Posted: 6/10/19 at 11:27am
I am amazed no one has created this yet so I guess Ill be the first:
Ain't To Proud-B+ It did what it needed to do, and felt really fun. I honestly think the best part was then they lifted the rear wall to reveal the band. I honestly didn't think the show was that big, and it was definitely very eye popping with the entire cast and band wearing the White on Black attire.
Beetlejuice-A-- :I was honestly surprised how much I liked this. When I saw the costumes backstage during the tease I was really dreading seeing them do the "The Whole Being Dead Thing", as it didn't come off well on The Today show. The lead in they did with Day-O/The Banana Song being cut off by Beetlejuice, actually worked. I wished his initial lines were a little more self referential about choosing to start the performance with a song from the movie, but the number surprisingly worked. I especially loved that they were able to squeeze in the shrunken head and football player. Do I wished they performed one of the more special effects driven numbers? Probably, but the cost to rebuild their set, probably wouldn't have been worth it.
Tootsie- B: A solid performance, but it felt very generic. Going into the night, producers and Scott Ellis knew that they were likely only walking away with Best Actor and Best Book, and although Unstoppable, does showcase Santino Fontana, it didn't sell his performance, other then your standard power ballad and gives off "I'm a Man in a Dress" gag the show goes out of its way to avoid. Scott Ellis mentioned they were initially going to do Dorothy's audition/ I won't Let You Down but was afraid the TV audience wouldn't be emotionally invested enough to enjoy the number. I wished they kept it, but the number was solid, but not spectacular.
Oklahoma- C- This one gave me a mixed reaction. It definitely showed off Ali Stroker, who just from the show's tonight show performance, I thought was destined from Tony glory. It was when the perfromcne transitioned to its title song, this felt a bit muddled. The show tried to follow in the footsteps of Great Comet and Once on This Island, which both successfully used the immersive production, whether it be a theater in the round production, or audience on stage, to their advantage in the telecast. As they only had 1.5 rows of people behind the cast the faces of the audience became much of a distraction then a way to sell the feel of the show. You could see the audience on stage mugging for the camera, and as it wasn't a sea of faces, it was obvious. Also I was very confused by the shaking of the beer then spraying it on the audience. I understood the metaphor or the "This Oklahoma F*&&**s", and it was meant to be a release of the tension, but it should of been opened and directly sprayed the camera at the climax, instead of him opening the can on the audience the spraying it on them before throwing the empty can at the camera man.
The Prom- A : The Best performance of the night, and really made me want to by tickets. Although a generic ensemble number, the performance made the show feel like a party I wanted to attend.
Kiss Me Kate B-: A solid dance number, but like most dance numbers that are televised, it fell a little flat and I got bored halfway through.
Hadestown: B-: It was just ok. It was a good medley, but the staging felt a little off. In terms of staging, I know building a stairwell is expensive, but it really helps sell the power dynamic Hades has. Having him simply stand of the stage with Persephone, just felt weird. I also really didn't like how they ended the number. For a show that is all about the music, I wished they ended with a "wall of sound" money note instead of a whimper of a coda with Orpheus running around the stage, just felt like a awkward sigh. It If it ended with "I'm Coming" then cut to black, it would of worked much better in my opinion.
Cher Show: F: My mother immediately asked if Stephanie J Block was a drag queen, as it felt as if she was doing a bad impersonation. It just didn't work, and felt like a bad drag show. My mother literally went from saying before the number started, "Have you gotten me tickets to this yet?" to "Never mind, it must be a really weak year for Best Actress".
Choir Boy: D When it started my mother's ears perked up, and asked "What show is this?" I told her Choir Boy, and said it already closed. Then about 3/4 of the way through she said, "I see why, I got bored after 2 minutes, I can't imagine sitting through entire show like this." I think this number could of been better, but it needed a lot more camera rehearsal. I am sure the number went over well in the theater as krumping is a very powerful style of dance, especially in terms of acoustics. That sound doesn't travel well through TV, and so they needed to try and find another way to transmit that power to audiences watching at home. Also the full stage shots didn't just made the performance feel repetitive and boring, which I am sure is not the case when watching the performance in person. It just felt like a missed opportunity.
If I were to rank them in order I'd say:
The Prom
- Beetlejuice
- Ain't To Proud
- Tootsie
- Kiss Me Kate
- Hadestown
- Oklahoma
- Choir Boy
- Cher Show
Updated On: 6/10/19 at 11:27 AM
