PJ Reviews Streetcar, Spam, & Wicked.

[PJ]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 7:52pm

Tuesday, June 14th

Wicked

After seeing the original cast of Wicked, I was wary of seeing the show for a second time. I knew going in that I would constantly be comparing Bean to Menzel, and Hilty to Chenoweth. The original leading ladies each gave splendid performances, in my opinion. However I was very surprised this past Tuesday evening at just how much I liked the new witches as well.

The word on Shoshana here on the board is very mixed, some loving her, others detesting her portrayal of Elphaba. I found Miss Bean’s Elphaba to be more goofy and animated than Menzel’s. She certainly plays the role with more “oh no she didn’t” attitude than the originator. At times I found her acting to be lacking quite a bit. I believe it was Matt_G who once compared Shoshana’s acting to that of a community theatre player. I found this to be true. She’s far too over the top and animated at several points through out the duration of the show. Many of them seemed inappropriate for the given scene. But I must say that I found her vocals to be more than satisfactory. I’ve read and heard that she sounds far too nasal-y during her numbers. I felt that she sounded outstanding. If her performance were to be judged on vocals alone, I’ve give her a 10, but with her poor acting, my grade drops to a 7. Oh, and one more thing that bothered me about Miss Bean was that when she was getting in her “Defying Gravity” contraption, she looked over to stage left at, I suppose, the tech crew and started laughing. Given that exact moment in the show, it was rather inappropriate. Idina vs. Shoshana: Idina by far.

Now for what proved to be the highlight of the entire performance I saw: Megan Hilty. I loved, loved her in this role. If the powers that be behind this show are wise, they’ll keep this girl around for a long time. Her performance, vocally and acting-wise, were spot-on. She started out a little shaky during “No One Mourns the Wicked,” but won me over before the song ended. Her final note is ear-piercing–and I love it. Very Cheno of her. Megan’s acting ran circles around that of Shoshana. For the haters of this show, it’s worth another look just to see Hilty in her role. Unlike Idina’s, my mind did not wonder back to the performance of Kristin. Megan makes the role her own–playing G(a)linda as a sassier, sex-pot with a temper. Simply hysterical. I’d give her a 10. Kristin vs. Megan: Too close to call.

As for the rest of the show in general: I can’t help but wonder why some of the ensemble members were hired. Several of them were noticeably flat and lacked any kind of spark or energy. Is this really the best out of those who auditioned? Also, Rue McClanahan is giving a talk-sing performance. She plays Morrible as nothing but a drunkard, which was at times too much. I missed Carole Shelley. You want to love Rue because she’s Rue, but she just didn’t do anything for me. However, I did love Ben Vereen. He brought his own brand of pizzaz to a thankless role. He had Shoshana cracking up for the entire second half of “Wonderful.” At the point where they dance, Shoshana was doubled over with laughter and Ben had to practically drag her around to get the steps in. It was rather “cute.” Aside from the ensemble, “Wicked” seems to be in fine shape. As long as they continually cast two talented leading ladies in the future, we’re looking at a healthy run.

Updated On: 6/17/05 at 07:52 PM

[PJ]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 7:52pm

Wednesday, June 15th

Spamalot

After waiting in line for over four hours, my friends and I were able to get our hands on four standing room only tickets. We got to the Shubert at around 5:45, and there were already 11 people in front of us. The SRO are pretty much the only way to see the show anytime this year, and the public knows it. Four different people came up to us and attempted to bribe us into buying them tickets since we were far enough up in front and were guaranteed tickets. I refused saying that it wasn’t fair to those behind me who had been waiting nearly as long as we had.

Now on to the show: I had a fantastic time at Spamalot. A very fun show with an excellent cast of very talented comedians. I can definitely see why it won the top prize at the Tony’s. And speaking of the Tony’s, Sara Ramirez more than deserved hers. She was perfect as the Lady of the Lake, both in voice and in her comedy. The crowd loved her and David Hyde Pierce. I’ve never seen such a rapturous and enthusiastic standing ovation at curtain call!


Updated On: 6/16/05 at 07:52 PM

[PJ]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 7:53pm

Wednesday, June 15th

A Streetcar Named Desire

Dear Lord, why was this production practically forgotten by the Tony people at the time of nominations? Not only were the leads superb, but the production as a whole deserved at the very least, to be recognized with a nomination. And the same goes for it’s leading lady and man. Such a shame.

Speaking of the leads: Natasha Richardson is giving what I believe to be the best performance on Broadway right now. Her Blanche DuBois is breathtaking and heartbreaking. I’ve never seen such brilliant acting on any stage. She had me in awe from the moment she stepped on stage. The last ten to fifteen minutes had me so overcome with emotion I could have cried like a baby. I’ve never felt such emotion during any performance I’ve seen up until now. Following the curtain call, Natasha had roped me in and allowed me to feel her pain so effectively that I was literally trembling. Descending the stairs of the mezzanine proved to be an insurmountable task. I can’t say enough about Richardson in this performance. If want to experience true magnificence, get yourself to Studio 54 before July 3rd.

John C. Reilly also gave an outstanding performance. Sure, I loved Brando in the film, but Reilly proved to be an effective Stanley–and then some. There was no sexual chemistry between his Stanley and Natasha’s Blanche, which many noted about in their reviews. But this production is played so that Blanche is utterly disgusted with Stanley from the start. Personally, I liked this revision since it brought a breath of fresh air to the piece.

Amy Ryan played Stella very, very well. I sure hope that Lenox is giving just as good of a performance over at the Walter Kerr as Amy Ryan is. What was with the Tony’s and Streetcar this season? Sheesh.

Overall, Wednesday evening brought forth unto me one of my all-time favorite Broadway performances. What’s taking place on stage eight times a week at Studio 54 is nothing short of magic.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 8:10pm

Great reviews!!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 8:16pm

Your review of "Streetcar" articulated everything I felt about this production and more!

[James2]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 8:16pm

PJ, was Alan Tundyke at the Spamalot performance? If so, how was he?

[Eliza0114]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 8:17pm

I really enjoyed reading your reviews! Thanks for posting them!

[PJ]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 8:25pm

Yes, Alan performed. He was good. I just didn't see why the role, no matter how well played, could have garnered a Tony nomination.