Emcee on CURTAINS

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 12:59pm

Curtains -- March 17, 2007

Second to Company, this was the musical of the '06-'07 season that I was most excited about. Before the big "however," I have to come right out and say that I was disappointed. My expectations for it were incredibly high, and it didn't live up.

However!

I blame that more upon the high expectations I had than not on the quality of the show, so...

The show is certainly recieving the type of production of which work by this legendary team is deserving, carried by an able cast of both big, marketable stars and Broadway favorites. It is just as well-executed and directed as it is well-written, which while the jokes are often trite to the point that you can finish the characters' sentences, I have to admit that it is. As a sort of "Clue: The Musical," it is at times inevitably silly, but the result is a bouncy, lighthearted, feel-good musical with lots of unexpected twists and turns.

The comparisons to Drowsy are probably inevitable; both are musicals for people who love musicals, with many jokes targeted right to theater people. But whereas Drowsy is a concept that inevitably stumbles a bit when executed, Curtains skirts that by telling most of its story backstage. The biggest problem with Drowsy is that its show-within-a-show structure requires the audience to watch a show that is purposefully bad. By setting most of Curtains backstage, the creative team avoided that, and wisely so. We only see snippets of "Robbin' Hood." In many cases they are probably only filler since they often do little to further the clever plot, but as theatrical entities they are wonderful, and perhaps the show's best stylistic moments. The show the characters are putting on may in fact be bad, but as audience members, we still get to watch what is doubtless a (perhaps lightly satirical) love letter to something many of us probably grew up with. In going all-out to portray the classic corny musical comedy, the physical aspects of the production deliver best here with lavish costumes and brightly colored sets.

While the score is on par with neither Cabaret nor Chicago, it is in no way devoid of the foot-tapping melodies for which Kander is famous, especially in the dance breaks. I think he's written some of the greatest musical theater instrumental numbers of all time, and Curtains features such moments in abundance.

With one exception of Jill Paice, who I found irritatingly melodramatic as Niki, the cast is strong all-around. Monk's humor seems effortless but is also the strongest part of her performance. She perhaps has some of the best material as a stage mother in disguise, and makes the most of it. David Hyde Pierce is wonderfully adorable and as lovably quirky as he always has been. The endearing Noah Racey is superbly talented, and always a pleasure to see on stage, but even moreso to see reunited with Karen Ziemba (who is sadly underrated) -- the two are terrific both together and apart.

I found myself far more disappointed at intermission than I was in the end, and found the first act largely a bore with a few exceptions, the biggest being that fabulously witty song about why anyone would ever want to become a critic -- and further, what sort of parent would want that for his or her child. The second act moves much faster, probably because it holds most of the mystery-solving.

On the whole, if not as great as I expected, it is certainly entertaining and probably a strong contender for best musical, deservedly so. Its oddly lovable characters and somewhat outlandish premise make for something not profound, yet altogether what many believe the theater should be: fun. And hey, as long as it's fun meant to be fun, then it's a success, no?

Updated On: 3/18/07 at 12:59 PM

[DG]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 3:55pm

Em - you said it kind of let you down, but that's still a pretty good review

I, too, compared the experience to DROWSEY, but many people apparently don't agree. It will be interesting to see if they tap into the same audience.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 4:05pm

"The comparisons to Drowsy are probably inevitable; both are musicals for people who love musicals"



I thought Drowsy and Curtains were terribly bad musicals. Sorry if it offens anyone, and I LOVE musical theatre.
-just my point of view, not trying to piss anyone off-

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 4:42pm

That's what was weird about it for me, DG. I came out of it totally disappointed, yet knowing I'd write it a good review. I didn't really find anything "bad" about it, but it still let me down, which is a strange feeling.

Muscle, what I meant was that they're shows *about* musical theater. The people who connect most with Drowsy are the ones who understand those jokes, which you have to adore the theater to do.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 4:52pm

I've been interested to read what you thought of the show...I'm sorry you were disappointed, but it sounds like you still had a pretty good time. I'm definitely still gonna check this one out when I get back to the city.

...what about David Hyde Pierce? I take it you didn't think he rivals Raul for the Tony since you didn't mention it? I mean, I know you're biased but I'd still like to hear your take on his performance.

And I'm glad that you mentioned Noah Racey! He went to my high school, so I always just get excited to hear that he's doing well.

Thanks for another good review.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 4:54pm

I liked Curtains (and Drowsy) but I found the worst song, or the song that wasn't the strongest, was the critics song (second number in Act 1). There was no energy in the song, I could barely hear what they were singing, and I didn't feel it was necessary. Also, DHP's Boston accent annoyed me. He had it, lost it, regained it many times during the show. Either have it (which I hope he doesn't) or get rid of it.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 4:56pm

Thanks, Emcee.

I have been so bogged down, tired, and busy lately that I haven't been seeing ANYTHING, let alone keeping up with the buzz on all these shows.

I know next to nothing about CURTAINS...but your review certainly makes me want to see it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 5:19pm

Heh, gumbo, I knew somebody would ask. I purposefully left it out of this thread because I weighed in on the one specifically about their rivalry and just didn't want to get into it again. The fact that this thread went with no responses for quite a while speaks for itself; people don't want to hear bad things about this show, and while I didn't say anything necessarily bad about it, I wasn't falling over myself for it either. I figured going on about the DHP/Esparza rivalry was just asking to be clobbered; there are probably many who think that I was incapable of being remotely objective and will say that my opinion wouldn't change no matter what, just because I'm a Raúl fan and don't think anyone could ever be better than him. And while I, the only one who can know for sure, say that isn't true, there's not really any way for me to get around that conception and change minds, you know? I made my bed and now I'm just going to have to lie in it, no matter how much I like to think that I can still maintain some objectivity. I mean, I certainly don't think he'd deserve a Tony for anything he does just because I like him, you know? There were no "oh, he's Raúl, he should get a Tony for this!!" posts about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from me. I felt like the only way people would hold my opinion credible as anything but blind adoration would be if I had come out of the performance with my mind totally changed. Bias and objectivity are not mutually exclusive, and even if you're a fan of someone's work, that doesn't mean you are incapable of seeing things objectively. It might swing them a little bit, but the reason I was afraid to weigh in in the first place was that I fully expected people to think my opinion was useless because I have a bias.

Anyway. In short, I've always liked DHP. I think he's very talented and the thing I like most about him is that he projects this very sweet sincerity in performance that you can't help but like. I don't think he is a great singer, but he can carry a tune well enough to be a triple-threat performer and he is just. so. cute. I thought he gave a fine performance, but it was just nowhere near the brilliance I see in Raúl. I don't see it being a performance I'll remember for the rest of my life -- what I'll remember is that I saw David Hyde Pierce and that he was famous, so it was a big deal. His role is a fairly standard musical comedy role, and it's fair to say that the comparison is difficult; it's much hard to be brilliant in a role like that than it is in one that is cathartic for many people. My personal opinion is that he should not be a threat, but I think he probably will for many reasons. His performance is certainly good enough to merit an award, but based on performances alone (even though that's not how it is), I don't believe that this should be his award to lose.

I was smitten with Noah Racey in Never Gonna Dance. He's great.

Dre, he slipped out of the accent once or twice, but for the most part had it down at the performance I saw. I didn't think that song was the strongest musically, but one of the funniest as far as subject matter goes.

Munk, I think you would like it. It's a little bit fluffy, but not really in an annoying way. It seems like something you'd enjoy. You should definitely go see it.

Edited because I make no sense.

Updated On: 3/19/07 at 05:19 PM

[D2]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 5:28pm

I think you gave a fair and balanced review. We differ on our opinions of COMPANY/CURTAINS, but overall I think each production has its strong points and I think both DHP and RE are giving excellent, award worthy performances. I'm sorry you were disappointed with CURTAINS, but perhaps it's inevitable given the lavish praise it's been getting around here, including from me. But as I said, I think your review was more than fair, and has been indicated by other posters, has sparked interest for others to go and see it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 5:36pm

I'm sorry you were disappointed with CURTAINS, but perhaps it's inevitable given the lavish praise it's been getting around here, including from me.

Yes, exactly. I think that some levels of hype are impossible to live up to, no matter how good the show actually is, and that seems to be what happened to me here. It might not be the first thing I'd recommend to everyone, but I certainly wouldn't deter anyone from seeing it, because it's a good production of a show that is pure entertainment. That's not an easy thing to do; it's easy to produce crappy fluff -- not so much good fluff.

Like I said, I think DHP's performance is Tony-worthy, just not as much as Esparza's. That's an important distinction to me, because I am by no means saying that he doesn't deserve praise and isn't worthy of an award. Just not this year.

I think as far as Company goes, sure, they're both musical comedies, but they are very different breeds of comedy -- especially as this revival is producing Company. That "feel-good" notion is very hard to achieve in a show whose subject is so close to home, which is largely what separates the two.

Updated On: 3/18/07 at 05:36 PM

[gumbo2]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 5:40pm

Thanks for clarifying, Emcee. Makes sense not to include it in an actual, (hopefully) objective review. I'll have to check out that other thread.

I'm very excited to see this for myself.

[IMsooHyprToday]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 5:40pm

I saw both Curtains and Drowsy in their LA run, and I tend to agree with Emcee...

The funny thing is, I really enjoyed Curtains... but i didn't think that it is as exciting of a show as everyone was making/hoping it to be. I found the songs to be fun while they lasted, but I didnt walk away from the theatre with the tunes running through the back of my mind. It was one of those shows that i enjoyed watch, but i probably wouldnt shell out more than $30 to see it for a second time any time soon...

One person that I remember doing a wonderful job with her role was Megan Sikora, who played Bambi. I saw it a while ago, so i don't really remember what she did, but whatever it was, I found to be quite entertaining....

The set designed by Anna Louizos (who also interestingly enough designed for Avenue Q, which plays just down thre street...) was wonderfuly creative, and provided the perfect setting for the show to unfold....

fishes,
Graham!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 10:53pm

Dre, I saw the first preview, and then saw the show for a second time today, and I will tell you that DHP's accent is much improved. I'm from Mass. and was annoyed the first time by the inconsistency, although over the years I've grown more forgiving of people attempting it because it is so weird and difficult.

I had much better seats this time around, got to see much more of what was going on - I was too close and on the side last time. I enjoyed it much more today. I paid more attention to Hyde Pierce this time, and was glad I did - he really is ADORABLE. Completely charming.

Something I took note of this time is that the biggest applause of the entire performance was for Debra after It's a Business. The audience would not let her out of the spotlight when it ended.

Those of you showing Noah love on this thread will have to line up behind me! I do wish he had more dancing. I believe he is the best male dancer on Broadway.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 11:06pm

Something I took note of this time is that the biggest applause of the entire performance was for Debra after It's a Business. The audience would not let her out of the spotlight when it ended.

Saturday, too. She was fabulous.

The thing that threw me about DHP's accent at first wasn't because there was anything inaccurate about it (I have family with those accents!), but because I'm used to hearing him speak the way he does on Frasier and sound like Niles.

Noah should always be doing more dancing. I couldn't stop watching him during any of the dance numbers. Such a talent.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 11:54pm

Lovely to read, thanks for sharing!

[gumbo2]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:01am

Woo Noah Racey! I'm almost compelled to start a Noah Racey love thread, but I'm not bold enough. Can't wait to see the show.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:17am

I saw it in LA and loved it, but why did everyone have so high hopes for it?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:24am

yay noah racey.

i actually LIKED never gunna dance

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:26am

So did I, I thought it was adorable.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:27am

Wow, Emcee.


Dear BWW.com Gods,

Please replace Eug's attempts at review-writing with luvtheEmcee from here to forever after, kingdom come thy will be done.


Amen.

[courtnyj]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:30am

I was so excited about this show that I bought my Grandma (who lives in San Deigo) a ticket to see it in LA in September just so she could report back to me! She said it was fun, but a little slow and uneven in some parts. So when it finally arrived here on Broadway I went in wanting to love it, but anticipating that it wouldn't be perfect. It exceeded my expectations! When I went home I found myself humming several songs and smiling as I recalled some of the fun moments from the show.
Moral: expectations and mindset have a great affect on how much you enjoy a show or not. Updated On: 3/19/07 at 12:30 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:32am

Heh, thank you, BTA. But I'm on the East Coast!

Updated On: 3/19/07 at 12:32 AM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 12:32am

Please replace Eug's attempts at review-writing with luvtheEmcee from here to forever after, kingdom come thy will be done.


Wow you are rude. He only does SF anyways.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 1:21am

Emcee-

You caputured my feelings exactly. I was very dissapointed but I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It's certainly not Kander & Ebb's strongest score, but it's great. It's a fun, traditional, campy, classic, old-fashioned Broadway musical and while I hoped I'd love it (and thought I would), it just didn't do it for me. I kept wanting or expecting it to build to something enthralling and it let me down. I do think it's a very solid and has a chance at some Tonys and a good run. It also has great touring potential.

Hmmm...

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 2:25am

I went in and was thrilled that it has an overture! That said DHP accent bothered me a lot. He slipped in and out of it quite a bit on Wednesday night. I enjoyed it, not the best musical I've ever seen but there were several hilarious moments. They drop a lot of jokes and many of them don't seem to land quite right. It almost feels more like the Family Guy style of comedy where you throw a lot of jokes out and hope some of them will land with different audience members, but I don't know if I want to go that far in my description. I'll give a more detailed review when I have the time.