#1
Posted: 11/22/06 at 5:49pm
I won the lotto for the second preview of High Fidelity last night. My friend (who posts as sweetestsiren) and I spent at least an hour discussing the show in the wee hours of the morning; we both decided that it's most likely not a show for everyone due to the type of humor around which the show revolves. I imagine that if you enjoy High Fidelity's humor, you'll absolutely love the show, but if your sense of humor isn't in line with the show, you'll find the show quite boring. Without its humor, the show wouldn't have too much to fall back upon as the show's plot line is essentially a typical boy breaks up with girl/boy gets girl back storyline (albeit executed well).
That said, I went in as a complete High Fidelity newbie (hadn't seen the movie, didn't know much about the Boston production) and found the musical exactly to my taste. I loved that the show incorporated humor and a sense of fun without becoming a complete piece of fluff. Even though the show isn't especially deep and profound, I still genuinely felt for the characters, especially Will Chase's magnificently acted Rob. He exuded an "everyman" quality so vital to the role but still knew just how to garner sympathy from the audience. He makes a truly mediocre song ("I'm Sorry") heartfelt and touching with his emotive voice and especially his acting. Jenn Colella, as Laura (Rob's love interest), was great as well and absolutely fierce in the knockout number "Number Five with a Bullet," although her character inherently does not afford her the same opportunity to truly connect with the audience as Rob's role does. Christian Anderson was a standout in the role of Dick, whose self-deprecating comedic ability truly shines in his main number, "It's No Problem."
As for High Fidelity's humor, I did not feel that most of the audience was into it. There were moments where my friend and I were almost tearing from cracking up so hard, but we felt as if we were among a very few in the theatre finding it as hilarious as we did. The show's humor is very reliant on stereotypes, many of them rooted in pop culture. Many of the characters are stereotypes taken to extremes, such as "T.M.P.M.I.T.W" (the Most Pathetic Man in the World), Ian (the vegan new age hippie), and Dick (the pathetic-but-lovable guy you can't help but root for), whose characters allow for jokes springing from their character traits. Reading that Ian asks "Who's your Gandhi?" during sex on a message board doesn't exactly sound funny, but in the moment, I found it absolutely hysterical. The most hilarious scene of the show was a moment where the audience is allowed into Rob's imagination ("Conflict Resolution"), revealing his short-lived fantasy of taking on the persona of a rapper, complete with dancing girls and bleeps. Another moment that had me cracking up was the pledge to the record store in the opening number, complete with the workers giving the "rock out" sign rather than placing their hands to their heart. Again, most of the humor is tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating, and rooted in an exaggeration of commonplace stereotypes. I found High Fidelity infinitely more amusing than the supposedly side-splitting The Drowsy Chaperone (sans Martin's part), which I enjoyed overall but didn't find as amusing as most do. Again, I felt as if the audience had a considerable amount of people who simply did not find the show funny. I suppose a possible conclusion from this observation is that the show simply isn't funny, but considering there were still quite a few who were laughing hard along with me, I truly feel that the disparity in audience reaction isn't a true flaw in the show as much as varying comedic tastes.
While I haven't seen the movie, based upon my friend told me, it sounds as if the Rob/Laura reunion is based less upon Laura simply being "tired" of looking around for new love (as apparently shown in the movie) rather than ultimately feeling that Rob is the one for her. Personally, I like the idea presented in the musical more, although I did feel that the reunion was slightly rushed at the end. On the other hand, I probably would have quickly grown tired of the back-and-forth between Rob and Laura if they continued to drag it out. Perhaps it would prove beneficial to show truly why Laura chose to go back to Rob, which might help to eliminate some of that "rushed" feeling. I assume the song "I'm Sorry" was the turning point, but we're never truly shown.
The score is energetic and the songs truly keep the show moving. I didn't find any song especially boring, except for maybe the Bruce Springsteen number, which grew slightly monotonous and doesn't entirely work in the context of the plot development. I wouldn't say most of the music is especially memorable, sans the opening number and "Number Five with a Bullet," but most of it works perfectly within the context of the show. I don't feel a score has to be especially memorable as long as it doesn't feel boring when actually watching the show, something that the High Fidelity score certainly is not. The sets were quite clever - no complaints there.
As far as I could tell, I was one of the first to stand up during the curtain call. Quite a few followed, but I'd say that at least 50% of the audience remained in their seats, and I didn't hear too much enthusiastic cheering. I would most definitely recommend the show and I obviously hope it does well, although I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't exactly a blockbuster hit simply because the show's cheeky humor isn't to everyone's taste. I certainly wish the show good luck.
That said, I went in as a complete High Fidelity newbie (hadn't seen the movie, didn't know much about the Boston production) and found the musical exactly to my taste. I loved that the show incorporated humor and a sense of fun without becoming a complete piece of fluff. Even though the show isn't especially deep and profound, I still genuinely felt for the characters, especially Will Chase's magnificently acted Rob. He exuded an "everyman" quality so vital to the role but still knew just how to garner sympathy from the audience. He makes a truly mediocre song ("I'm Sorry") heartfelt and touching with his emotive voice and especially his acting. Jenn Colella, as Laura (Rob's love interest), was great as well and absolutely fierce in the knockout number "Number Five with a Bullet," although her character inherently does not afford her the same opportunity to truly connect with the audience as Rob's role does. Christian Anderson was a standout in the role of Dick, whose self-deprecating comedic ability truly shines in his main number, "It's No Problem."
As for High Fidelity's humor, I did not feel that most of the audience was into it. There were moments where my friend and I were almost tearing from cracking up so hard, but we felt as if we were among a very few in the theatre finding it as hilarious as we did. The show's humor is very reliant on stereotypes, many of them rooted in pop culture. Many of the characters are stereotypes taken to extremes, such as "T.M.P.M.I.T.W" (the Most Pathetic Man in the World), Ian (the vegan new age hippie), and Dick (the pathetic-but-lovable guy you can't help but root for), whose characters allow for jokes springing from their character traits. Reading that Ian asks "Who's your Gandhi?" during sex on a message board doesn't exactly sound funny, but in the moment, I found it absolutely hysterical. The most hilarious scene of the show was a moment where the audience is allowed into Rob's imagination ("Conflict Resolution"), revealing his short-lived fantasy of taking on the persona of a rapper, complete with dancing girls and bleeps. Another moment that had me cracking up was the pledge to the record store in the opening number, complete with the workers giving the "rock out" sign rather than placing their hands to their heart. Again, most of the humor is tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating, and rooted in an exaggeration of commonplace stereotypes. I found High Fidelity infinitely more amusing than the supposedly side-splitting The Drowsy Chaperone (sans Martin's part), which I enjoyed overall but didn't find as amusing as most do. Again, I felt as if the audience had a considerable amount of people who simply did not find the show funny. I suppose a possible conclusion from this observation is that the show simply isn't funny, but considering there were still quite a few who were laughing hard along with me, I truly feel that the disparity in audience reaction isn't a true flaw in the show as much as varying comedic tastes.
While I haven't seen the movie, based upon my friend told me, it sounds as if the Rob/Laura reunion is based less upon Laura simply being "tired" of looking around for new love (as apparently shown in the movie) rather than ultimately feeling that Rob is the one for her. Personally, I like the idea presented in the musical more, although I did feel that the reunion was slightly rushed at the end. On the other hand, I probably would have quickly grown tired of the back-and-forth between Rob and Laura if they continued to drag it out. Perhaps it would prove beneficial to show truly why Laura chose to go back to Rob, which might help to eliminate some of that "rushed" feeling. I assume the song "I'm Sorry" was the turning point, but we're never truly shown.
The score is energetic and the songs truly keep the show moving. I didn't find any song especially boring, except for maybe the Bruce Springsteen number, which grew slightly monotonous and doesn't entirely work in the context of the plot development. I wouldn't say most of the music is especially memorable, sans the opening number and "Number Five with a Bullet," but most of it works perfectly within the context of the show. I don't feel a score has to be especially memorable as long as it doesn't feel boring when actually watching the show, something that the High Fidelity score certainly is not. The sets were quite clever - no complaints there.
As far as I could tell, I was one of the first to stand up during the curtain call. Quite a few followed, but I'd say that at least 50% of the audience remained in their seats, and I didn't hear too much enthusiastic cheering. I would most definitely recommend the show and I obviously hope it does well, although I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't exactly a blockbuster hit simply because the show's cheeky humor isn't to everyone's taste. I certainly wish the show good luck.
Updated On: 11/22/06 at 05:49 PM
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