What an evening of pure joy at the theatre! THIS is Broadway at its best. My first time seeing Bette live and the 7 hour drive and hundreds of dollars paid for tickets was absolutely worth it!
-Bette is just so much damn fun. You literally can't take your eyes off her, and she rewards you for your attention with hysterical facial expressions and physical comedy. Her speaking voice did sound strained at times (not in a distracting way). She sounded a bit horse/sick... and she did not come out to sign. A worker said she didn't feel well and had already left. With that said, her singing was beautiful. She's not a 'belter' like she may have been years ago, but she still fits this role perfectly. The little Bette vocal nuances she adds here and there are just so damn beautiful.
-Funniest part of show was during the already hysterical eating scene when Bette accidentally knocked over her drink. She totally took advantage of the situation to play with the audience. When the glass fell over, you could hear the audience gasp. So what does she do? She mimics the 'gasp' back with her hand gestures and facial expression and said "That's show business" and "You interrupted me!" The house lost it in laughter. Love. Love. Love.
-I thought her 'talks' with Ephraim were touching without being corny. I thought her final scene with Horace when they finally dance was surprisingly moving for me.
-She was clearly having FUN during the title song. I was disappointed my far left seats kept me from seeing the top of the staircase (among other things). I was also a bit disappointed in the audience. The front middle orchestra didn't give a standing O after the title song. My section, thankfully, all but lept to our feet.
-The entire cast is perfection. Especially loved Barnaby, Minnie and Ms. Money.
-The costumes for Sunday Clothes - Wow.
-David Hyde Pierce is such a class act. He came out and walked the ENTIRE perimeter, signing and taking pictures for a good 20-25 minutes. What a great, great guy.
-I was hoping they would have done the finale (snipets of songs) as part of the show instead of as the bows.
-God bless the ushers. They were relentless cellphone watch dogs.
I will be rooting for this show in every category come Tony night.
Thank you, Bette.
Updated On: 4/9/17 at 12:56 AM