#1
Posted: 2/23/08 at 12:39am
I didn't catch this show off-Broadway, so I went in tonight with no preconceptions about the show. I don't know what changes were made, but apparently they were significant, as the people next to me had seen it off-Broadway, and were discussing at some length what had changed.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this show, despite a few quibbles. The dancing is sensational (engrave that Tony now), the score is a lot of fun, and the cast is pretty exceptional.
All of the women that make up the supporting cast are wonderful. Andrea Burns, Priscilla Lopez, and Janet Ducal make the most of their stage time. Lopez, in particular, looks radiant. Shame she has very little to do. Karen Olivo has got a fantastic voice, and sounds phenomenal. I just wish her character's story was a little more interesting (more on that later).
I also enjoyed the performances of Carlos Gomez and Robin DeJesus. Gomez struggles with trying to maintain his paternal role were particularly engaging. He and Lopez have great chemistry. DeJesus gets the classic "buddy role" that provides a lot of the comedy, but he does a fine job with it, and avoids making his character into a cliche (Passing Strange performers take note!).
Olga Merediz' performance as Abuela anchors the show, especially since so much of act 2 is about her. I enjoyed her solo, "Patience and Faith," a lot, as did the rest of the audience. She makes a great impression, when she's not onstage, you want her back.
The two stars of this show, however, are Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson. Those two have great chemistry together, and the attraction (and tension) between them is palpable. They're both blessed with wonderful voices, and their acting is spot on. In fact, because their acting is so good, their story becomes the emotional center of the piece, which is problematic (more on that in a moment).
Which brings me to my one problem with the cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda. I had read such wonderful things about him, and I was frankly very disappointed in his performance. He wrote this show, and you would have thought he would have given himself more to do. His story had very little interest for me, and I honestly couldn't have cared less what happened with that character. I don't necessarily blame him, because he seems to be a good enough actor. It's just, that character didn't resonate with me, and was fairly uninteresting, especially compared to the colorful characters around him.
And that is my biggest, and only problem with this otherwise wonderful show: a very poorly written, amateurish, book. Miranda's character should be the show's central figure. His story should be front and center, and we should care the most about his character. However, the Nina/Benny story is much more developed, and as such, is a whole lot more interesting. The show feels like it belongs to Nina or the Abuela right now, as it is their actions that drive the plot of the show. My other problem with the book is that there were several missed opportunities for some great dramatic scenes- wouldn't you have loved to see the scene between Camila and Kevin where they find out about the money Abuela wants to give them to pay for Nina's education? I also had a problem with the ending, which resolves very little, and seems rather abrupt.
I don't know how or if these problems are fixable, but it certainly doesn't kill this show, which even with that issue, is still a very good musical. I had a wonderful time watching it this evening, and it was certainly a crowd-pleaser, based on the audience reaction tonight.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this show, despite a few quibbles. The dancing is sensational (engrave that Tony now), the score is a lot of fun, and the cast is pretty exceptional.
All of the women that make up the supporting cast are wonderful. Andrea Burns, Priscilla Lopez, and Janet Ducal make the most of their stage time. Lopez, in particular, looks radiant. Shame she has very little to do. Karen Olivo has got a fantastic voice, and sounds phenomenal. I just wish her character's story was a little more interesting (more on that later).
I also enjoyed the performances of Carlos Gomez and Robin DeJesus. Gomez struggles with trying to maintain his paternal role were particularly engaging. He and Lopez have great chemistry. DeJesus gets the classic "buddy role" that provides a lot of the comedy, but he does a fine job with it, and avoids making his character into a cliche (Passing Strange performers take note!).
Olga Merediz' performance as Abuela anchors the show, especially since so much of act 2 is about her. I enjoyed her solo, "Patience and Faith," a lot, as did the rest of the audience. She makes a great impression, when she's not onstage, you want her back.
The two stars of this show, however, are Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson. Those two have great chemistry together, and the attraction (and tension) between them is palpable. They're both blessed with wonderful voices, and their acting is spot on. In fact, because their acting is so good, their story becomes the emotional center of the piece, which is problematic (more on that in a moment).
Which brings me to my one problem with the cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda. I had read such wonderful things about him, and I was frankly very disappointed in his performance. He wrote this show, and you would have thought he would have given himself more to do. His story had very little interest for me, and I honestly couldn't have cared less what happened with that character. I don't necessarily blame him, because he seems to be a good enough actor. It's just, that character didn't resonate with me, and was fairly uninteresting, especially compared to the colorful characters around him.
And that is my biggest, and only problem with this otherwise wonderful show: a very poorly written, amateurish, book. Miranda's character should be the show's central figure. His story should be front and center, and we should care the most about his character. However, the Nina/Benny story is much more developed, and as such, is a whole lot more interesting. The show feels like it belongs to Nina or the Abuela right now, as it is their actions that drive the plot of the show. My other problem with the book is that there were several missed opportunities for some great dramatic scenes- wouldn't you have loved to see the scene between Camila and Kevin where they find out about the money Abuela wants to give them to pay for Nina's education? I also had a problem with the ending, which resolves very little, and seems rather abrupt.
I don't know how or if these problems are fixable, but it certainly doesn't kill this show, which even with that issue, is still a very good musical. I had a wonderful time watching it this evening, and it was certainly a crowd-pleaser, based on the audience reaction tonight.
Updated On: 2/23/08 at 12:39 AM
