#1
Posted: 8/31/03 at 1:04pm
Well, here it is. Again, this review is not meant to persuade OR dissuade, it is just one mans opinion.
My overall view is this, although I've always wanted to see this show on Broadway, now that I have , it's more obvious than ever, that the original concept of putting it downtown, was right. Perhaps it would read better in a smaller theater such as the Booth, or Helen Hayes.
While Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler are both fine performers, there is nothing about their performances as Audrey and Seymour, that did anything to erase my fond memories of the brilliant Ellen Greene and Lee Wilkoff. If anything, I fear that Ms. Butler really is a "one trick pony", as she is very much doing Penny Pingleton, doing Audrey. Hunter Foster seems lost and confused. Maybe the fault lies with the director, I don't know. The three girls were fine and quite attractive to look at but again, no "revelation" there.
What I'm getting at in my long winded way is, that if your going to resurrect such a beloved project, than you either have to cast unknowns with the sheer brilliance of it's originators and "discover" them, or big stars, such as a Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, whos' star power could fill the Virginia.
As it is, it's a fine, fun show with great catchy tunes. No new ground covered by the musical director or choreographer either. If anything, the vocals/vocal arrangements are far more lack luster than the original cast album. The plant is not as menacing as it should be, again becuase of the size of the theater. To be fair, towards the end, it does get more ominous. Doug Sills is fine as the dentist but I would have been more interested to see someone off the beaten path like Reg Rogers in the role.
Would I recommend it, sure, if you have the money but it doesn't *beat* the movie which would cost you far less to rent at blockbuster.
My overall view is this, although I've always wanted to see this show on Broadway, now that I have , it's more obvious than ever, that the original concept of putting it downtown, was right. Perhaps it would read better in a smaller theater such as the Booth, or Helen Hayes.
While Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler are both fine performers, there is nothing about their performances as Audrey and Seymour, that did anything to erase my fond memories of the brilliant Ellen Greene and Lee Wilkoff. If anything, I fear that Ms. Butler really is a "one trick pony", as she is very much doing Penny Pingleton, doing Audrey. Hunter Foster seems lost and confused. Maybe the fault lies with the director, I don't know. The three girls were fine and quite attractive to look at but again, no "revelation" there.
What I'm getting at in my long winded way is, that if your going to resurrect such a beloved project, than you either have to cast unknowns with the sheer brilliance of it's originators and "discover" them, or big stars, such as a Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, whos' star power could fill the Virginia.
As it is, it's a fine, fun show with great catchy tunes. No new ground covered by the musical director or choreographer either. If anything, the vocals/vocal arrangements are far more lack luster than the original cast album. The plant is not as menacing as it should be, again becuase of the size of the theater. To be fair, towards the end, it does get more ominous. Doug Sills is fine as the dentist but I would have been more interested to see someone off the beaten path like Reg Rogers in the role.
Would I recommend it, sure, if you have the money but it doesn't *beat* the movie which would cost you far less to rent at blockbuster.
Updated On: 8/31/03 at 01:04 PM
