^^ Call_me_jorge, thanks for the tip. Not just for the IG, but the reminder that it's coming to Chicago. Just texted my mom in Kenosha to buy some ticket for the tour engagement!
ANYWAY...
Saw the show again last night (last time #67 on this thread) and aside from a few audience hiccups, it’s still a stunner of a fun show.
Firstly, Eric Anderson is a star. While that’s hardly a surprise to us here, it’s truly remarkable how seamlessly he’s made the role his own, and in no time at all, I had no reason to worry about the show flailing without Danny. Funny, flouncy smarmy, dare I say sexy? And some point, I just had to think to myself. “Man, I know he’s always great, but damn, he’s F**KING GREAT!”
I finally got to see Ashley Loren, and she’s a wonderful Satine. Though some of the sadder moments didn’t totally convince, it was a star performance. She owns that stage when she’s on, and yet between she, Natalie, and Karen, she’s the most comfortable fit with the ensemble. You really feel like she came up with that sordid cast of characters, if that makes sense? Though her accent sounds the same as Aaron’s so that whole “your accent” bit really just seems awkward. And she can sing! And add nuance to the lyrics when she can sing! Really impressed.
Other notes:
Aaron, as always, amazes me each time I see him in the role. How he stays so consistent, and keeps his voice so strong with so much damn singing each show, it continues to amaze me how we doesn’t need an alternate.
Sahr Ngaujah back on as Toulouse (last saw him in the Boston run) and it’s such a different show when he’s on. Impressive how he manages keep a lovely balance of being a total star, but not overpowering everyone else.
I was really hoping to see Robyn one last time as Nini, but she was out. Keely Beirne was on, great dancer but just fine in the book scenes.
Cameron Mitchell Jackson was on (I believe in Kyle Brown’s track) and let me just say getting there early to see his cage dance in the pre-show was worth the early arrival. I was…mesmerized…why am I sweating? So weird to see new faces in the ensemble, but I’ve been a fan of Clay Rice-Thomson so was excited to see him back onstage, and of course, he was great. Rest of the ensemble? Fabulous of course. Such a great group of performers. (And again, special shout-out to Giovanni Bonaventura’s legs.)
Got the tickets with lottery, I was Row L on the outside aisle. Didn’t mind the slight draft from the doors, last time I was on the inner aisle and I was sweating like it was actually Paris in the middle of summer. Sound was great, so fun to have the cast walk past you continuously during the show, but Partial View definitely means it. You really miss most of the upstage scenery, I think a lot of it is due to the stairs on the side stages, and then also from the last standing on the extensions into the house. So as a repeat view, I didn’t mind it, but others might not? Thankfully you can see most of the action, since it happens mid to down stage, and it strangely looks beautiful from the side, with the house left and right kind of becoming the background because of the angles.
So, all that said, still love it.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
