#1
Posted: 6/17/04 at 5:01pm
Well, I finally made my way to the Eugene O'Neill to see what all the fuss is over. Will I like it? Will I hate it? Will Tonya Pinkins give it everything?
I loved it! Don't ask me why ... but it was just my kind of plot and my kind of energy. From the moment the curtain went up ... and I heard that beautiful hum from Tonya Pinkins, I knew I was in the best seat in town. I've mentioned before that my ability to like a show can totally depend on my mood. At the time I saw this show I was in an ok mood. It's just one of those things ... the show took over.
This artpiece (because, ultimately, that's what it is) is the product of so much research and creativity. To think that these two caucasion people were able to so openly connect with the south and find their way, blissfully, to Louisiana in this time period. I didn't think I would like Veanne Cox. I mean, she wasn't exactly the most steller singer. But this was different. Her quarky voice really added something to the character ... a vulnerability. She wasn't always in tune or even the strongest singer ... but she did her job well.
I happened to love Chandra Wilson as Dotty. Oh my was she hilarious. She had such stage presence. I do admit that I thought Anika Noni Rose was just amazing. She's going to be a star. I think you could even feel it in her that this character wasn't going to let her completely "break out" ... but she could, given the chance. But she really brought something polished to the show.
I felt everyone in the cast was just so perfectly cast. You know, this trio of ladies (Marva Hicks, Tracy Nicole Chapman, Ramona Keller) that play THE RADIO ... I think they are the best singing trio on Broadway (next to Little Shop & Hairspray). WOW! Their voices were sooooooo powerful.
Tonya Pinkins ... she was a bit sick last night. I could hear the strain in her voice. She cracked more than a few times. But I do have to say. Idina Menzel may give a vocally ripe performance, but Tonya Pinkins BY FAR gives the most thrilling and most heart wrenching display at that show. MY GOD! I couldn't believe that power and that anger. You could feel it all the way through the theatre. She has a very distinct way of making you feel the way she is feeling. This is one of those "Bernadette Peters Mama Rose Overlooked Performance" kind of things. I realize I will be shot by the "Greenies" or whatever they're called. But I can't lie. Tonya's acting is by far the most compelling in a musical on Broadway right now. I waited the whole evening for "Lot's Wife". When it got there ... I knew her voice had to be tired. It was. But, as opposed to many others, the fact that she was tired made it that much more of a hill to conquer. It made the song more POWERHOUSE. Damn! That was incredible.
I won't give away the ending ... but I just have to say that it was incredibly poignant. I never would have thought to end the show that way, but it was so perfect.
I didn't include this in my original post, but I do have to add my two cents on the sets and lighting. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved their sets ... they were VERY southern. The shadows cast by the slider trees were extremely effective. And the lighting was just amazing ... you know you are watching an incredible theatre experience when the story, sets, actors, lighting and music are completely in sync.
Omg ... I have to see this show again. I didn't want to leave the theatre. I wanted them to do it all again. It was just too perfect for words.
Score: A+ You must go see it ... just trust me!
I loved it! Don't ask me why ... but it was just my kind of plot and my kind of energy. From the moment the curtain went up ... and I heard that beautiful hum from Tonya Pinkins, I knew I was in the best seat in town. I've mentioned before that my ability to like a show can totally depend on my mood. At the time I saw this show I was in an ok mood. It's just one of those things ... the show took over.
This artpiece (because, ultimately, that's what it is) is the product of so much research and creativity. To think that these two caucasion people were able to so openly connect with the south and find their way, blissfully, to Louisiana in this time period. I didn't think I would like Veanne Cox. I mean, she wasn't exactly the most steller singer. But this was different. Her quarky voice really added something to the character ... a vulnerability. She wasn't always in tune or even the strongest singer ... but she did her job well.
I happened to love Chandra Wilson as Dotty. Oh my was she hilarious. She had such stage presence. I do admit that I thought Anika Noni Rose was just amazing. She's going to be a star. I think you could even feel it in her that this character wasn't going to let her completely "break out" ... but she could, given the chance. But she really brought something polished to the show.
I felt everyone in the cast was just so perfectly cast. You know, this trio of ladies (Marva Hicks, Tracy Nicole Chapman, Ramona Keller) that play THE RADIO ... I think they are the best singing trio on Broadway (next to Little Shop & Hairspray). WOW! Their voices were sooooooo powerful.
Tonya Pinkins ... she was a bit sick last night. I could hear the strain in her voice. She cracked more than a few times. But I do have to say. Idina Menzel may give a vocally ripe performance, but Tonya Pinkins BY FAR gives the most thrilling and most heart wrenching display at that show. MY GOD! I couldn't believe that power and that anger. You could feel it all the way through the theatre. She has a very distinct way of making you feel the way she is feeling. This is one of those "Bernadette Peters Mama Rose Overlooked Performance" kind of things. I realize I will be shot by the "Greenies" or whatever they're called. But I can't lie. Tonya's acting is by far the most compelling in a musical on Broadway right now. I waited the whole evening for "Lot's Wife". When it got there ... I knew her voice had to be tired. It was. But, as opposed to many others, the fact that she was tired made it that much more of a hill to conquer. It made the song more POWERHOUSE. Damn! That was incredible.
I won't give away the ending ... but I just have to say that it was incredibly poignant. I never would have thought to end the show that way, but it was so perfect.
I didn't include this in my original post, but I do have to add my two cents on the sets and lighting. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved their sets ... they were VERY southern. The shadows cast by the slider trees were extremely effective. And the lighting was just amazing ... you know you are watching an incredible theatre experience when the story, sets, actors, lighting and music are completely in sync.
Omg ... I have to see this show again. I didn't want to leave the theatre. I wanted them to do it all again. It was just too perfect for words.
Score: A+ You must go see it ... just trust me!
Updated On: 6/17/04 at 05:01 PM
