Ok, I'm home now, in front of a real keyboard and can post some more detailed thoughts.
First of all, for those who like understudy boards:
Secondly, I love seeing this sign in the Booth Theatre box office window:
So apparently the reason there was not a ticket to be had this evening was because a very large law firm bought up most of the house. This was one of their social outings. I was talking to a couple seated next to me who was there with the group. They were very excited to be at the show. However, I thought it was going to be a rough show when the cell phone announcement was made and at least 80% of the orchestra pulled out phones and started turning them off. The LCD lights were everywhere.
But, on to the show.
Meghann Fahy made her Broadway debut this evening, and she was wonderful. Easily the best of the four understudies. She has a beautiful voice, that's a little less edgy than Jenn's, but she sang the score so well. Her vocal highlight this evening was Superboy, which she nailed. Her acting is very similar to Jenn's, which is a good thing. She has some lines she delivers a little differently. I would say that her Natalie is a little more reserved than Jenn's. Meghann's Natalie holds more inside, then let's out in "fits and starts" to quote the show. She had great chemistry with the cast, which was a very pleasant surprise. She and Adam worked well together, though of course they don't have the chemistry that Jenn and Adam have, who are just so natural together on stage. She did flub a few lines, but covered them well enough that I don't think people who hadn't seen the show before would have any idea (except, perhaps, for the finale, where she started in with "day after day..." waaaay too early). Nevertheless, a great Broadway debut for a young actress, which I'm happy to have seen.
The rest of the cast is as good as they always are. Alice continues to amaze me every time I see her. I'm constantly discovering nuances in her performance, and she is constantly adding little things to her performance. She's still being very timid during I Dreamed a Dance (which, admittedly, is my least favorite moment in the show, because I think it's the one place the show drags). The timidity works VERY well, though, and I like it. Bobby continues to be amazing and is every bit Alice's equal at this point. His work is truly remarkable, and it's a performance I think is, at this point, pretty brilliant. Adam and Louis are still fantastic. Kyle Dean looks much more age appropriate opposite an older Diana (the other time I saw him was opposite Jessica Phillips) and from farther back. His performance is fine. He's no Aaron, but he does a good job.
One random tidbit....some of Meghann's costumes are different from Jenn's, which is no big deal, just interesting. I actually liked some of Meghann's outfits (particularly the shirt she wears at the beginning of act 2) better.
Overall, great show tonight, and a wonderful debut for the fabulous Meghann Fahy. The lawyers and their wives all loved it (and were very into it all night) and enthusiastically joined in the ovation at the curtain call.
One last note, I was behind what I assumed to be Meghann's family this evening, and they seemed very proud of her and were quite emotional during the curtain call. It was nice to see them so excited for Meghann, who really shined tonight.
