Katrina/Gershwin Benefit-REVIEW/REPORT 9/25 in a nutshell...

[httheatre]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:37am

It's very late...need to go to work.
But here's my quickie review/report for those who can't wait.

HIGH POINTS:

Bernadette Peters- No one is Alone
Idina Menzel- I'll Cover You
The cast of Spelling Bee- Interprative Dance to the wrath of Katrina and Bush
Liza Minelli- (c'mon..it's Liza)
Ben Vereen- memory (creepy I Know...but very touching)
Bebe Neuwirth
Megan Hilty
Shoshana Bean
The dance duet from the cast of Movin' Out
The cast of Hairspray - with Darlene Love singing- I Know Where I've Been

VERY LOW POINTS:

Patrick Wilson
The cast of Mamma Mia
Susan Lucci

DISSAPOINTING NO SHOWS:

Brooke SHields
Raul Esparza
Christina Applegate

ODD STAGE PRESENCE OF THE NIGHT

2 cast members from ALtarBoys (who never appeared throughout the show) at the curtain call singing NEW YORK NEW YORK with the full cast of ACT 2...Everyone from ACT 1 had gone home....


all in all...FUN.

and it was for a good cause.

(again,..this is just an opinion. don't kill me)

[PJ]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:45am

Oh, Susan Lucci was horrendous. Why the hell was she asked to perform? Didn't they learn anything from her stint as Annie Oakley?

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:53am

There were also people in CHitty shirts at the finale.

[LionessInWinter]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:59am

I agree with all your high points and Susan Lucci was awful.

I had posted on another Katrina Benefit thread earlier that Raul Esparza told me he wasn't going to be there tonight when I saw him at the flea mkt.
Disappointing nonetheless.

It was a fun evening.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 2:25am

beacon'll kill you for that comment re: PW.

[httheatre]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 10:57am

LOl. it's tru though. it was pretty weak.

[beacon1]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 11:13am

OMIGOSH

Mister Wilson a LOW point?!?!?!?

What did he sing?

The man has the voice of an angel.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 11:40am

I agree one hundred percent.

On a different note, Victoria Clark looked absolutely beautiful. I was stunned. And, of course she sang beautiful too!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 11:52am

Can someone provide a song list?

[ken8631]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 11:57am

It was great...

Dissapointed that Raul, Christina and Terrence Mann (and/or Charlotte) did not attend.

[BrdwayObsessed]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:09pm

Did Tim Curry, Christopher Sieber and/or David Hyde Pierce perform at the benefit?

[PJ]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:11pm

Tim didn't, but David and Chris auctioned off quilts.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:14pm

Oh, Chris! He made me cry when he got all choked up about how much he loves the Broadway community.

LOVE HIM!

[ken8631]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:22pm

The Spelling Bee cast did the funniest presentation....

[beacon1]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:18pm

Please.

Anyone.

What did Patrick Wilson sing?

Bueller?

Bueller?

[PJ]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:35pm

No one seems to know the title of his song. Without a song list in the program, it's especially hard to remember three hours worth of acts.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:37pm

why was patrick wilson so bad? he's one of my fav. performers!

[GretchaSketh]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:44pm

HOW did Julia Murney NOT make it on your highlights list?? She was AMAZING!!! And sang such a beautiful song!!!

Also, Raul was out of the show last night (chitty) cause he was sick. He DID the flea market but was sick there too.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 2:21pm

That's funny, I could immediately remember that Patrick Wilson sang "But Not For Me" because it is such a wonderful song, unlike a lot of the silly syrupy pseudo gospel tripe that was being done. That idiotic song performed by that Inspirational Voices bunch was a real stomach-turner.

[httheatre]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 6:24pm

correction.

i now add Julia Murney to the High points list.
Forgot about that one..

although there's many more moments..that weren't either good or bad..just not noticeable.

another ODD MOMENT of the night

broadway's insppirational voices..and the mike dropping....that was fun.

and here's the question for anyone that went.

i know it was put together last minute...and i know it's on the spot...but this is broadway..and it IS professionals....
do you feel the sound/mike crew should get fired?
ya think a chimp was running it?

i know...it was for a cause...but.....was someone awake in that booth?

and what about the obnoxious flashing of flash photography....!

theatre ettiquette is dead.

[Silverwing58]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 8:21pm

First of all I was sitting next to a woman who kept taking flash pictures and I almost stabbed her... Even after every announcement to NOT take pictures she still felt free while complaining that she needed to get a camera that didn't flash... Also Megan Hilty messing up the words to the Alto's Lament was kind of amusing to me.

Brian D'arcy James was pretty damn good too I have to say.

[MJlove]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 12:26am

Sorry to post the same question on two threads...did they use an orchestra at all? Or just piano? Pre-records?

[meagan9848]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 3:00am

It looked like there was someone in the pit.

I loved it. It was definately a one of a kind experience.

I loved the song "Wicked" sang to start the show off...

[ken8631]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:02am

Sorry to hear Raul was sick. I wonder what he would have performed if he attended....?

[kate2]

Posted: 9/29/05 at 8:34pm

was cheyenne there!?