Won the digital lottery last Friday night and sat in the left boxes, which are obstructed, so you miss about 25% of the far stage right area, but for $10, I'm not bitching about it. This was actually the closest to the stage I've seen the show and it was still thrilling, nonetheless. Just two little nits:
- Saw Jin Ha as King George and after seeing both Groff and Gemignani, Ha just didn't have the comedic chops to deliver. There wasn't much personality or nuance. Just sort of a paint-by-numbers performance.
- Maybe it was because I was sitting closer to the stage, but the ensemble in general seemed a bit sloppy. There were definitely a couple of them who were unfocused and listless, not even finishing out their movements. I won't name names, but there was one who seemed completely out of their depth and actually pulled my focus with what appeared to be a complete lack of enthusiasm. Both acts, they started strong, but then deteriorated to near ambivalence by the halfway point of each act. It was actually distracting. Maybe they were sick? But even simple things, like forming a straight line, holding an expression when frozen, or not have a personal chat with a friend onstage between steps when someone else is singing, were often ignored. I felt like certain members of the ensemble are starting to "settle in" and forget that most of the audience is seeing the show for the first time. It wasn't all terrible, but there were too many unprofessional/sloppy moments going on that I was able to pick up on during the show. That was disheartening, especially when watching so many highly focused riveting and heartfelt performances happening around them.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian