NYC trip - Memorial Day weekend - 110, Curtains, Spring

[JBSinger]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 2:47pm

What a hot weekend to return to the city. For my first trip back to NYC in 3 years, we went to see 110 in the Shade, Curtains and Spring Awakening. Reviews below:

110 - for my return to Bway, it was a wonderful evening in the theatre. This vintage , homespun show boasts some of the most honest acting I've seen in a while. Led by the radiant Audra McDonald (as Lizzie) and the seasoned vet John Cullum (as HC), this show really warms the heart. Audra once again proves she can basically play anything. Vocally soaring and seething her way through the score and moving effortlessly between scene and song, she is the epitome of what musical acting can be. John Cullum was perfectly cast as the father of this troubled clan. Christopher Innvar is a strapping hunk of man as File (great voice) and Bobby Steggert is adorable as Jimmy, scoring big with "Little Red Hat." Steve Kazee, looking like someone off of the CMA awards, lacks the charisma of a Starbuck, and though he executes the role well, you just don't believe him. Sets/lights were gorgeous and Tunick's orchestrations were lovely (even if lazily conducted by Gemingnani). The show itself is a product of its time, but it gives us an excuse to watch a top notch cast perform at the top of their game.

Curtains - I went to this show really rooting for it to be good - and it was! Boasting one of the final Kander & Ebb scores, Curtains is what Broadway musicals are all about - guts, wit, verve, raunch, catchy songs, snappy zingers, gorgeous costumes, wonderful starts and great production numbers. And with many K&E stalwarts in the cast, this show cleverly crackles along. Book: Rupert Holmes has crafted a clever plot with a wealth of great one-liners (mostly delivered by Debra Monk (as producer Carmen Bernstein) and Edward Hibbert (as the Director)). Score: Though not every note/word written is gold, there are several winning numbers in this show. We get a melancholy "Thinking of Him", a romantic "I Miss the Music",a fantastic ode to "Showpeople" (which made me want to jump onstage with them), and star showstoppers like Monk's "It's a Business." David Loud conducts a terrific orchestra and the pit has a great 50s zing. Cast: David Hyde Pierce is thoroughly charming and his character arc is really fun to watch. Debra Monk (channelling a 50s Broad) is terrific, landing every joke and line she has. karen Ziemba, as writer turned star, is another consistant trooper and triple threat. Jason Danieley scores big with his amazing voice. Ernie Sabella (in what may be the easiest role in NYC) is wasted here and is "phoning it in." He basically staggers out, delivers his lines to the floor and staggers away. Noah Racey, while a great dancer and is attractive, lacks the charisma to be a believable leading man (at least here). Jill Paice as the ingenue is fine, but her portrayal is so generic, it could be anybody. Overall, I really liked Curtains and hopes it finds a broader audience (it was full the Sat night we went). As I said, its got everything a big Broadway musical is about!

Spring Awakening - how much do I wish that the cast album had more dialogue instead of just "pure" numbers? though this show has announced it tour, I still thought it would be best to see this sexy show in NYC with its original cast. how right I was. Spring Awakening, while it didn't move me, certainly was very exciting and the cast was awesome. These kids are cranking it out and I didn't hear any sign of wear or strain. It must just sit right in the sweet spot in their voices. The Set is sparse but detailed and with the right lighting, creates some gorgeous stage pictures. I didn't expect it to be funny because the album is so "teen angsty," but it was. Many on this Board have commented on the over-acting going on onstage, but I wasn't bothered by anything other than John Groff's constant spitting/spraying. Very distracting and unattractive. i manageed to understand what everyone else was saying without getting a shower. The strength of this show is in the musical numbers and the energy of the cast. The lyrics make more sense in the theatre, but they're still not terrific. The music is beautiful and the orchestrations are wonderful (I am now checking into Duncan's pop work). Johnathan Groff is very charismatic and has a terrific voice. Whatever Anne Runloffson is teaching him sure is working. Lea Michelle is good and you really feel for her. John Gallagher is really winning as the troubled Moritz and John Wright is very fun as Hanchen (I felt he was underused). With the structure, I felt like there were too many little substories that were started but didn't go anywhere (Hanchen in the bathroom, the abused girls, Skylar and the piano teacher). I didn't mind the hand-held mikes or the stand mikes at all. I understood the premise and accepted it fully. The adults were also quite wonderful (Eastabrook was especially hilarious and touching). Only time will tell if this show has turned a page in the Bway songbook or if this will be another Rock blip on the Bway radar. Whatever happens, I loved this show and would love to see it reach a broader audience.

So, 3 shows over 4 days. Great way to spend a weekend. Now I just have to wait for the tours to come to Tampa Bay to keep up going forward. :)

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 2:55pm

Thanks for your reviews. In particular, your review of "110" gets me really excited to see it. I need to go very soon!

[unckristen]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 2:58pm

Great reviews! Of those, I've only seen Curtains, so I can say that I agree with your thoughts and am glad you enjoyed that show too.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 3:27pm

very nice reviews, i agree with pretty much all you said about CURTAINS and SPRING AWAKENING
im seeing 110 next month, though, but your review as well as others have really brought my expectations pretty high! and haha, i agree- Steve Kazee does look like someone on the CMA awards :P