Posted: 6/3/19 at 4:10pm
We just did a four day trip, and so here's my "what we saw" review. I'm happy to say there wasn't a bad show in the bunch:
Tootsie: Front left orchestra, great view. The cast was excellent, particularly Sarah Styles, Andy Grotelueschen, and Santino Fontana. Music was fine - Yazbeck isn’t always tuneful, but he’s rarely bland. Loved the production numbers, like the Verona costumes change. The book was hilarious - that being said, Michael is an anti-hero and I’m not sure if he *really* grew by the end.
Stepping into a box of snakes here: I don’t think Tootsie set out to be transphobic, but the script would have benefited from having a trans person read and give feedback. A few of the lines made me wince.
Overall I had a good time and am glad I saw it.
Hadestown: Front right orchestra, second row. Probably too close, but still an excellent view (at least once I got a booster seat!)
My favorite out of everything we saw. Mitchell’s score and Chauvkin’s staging are simply gorgeous. There were moments (like during Wait for Me) where my mouth was literally hanging open. I hear the complaint that Eurydice and Orpheus aren’t nuanced, but in the context of a myth, it didn’t bother me. I got what Reeve Carney was going for, and I prefer his “touched” interpretation over Orpheus as a rock star. Eva Noblezada has my vote for Best Actress. I’ve loved Amber Gray since Great Comet, and am so happy she gets to shine here. Andre de Shields and Patrick Page are also excellent.
The Prom:
Front right orchestra. My second viewing, and The Prom has just gotten stronger. This show just has so much *heart*, and that really carries it a long way. I don't see The Prom winning over Hadestown, but I'd really like it to be recognized for something at the Tonys. As discussed in the Drama Desk thread, some of the elements of Tootsie may be stronger, but The Prom's sincerity edges it out for me. Isabelle McCalla was particularly on fire - she had tears were streaming down her cheeks in Alyssa Greene.
The Ferryman:
Right front orchestra. I'm more for musicals than plays, but I'm really glad I saw this one. Obviously it's about Ireland 30+ years ago, but the themes (e.g. around how extremism is passed through generations) felt very timely.
As others have said, it’s 3 hours but goes by very fast. I was impressed with how Jez Butterworth took all these small moments in the day of a family, and wove them together into something so grand. I wouldn’t have guessed this was a replacement cast. Kudos especially to Brian d’Arcy James and Holley Fain, but there really wasn't a weak link among the cast.
Octet:
First row in the folding chairs. Unfortunately I came down with a cold on the last day of our trip, and this probably influenced my experience. I wanted to love Octet, but I ended up just liking it. Dave Malloy’s music is gorgeous as always, and the cast was fantastic. Loved the church basement setup. My biggest complaint was the lack of subtlety around how technology is changing our brains for the worse. I don't disagree with that, but it felt like the same message over and over.
We have tickets for a second viewing in a few weeks (long story), and I look forward to reassessing Octet when I feel better.
