I Loved HANDS ON A HARDBODY. I Mean, I REEEEALLY Loved This Show.

i had a free afternoon today, so I thought I'd see this show since it was closing this weekend and I was blown away with how much I loved it. I don't think there is anything at all I can say that bothered me or that I think didn't work. From the top notch cast to a really phenomenal score, this is one that I will, for a very long time, be upset about it's closing prematurely.

I really haven't read that much about it (including the long threads here) so I don't know what the general consensus is regarding it but I felt this was a beautiful character study of the working class, the same way A CHORUS LINE was to dancers. I know it's easy to sit back and laugh at a musical that flopped and make fun of it for being bad but this (I hope) will become one of the shows that people will look back on fondly and say that it should have had a better life. I do think this show will play very well regionally, especially in the south. And maybe that was a big problem with it - The audience up north maybe doesn't know these people like us from the south do. Personally, I grew up around these types of events, even going to a couple of them when my Dad would try to win us a new car. The people there didn't just want to win a new car, they NEEDED to win a new car. It was a necessity for their lives. And I really felt that desperation on stage today in a way that I haven't felt from characters in a very long time.

Sadly the house was extremely empty even though I know full well there was a ton of papering for the matinee. I'm sad it's closing and I won't get to see it again but I'm happy it was done and that I got the chance to see it and that other people around the country will get to, as well.

Saw this today as well. Keala Settle blew my mind!

There's a couple other threads about the show actually, After Death. You should take your head out of your ass for a minute and you'd see them, you decrepit old troll.

It's almost 7pm. Shouldn't you be in bed?

And if you don't like a thread, don't open it. Sounds easy enough to someone with half a brain, but I guess yours is deteriorating at a much faster pace than originally thought.

Jordan, remember the phrase that so many level at newcomers who act just as you have here:

The search feature is your friend.

Ours, too.

I really liked the show too, Jordan. Just grabbed a ticket to go back to the final. I'm glad to see this show had some fans!!

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I'd rather let him rot in the ground where sleeps.

Glad you had such a good time, Jordan! :)

I wasn't as crazy about it, but I do hope Settle manages to get a nomination, at least.

Wonderful performances...but couldn't get beyond those trite lyrics (invoked numerous eye rolls). Very impressed by the imaginative choreography, however.

I have to say that although I just liked Hardbody and didn't love it, it is a crime against humanity that the dung heap called Jekyll and Hyde is allowed to live while this dies. And I know J&H hasn't opened yet, but there are enough morons in this world to keep it running for years.

Oh, for f*ck's sake. There's nothing moronic about someone seeing a show they want to see. Moronic is acting like you're above it all. There's no crime against humanity here. It's just Broadway business as usual.

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Jordan, I'm actually glad you started a new thread because the last couple of threads about Hardbody closing really didn't reflect the intelligence and passion for theater that makes me enjoy being a part of this site.

And I'm glad you liked it so much, because I did, too. It was a quieter pleasure than Pippin or Matilda, but it deserved so much better than this, and I do hope there's life for it in the future.

This was a really fun show, and the audience really seemed into it. I liked the whole redneck chorus line vibe...

I think the fact that the source material was so thin made it a good adaptation, since there wasn't anything to pare down as much. Just have fun with it.

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Add me to the list of people who enjoyed this show as well. I seem to really fall in love with 'little' shows that never catch on (A CLASS ACT, AMOUR, SUMMER OF '42, etc). Last night's house was decent-sized and very enthusiastic. I noticed several industry people (Telly Leung, Grant Shaud, and Jerry Mitchell, who BTW, leapt to his feet at the final curtain call). Thanks to Jordan's rave, I'm glad I made time to see it.

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