Priest's Reviews of Spamalot, Doubt, Piazza, Woolf and Dessa Rose- Page 5

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 5:33am

About Rachel York going flat at the end- when I saw her she was brilliant, especially te ending, so she was probably having an off night. She really has the most beautiful voice i've ever heard. It seems she was sick a couple of nights, so maybe thats why she went flat.

[FalmouthJ]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 7:35am

Actually, Priest, the "scheme" is historically accurate. It seems inconceivable to us now, with the speed at which information travels, but such scams were pretty common place. Thanks for your thoughtful review.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 8:04am

Your reviews are always a real treat, Priest. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.

QM

[feinstein9]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 8:14am

don't read the replies, priest. they're bound to give you a big swollen head. what'd you do, give everyone free candy? geez.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 8:25am

Priest, you better give me some free candy, otherwise I take back my comments about your reviews.

QM

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 11:13am

I second the motion to get rid of Brantley and move Priest into the first chair...

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 12:13pm

Priest,

Although you liked it more, I can't begin to say how much I agree with your take on PIAZZA. I find the comparison of the score to the work of Sondheim to be a bit (a lot) of a stretch. Though Sondheim works in complex melodies (and certainly harmonies), it's never difficult to figure out. And his lyrics, though sometimes a bit too clever by half (according to some) are never so steeped in metaphor as to be cloudy. His lyrics (unlike Guettel's for this score) are specific and direct. Taking PASSION as an example: 'I do not read to think. I do not read to learn. I read to live.' And BAM, it's done. The audience is clear as to who this woman is in three lines.

The songs in PIAZZA are too much about wallowing in a character's emotion and feeling and not enough about action. It's a difficult hybrid of concept and plot driven stories. It really isn't an examination of love and, to be honest, there's very little going on in terms of plot. I kept thinking scrap the intermission and most of the superfluous numbers and trim it to a concise, romantic, sentimental story. Embrace it for what it is and don't make it something else. The 'sophisticated' score simply did not fit this story. The title number was lovely, but it lay right in O'Hara's break and so the money notes were compromised.

In the end, I was frustrated most with being told things instead of being shown them. I was told about Clara's 'issue' instead of shown it (at least until halfway through act 2 and then it was too late). I was told about the friction in Margaret's marriage instead of shown it, which robs me of actually rooting for her to marry Clara to Fabrizio.

But the costume design is truly something.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 4:14pm

A lot of the Piazza's songs are expressing emotional state instead of plot advancement--which is more opera than musical theatre, in a way. It just threw me off a little.

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 4:39pm

Mister Matt and I were having a discussion on another thread, and I think I would have been less critical of the piece had it been sung-through. The (mostly) realistic book just didn't seem to gel with the introspective score.

[feinstein9]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 5:46pm

you brought up passion a bit ago- did you like passion?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 5:48pm

Love it. And it's odd, because so many songs in Passion also primarily express emotional state. But there is just something different between the way Sondheim does it and the way Guettel does it that I cannot pinpoint.

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 5:51pm

PASSION is not exactly my favorite Sondheim. I don't particularly sympathize with Fosca. But I give it incredible respect for having the courage of its convictions in portraying someone who is so emotionally desperate without pulling any punches.

The writing clearly matches the tone of the story involved. The book and score work very well together. I didn't come away from PIAZZA with the same thoughts.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 6:27pm

Wow, I'm tired. I kept getting Passion and Piazza mixed up. I'm like, why are they talking about the same thing twice? Sorry, ignore me.

[feinstein9]

Posted: 3/29/05 at 7:18pm

good to hear you like passion! it's deffinetly one of my favourites. i'm looking forward to seeing piazza in may, so by then i'll be able to have a better idea of comparing/contrasting the two shows. since you dig sondheim, though, i'd reccomend guetell's "myths and hymns" because it reminded me a bit of steve without being too overt. anyway... i'm also seeing streetcar and drs in may so i guess i'll post some reviews for those too.
passion-related question- if it's already been done for pbs with the original cast, what is the point of doing the concert version? i'd rather have them spend that money on exposing a new show to people who might not otherwise know it, rather than doing the same show twice (as much as i adore two members of the cast!).

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/30/05 at 12:44am

"what is the point of doing the concert version?"

I just can't wait to see it.
What a cast.