#1
Special Guest:
Wanna Be A Foster
Without a Trace
Jeffreydog
& Greekmusicalfan.
E36
Adding Machine
New Musical (Off-Broadway)
Minetta Lane Theater
4/12 3 pm matinee
1 hour and 30 minutes without intermission
Tix Price : $25.00 (thru TDF)
INTRO:
Luckily I was able to meet Greekmusicalfan (Panos) in his 2008 NYC vacation. So I took the Chinatown from Boston again yesterday, to meet him and see this critically acclaimed off-Broadway show called ADDING MACHINE. We (my two best friends here- Without A Trace & Wanna Be A Foster) met him yesterday at the Village. It was a beautiful sunny day spring Day yesterday. On my way to the subway... I saw the cutest cat in Chinatown, I thought I share his picture. I just can't resist - the cutest creature..I have seen!
I actually made a thread about that cute kitty in the Off-Topic Board:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=962898&boardname=off&dt=12&boardid=2
I had a blast hanging out with Panos, Alberto (Wat) Andy (WBaf) & actually Jeff (jeffrydog) decided to suprise me.. I actually called him in my cellular while in the bus...to give him my Les Liaisons Dangeruese $10.00 tix.. I was glad that he showed up and ate lunch with us. Panos have never had a bagel or a cream cheese, so we all decided to have a bagel for lunch and eat at the nearby park on this beautiful 70 degrees Spring Day! ~ and join Panos in his first bagel experience!
Without a Trace, greekmusicalfan, Me & jeffreydog
me & greekmusicalfan
and after our little lunch at the park...we all walked down to the West Village to go see ADDING MACHINE.
Things I LIKE about the Musical (out of 10)
1. The Score by Joshua Schmidt- The music is very similar to Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD & PASSION, with a little touch of PARADE..& CAROLINE or CHANGE.
- even the counter-melody in the song Office Reverie -when they are counting is very good...I did not realize people still make musical like this.
- you can really tell the music is very well-constructed.
-its almost an- all sung musical. there's dialogue...but mostly its songs.
- I am glad to hear score constructed for the purpose of telling a story...not just some famous catalogue of songs throw in together to make a musical.
2. The Book by Jason Loewith & Joshua Schmidt- this musical is an example of a very well written book and a very well written musical that's both working together in perfect harmony. There's no conflict between them...sometimes... there's almost a thin line between the few dialogues and the score~they flowed in together so perfectly..I think of PASSION all the time during the show...
- the story is very dark...that's why I think of SWEENEY TODD..aside from the very "operatic" in the beggining...
-its a very cerebral show..I would say. Its a story of a man's soul and for 25 yrs doing he is doing same boring job and never missed a day of work and gets replaced for technology, an adding machine. The play is a satirical take on corporation, the evolution of man as the slave, and the afterlife.
-The musical is based on Elmer Rice's expressionist play..."adding machine". I would say the musical adapation is a very surreal experience to me. Up to now I am still thinking about it.
3. Cyrill Baer- as Mrs. Zero- very beatiful operatic voice..very good actress.
4. Joel Hatch as Mr. Zero- very funny specially in the Ham & Eggs number.
5. All the ensembles are excellent> I cant think of any weak link.
6. The Lighting by Keith Parham- excellent!
7. Scenic Design by Takeshi Kata- I never really like it until the ending....The earlier scenes are soo small and confined and last scenes was wow! THE WHOLE stage~something like from Madonna's Express Yourself Video and its inspiration Fritz Lang's german classic movie METROPOLIS. I love it!!!
- I just thought about it now... the reason why the earlier scene was small & confine is bec... its represents our individual life ... the last scene being BIG and the whole stage represents when we die. were seeing now the WHOLE PICTURE of our existence...I thought its very clever... I did not figure it out... till I think about it.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about the Musical (out of 10)
After the show.. I told Wat & WBaF that I dont like the orchestration bec. sometimes I can hear the synthesizer at the background..but as I boarded the bus back to Boston... I looked at the playbill and discovered that there's only three musician -piano, percussion (drums) and a synthesizer...I just wish there's real horn sections and strings...but as I think about it.. Its an OFF-Broadway show and I think they did what they can do... Actually its a fabulous job with the orchestration only using three musicians... so I am not going to fault the show for that...so I gues... I will go with
N O N E.
SUMMARY:
Actually I really love the show... the more and more I think about it... the more it hits me... its a story about existence in this world.
*****NOW INCLUDE SPOILERS*****cant help it!
The main character Mr. Zero is offered a chance to go back to Earth to do it all over again. He learns that the poor souls who arrive there are simply sent back to work; they are used over and over again. At the end of it , we learn through insightful dialogue the evolution of man as the slave in the corporate world.
*********END**************
I like the play bec. it made me think again and again...about our existence.
Reminder: this is not for everyone...this musical is very dark....very bleak... almost a surreal experience.....If you like Stephen Sondheim - you might love the show! I definitely recommend it to people... its a good show and we dont get this kind of musical anymore.....I am afraid that Broadway itself is becoming a slave of corporation too. We are not given choice anymore~ like the character in the musical..Mr. Zero!
Thanks
J*
Score7/0- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
MInetta Lane Theater
greekmusicalfan, me & Without A Trace
jeffreydog (meaning jeffrey & his dog)
Production Photos
(from Playbill.com)
New York : 1920's
The Afterlife:
The Playbill
Posted: 4/13/08 at 3:59pm
Special Guest:
Wanna Be A Foster
Without a Trace
Jeffreydog
& Greekmusicalfan.
E36
Adding Machine
New Musical (Off-Broadway)
Minetta Lane Theater
4/12 3 pm matinee
1 hour and 30 minutes without intermission
Tix Price : $25.00 (thru TDF)
INTRO:
Luckily I was able to meet Greekmusicalfan (Panos) in his 2008 NYC vacation. So I took the Chinatown from Boston again yesterday, to meet him and see this critically acclaimed off-Broadway show called ADDING MACHINE. We (my two best friends here- Without A Trace & Wanna Be A Foster) met him yesterday at the Village. It was a beautiful sunny day spring Day yesterday. On my way to the subway... I saw the cutest cat in Chinatown, I thought I share his picture. I just can't resist - the cutest creature..I have seen!
I actually made a thread about that cute kitty in the Off-Topic Board:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=962898&boardname=off&dt=12&boardid=2
I had a blast hanging out with Panos, Alberto (Wat) Andy (WBaf) & actually Jeff (jeffrydog) decided to suprise me.. I actually called him in my cellular while in the bus...to give him my Les Liaisons Dangeruese $10.00 tix.. I was glad that he showed up and ate lunch with us. Panos have never had a bagel or a cream cheese, so we all decided to have a bagel for lunch and eat at the nearby park on this beautiful 70 degrees Spring Day! ~ and join Panos in his first bagel experience!
Without a Trace, greekmusicalfan, Me & jeffreydog
me & greekmusicalfan
and after our little lunch at the park...we all walked down to the West Village to go see ADDING MACHINE.
Things I LIKE about the Musical (out of 10)
1. The Score by Joshua Schmidt- The music is very similar to Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD & PASSION, with a little touch of PARADE..& CAROLINE or CHANGE.
- even the counter-melody in the song Office Reverie -when they are counting is very good...I did not realize people still make musical like this.
- you can really tell the music is very well-constructed.
-its almost an- all sung musical. there's dialogue...but mostly its songs.
- I am glad to hear score constructed for the purpose of telling a story...not just some famous catalogue of songs throw in together to make a musical.
2. The Book by Jason Loewith & Joshua Schmidt- this musical is an example of a very well written book and a very well written musical that's both working together in perfect harmony. There's no conflict between them...sometimes... there's almost a thin line between the few dialogues and the score~they flowed in together so perfectly..I think of PASSION all the time during the show...
- the story is very dark...that's why I think of SWEENEY TODD..aside from the very "operatic" in the beggining...
-its a very cerebral show..I would say. Its a story of a man's soul and for 25 yrs doing he is doing same boring job and never missed a day of work and gets replaced for technology, an adding machine. The play is a satirical take on corporation, the evolution of man as the slave, and the afterlife.
-The musical is based on Elmer Rice's expressionist play..."adding machine". I would say the musical adapation is a very surreal experience to me. Up to now I am still thinking about it.
3. Cyrill Baer- as Mrs. Zero- very beatiful operatic voice..very good actress.
4. Joel Hatch as Mr. Zero- very funny specially in the Ham & Eggs number.
5. All the ensembles are excellent> I cant think of any weak link.
6. The Lighting by Keith Parham- excellent!
7. Scenic Design by Takeshi Kata- I never really like it until the ending....The earlier scenes are soo small and confined and last scenes was wow! THE WHOLE stage~something like from Madonna's Express Yourself Video and its inspiration Fritz Lang's german classic movie METROPOLIS. I love it!!!
- I just thought about it now... the reason why the earlier scene was small & confine is bec... its represents our individual life ... the last scene being BIG and the whole stage represents when we die. were seeing now the WHOLE PICTURE of our existence...I thought its very clever... I did not figure it out... till I think about it.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about the Musical (out of 10)
After the show.. I told Wat & WBaF that I dont like the orchestration bec. sometimes I can hear the synthesizer at the background..but as I boarded the bus back to Boston... I looked at the playbill and discovered that there's only three musician -piano, percussion (drums) and a synthesizer...I just wish there's real horn sections and strings...but as I think about it.. Its an OFF-Broadway show and I think they did what they can do... Actually its a fabulous job with the orchestration only using three musicians... so I am not going to fault the show for that...so I gues... I will go with
N O N E.
SUMMARY:
Actually I really love the show... the more and more I think about it... the more it hits me... its a story about existence in this world.
*****NOW INCLUDE SPOILERS*****cant help it!
The main character Mr. Zero is offered a chance to go back to Earth to do it all over again. He learns that the poor souls who arrive there are simply sent back to work; they are used over and over again. At the end of it , we learn through insightful dialogue the evolution of man as the slave in the corporate world.
*********END**************
I like the play bec. it made me think again and again...about our existence.
Reminder: this is not for everyone...this musical is very dark....very bleak... almost a surreal experience.....If you like Stephen Sondheim - you might love the show! I definitely recommend it to people... its a good show and we dont get this kind of musical anymore.....I am afraid that Broadway itself is becoming a slave of corporation too. We are not given choice anymore~ like the character in the musical..Mr. Zero!
Thanks
J*
Score7/0- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
MInetta Lane Theater
greekmusicalfan, me & Without A Trace
jeffreydog (meaning jeffrey & his dog)
Production Photos
(from Playbill.com)
New York : 1920's
The Afterlife:
The Playbill
Updated On: 5/14/08 at 03:59 PM
