got out and a lot of people showed up. Lance was the first one to come out, and I dont know why people were calling him mean and such, but he signed and took pictures with everybody that wanted him to. He was friendly, I mean, he didnt have conversations with people, but was nice. So I got his autograph for my sister because shes a fan. Then Jerry Mathers came out, he signed for everyone, and I got his autograph for my dad. Then pretty much the whole cast comes out...except for Darlene Love and Ashley Spencer. So that was a bit disappointing.
Then I pretty much explained my THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING stage door experience in the "goodbye" thread for the show, but I was really suprised that Joan Didion came out of the stage door since I didnt see her in the theatre or anything. I dont know, but it was a highlight of my trip when I had her sign my play script. :) Then, as I said before, it took Vanessa a little more than an hour to come out because she had things to do backstage and people to talk to, but she was very nice to everyone, and took her time talking and listening and hugging and kissing everyone. I was going to stage door LEGALLY BLONDE that night because I brought things up to the city to give Laura Bell, but alas, by the time I got to the stage door over there after I met Vanessa, it was 11:30 and everyone was gone. So that was kind of disheartening, but it was so worth it meeting Vanessa and Joan, because when else can you do that?

Yeah, finally, my pictures at the different stage-doors and THE YEAR OF THE MAGICAL THINKING curtain call will be up shortly, I just have to get all of them from my phone, haha.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:19pm

I can understand the "rushed" parts at the beginning. I think it's more of just a listing of facts like in the book. This happened, then this happened, then this happened. Kind of robotic like it is when it does happen...you just go through the motions like a check list. At least that's how I interpreted it. But I can see what you mean too.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:23pm

Oh yeah...and the book. That's bugged me since my dad asked where it came from. Seeing the last 4 performances from different angles, I've got it down to 2 ways...

1) (and probably most likely) there's some kind of snap pouch around her back that opens easily and upside down. She couldn't struggle with it since she doesn't move her arms a lot, but given how she puts her hands behind her at that point, it's possible.

2) It comes up behind her while the fireworks are going off. I hadn't thought of this until I was on that side of the mezz at the matinee and there's a little bit of the wooden floor that does look just about the right shape for a book to be brought up. And since everyone's attention is on the fireworkd and the light on her face, it would be hidden. I tried to watch last night but couldn't tell.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:43pm

I was thinking, maybe since its so dark and everything, I mean, theres only a light on her face, maybe someone discreetly hands it to her. I doubt it, but thats all I could think of.

And heres the pictures (excuse the quality, its a cell phone):

Curtain Call




Joan Didion



Vanessa Redgrave



Shot of stage door (with our very own jordangirl :) )

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 1:48pm

Yeah...I thought that, but I definitely never saw other feet, and she was a little far for an arm to reach out. I guess it's just one of those "magical" things. :)

I knew Joan Didion was teeninsy. But I had no idea how teeninsy until last night. She is amazing.

And yep. White blouse, dark hair. Pretty much dead center of the pic. That's me. :)

[JB Fan]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 2:25pm

"It is much...rougher, I dont know if thats the right word. But his notes kind of blend together much more, like, he doesn't enunciate as much if that makes sense. He has incredible range, his high notes are just angelic sounding, and yeah, he overall sounds a bit younger than John Lloyd when he sings. But I loved his voice, it was just very unique, I prefer it to Young's on the recording.
So overall, I had a great time at JERSEY BOYS."

Keep in mind that JLY recorded Jersey Boys 2 weeks into rehearsal and his performance and singing have grown drastically since then. In fact, I had seen Jersey Boys in previews and then again over a year later, and JLY's voice has blossomed in such a wonderful way.

Longoria should not have a slip because he is listed in the program as doing the Sat and Wed Mats.