FOAnatic climbs THE APPLE TREE (12/6 2pm)- Page 2

[courtnyj]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:00am

I was there this afternoon too. I enjoyed the first act, The Diary of Adam and Eve, but was disappointed by The Lady or the Tiger and Passionella. It seems like Chenoweth, and I know this has been said before, was just doing her Chenoweth shtick. I kind of wished she would really work for it. The roles in the second and third acts need her to really sell it. Instead she seemed like she was phoning it in or something. I felt like she was close, but left me unsatisfied. I think perhaps another director could have gotten a better performance. I still enjoyed myself though, mostly because I was determined to.

[PJ]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:15am

I saw the show Tuesday evening. I'm an admitted Chenoweth fan, so I find her shtick to be quite amusing. Needless to say, I loved the show and her performance.

[courtnyj]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:24am

Yes, her shtick is amusing, but it's a weak show that depends on a tour-de-force performance from it's star for the show to work. She's fun but that's not enough to carry the show. I still would recommend the show, because it is fun.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:24am

***more spoilers***

I saw the evening performance from front row house right. I enjoyed the show but it had many faults- mostly technical gripes.

The Diary of Adam & Eve was cute. Cheno got an entrance applause. I felt she handled this role in a very Glinda-like way. James was well cast as Adam because he just has that unkept dim quality. Kudisch was my favorite as the snake and I loved his jacket. The set left a whole lot to be desired. I realize the bare set is to be expected for this piece but the exposed brick on the backwall just didnt seem to say "eden" nor "black box" and there were random holes and unused ladders. In addition the wings were in no way cloaked, so I could see them preparing what few set pieces they used and the actors standing on the sides before they got on stage.

The Tiger or The Lady was by far my favorite part because it left me thinking (am I the only one whod let him live and make plans for a life of sin?). I thought Cheno did a much better job with this character but still relied on her usual perkiness to get the bigger laughs. James seemed wrong for this role, I just dont see him as a military type. The sets & lighting more impressive here.

The last piece let Cheno show more depth/diversity with her two characters being so different. I thought the body doubles used were really cheesy and atleast from where I was sitting, you could clearly tell the one line her double is supposed to say came from a completely different set of speakers. I suddenly felt as if she were behind me.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:29am

I couldn't tell she used a double from where I sat. I also think she chose the lady.

[courtnyj]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:29am

God! I am so dumb! I was really trying to figure out how the costumes were constructed for such a quick change! I didn't even think of the possibility of doubles! And yet you could totally see her coming from the wings during the first Ella-to-Pasionella change. So obvious and I was so oblivious!


PS I thought she chose the tiger, but I would have chosen the lady and kept the affair going. Updated On: 12/7/06 at 01:29 AM

[DryMartini]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:17am

She does NOT play four characters! Ella is transformed into Passionella, but it is the same "character", the same person who has just gone through a transformation. It is the soul of Ella, just in new trappings. If Ella became Passionella and didn't have the same personality or soul, that would be one thing. But Ella remains the character of Ella, just with a new physical being, which is the whole point....

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:05am

I guess I'll wind up being the only one who liked the set for "Adam and Eve."

Ah well.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:47am

I can't believe that you are describing the same show I saw ... and hated. I thought it was a big bore from start to finish ... and got more and more boring as the evening went on. Sets were ugly, Kristin was, well, Kristin (as usual). Brian and Marc were completely forgettable. And the show itself is very mediocre. I left the theatre feeling like I wasted my time and money, and by the next morning had forgotten that I had seen a Broadway show the night before. I would be very surprised if this production gets positive reviews from the NY critics.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 5:03pm

I wonder what the differences are between this version and the Encores concert. All the reviews from the Encores concert were generally positive, while the reviews for the Roundabout production seems to be mixed to negative. Is it that people are expecting more from a full-fledged Broadway production?

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:15pm

Thanks for the review. I am seeing this in January.