#1
Posted: 5/4/06 at 12:38am
Ok people,I'm back from the city. I wish I was still there! I had an amazing time and I was able to see a few shows. here's 2 quick reviews and the big one:
The Wedding Singer, 4/29
To be honest, I really didn't like the movie. I was curious about how it would be turned into a musical. We sat student rush, so we had front row seats. It was great being close for this. I ended up really liking this show. I was scared it would be TOO much 80s, but it was a good amount. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things they did. Amy Spanger impressed me a lot. I would LOVE to see her win the Tony for her role. She realy stole the show for me, especially her Act One finale. I felt that Laura Benanti was excellent. I don't think she was miscast at all. I'm not a fan of the wig because she is such a beautiful woman, but I'll let that go. Her voice is very smooth which makes it pleasant to listen to, especially in her first song. So overall, great show. I recommend it!
Note of interest: Seeing the show after the opening, I wondered if any famous people were there. I was so confused why people were constantly looking over at me and my friend. I didn't realize until intermission that Kevin from American Idol, the guy known as Chicken Little, was sitting next to us. It got annoying when were getting crushed by little girls and mothers asking him for an autograph!
Hairspray, 4/30
I was able to see Hairspray for my 10th time. I still love this show A LOT. The current cast is amazing and worth the ticket alone. Andrew has definitely grown into the role of Link. I always thought he was my favorite and that was when he was only the understudy. He's changed it minorly (I find him to be a little more serious), but he's still up there at the top for me. John Pinette is an Edna that I found ranks up close to Harvey. What I love most about him is his facial expressions and how he delivers his lines. "Timeless to Me" was beyond hysterical because of the ad libs he added. It was a good 3 minutes longer because no one could control their laughter. It was definitely THE moment of the show. Diana Degarmo is an AMAZING Penny. I didn't expect her to be AS amazing as she was! Everything she did was nothing short of scene stealing, like during the Madison when she tried dancing and bumped into the chalkboard, turning around and aplogizing to it. If you get the chance to see her before she leaves, DO IT. You will NOT regret it! Sitting front row for that show is excellent because you feel sucked in and a part of the energy.
And FINALLY, the review that you've been waiting for:
Tarzan, 5/2
I had very high expectations for this show, as I made clear for a while now. I've been anxious for this show since the rumors started, and it got even more exciting when rumors of who was playing the lead was started... as you all know. I sat front row, dead center for this. The first thing to point out is the curtain. It is the best show curtain I have seen so far, and their concept of starting the show is, I think, pure genius. The opening scene is also the most beautiful and well done scene I have witnessed. I sat their with my jaw dropped the entire time, and hearing Josh singing "Two Worlds" over it made it worse for me. I have always praise Merle Dandridge, and I could go on forever about her. In short, that woman is a goddess. Her voice is powerful and beautiful and her acting comes so natural. I wish we could have seen more of her, but that role is not that big even based on the movie. Chester Gregory also stands out as Turk, especially during "Trashing the Camp" which is a high energy number with a great entrance for him.
I think the thing to be careful of is to not go in expecting to see the movie. They are very different. You need to be open minded. A lot of the complaints I have read about the show are very picky. Who cares if you see a rope hanging down? A majority of the time it is used as a vine. The metal clips were not distracting unless you looked for them. The sets in the show can come across as very basic and boring at first, but as Act Two comes, the changes that are made to the set pieces are beautiful, mainly the tree tops and the vines when Jane and her father meet the gorillas. The lighting adds so much to these moments.
Yes, I did have a few problems with the show. I felt Act One is not as solid as Act Two. A lot of the dialogue is kinda "eh" and could be fixed, especially the pendulation scene betwen Turk and Young Tarzan. Jane's first scene really needs to be changed. I think there is too much going on on stage. The flowing green silk needs to either go or be toned down. A few of the flyers are unneeded. Setting up the web needs to be changed also. While her lines about being uplifting and elevating are funny, it doesn't set up how she got stuck up in a web 20 feet off the ground. And I understand she loves flowers, but must they get physical with her like that? At that moment, I felt that it wasn't as much of a family show. I'm sure there's a different way she can be hooked up.
And then there's Josh. I really am not letting any bias come in here. Josh is amazing. He looks the role. Complaints of him being too skinny are pointless. He looks great. He moves around the stage perfectly, showing the conflict between being man and animal. His voice is so good that I feel like I'm going to melt. This little crush I've had on him for over a year now still stands. He deserves a lot of attention for this role.
I guess that's about it. It was an amazing weekend and definitely full of moments that I won't forget. I'll throw some photos in my fan photos and let you know when they are there to check out!
The Wedding Singer, 4/29
To be honest, I really didn't like the movie. I was curious about how it would be turned into a musical. We sat student rush, so we had front row seats. It was great being close for this. I ended up really liking this show. I was scared it would be TOO much 80s, but it was a good amount. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things they did. Amy Spanger impressed me a lot. I would LOVE to see her win the Tony for her role. She realy stole the show for me, especially her Act One finale. I felt that Laura Benanti was excellent. I don't think she was miscast at all. I'm not a fan of the wig because she is such a beautiful woman, but I'll let that go. Her voice is very smooth which makes it pleasant to listen to, especially in her first song. So overall, great show. I recommend it!
Note of interest: Seeing the show after the opening, I wondered if any famous people were there. I was so confused why people were constantly looking over at me and my friend. I didn't realize until intermission that Kevin from American Idol, the guy known as Chicken Little, was sitting next to us. It got annoying when were getting crushed by little girls and mothers asking him for an autograph!
Hairspray, 4/30
I was able to see Hairspray for my 10th time. I still love this show A LOT. The current cast is amazing and worth the ticket alone. Andrew has definitely grown into the role of Link. I always thought he was my favorite and that was when he was only the understudy. He's changed it minorly (I find him to be a little more serious), but he's still up there at the top for me. John Pinette is an Edna that I found ranks up close to Harvey. What I love most about him is his facial expressions and how he delivers his lines. "Timeless to Me" was beyond hysterical because of the ad libs he added. It was a good 3 minutes longer because no one could control their laughter. It was definitely THE moment of the show. Diana Degarmo is an AMAZING Penny. I didn't expect her to be AS amazing as she was! Everything she did was nothing short of scene stealing, like during the Madison when she tried dancing and bumped into the chalkboard, turning around and aplogizing to it. If you get the chance to see her before she leaves, DO IT. You will NOT regret it! Sitting front row for that show is excellent because you feel sucked in and a part of the energy.
And FINALLY, the review that you've been waiting for:
Tarzan, 5/2
I had very high expectations for this show, as I made clear for a while now. I've been anxious for this show since the rumors started, and it got even more exciting when rumors of who was playing the lead was started... as you all know. I sat front row, dead center for this. The first thing to point out is the curtain. It is the best show curtain I have seen so far, and their concept of starting the show is, I think, pure genius. The opening scene is also the most beautiful and well done scene I have witnessed. I sat their with my jaw dropped the entire time, and hearing Josh singing "Two Worlds" over it made it worse for me. I have always praise Merle Dandridge, and I could go on forever about her. In short, that woman is a goddess. Her voice is powerful and beautiful and her acting comes so natural. I wish we could have seen more of her, but that role is not that big even based on the movie. Chester Gregory also stands out as Turk, especially during "Trashing the Camp" which is a high energy number with a great entrance for him.
I think the thing to be careful of is to not go in expecting to see the movie. They are very different. You need to be open minded. A lot of the complaints I have read about the show are very picky. Who cares if you see a rope hanging down? A majority of the time it is used as a vine. The metal clips were not distracting unless you looked for them. The sets in the show can come across as very basic and boring at first, but as Act Two comes, the changes that are made to the set pieces are beautiful, mainly the tree tops and the vines when Jane and her father meet the gorillas. The lighting adds so much to these moments.
Yes, I did have a few problems with the show. I felt Act One is not as solid as Act Two. A lot of the dialogue is kinda "eh" and could be fixed, especially the pendulation scene betwen Turk and Young Tarzan. Jane's first scene really needs to be changed. I think there is too much going on on stage. The flowing green silk needs to either go or be toned down. A few of the flyers are unneeded. Setting up the web needs to be changed also. While her lines about being uplifting and elevating are funny, it doesn't set up how she got stuck up in a web 20 feet off the ground. And I understand she loves flowers, but must they get physical with her like that? At that moment, I felt that it wasn't as much of a family show. I'm sure there's a different way she can be hooked up.
And then there's Josh. I really am not letting any bias come in here. Josh is amazing. He looks the role. Complaints of him being too skinny are pointless. He looks great. He moves around the stage perfectly, showing the conflict between being man and animal. His voice is so good that I feel like I'm going to melt. This little crush I've had on him for over a year now still stands. He deserves a lot of attention for this role.
I guess that's about it. It was an amazing weekend and definitely full of moments that I won't forget. I'll throw some photos in my fan photos and let you know when they are there to check out!
::bust a move::
Updated On: 5/4/06 at 12:38 AM
