#1
Posted: 3/14/06 at 11:38pm
3rd time seeing the show. We saw it twice this summer (in the same week, thank you lottery) with only small parts having understudies (guy at the desk?). Tonight, we had 2 understudies in for 2 of the 3 remaining original cast members. Jason Gillman was in as Freddy and Dennis Parlato was in as Andre.
The overture was very nice, as usual. I love it. There is this one ensemble member (she was in the original cast as well) who has GREAT facial expressions--does anyone know her name? she has long brown hair. Well, the show started and Jonathan Pryce got his entrance applause. Give Them What They Want was just...not right. He has been miscast in this show. I know he's a legend--but he really is...too old to play the part of Lawrence. I felt very awkward watching him (looking about 65) kissing Rachel York, who looks about 30 years younger. The only songs he did well with were Love Sneaks In and Ruffhousin' mit Shuffhausen. In fact, Ruffhousin' was maybe even better than John Lithgow's--but that was the only one. Other than that, he didn't have HALF as much energy as John.
Jason Gillman...man...miscast also. He did well with some of it--but he doesn't look mischevious. His look is very clean cut--and he looks so innocent. His voice sounds innocent. He has a great voice, but it's just not right for this part.
I saw the video from Broadway.com Buzz--and let me say, I was VERY nervous about the new Jolene, Mrs. Mylinda Hull. I noticed they had to lower Oklahoma? for her, which I couldn't even stand thinking about. She was very funny in her scene before Oklahoma?. She was great--I'd still prefer Sara to her, but I wouldn't dread seeing her again. It's hard to be as good as Sara though.
Rachel York--Wow, I was nervous...I like Sherie Rene Scott a lot, so Rachel had some big shoes to fill. She came on stage, and she sounded very...raspy at first, which scared me to death. I came close to plugging my ears--fearing what they might hear, but as Here I Am continued, she had an incredible voice! She held the note at the end, which Sherie usually went down on (whoa, not like that...) which was amazing. I couldn't wait to see how she would do on the high note in Love Is My Legs. When she hit it, she had this very...rock kinda voice--I LOVED it. She had a great stage presence and I would say she's doing just as well as Sherie did, if not better.
Dennis Parlato...was...alright. Nothing special. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't half as enjoyable to watch as Greggory. He had a much stronger French accent than Greg, which made it a little difficult to understand him at times :-/.
Joanna Gleason was in, which I was happy about, but she seemed very tired--not quite on tonight. She had something in her throat, I could tell. When she turned around after one of the verses in What Was A Woman To Do, I noticed she had to clear her throat and she looked a little bit uncomfortable. She dind't get entrance applause, which made me upset. I started clapping, but nobody joined in, so...I was that awkward person who tries to start an entrance applause that quickly dies. Ha, love those people.
Overall, the show is COMPLETELY different from how it was with the OBC. It was almost painful to sit through. It just was not as good. I don't know if I will be seeing this show again until after there is a different Lawrence (might try to see Norbert's last day this summer).
The overture was very nice, as usual. I love it. There is this one ensemble member (she was in the original cast as well) who has GREAT facial expressions--does anyone know her name? she has long brown hair. Well, the show started and Jonathan Pryce got his entrance applause. Give Them What They Want was just...not right. He has been miscast in this show. I know he's a legend--but he really is...too old to play the part of Lawrence. I felt very awkward watching him (looking about 65) kissing Rachel York, who looks about 30 years younger. The only songs he did well with were Love Sneaks In and Ruffhousin' mit Shuffhausen. In fact, Ruffhousin' was maybe even better than John Lithgow's--but that was the only one. Other than that, he didn't have HALF as much energy as John.
Jason Gillman...man...miscast also. He did well with some of it--but he doesn't look mischevious. His look is very clean cut--and he looks so innocent. His voice sounds innocent. He has a great voice, but it's just not right for this part.
I saw the video from Broadway.com Buzz--and let me say, I was VERY nervous about the new Jolene, Mrs. Mylinda Hull. I noticed they had to lower Oklahoma? for her, which I couldn't even stand thinking about. She was very funny in her scene before Oklahoma?. She was great--I'd still prefer Sara to her, but I wouldn't dread seeing her again. It's hard to be as good as Sara though.
Rachel York--Wow, I was nervous...I like Sherie Rene Scott a lot, so Rachel had some big shoes to fill. She came on stage, and she sounded very...raspy at first, which scared me to death. I came close to plugging my ears--fearing what they might hear, but as Here I Am continued, she had an incredible voice! She held the note at the end, which Sherie usually went down on (whoa, not like that...) which was amazing. I couldn't wait to see how she would do on the high note in Love Is My Legs. When she hit it, she had this very...rock kinda voice--I LOVED it. She had a great stage presence and I would say she's doing just as well as Sherie did, if not better.
Dennis Parlato...was...alright. Nothing special. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't half as enjoyable to watch as Greggory. He had a much stronger French accent than Greg, which made it a little difficult to understand him at times :-/.
Joanna Gleason was in, which I was happy about, but she seemed very tired--not quite on tonight. She had something in her throat, I could tell. When she turned around after one of the verses in What Was A Woman To Do, I noticed she had to clear her throat and she looked a little bit uncomfortable. She dind't get entrance applause, which made me upset. I started clapping, but nobody joined in, so...I was that awkward person who tries to start an entrance applause that quickly dies. Ha, love those people.
Overall, the show is COMPLETELY different from how it was with the OBC. It was almost painful to sit through. It just was not as good. I don't know if I will be seeing this show again until after there is a different Lawrence (might try to see Norbert's last day this summer).
"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA
.
