In regards to "The World According to Chris," I think part of the reason it's landing with such a thud is because of Jeanna de Waal's cartoonish delivery of it. It was a much more dynamic number when sung by Diana DeGarmo in the 2009 reading, where the whole song had a much grittier feel.
Also, while I absolutely love Molly Ranson, I really wish the musical director would get on her about some of her enunciation during the title number. I understand that an open vowel is particularly difficult to sing on a high note, but Ranson consistently sings "Cah-ree" instead of "Care-ee" over and over throughout the song, as if she's using a British dialect. If this is a technique to make it easier to sing (which I imagine it is,) she needs to be doing it a little less emphatically, like singing "Cahr-ee" instead and looping the "r" sound in tonally. What's happening is that same sort of affected dialect is carrying over when she sing other repetitive words too, like "hear" (which she sings like "hee-uh") and hurt (which she sings like "huh-t.") Incredibly nitpicky, I know, but it stood out given that the lyrics repeat the same phrases so many times.
In their refining during the preview process, as others have said, I hope the creative team gives Margaret some of her grit back. Carrie's telekinesis is escalated equally by the abuse she suffers at school and the abuse she suffers at home, and you hardly see any of the latter. Marin Mazzie has been directed to characterize Margaret so meekly that, when she is begging Carrie not to go to the prom and Carrie fights back, you feel sorry for
Margaret, who seems to be showing genuine concern for what you know is inevitable. It completely removes the sympathy from Carrie, who should be quite literally owning her power in the face of someone who has caused her unspeakable harm. I am sad to say that, as it stands now, she comes off merely as a snotty brat pushing around a mother who is clearly mentally ill. Perhaps I'm alone, but I found it unsettling (in the wrong way.)
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 2/10/12 at 01:36 AM
