In My Life Second Preview Review (Sampler CD singers revealed!!!)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 7:30pm

Wow! It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. However, it was quite dull. As many know, Jessica Boevers was out today. Her understudy, Courtney Balan, was pretty good, although she had a hard time staying in tune on some of ther higher-range numbers, like the title song. Chris Hanke is pretty decent, his "f**k, duck, suck" line standing out. Why they cast him when Hispanic actors play his mother and sister I'll never know. The above-all highlight is David Turner's Winston, who looks like a combination of Marilyn Manson and Alan Cumming in Cabaret. He makes the show a lot less dull, even if he's making a skeleton do a kick line. 13 year old Chiara Navarra has a great voice. Too bad that her part doesn't really fit in with the show. And then theres Michael Farina, who has a great time channeling Al Jolsen as Al-God.

The problems are all in the book. It could benefit from a substancial amount of rewrites, just to clarify everything that's going on. One second you're seeing J.T. and Jenny singing a love song to each other, the next, out of nowhere, you see Vera riding her scooter, talking to Al (which, apparently, is what God wants to be called.)

Joe Brooks' score by far is a lot better than a lot of the things we've had to listen to over the past few years. They're mostly slow pop-ballads that you'd hear on lite-fm, but they're memorable. I walked out humming the title song, after hearing it once (I turned the cd off half-way into it.)

The sets (or lack thereof) impressed me. They were all projected images and a few pieces, like the living room and the Heavenly file cabintes with projected faces. I think I saw Michael Jackson's face pass by a few times. Scary stuff. The dancing skeleton projections were a highlight by far, as was the skeleton kick-line, and the hokey J.T. rising from the bed and ascending to Heaven.

Oh, and that big lemon at the end may be saying something about what the critics will think.

Overall, it was worth the $29 (TDF) I paid.

Updated On: 10/1/05 at 07:30 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 7:52pm

forgot to mention:

Merchandise - Hats, shirts, and window card

Seating - Mezz was half empty, front row was mostly empty, orchestra in general was pretty full Updated On: 10/1/05 at 07:52 PM

[liotte]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 8:14pm

I thought they cut JT ascending into heaven?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 8:55pm

nope....he rises from the hospital bed and lands on the platform.

[liotte]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 9:01pm

Thank you for the review. Very nice.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 9:20pm

according to broadway.com, Megan McGinnis, Jason Wooten, Christine Clemmons and Lili Thomas sing the sampler cd.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 9:22pm

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=518883 Updated On: 10/1/05 at 09:22 PM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 9:28pm

Thanks for the review! I might be going on Wednesday to see this.

And I knew that was Megan McGinnis on the CD.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 9:50pm

We must have seen the same show. I thought it was quite good considering I heard bad reviews. I paid full price. The fellow that played Winston was my absolute favorite. The show could be improved but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Winston dancing with the skeleton was the funniest.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 10:21pm

oh, according to the cast at the stage door, a CD will be made. theyre set for the recording studio in a few weeks.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 10:36pm

I've listened to the sampler cd and this show just makes me cringe. Haven't decidided if I'll get rush tickets or not.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 1:58am

Do they sell the sampler cds at the door?

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 2:00am

you can go to the website and have one sent to you for free, or get one from one of the people handing them out for free.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 10:50am

omg! they are making a CD!! i cant wait! If you guys wouldnt mind posting reviews at

www.inmylife.tk


that'd be great


thanks
ric
www.inmylife.co.nr

Updated On: 10/2/05 at 10:50 AM

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 11:01am

sorry if this is a stupid question, but is the show sung through?

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 11:16am

Not sung through.

And I'm not being argumentative, truly, when I suggest that the initial review in this thread should be cut and pasted into the original "In My Life" thread...which is destined to become a classic. You know that everyone is going to post when they have seen it...so to start a new thread for each performance is going to become confusing...and it dilutes the discussion.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 12:05pm

I actually saw the first preview on Friday night. I should also mention, I originally only went because my gf likes the cd sampler and bought tickets.

I agree with Yankeefan, it wasn't the disaster I expected. I found a few things annoying though.....i liked the skeletons but there was also a projection of a open window with curtains blowing in the wind which I found very cheesy.

I thought David Turner was very good and Chiara Navarra has an amaing voice. Kind of reminded me of Eden Espinosa but much more singing than screaming.

I know it was short (2 hours) but a short intermission woud have been nice.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 2:50pm

I wonder if Megan McGinnis ever considered doing it.