No offense taking, and I certainly understand your arguement about money, but what's the point of debating something you haven't seen? It's like the people who have denounced the SWEENEY revival based on what they've heard about it, without having seen it yet.
Red Hot - those rehearsal tapes here downright awful. Applegate has become at least plain ol' Okay - but after watching the McClain movie version, I would CERTAINLY not waste any money on this tepid reproduction and destruction of a classic.
I have to say, I went in ready to hate it; After Applegate's first few measures, I sank in my seat a bit. But after a while, I found myself liking her a little. Then alot. Before I knew it, i was loving her and rooting for her. As an out of work, Yale Drama Grad "theater snob", no one was more ready to be sick at the gall that a television star had to take on one of the greatest roles in the cannon of American Musical Theater history. No, she doesn't have the greatest voice. She hasn't paid her dues in lifelong dance training, heartbreaking open calls, earning an equity card. HOWEVER. She has a vulnerability with just the right little edge. Wonderful comic timing. And most of all, she totally puts her heart into that performance. By the curtain call, it was totally infectious and we were hooked. There was a rawness of true emotion experienced by that audience that I certainly didn't see in the much, MUCH over-rated revival of "...Virginia Woolfe". Ego was replaced by humble, which is SO PERFECT for Charity. Her personal road towards getting to 45th street is an exact fit for Charity. We root for that character, and with the 110% effort Applegate put out, I was rooting for that marraige to happen!! I couldn't believe the great time I was having. After all, it is a musical comedy.
