Saw the show tonight, it was cut short due to rain but it was electric!
I have been a bit leery of this revival, thinking it was too dated to work, how would a Tribal Rock Musical play in 2008 where the times have changed and there is no draft and "free love" has been all but squashed with the AIDS epidemic? Hippies and Flower Power now seem like a cliched character sketches in comedy shows or flash backs in sit-coms.
Surprisingly the revival at he Delacorte shines through! Is it dated? Yep! Is it a little too clean? Yep! Did Groff make a convincing Claude? Nope, though he sang the score magnificently (trademark spritz and all)! Was his wig as bad as it was in the free concert? Kinda though a little more believable.
Cast all were great, the feeling of that Summer of Love seemed to coalesce and reach across the decades. For me, it was a treasure to hear the catalogue of my coming of age years sung with such perfection. There were actual times I found myself tearing up, over the silly songs like "Frank Mills" and the soul searching "Where Do I Go?".
The very simple set...fit beautifully making the whole production feel like a "Happening". The Choreography echoed the sixties "Hippy in the park" feel.
Will Swenson was a very hot and wonderful Berger (though one might argue a little long in the tooth to be expelled from High School) . Patina Renea Miller kicked some serious butt in "White Boys"! Everyone else seemed in good shape!
The show ended early because the thunderstorm which threatened finally arrived, during "Three-Five-Zero-Zero". The cast didn't skip a beat and when the lyric "Out there they try to end this beauty." was sung the audience went wild cheering and clapping! The electricity in the theatre was INCREDIBLE!
The actors were told to leave the stage upon finishing "What a Piece of Work is Man".
About half the audience remained to see if the rain would stop. Unfortunately it didn't but the whole experience seemed so in keeping with the piece that I don't think too many were very disappointed.
I am hoping I can find time to see the show again before it ends in the Delacorte. A truly wonderful production!
Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!
