Posted: 11/17/21 at 11:55am
I saw the Broadway production again on October 6, a Wednesday matinee, and loved Cervantes. His playing of the second act is the best I've seen, and if he's visibly older than the 19-year-old in act one, he has an insouciant way with the character's introduction that absolutely works. Also, his diction is clean and absolutely nails the gnarly lyrics with ease. He's a fine traditional singer who calibrates the role well, knowing when to sing on his interest rather than his principle, as LuPone was once taught to do in Evita. Everyone else was fine, and razor sharp, befitting a show that had just resumed. The energy was as palpable as it was in 2015, when I first saw the show after its move.
I'm less excited by Gonzales than others, not for any particular reason, only that she doesn't have the glamour factor, not because she isn't a lovely actor but because she seems to possess les of Angelica's gravitas. She sings terrifically of course, though I missed the great original star's take on the rap section of "Satisfaction." All comparisons are odious, but Angelica is the one role in the show tethered to its first interpretation. Having access to the Disney video has allowed us to fall in love with Goldsberry's performance anew.
Updated On: 11/17/21 at 11:55 AM
