I then got to see the show in San Diego on Sunday (saw Allegiance too.....which has LOTS of potential). Constantine was every bit as good as the last time in La Mirada but did not finish "Alive" or its reprise the way I would prefer this time. He screamed the last notes very well though! If there's such a thing....
Teal Wicks has been phenomenal each time I have seen the show. In "Take Me As I Am", she seems to outshine Constantine in the beginning, but by the end Constantine shows he can sing with with her - and really finishes strong and impressive.
Deborah Cox more than made up for any falling short previously in "A New Life" as she flat sang it this time in a way that has made a bona fide fan of me. She finished strong, clear and got maybe the biggest applause outside of "In His Eyes", which was also outstanding. If I had any doubt about Deborah's ability, it is gone now. As for her acting, I did not once get the impression she was lost or looking to her next line. She acted the part very well, appeared to be very comfortable on stage and was very believable in the role.
Back to her singing - while the rasp I have heard previously is still there, I don't find it objectionable in this role. My lone wish for her is to finish "Someone Like You" more traditionally. She finishes in a R&B style that would be fine on a cover of the song....but is not my preference here. Otherwise, I would take Sunday afternoon's performance - acting, singing, stage presence - every single time. She was good! Maybe I'm simply in love with her....I allow for that possibility.
I have given thought to "Confrontation" and still like it. So what if it's over the top? Over the top doesn't have to equate to something negative. I would like this version to be scaled back though. There is a point where it is so chaotic, with sound effects and reverberations that sound like a locomotive is running by, that combined with all the craziness of the projections it gets really messy. However, I can see where they are going with this version. Jekyll is experiencing true insanity and up until this point of the show has traveled a route that would make anyone go berserk. The "confrontation" escalates to a degree no one can fathom and you see Jekyll begging for it to just stop. I like this approach and think it's effective. I think they can achieve the same thing though by dialing back everything that's going on and gain the benefit of allowing the music and voices to come through better, which is something I have always liked.
Overall, I thought the show flowed better. The sound was better in San Diego too. Maybe it was the seat location, but everything seemed to be tighter and synchronized - and just better! I clearly enjoyed my 3rd showing the most.
Updated On: 10/9/12 at 01:24 AM
