#1
Posted: 2/3/06 at 10:32pm
I thought I would just report on how these shows are looking these days - because as many of us know, shows that are successful financially soon loose all artistic merit (if any was to be found to begin with) - so I went out to check up on some shows. Here is my report - take from it what you will.
AVENUE Q: Surprisingly, all of the integrity that the show had when it first opened is still to be found. No, I didn't find Barrett Foa quite as charming or irresistable as Tartaglia, but the show has help up surprisingly well, and I was able to watch and enjoy the show as if I had never seen or heard it before - I had an excellent time. Ann Harada has a tendancy to swallow all of her lines and say them so fast with such an exaggerated accent that half of her jokes are lost - but still, just hearing that woman speak makes me laugh. It's in very good form, and it was very refreshing to see a cast of a show that has been running for a while still (atleast act like they) care night after night, making the experience for first time viewers just as enlightening and riotous as it was nearly three years ago.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: Well, well, well! I went into this show last night expecting the worst. The longer shows tend to run, the more sloppy and unkempt they become. I was exicted to see that Sandra Joseph (who has been playing Christine for 52 years) was out that night - and her understudy was utterly fantastic. The last time I had seen this show was over 10 years ago - and I saw Sandra Joseph, so I was glad to be seeing someone different. Yes, the sets, effects, and lighting are still kind of late-80's-enjoyably ghetto in their own right kind of good, but this show isn't the longest running show for no reason. The performances were generally, all around, fantastic - with the exception of Carlotta - a part with so much potential (that earned its originator a Tony award) was tossed to the dogs here, in a terribly flat (acting wise, never pitch wise) performance. It was obvious that the actress just didn't understand the role - but I will say that her voice is unbelievable. Howard McGillan was - I'm not even being dramatic here - BRILLIANT as the phantom. Just exquisite - I couldn't have been more pleased when leaving the show.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Saw this tonight with my boyfriend - who is not a theatre person, but has always wanted to see this show. I gave him fair warning, but insisted that he see it for himself which, obviously, I encouraged. So I went along for the ride. Well, if you're all wondering why I'm posting this so early if I just attended the show this evening, it's because - to quote MEF regarding SWEET CHARITY, we fled the Lunt-Fontanne like Anatevka! Utterly, and brutally painful in every way imagineable. Even BROOKLYN and GOOD VIBRATIONS wasn't this painful to sit through. Ashley Brown is quite good - but she is surrounded by such dreck that she can never overcome what's around her. Steve Blanchard is STILL the beast, simply calling in his performance. He doesn't sing his music, he speaks it. It's quite evident that the only reason he's in this show is to pick up a paycheck. Last time I saw this show (in October), it was bad - but not this bad. A good note is that this time the ensemble didn't look like they wanted to all die through the various group numbers, but it just wasn't enough. I don't remember the scenery or costumes looking this flimsy, and there are literally zero special effects left in the show. This is, without a doubt, the worst show currently playing on Broadway. They either need to re-vamp, or just throw in the towel. I can't say enough terrible things about it - it was an awful experience.
AVENUE Q: Surprisingly, all of the integrity that the show had when it first opened is still to be found. No, I didn't find Barrett Foa quite as charming or irresistable as Tartaglia, but the show has help up surprisingly well, and I was able to watch and enjoy the show as if I had never seen or heard it before - I had an excellent time. Ann Harada has a tendancy to swallow all of her lines and say them so fast with such an exaggerated accent that half of her jokes are lost - but still, just hearing that woman speak makes me laugh. It's in very good form, and it was very refreshing to see a cast of a show that has been running for a while still (atleast act like they) care night after night, making the experience for first time viewers just as enlightening and riotous as it was nearly three years ago.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: Well, well, well! I went into this show last night expecting the worst. The longer shows tend to run, the more sloppy and unkempt they become. I was exicted to see that Sandra Joseph (who has been playing Christine for 52 years) was out that night - and her understudy was utterly fantastic. The last time I had seen this show was over 10 years ago - and I saw Sandra Joseph, so I was glad to be seeing someone different. Yes, the sets, effects, and lighting are still kind of late-80's-enjoyably ghetto in their own right kind of good, but this show isn't the longest running show for no reason. The performances were generally, all around, fantastic - with the exception of Carlotta - a part with so much potential (that earned its originator a Tony award) was tossed to the dogs here, in a terribly flat (acting wise, never pitch wise) performance. It was obvious that the actress just didn't understand the role - but I will say that her voice is unbelievable. Howard McGillan was - I'm not even being dramatic here - BRILLIANT as the phantom. Just exquisite - I couldn't have been more pleased when leaving the show.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Saw this tonight with my boyfriend - who is not a theatre person, but has always wanted to see this show. I gave him fair warning, but insisted that he see it for himself which, obviously, I encouraged. So I went along for the ride. Well, if you're all wondering why I'm posting this so early if I just attended the show this evening, it's because - to quote MEF regarding SWEET CHARITY, we fled the Lunt-Fontanne like Anatevka! Utterly, and brutally painful in every way imagineable. Even BROOKLYN and GOOD VIBRATIONS wasn't this painful to sit through. Ashley Brown is quite good - but she is surrounded by such dreck that she can never overcome what's around her. Steve Blanchard is STILL the beast, simply calling in his performance. He doesn't sing his music, he speaks it. It's quite evident that the only reason he's in this show is to pick up a paycheck. Last time I saw this show (in October), it was bad - but not this bad. A good note is that this time the ensemble didn't look like they wanted to all die through the various group numbers, but it just wasn't enough. I don't remember the scenery or costumes looking this flimsy, and there are literally zero special effects left in the show. This is, without a doubt, the worst show currently playing on Broadway. They either need to re-vamp, or just throw in the towel. I can't say enough terrible things about it - it was an awful experience.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
His Lefou is so entertaining and fun to watch. I marvel how he can get through the entire show without a broken bone for the character does a lot of trips, falls and backward somersaults.
