#1
Posted: 9/19/13 at 10:19pm
It is always with trepidation that one enters the Little Shubert, and sadly Lady Day didn't break the curse of this theater. If anything, it brought the reputation to a new level because at least Dracula and Lucky Guy were hysterical. Lady Day was boring, glacially paced and had a book with no redeeming qualities.
The setting is very End of the Rainbow: Billie has come to London to make some money in the twilight of her career. She is fighting alcohol and drug addictions, causing her to engage in erratic behavior that threatens to destroy her. Act one is a rehearsal and act two is the concert she has been rehearsing for.
Despite boasting 30 some songs, they all last about 45 seconds each. A majority of the songs get one verse, one chorus and that's it.
My main interest in this was to see Dee Dee Bridgewater. Too bad she hadn't been given better material to work with. She called for lines 4 or 5 times, but never broke character. I wish she had just been able to give a Billie Holiday concert instead of playing the drunken version of the star trying to pull herself together long enough to get a note out.
The run time was 2:20 with an intermission, and I felt every minute of it.
I'm sorry to say I didn't find much to recommend with this one.
The setting is very End of the Rainbow: Billie has come to London to make some money in the twilight of her career. She is fighting alcohol and drug addictions, causing her to engage in erratic behavior that threatens to destroy her. Act one is a rehearsal and act two is the concert she has been rehearsing for.
Despite boasting 30 some songs, they all last about 45 seconds each. A majority of the songs get one verse, one chorus and that's it.
My main interest in this was to see Dee Dee Bridgewater. Too bad she hadn't been given better material to work with. She called for lines 4 or 5 times, but never broke character. I wish she had just been able to give a Billie Holiday concert instead of playing the drunken version of the star trying to pull herself together long enough to get a note out.
The run time was 2:20 with an intermission, and I felt every minute of it.
I'm sorry to say I didn't find much to recommend with this one.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
