#1
Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:09pm
Since there were so many shows in such little time, I'm just briefly including my thoughts. I'll expand if anyone wants to know something in particular:
A Chorus Line **** (Fresh performances and faithful staging/choreography make this revival worth seeing, though Charlotte D'Amboise just didn't hit the mark for me)
Curtains ***1/2 (Liked it much more than I expected, though it's really Hyde Pierce's show; I'm afraid it's likely to close when he leaves)
Legally Blonde ***1/2 (Fun, infectious and delightful; deserves to run for years)
Les Miserables *** (if you have already seen the original staging, then Lea Salonga and Chip Zien are the best reason to see this particular revival, though Ann Harada, whom I adored in Avenue Q, is terribly miscast; rest of the cast was very uneven, but I am a devoted fan of the show, so I wanted to see it again)
Mary Poppins **** (pleasant surprise as I hated the film; the design and performances lifted this show above some of the others)
Spamalot *** (had I seen Marin Mazzie, I probably would have rated it higher, but the cast just wasn't that strong, especially after having seen the original in the Chicago tryout)
Spring Awakening **1/2 (I get that it's something new and different and I liked some of the music, but the show really left me cold and somewhat confused; I think it's a brilliant show for teens and young college kids, but I've been having sex for many years and I just couldn't connect with the material or its earnest urgency)
Drowsy Chaperone **** (Much better than I anticipated)
Xanadu *** (Cute and fun, but as Jarico made painfully clear, if you are not a fan of the film, nor familiar with the soundtrack, you probably won't enjoy it that much; I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped)
Frost/Nixon ***** (Best show I saw and I urge everyone to attend if they have not yet seen it; I didn't know what to expect and I was absolutely riveted by the play and blown away by the performances; it was perfect)
The Fantasticks ****1/2 (An excellent production of an excellent show; see Tom Jones in the cast while you can; only a couple of weak moments kept this from getting five stars)
A Chorus Line **** (Fresh performances and faithful staging/choreography make this revival worth seeing, though Charlotte D'Amboise just didn't hit the mark for me)
Curtains ***1/2 (Liked it much more than I expected, though it's really Hyde Pierce's show; I'm afraid it's likely to close when he leaves)
Legally Blonde ***1/2 (Fun, infectious and delightful; deserves to run for years)
Les Miserables *** (if you have already seen the original staging, then Lea Salonga and Chip Zien are the best reason to see this particular revival, though Ann Harada, whom I adored in Avenue Q, is terribly miscast; rest of the cast was very uneven, but I am a devoted fan of the show, so I wanted to see it again)
Mary Poppins **** (pleasant surprise as I hated the film; the design and performances lifted this show above some of the others)
Spamalot *** (had I seen Marin Mazzie, I probably would have rated it higher, but the cast just wasn't that strong, especially after having seen the original in the Chicago tryout)
Spring Awakening **1/2 (I get that it's something new and different and I liked some of the music, but the show really left me cold and somewhat confused; I think it's a brilliant show for teens and young college kids, but I've been having sex for many years and I just couldn't connect with the material or its earnest urgency)
Drowsy Chaperone **** (Much better than I anticipated)
Xanadu *** (Cute and fun, but as Jarico made painfully clear, if you are not a fan of the film, nor familiar with the soundtrack, you probably won't enjoy it that much; I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped)
Frost/Nixon ***** (Best show I saw and I urge everyone to attend if they have not yet seen it; I didn't know what to expect and I was absolutely riveted by the play and blown away by the performances; it was perfect)
The Fantasticks ****1/2 (An excellent production of an excellent show; see Tom Jones in the cast while you can; only a couple of weak moments kept this from getting five stars)
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
