HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Joshua488
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
#0HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:03am
Well, folks, I caught the Wednesday evening performance of HAIRSPRAY. Not surprisingly, Carly Jibson was out and her understudy, Shannon Durig, was in. (Does anyone know why Carly is out so often??)
A few highlights...
The show was the cutest little thing. I had a great time. The performances were fantastic. Shannon Durig (Tracy Turnblad) has such a clear and powerful voice... I had to compliment her after the show that she was the only actor that I never had trouble understanding what she was saying. Her overall performance was incredibly energetic and polished.
Mary Bond Davis (Motormouth Maybelle) tore the roof off of the Neil Simon Theatre. What an incredible powerhouse performer this woman is!
Chestor Gregory II's (Seaweed J. Stubbs) voice is superb and his high-energy performance (complete with a few impressive splits) made his scenes and his song incredibly enjoyable.
Bruce Vilanch (Edna Turnblad) was adorable in his role! He was hilarious, especially in his ad-libs! I don't know if he's done this one before, but at the end of "(You're) Timeless To Me", he said to Wilbur: "In six months, Britney Spears will look just like me!" The icing on a wonderful performance.
Tracy Miller had me rolling in the aisles with her portrayal of Penny Pingleton. The hunchbacked running alone was hysterical, but her performance reminded me a lot of the character Stuart on "Mad TV". And her transformation into a full-blown checkerboard chick was phenomenal.
All in all, it was an excellent show. One recommendation to the entire cast (minus Shannon Durig): Please take a refresher course in diction and enunciation. Your microphone might amplify your voice, but you still need to enunciate. I could barely understand some of the dialogue because of the poor diction, and the only reason I could understand all the lyrics was because I went in knowing the songs already.
FosseBoi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/30/04
#1re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:09amYa, I dont think theres been a performence of Mary Bond Davis's that she HASNT blown the roof off that place! Same with "YOu Cant Stop The Beat"!
"I've always secretly longed for an actress to get to the top of the cherry picker and projectile vomit all over the guards below."- Wonderwaiter in the "Defy Gravity?" thread.
~~~~~~~~My dream? Sutton Foster as Cassie in A Chorus Line
FosseBoi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/30/04
#2re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:09amYa, I dont think theres been a performence of Mary Bond Davis's that she HASNT blown the roof off that place! Same with "YOu Cant Stop The Beat"! Glad you had a good time!:)
"I've always secretly longed for an actress to get to the top of the cherry picker and projectile vomit all over the guards below."- Wonderwaiter in the "Defy Gravity?" thread.
~~~~~~~~My dream? Sutton Foster as Cassie in A Chorus Line
#3re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:12ammaybe she was sick. i saw her last night and she was in
"gimme a bottle of bourbon and half a chicken and i'll conquer the world!"
#4re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:19am
I agree that Shannon Durig is wonderful as Tracy. I hope that when Carly leaves, they offer her the role. She deserves it.
She's also, I have to say, the prettiest of any of the Tracy Turnblads to date.
Swiftynifty15
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
#5re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:39amIt seems like it was a good performance. Thanks for the review!
#6re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:45am
completely agree with your Tracy Miller comment. her performance was absolutely hilarious. at times i found myself drawn to watch her even when the main action had nothing to do with her at all.. she would be standing somewhere on the side being quite hilarious and amusing as i tried not to die of laughter, lol.
Raggy Q poo
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/04
#7re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 1:24amI also agree about Tracy Miller as Penny Pingelton, a lot because she reminds me of me in many ways...what a great character and she played is so well. I love the whole 'gum chewing thing'
People like you are the reason I'm on medication.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#8re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 11:45amSoooooo glad you enjoyed it. Its one of my favorite shows. And yes, Mary Bond Davis is beyond amazing.
#10re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:33pmnot when you wrote it and have to greet people afterwards!!
Mattio98
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/10/03
#11re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:35pmNow I know how Marc comes up with some of his wacky lyrics...
#12re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:41pmnot true!! really!! gave that up years ago...would try to write and would end up eating
#13re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 12:42pm
Yeah, food always wins over music when one is stoned.
Updated On: 4/23/05 at 12:42 PM
Mattio98
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/10/03
#15re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 1:58pm
So glad you got to see Shan on as Tracy.
She is an AMDA grad too and simply amazing.
the last I knew she wasn't going to renew her contract but I think after going on so often...for Carly...that she has thought twice about it. She get's such a warm reception each and everytime and the company is very impressed with her.
broadwaybelter
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/26/04
#16re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 2:05pm
wow Mary Bond Davis is still in HAIRSPRAY!! That's so awesome...i don't think she'll leave unitl it closes
Joshua488
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
#17re: HAIRSPRAY on 4/20
Posted: 4/23/05 at 2:17pmSo, does anyone have an idea as to why Carly Jibson is frequently out? I hear reports all the time that she is out and her understudy has to go on.
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