#1
Posted: 10/27/05 at 8:29pm
I saw SWIS on Tuesday night. Many reviews will be arriving from professional critics momentarily, so I shall keep my opinions as brief as I possibly can.
I must preface this review by stating that I am an admitted LaChiusa addict, although I can recognize faults with some of his shows (The Petrified Prince and Little Fish being the most problematic, in my eyes... The Wild Party and First Lady Suite being almost perfect). I feel The Wild Party is one of the most important musicals in theatre history and will be regarded as such more so in the coming years and than when it premiered. I also got the chance to meet the man behind the music on Tuesday night and he was the must, humble, gracious, caring and kind celebrity I have ever met. Now, on to the show...
As has been previously noted, the show begins with one of the most intoxicating, exotic, and beautiful vamps in years... I cannot quite put into words the way LaChiusa's music makes me feel, so I will simply state that from those first moments I was in the show's grip. The staging and sets are ingenious and truly show what five extraordinary performers can do with minimal sets on a bare stage with excellent material.
Idina Menzel, who I had thought of as sort of the emperor's new clothes having seen her in WICKED, impresses. Her acting is dead-on and that belt is almost unrivaled. She fully inhabits each of her roles and even adopts a different singing style for each one. She knocks the songs outta the park when necessary, and is quietly introspective and detailed when called to be.
Aaron Lohr, who I was not very familiar with before, shows a very, very strong presence. His singing is somewhat ragged, but it fits the character in the first act... and by the second act I had realized his singing style was that way for a reason in the first act (he was playing an uneducated amateur boxer/thief in the first act) when he gave an incredible performance singing what I feel is the score's best song, "Curiosity". Wait til the cd comes out... this song is absolutely gorgeous.
Mary Testa is brilliant as always. Not much more can be said. She is unequaled in the ability to nail every role. Brava!
Henry Stram I found a little uneasy in his singing, but revealed himself to be a superb actor and put the songs across effectively (if not quite as aurally attractive as I may have liked).
Marc Kudisch, like Testa, is a master of excelling in every role. His voice is superb and it is put to the test in some difficult songs. His tones are glorious. I must say if God has a voice it would sound something like Kudisch's.
The score has very dissonant material which just makes one appreciate the 8 or 9 truly gorgeous, breathtaking numbers even more. Every lyric and note is dramatically justified and one is constantly involved in the story. LaChiusa's marriage of music and lyrics has never been better and this show firmly puts him alongside Sondheim as a true musical storytelling master. You never know where his music, or his shows for that matter, will take you, but you are guaranteed a thrilling, thought-provoking, touching ride.
A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely,
P genre
I must preface this review by stating that I am an admitted LaChiusa addict, although I can recognize faults with some of his shows (The Petrified Prince and Little Fish being the most problematic, in my eyes... The Wild Party and First Lady Suite being almost perfect). I feel The Wild Party is one of the most important musicals in theatre history and will be regarded as such more so in the coming years and than when it premiered. I also got the chance to meet the man behind the music on Tuesday night and he was the must, humble, gracious, caring and kind celebrity I have ever met. Now, on to the show...
As has been previously noted, the show begins with one of the most intoxicating, exotic, and beautiful vamps in years... I cannot quite put into words the way LaChiusa's music makes me feel, so I will simply state that from those first moments I was in the show's grip. The staging and sets are ingenious and truly show what five extraordinary performers can do with minimal sets on a bare stage with excellent material.
Idina Menzel, who I had thought of as sort of the emperor's new clothes having seen her in WICKED, impresses. Her acting is dead-on and that belt is almost unrivaled. She fully inhabits each of her roles and even adopts a different singing style for each one. She knocks the songs outta the park when necessary, and is quietly introspective and detailed when called to be.
Aaron Lohr, who I was not very familiar with before, shows a very, very strong presence. His singing is somewhat ragged, but it fits the character in the first act... and by the second act I had realized his singing style was that way for a reason in the first act (he was playing an uneducated amateur boxer/thief in the first act) when he gave an incredible performance singing what I feel is the score's best song, "Curiosity". Wait til the cd comes out... this song is absolutely gorgeous.
Mary Testa is brilliant as always. Not much more can be said. She is unequaled in the ability to nail every role. Brava!
Henry Stram I found a little uneasy in his singing, but revealed himself to be a superb actor and put the songs across effectively (if not quite as aurally attractive as I may have liked).
Marc Kudisch, like Testa, is a master of excelling in every role. His voice is superb and it is put to the test in some difficult songs. His tones are glorious. I must say if God has a voice it would sound something like Kudisch's.
The score has very dissonant material which just makes one appreciate the 8 or 9 truly gorgeous, breathtaking numbers even more. Every lyric and note is dramatically justified and one is constantly involved in the story. LaChiusa's marriage of music and lyrics has never been better and this show firmly puts him alongside Sondheim as a true musical storytelling master. You never know where his music, or his shows for that matter, will take you, but you are guaranteed a thrilling, thought-provoking, touching ride.
A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely,
P genre
