#1
Posted: 10/28/05 at 2:36am
I decided not to read any of the press reviews before I posted my thoughts on here, because I wanted my opinion - atleast my written opinion - to be as "fresh" and unbiased as possible.
The show (and subsequent scenes) begins with energetic, charming original music by Marc Shaiman, which instantly reminds the audience that it's indeed 1965, and not 2005. The first thing we are presented with is all of the male supporting characters sitting around a card table, and cigar smoke swirling about the dumpishly lavish apartment of Oscar Madison. And here is where the evening begins.
The group of "guys," (Brad Garrett, Rob Bartlett, Peter Frechette, and Lee Wilkof) are all exactly what they should be - present, but not wildly obtrusive and distracting. It doesn't really matter what they are, because at this point - whether we (or they) like it or not, everyone's attention is already on Brad Garrett. And while at this point it's only because the two "stars" aren't on stage yet, what the audience doesn't realize is that what they see - right there in the first 5 minutes- is truly as good as it will get the entire evening.
Brad Garrett is criminally underused - but atleast he'll resume the role of Oscar eventually. I wasn't a big fan of his before this, but he certainly impressed me tonight. Rob Bartlett, along with the other two guys, are exactly what they should be, and entirely appropriate.
Enter Nathan Lane. Okay, admittedly I am not a Nathan Lane fan. I believe strongly that Nathan Lane plays Nathan Lane everytime. Pseudolus is Max Bialystock is Nathan Detroit is Nathan Lane is (Birdcage role) is Oscar Madison. If you've seen Nathan play one role, you've seem him play all. Well, that's more what I thought before this evening. While for much of the evening he brings to mind every performance he's ever done, he half pulls it off - and, for the first time that I've seen Nathan perform, I was actually interested.
This is not to say that this performance of his is better than his others - it's just - FOR ONCE - atleast one degree different. It's also hard to judge his performance here because he's working against the wind, against the current, and totally against the odds here. He brings so much life to the stage, partially because he has to.
Matthew Broderick. First it was line memorization problems, then it was reports of him just not finding the character. I have no bearing on whether or not he was pulling dialogue out of his ass tonight, but I DO know for sure that he is - in a word - absolutely deplorable. He's just terrible in the role. He walks around the stage in a stiff sort of zombie plod that one things of a George A. Romero film rather than neat freak Felix Unger. His line deliveries are all off. His comic timing is nonexistant. He's terrible.
The first act couldn't have ended soon enough for me - it was as stale and as musty as it could have possibly gotten.
In act two, there is a brief - BRIEF, mind you - breath of fresh air when the two sisters enter. Olivia d'Abo and Jessica Stone are charmingly quirky and appropriately cute, but even their brief reprive can't resurrect this dead corpse. Their routine is tired after the first two minutes. When Nathan exits and leaves Matthew on stage with them, those 5 minutes were perhaps the longest of the entire show.
I feel truly bad for the cast, as they are so incredibly hindered by Broderick's shortcomings here. I have never wanted a show to end so badly as I did with this one tonight - and I'm not trying to sound bitchy and acidic, but it's true.
Mantello's direction is almost nonexistant. Did someone guide this show? Is this honestly someone's vision? Or did he just sitback and let THE PRODUCERS play? This is an embarrasing production and Mantello should feel embarrased to list it on his resume.
Mantello isn't all to blame - because this production could be decent. Fire Broderick. Brad Garrett needs to play Oscar, and Nathan Lane needs to play Felix. Then, this show might actually have a heartbeat.
For those of you who didn't get tickets - don't feel bad - you're missing absolutely nothing. For those of you that already HAVE tickets - seriously consider whether you feel comfortable with spending big bucks for this. Selling your tickets for cash is definitely a good alternative to sitting through this monstrous bore.
The show (and subsequent scenes) begins with energetic, charming original music by Marc Shaiman, which instantly reminds the audience that it's indeed 1965, and not 2005. The first thing we are presented with is all of the male supporting characters sitting around a card table, and cigar smoke swirling about the dumpishly lavish apartment of Oscar Madison. And here is where the evening begins.
The group of "guys," (Brad Garrett, Rob Bartlett, Peter Frechette, and Lee Wilkof) are all exactly what they should be - present, but not wildly obtrusive and distracting. It doesn't really matter what they are, because at this point - whether we (or they) like it or not, everyone's attention is already on Brad Garrett. And while at this point it's only because the two "stars" aren't on stage yet, what the audience doesn't realize is that what they see - right there in the first 5 minutes- is truly as good as it will get the entire evening.
Brad Garrett is criminally underused - but atleast he'll resume the role of Oscar eventually. I wasn't a big fan of his before this, but he certainly impressed me tonight. Rob Bartlett, along with the other two guys, are exactly what they should be, and entirely appropriate.
Enter Nathan Lane. Okay, admittedly I am not a Nathan Lane fan. I believe strongly that Nathan Lane plays Nathan Lane everytime. Pseudolus is Max Bialystock is Nathan Detroit is Nathan Lane is (Birdcage role) is Oscar Madison. If you've seen Nathan play one role, you've seem him play all. Well, that's more what I thought before this evening. While for much of the evening he brings to mind every performance he's ever done, he half pulls it off - and, for the first time that I've seen Nathan perform, I was actually interested.
This is not to say that this performance of his is better than his others - it's just - FOR ONCE - atleast one degree different. It's also hard to judge his performance here because he's working against the wind, against the current, and totally against the odds here. He brings so much life to the stage, partially because he has to.
Matthew Broderick. First it was line memorization problems, then it was reports of him just not finding the character. I have no bearing on whether or not he was pulling dialogue out of his ass tonight, but I DO know for sure that he is - in a word - absolutely deplorable. He's just terrible in the role. He walks around the stage in a stiff sort of zombie plod that one things of a George A. Romero film rather than neat freak Felix Unger. His line deliveries are all off. His comic timing is nonexistant. He's terrible.
The first act couldn't have ended soon enough for me - it was as stale and as musty as it could have possibly gotten.
In act two, there is a brief - BRIEF, mind you - breath of fresh air when the two sisters enter. Olivia d'Abo and Jessica Stone are charmingly quirky and appropriately cute, but even their brief reprive can't resurrect this dead corpse. Their routine is tired after the first two minutes. When Nathan exits and leaves Matthew on stage with them, those 5 minutes were perhaps the longest of the entire show.
I feel truly bad for the cast, as they are so incredibly hindered by Broderick's shortcomings here. I have never wanted a show to end so badly as I did with this one tonight - and I'm not trying to sound bitchy and acidic, but it's true.
Mantello's direction is almost nonexistant. Did someone guide this show? Is this honestly someone's vision? Or did he just sitback and let THE PRODUCERS play? This is an embarrasing production and Mantello should feel embarrased to list it on his resume.
Mantello isn't all to blame - because this production could be decent. Fire Broderick. Brad Garrett needs to play Oscar, and Nathan Lane needs to play Felix. Then, this show might actually have a heartbeat.
For those of you who didn't get tickets - don't feel bad - you're missing absolutely nothing. For those of you that already HAVE tickets - seriously consider whether you feel comfortable with spending big bucks for this. Selling your tickets for cash is definitely a good alternative to sitting through this monstrous bore.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
