So, some thoughts about all of the musicals I saw:
My overall impression was that the new musicals are OK to good, but none great. I kept thinking of the post about the most "adequate" musical that JohnPapa started a few weeks ago. Whenever I described a show to my friends, it seemed impossible not to damn it with faint praise.
Never Gonna Dance was "sweet,"
Wonderful Town was "nice,"
Wicked was "cute,"
Taboo was "interesting,"
Little Shop and
Avenue Q were "fun." There were many enjoyable moments, but I didn't find a single one of the
new scores truly outstanding, and I'm not sure that any of the shows deserves to be single out as "best" musical. I found myself most engaged at
Caroline, Or Change and at
The Boy From Oz. The performers in
Oz rise far above the material and there are wonderful performances as well as raw, fascinating drama in
Caroline. I would have to say that both works, however, succeed on the strength of the performances much more than on the strength of the scores. Of course, the score for
Caroline is new versus the recycled songs of
Oz, but I didn't feel that Jeanine Tesori's music would be very memorable outside of the context of the show. For its powerful drama and originality, though, I would recommend that you try to see
Caroline.
OK,
Taboo. What a big, beautiful, frustrating mess. I agree with others that there is some great music in there, and if I ran the Tonys,
Taboo would win Best Score, as least today. But no one can tell me that anything close to a coherent book came out of the preparations for this Broadway mounting. Character development is non-existent, relationships unexplored and unexplained. I couldn't even figure out what the two main characters, Leigh and George, were doing in the same story. Everyone, and I mean evvveerrryyyyyone, gets a big, moving ballad, but the songs just seem whimsically dropped in here and there and rarely seem to serve the story, such as it is. I almost have to recommend it 'cause it's just so weird--you will see and hear Raul Esparza in a whole new way, to say the least--but I have a feeling this is a "love it or hate it" proposition for most people. That said, I truly do hope they record the Broadway cast. I'll be the first to buy the CD.
So, lots of shows to like, not many to love.
"Do you know ChrisLovesShows?" "Yes. Why, yes he does!"
Updated On: 1/12/04 at 09:45 PM
