"Doctor Dolittle" premiere tonight

OK... so I just got in from the "Dolittle" premiere. Have any of you ever walked out of a show, not really knowing how good you thought it was??

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Well, if you will, allow me to rant before I touch on the positive... (I am not an actor. I don't have any training that would afford me the opportunity to actually critique a show. I speak only as an audience member.) :)

Have you ever been sitting, enjoying a performance, only to hear a voice from above say... "STOP!" Apparently, at the close of the second song, "something" went wrong and the director decided he wanted to STOP the performance, re-set, and begin again. I'm one who never minds dishing out the money to see a good show, but it was at this point I was thinking to myself, "I paid $100 for this??" Plus, this breaks the "realism" of the show. (I felt bad for all of the kids there tonight.) Honestly, after that -- and having to put up with screaming kids all around me -- I was so mad I honestly couldn't tell you very much about the first act.

The second act, in my opinion, was much stronger and a lot more upbeat. It demanded my attention, whereas the first act didn't. Yes, the costumes and "puppets" are nice (ala "Lion King, just not as good). The dog, monkey, and cow were nice, but there were a few I wondered if they didn't pick up at Wal-Mart on their way into town. The sets were nice, nothing spectacular.

Tom Hewitt was good, but I enjoyed Nancy Anderson more. Tony Yazbeck steals the scene away from the leads most of the time. (He was the one I heard most people commenting on on my walk out.)

I enjoyed the show, and would recommend seeing it if you get a chance. There are, however, plenty more I would suggest first.

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Pittsburgh, I believe.

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Matthew -- thank you, cause as you can tell, I took a lot of time to write that review. (I will leave that to those with a critical eye, when it moves to Pittsburgh next week.)

There was a horse actually, and a pig. The horse stayed in the background most of the time. The pig has a larger role.

Wal-Mart did not sponsor the show. Actually, the local government did. :)

Thanks again for the cartoon animals. Can you make a cartoon director, yelling STOP!, to place in the middle?

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:12 AM

Can you make a cartoon director, yelling STOP!, to place in the middle?

No. I don't have THAT much time on my hands.

Esp. with upgrades to suites and hot tubs. I rest my case.

The pig had a larger role? I guess you could say he was a STAGE HOG. Ba-dump-bump-bump. Thank you, sir. May I have another?

But Joe Mantello did not yell "STOP" in the middle of WICKED. That was a technical malfunction. I would have been very embarrassed if I were a cast member.

Jenna Coker plays the big...she is great...how was she?

http://www.jennacoker.com

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:24 AM

I paid big bucks for my ticket! I have been to at least 50 shows and have NEVER seen a 'stop' before. I am not an actor, so I have no idea how common they are. The stop I saw was due to a prop malfuntion.

1. They're not that common. Sorry if it ruins the magic, but safety is important...

2. Sorry, Brandon, if my humor is above your head. I will try to "dumb it down" for ya. I'll give you a little Owensboro flavor. How about that? Would you like that, country boy? :)

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:36 AM

thanks again, Matthew. I don't think it was a safety issue though :)

Being home in Owensboro, I get enough of the southern flavor. :)

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thanks, bway. You're always my go-to person when I need answers :)

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Don't fall for his charm, Bway. He's using you to get back at me. Just smile and nod politely.

And it WAS a safety issue, you knot-heads.

If the director is pissed, he gets mad and goes home to his boy-toy. His boy-toy takes the beating of his life and must check into the Owensboro Appalachian Emergency Room to find out he has internal bleeding. See. So, it WAS an issue of safety.

And I didn't necessarily say it was ALWAYS a technical problem. But safety is important- and usually a stop is called due to safety.

And what do you know anyway, Brandon? You're a knot-head. :)

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:45 AM

"And I didn't necessarily say it was ALWAYS a technical problem. But safety is important- and usually a stop is called due to safety."

Safety of not doing a scene correct? LOL.

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:47 AM

Sometimes things of a technical nature happen that forces a show to stop. Lots of things now in the technical part of theatre are electrical or computer generated. When these things fail, you have no recourse but to stop. The first preview of the original production of CHICAGO in 1975 as Chita Rivera was making her entrance on a hydraulic elevator during the intro to ALL THAT JAZZ, the elevator malfunctioned, and the show came to a halt. Bob Fosse came out onstage and told the audience that the show could not go on and everyone got refunds at the box office. It took 24 hours to fix the problem. Things happen sometimes that are beyond anyone's control. Nobody looks forward to these things happening, but when they do you have no choice but to deal with it.