Dynamic Duo Reviews are In

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/22/04 at 3:31pm

Shows we saw on our wonderful NYC trip:

Wicked - Lots of fun. We loved the visual aspects of the production. Kristin and Idina were both fantastic in the show. While the book and score have obvious weaknesses (especially "Wonderful", the song and the scene go nowhere and are completely unconvincing). But the show itself is stunning and fun. I could see it again for the production values, but it does have it sluggish moments. It's hard not to like, but it's not the best show I saw.

Bombay Dreams - I don't know what all the complaints are about. The show is a delicious confection that is gorgeous to watch and has a catchy and memorable score. Yes, the story is cliche, but that is Bollywood. No one complains about the stories for shows like 42nd Street, Anything Goes, or Crazy For You. This is a similar case, just an Indian version of their classic film musicals. It is highly entertaining and I would easily see it again. Shakalaka Baby is one of the most exciting numbers I have ever seen on stage. It deserves a long and healthy run.

Avenue Q - A flawless show. Unique, witty, inventive, and hilarious! John Tartaglia, Ann Harada, and Stephanie D'Abruzzo were brilliant. It's easy to see how it won the Tonys. There is not a weak moment in the show.

Caroline, or Change - I loved it. Jarico didn't care for it. I think he was too exhausted and had trouble following the lyrics. Watching Tonya Pinkins in this show, I felt I could identify with those who watched Merman in Gypsy or Streisand in Funny Girl. Pinkins delivered a tour de force performance. She cracked a few notes, but it was forgivable. It was not about her singing, but about her performance, which was the stuff legends are made of. The show is unconventional, but it really made me think about all the issues involved in the plot and all the emotions that teeter on the edge of volcanic eruption throughout the show. Even if it doesn't run for a long time, it will never be forgotten.

Assassins - Brilliantly staged and performed. We attended the final performance and the energy was sky-high. My only complaints were that Mario Cantone just didn't seem to fit the part. I do think he is talented, but rather than being Sam Byck, he seemed like Mario Cantone delivering Sam Byck's lines. It was the same stuff we have seen him do all the time. I have heard that Denis O'Hare delivers a performance similar to what he did in Take Me Out, but I didn't see it, so I had nothing to compare it to. A wonderful ensemble performance with major stadouts from Becky Ann Baker and Mary Catherine Garrison.

Rent - Disappointing. I don't remember all the actors' names, so I'll just use the charatcer names. The show desperately needs a director to come back in and clean it up. While there were a couple of good performances (Joanne, Benny and Tom Collins rivalled the originals), others were either miscast or completely changed the demeanor of the characters. Mark was performed as a smug little ****who delighted in torturing Joanne during the Tango Maureen and spoke all of his dialogue as quickly as possible without the benefit of diction. I was happy he was thrown out of the apartment and didn't care what happened to him. Roger was kind of meek, nerdy and whiny. The two actors should've switched roles. Mel B's singing wasn't bad, but her acting needs serious help. She kept doing this gangsta gesture with her hands throughout the entire show. Maureen hammed up every possible moment and there was so much broad deliberate attempts at comedy during Over the Moon that were not in the original staging. It came across as some sort of college actor trying to be cool and employ their vast knowledge of SNL physical comedy. Angel appeared bored, phoned in the show and clearly did not care about a paying audience. He tossed off every important line such as "Honey, we're everything" as a quick aside barely uttered without even making eye contact with ANY character on stage. I felt nothing for him. I don't know if he's straight or what, but he seemed completely out of touch with any aspect of the character vocally and physically and was the only cast member who was a weak singer. That said, even with such an uneven cast, the show still holds up based on the strength of the book and score. Luckily, it was a vocally strong cast, so I could write most of it off as a "concert", but had I payed full price, I would have felt robbed. It just goes to prove that Equity (or Broadway) does not equal quality. Neither does pop-star status.

42nd Street - Holy smokes! What a dazzler! Strong performances all around. One jaw-dropping scene after another. The endless gargantuan sets and glitzy costume changes were utterly amazing. It's far superior to the original, and despite the grandness of the production, keeps an air of humility that charms the audience into adoration (the opposite of the arrogant performances witnessed in Rent the night before). The show is such a traditional Broadway tap-dance spectacular (and a well-produced spectacle), it seems it should run forever.

PS - Yes Vish, that's THE pic as my icon.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/22/04 at 3:45pm

I took that picture! Updated On: 7/22/04 at 03:45 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/22/04 at 5:26pm

And it looks great!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/22/04 at 5:29pm

Great pic and thanks for the reviews! Sorry you saw rent :-/