It's A Lemon: In My Life Reviews - Brantley's Included!- Page 4

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 10/21/05 at 7:44pm

wow! IN MY LIFE actually got 1 positive review!

"Well quite frankly we were all blown away by everything and everyone. We loved the music, the staging and most of all the talent in this crazy production which involves the lives of this couple who experience such things as the boy going through an out-of-body experience when he almost dies from a bout with a tumor and their involvement with heaven, God and fellow who wants to make their life story into an opera.

Wow! A great deal of the show does take place in heaven-here represented by at least 200 file drawers- and the rest of the action revolves around the flat our two lovers are living in. There’s pirates, one dearly departed little girl who belts out songs like a rock singer and she’s only 13, her dead mother and a bunch of other weird characters that are up there on stage; somehow when you throw them all together the whole thing works.

The two main characters, Jessica Boevers who we last saw as Ado Annie in Oklahoma, and Christopher J. Hanke as the boy who’s hilariously stuck on the Tourette inspired line Suck duck and you know what, are superb. I don’t mean great; I mean superb. So I’m urging you to go see this unbelievable production that is so vastly different from anything you have seen before...I stand by what I say and I say this is in my mind is the surprise hit of this Broadway season or any other season for that matter. In my life I have rarely seen anything better!"

-David Richardson, WOR

This is sad, just sad.

Updated On: 10/21/05 at 07:44 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/21/05 at 10:24pm

Funny how a BKLYN fan says it's sad that IML got a good review...

Honestly, what did you like about it?

Maybe the score is stronger (but that's like comparing goose sh*t to dog sh*t)...but it takes some very important issues and completely destroys them in a bad way.

It is totally unfocused...it moves boringly from trying to insult America and let people know AIDS is among us ("But sometimes we go to war because it's good for the old pocketbook" and "AIDS...sounds like genocide to me") to a competition in garbage bags - that's if you skip the whole middle of the play about some dude who had a baby and fled...

The only thing In My Life has is "Secrets, there's a little rumor, someone has a tumor." Yeah, that's a pretty bad line, but the show isn't basing itself on the mortality of the human condition and how to save our fellow man from a life of poverty, AIDS, and then being drafted into the army - all the while losing our fathers to heroin and out mothers to suicide.

It says something when you leave the theatre, wanting to punch the composer, for trying to seriously take on an issue (not to mention giving you a splitting headache)...

There are people who complain RENT doesn't handle the AIDS issue very well...well, I am sure RENT looks like a Lifetime movie produced by the United Health Association compared to BKLYN.

so, really, tell me why you like BKLYN. And "I really like Eden Espinosa" is not an answer! Is it the complex score? The finely-crafted Book? The endearing costumes? Whatta?
Updated On: 10/21/05 at 10:24 PM

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 10/21/05 at 10:31pm

Oh my God...this sounds like a full-length "Over The Moon."
And that is NOT a good thing...

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/21/05 at 10:31pm

P.S. Even though they are bad for your enamel, I love lemons and eat them every chance I get.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 10/21/05 at 11:19pm

BSoBW2....

Why I love Brooklyn.. What a great chance to answer this question on it's first anniversary!

First of all, lets leave the cast out of this for now. When I first saw the show, I didn't really know any of them. I saw the show knowing nothing about it, just heard the Sampler CD.

The music in 'Brooklyn' is one of the best I have ever heard. It's addicting, powerful and got so much excitement in it. It's truly wonderful. Now let me tell you something about the "story". When you fit so much plot into an hour and 40 minutes [IN MY LIFE] the result is a MESS. This is not what Brooklyn wanted to do. They wanted a simple story, which is cute and fits the songs well. So yes, I think the story does it's job very well.

The set, which may seem "simple" at first look, is so complex and unbelievable. Same goes for Tobin's amazing costumes... the highlight of the show. They are so creative and breathtaking. They both give the show this special personal feeling.

Now.. the cast is just an added bonus, and oh what a bonus! Every single one of them (Karen, Kevin, David, Lee, Eden, Clev, Shelly, Horace, Sara, Ramona, Juile, Caren, Manoel, Haneefah, Will, Romelda and everyone else) got so much power and star quality. I have NEVER saw a cast so passionate about their show. They all did everything they could to make the show successful. And by cast, I mean everyone involved. Every single person wanted to make it work, and gave it all they had. You can't say that for some other shows now, can you?

This is why I love Brooklyn. I love every bit of it.
Happy anniversary Brooklyn!

Updated On: 10/21/05 at 11:19 PM