#1
Posted: 7/29/06 at 12:37am
Just returned from seeing the 'spray with BWW's favorite fag-hag Mistress for the umpteenth time. I am sure that she will post her own commentary, so I will stick to MY thoughts on this lately act. We were sitting in our favorite choice location, lottery seats 111-112.. center section, located on teh house right aisle.
First, I must give mention to other recent additions to the Hairspray family at the Neil Simon who really bring something good to the show.
Lisa Jolley is the new Female Authority (Prudy et al). She is wonderful in the role, bringing a very fresh new take to everything that she does and NAILING every comic oportunity.. most notably the butch gym teacher (NO question is left about what happens in THOSE showers!) and her entrance for the finale. If you pay close attention, you can see thats he takes her inspiration for Prudy from Carol Burnette... and she makes it very obvious if you watch closely enough! I look forward to seeing her as Velma sometime.
Next up, new Link Larkin, AAron Tveit. I had seen Aaron as Link on the national tour at Thanksgiving this past year, so it was great to see him slip in with this company. I must confess, I am still VERY sad that Andrew Rannells is no longer with the Broadway company. He is, without a doubt, one of the best Links that the show has had. Seeing the show tonight left me feeling very empty not seeing him on stage. My favorite LINKs though, in no particular order, are Andrew Rannells, Tyler Hanes, Bryan West, Adam Fleming, and Aaron Tveit, so I am glad that if someone had to come it, it was Aaron. I look forward to seeing the new understudy, Daniel Robinson sometime soon. Aaron is a great addition to the show. WELCOME TO BROADWAY, MR. TVEIT!
NOW... onto the BIG stuff...... Haylie Duff as Amber Von Tussle....
the theatre was packed tonight with a VERY visble presence of children.. including one whiny little brat sitting directly behind me who was playing with a plastic bag the entire time and discussing the show with her sister with load comments of "OH HELLZ NO! every three seconds. The audience was VERY responsive tonight from the moment the lights dimmed (and something I had never heard happen before in the Neil Simon happened.. an audio announcement of a cast change! No insert for Willis White.)
I was expecting, from that initial reaction, that the audience would love every moment of the show and the cast could do no wrong....
Shannon Durig hits Good Morning baltimore out of the park.... the ensemble races on for Nicest Kids.. including Ms Duff...
the first reaction to her presence came from the man seated next me... "She DOES look like a horse!"... then the shrill screechs of prepubescents yelling "We love you Haylie" over the music... after seeing the show, I can tell you.. i DON'T.
Nicest Kids in town IS a difficult dance for stamina and you HAVE to precise on the choreography. Haylie though, didn't know the choreography. It was like watchinga ten year old copying a Britney Spears video in her living room.. She was not at all with the cast, doing BLATANTLY wrong choreography.. it was horrid.
It only got worse.
She is NOT an actress by any stretch. Apparently stage management has not informer her that the show takes place in 1962 and that Amber was NOT raised in the ghetto. She spent the entire show attenpting to "Mizz thAng".. and she fell flat on her face at every turn. She didn't land a SINGLE joke. The audience, who gave her such a vocal welcome was responding to every joke in the show with cheers and laughter.. but not for Haylie. You could have heard crickets after each of her punchlines... I didn't care for her at all, but I was suprised that the response to her during the show was so tepid.
She should also make an effort to read the script.. because I don't think she knows it that well... she flubbed many lines and adlibbed quite a bit.. I don't think many noticed it.. but the fact remains... I also noticed that during group numbers, she hardly sang a note.. the full cast would be singing.. except for Haylie. Was she directed to do such a thing?
a MAJOR faux paux that she made tonight..... granted, she WAS at the SIDE of the stage, but in plain view, Amber Von Tussle was flossing her teeth with her fingernailsAmber is trashy, but she isn't that trashy. The fold out mirrors on the proscenium are for use in the scenes.. and it was NOT being used for this scene.. not for pulling chicken from between your teeth.
One pleasant thing I noticed though was her finale costume. It's brand new. same design, but with better execution. Not an inch of fabric is printless, frill less, or without a ruffle. It's trashy, over the top, and simply goreous in a trashy Versailles-Von Tussle way... it's the best excuted version of that costume that I have seen.
First, I must give mention to other recent additions to the Hairspray family at the Neil Simon who really bring something good to the show.
Lisa Jolley is the new Female Authority (Prudy et al). She is wonderful in the role, bringing a very fresh new take to everything that she does and NAILING every comic oportunity.. most notably the butch gym teacher (NO question is left about what happens in THOSE showers!) and her entrance for the finale. If you pay close attention, you can see thats he takes her inspiration for Prudy from Carol Burnette... and she makes it very obvious if you watch closely enough! I look forward to seeing her as Velma sometime.
Next up, new Link Larkin, AAron Tveit. I had seen Aaron as Link on the national tour at Thanksgiving this past year, so it was great to see him slip in with this company. I must confess, I am still VERY sad that Andrew Rannells is no longer with the Broadway company. He is, without a doubt, one of the best Links that the show has had. Seeing the show tonight left me feeling very empty not seeing him on stage. My favorite LINKs though, in no particular order, are Andrew Rannells, Tyler Hanes, Bryan West, Adam Fleming, and Aaron Tveit, so I am glad that if someone had to come it, it was Aaron. I look forward to seeing the new understudy, Daniel Robinson sometime soon. Aaron is a great addition to the show. WELCOME TO BROADWAY, MR. TVEIT!
NOW... onto the BIG stuff...... Haylie Duff as Amber Von Tussle....
the theatre was packed tonight with a VERY visble presence of children.. including one whiny little brat sitting directly behind me who was playing with a plastic bag the entire time and discussing the show with her sister with load comments of "OH HELLZ NO! every three seconds. The audience was VERY responsive tonight from the moment the lights dimmed (and something I had never heard happen before in the Neil Simon happened.. an audio announcement of a cast change! No insert for Willis White.)
I was expecting, from that initial reaction, that the audience would love every moment of the show and the cast could do no wrong....
Shannon Durig hits Good Morning baltimore out of the park.... the ensemble races on for Nicest Kids.. including Ms Duff...
the first reaction to her presence came from the man seated next me... "She DOES look like a horse!"... then the shrill screechs of prepubescents yelling "We love you Haylie" over the music... after seeing the show, I can tell you.. i DON'T.
Nicest Kids in town IS a difficult dance for stamina and you HAVE to precise on the choreography. Haylie though, didn't know the choreography. It was like watchinga ten year old copying a Britney Spears video in her living room.. She was not at all with the cast, doing BLATANTLY wrong choreography.. it was horrid.
It only got worse.
She is NOT an actress by any stretch. Apparently stage management has not informer her that the show takes place in 1962 and that Amber was NOT raised in the ghetto. She spent the entire show attenpting to "Mizz thAng".. and she fell flat on her face at every turn. She didn't land a SINGLE joke. The audience, who gave her such a vocal welcome was responding to every joke in the show with cheers and laughter.. but not for Haylie. You could have heard crickets after each of her punchlines... I didn't care for her at all, but I was suprised that the response to her during the show was so tepid.
She should also make an effort to read the script.. because I don't think she knows it that well... she flubbed many lines and adlibbed quite a bit.. I don't think many noticed it.. but the fact remains... I also noticed that during group numbers, she hardly sang a note.. the full cast would be singing.. except for Haylie. Was she directed to do such a thing?
a MAJOR faux paux that she made tonight..... granted, she WAS at the SIDE of the stage, but in plain view, Amber Von Tussle was flossing her teeth with her fingernailsAmber is trashy, but she isn't that trashy. The fold out mirrors on the proscenium are for use in the scenes.. and it was NOT being used for this scene.. not for pulling chicken from between your teeth.
One pleasant thing I noticed though was her finale costume. It's brand new. same design, but with better execution. Not an inch of fabric is printless, frill less, or without a ruffle. It's trashy, over the top, and simply goreous in a trashy Versailles-Von Tussle way... it's the best excuted version of that costume that I have seen.
Updated On: 7/29/06 at 12:37 AM
