#1
Posted: 10/9/14 at 5:50pm
Saw this earlier in the week and thought I'd post a few thoughts. The play is long; it's three acts, two intermissions and 2 hours and 45 minutes. The second act is the strongest (and happens to be the shortest). The third act has some potentially powerful moments, but is also saddled with a few false endings that drag on and on. The first act is basically a lot of set-up that just needs to speed up.
Right now the play feels very lopsided because of the performance by Tracee Chimo. Right now she's simply outshining everyone and walking away with the entire play. Her role is the showiest, but she's mopping the floor with the other actors. Part of it lies with the script because the other three characters are rather dull by comparison, but her colleagues are still finding their footing and she's turned up to 11 with everything.
Slight SPOILER?**********
Her pantomimed performance of "A Bushel and A Peck" was so entrancing that I don't even know what was being said on the other said of the stage for a good four minutes. All I could think about was how much I wanted to see her production of Guys and Dolls and that Chimo would make a fantastic Miss Adelaide.
End Slight SPOILER**********************
I don't want to say that the play hasn't aged well, but what once may have been provocative in the early 90s no plays like a period piece- and that's a good thing. The scene at the swimming pool in act three probably drew gasps in the original, and now it's a lesson in how far we've come in our understanding about HIV, etc.
The set is attractive and all the music, both classic and musical theater, is pleasing to listen to. (When the gays next door start blasting the overture to Gypsy they can't figure out what musical it's from until Chimo hilariously declares it's Annie.)
Right now they need to pick up the pace and the other three actors need to up their games to catch up with Chimo before she leaves them in the dust.
Right now the play feels very lopsided because of the performance by Tracee Chimo. Right now she's simply outshining everyone and walking away with the entire play. Her role is the showiest, but she's mopping the floor with the other actors. Part of it lies with the script because the other three characters are rather dull by comparison, but her colleagues are still finding their footing and she's turned up to 11 with everything.
Slight SPOILER?**********
Her pantomimed performance of "A Bushel and A Peck" was so entrancing that I don't even know what was being said on the other said of the stage for a good four minutes. All I could think about was how much I wanted to see her production of Guys and Dolls and that Chimo would make a fantastic Miss Adelaide.
End Slight SPOILER**********************
I don't want to say that the play hasn't aged well, but what once may have been provocative in the early 90s no plays like a period piece- and that's a good thing. The scene at the swimming pool in act three probably drew gasps in the original, and now it's a lesson in how far we've come in our understanding about HIV, etc.
The set is attractive and all the music, both classic and musical theater, is pleasing to listen to. (When the gays next door start blasting the overture to Gypsy they can't figure out what musical it's from until Chimo hilariously declares it's Annie.)
Right now they need to pick up the pace and the other three actors need to up their games to catch up with Chimo before she leaves them in the dust.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
