MEMPHIS Reviews — Page 5

WOW. I came on here to read what people on here and critics had to say about this show because my friend told me about it yesterday. I hadn't heard about the show until yesterday, probably because I've been crazy busy with my own life and career to keep up with new stuff opening on bway within the past few months. My friend saw the show over the weekend and LOVED it!!! She said she saw tony awards written all over it. Thats how much she liked it. She said the dancing was amazing!! the singing was great and she loved the storyline.
After hearing her review I'm obviously not surprised about the many good critic reviews, but am surprised about people on here bashing it. Guess I'll have to check it out myself if I get a chance.

I'm glad that these reviews are exactly how I found the show to be. I really enjoyed MEMPHIs, and was shocked when I read the reviews on this board. I thought I had lost it! Sure it was very cliche, but it was fun and entertaining. Then again I'm a sucker for some good ole' belting!

you'll always be a shill in my heart, Rox.

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I don't think MEMPHIS was that terrible - just kinda boring...

It's an original show, sure. But what's so original about its music and format and story??

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I dunno y'all (See how I got all Southern there?).

They lost me with "The white guy goes into the negro club and wows them with how soulful he is!"

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Borstalboy, My dream is to walk into a negro club and wow them with my soulfulness, but it hasn't happened yet.....

It seems like this could be a sleeper hit. Possibly a popular tourist show. Best of Luck to the cast & crew of Memphis.

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I'd like to see the show be a success because I think actor Derrick Baskin is a real talent. He was great in "...Spelling Bee" a few years back and he has a wonderful singing voice. Still, the reviews tell the tale and it doesn't sound like success is in the cards for this one.

I have to say, this is going to be a big hit. The theater was sold-out, and everyone seemed to be having an amazing time. Audible gasps during some of the plot points, and huge applause after most of the big numbers.

As for me, I thought it was just so-so. I think Kimball and Glover are giving stellar performances though, and I really hope the show is a success to garner them some awards attention, especially Kimball. He is doing the work of a true actor up there. He doesn't drop his accent to "sing," and gives his character a nice arch and some heart. It's nice to see a musical that takes actually acting values as opposed to a show where they can plug in any actor.

The show def. has it's faults. The book is terrible and the story isn't all that interesting. The lyrics are mostly awful, and the music is pretty unmemorable, but the way it's presented makes it worth it. The set is great and the way it's used is pretty great. The dancing is serviceable - nothing groundbreaking - but it's performed with such energy and pizzaz that you can't help but smile. It kind of amazed me though that there weren't any real "character" songs. There was one for Glover - "Colored Woman" - that was kind of a let down. It didn't have that "umph" it needed. I really think they should reprised "Someday" again in ACT 2. It's the best song in the show with a nice hummable melody.

Anyways, I think it'll do well. I kept hearing "This show is just incredible." And yada yada yada. This lady next to me was like "I saw the Neil Simon show last night, and it was...sweet. But this. Wow."

Oh, I just really enjoyed that song, and it's the only one I really remember. The song about "She's My Sister" was just plan awful, and most of the lyrics or "song titles" were just so awkward. Like, really? The main character needs a solo called "Colored Woman?" We couldn't have thought of a more compelling and interesting way to tell that same idea? Maybe a nice metaphor? But I really do enjoy the music. It sounds so alive, much like The Toxic Avenger.

The ending I'm still a little iffy on. Like, I understand why they did it, but I wish they would have just left it at her doing her concert and Huey not being there. At least it would have ended with an upbeat song, but maybe with a more realistic ending. But as it stands, the ending is just sort of like "what?" Like, did Huey come to the concert and perform with her on stage? Or what was going on? ha.

They ran their first big ad in the Times yesterday.

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I agree "Memphis Lives In Me" is by far the best song in the show. It's still nothing spectacular; but it's a nice song. I'll probably buy the song from iTunes when/if the cast recording comes out.

I decided to bump this old thread rather than start my own. Got a free rush ticket from a friend on Friday who has now seen it 5 times. After reading the reviews here back in the fall, I figured it was going to be terrible, but I had so many friends who LOVED it that I gave it a shot.

Overall, I thought the show stunk big time. Bryan and DiPietro should stick to writing campy 'Toxic Avenger' type stuff. DiPietro doesn't have a knack for writing three dimensional characters. I say this as a fan of his other work. Bryan's music and lyrics lack any sophistication. C'mon "Play that music that makes me feel like a Black."? Nearly every lyric was cringe worthy. As most here agree, every plot point was cliched or predictable. Kimball's performance was way over the top, and Glover was serviceable. What was good was the cast over all. The ensemble had enough energy to launch themselves through the roof, and the dancing is brilliantly executed. The audience loved it and I enjoyed watching everyone boogie their way out of the theatre. The finale, while a catchy tune, sounds exactly like "You Can't Stop the Beat" Technically I loved the set. While it was complicated, it didn't overwhelm the show (read: 9 to 5) and effectively and creatively told a story. The costumes and wigs were gorgeous, though I have a soft spot for anything of that time period)

I'd give it a solid C. The cast makes up for the show's flaws. If and when this gets done in community theatres, folks will see how laughably bad the material itself is.

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