I saw it tonight, and here's my take, should anyone be interested.
Act I and Act II were two different shows - some of the slower material that desperately needs to be cut.
"Daddy's Shoes" stands out as something unnecessary and slow.
Brooke Shields - I felt her acting was sincere. But it sounded like she has a three note range, and even if those few notes sound fine, she really doesn't have the vocal intensity for this kind of show.
As for Raul...look, the guy's always been talented. But this just was jaw-dropping how fantastic he is. Better than the material, that I must say.
The book is fine, a few cute quips. Serviceable, and certainly shallow.
The music didn't always sound completely...original, even though I'm sure it actually is. Oftentimes it just felt like generic "musical Gospel-type". "King of Sin" and "Step into the Light" were fun and I enjoyed them tremendously. I also liked the "Are You On the Bus?" trio/six-part...
I have to say, I liked Kendra Kassebaum's performance. It just seemed so well written for a supporting character. The people I was with however, all disagreed. But I thought she did a kick-ass job.
The ballet dancers? I have no idea. I understand how they help transition or whatnot, but they seem to fail tremendously in that regard and just cause confusion.
Boyd (the son) was played by Nicholas Barasch, and while I was afraid those vocals might just wear him out, given his bio and work history, he's going to be just fine.
I would say the show needs some nipping/tucking and a new leading lady.
Costumes - William Ivey Long did a good job, but hot DAMN, were those leather pants Raul was wearing? I think those are impressive in of themselves. Though I think Arnella, even if she's supposed to be the "loose" gal, could use a bit more clothing. Because it honestly got distracting from the character and made her hard to take seriously.
A good night of theatre overall, and I think this has very serious wonderful potential.
ETA: It's like 110 in the Shade. Exactly. James Barbour played the "preacher" in this parable about 6 months ago at the Geffen. Will "saving souls" be the new trend on Broadway?
Deet: Shira, I Love You!
Updated On: 10/4/10 at 04:13 AM
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