Show reviews

[Penalers]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 12:04pm

I just had a two week trip to new york and i wanted to share my thoughts on the shows i saw.

Hairspray--This was my third time seeing it, but i wanted to see it with the new cast. Overall, I wasn not impressed. I guess I just had the original cast stuck in my head, but I felt like the energy was lacking. Carly Jibson was wonderful, as were Jenn Gambatese, Dick Latessa, and Chestor Gregory. I was not at all impressed by Michael McKean. I didnt enjoy how he spoke much of the singing as well as many of his character choices.

42nd Street--I really enjoyed this show. There were some really great performances (Nadine Isenegger, Patrick Cassidy, Patty Mariano) and some not so great ones (Shirley Jones), but overall, it was a fun thoughtless night of theatre.

Forbidden Broadway--I loved this show. Everyone in it was so talented and I was laughing like crazy the whole time. I loved the bombay dreams, gypsy, and i am my own wife numbers. I thought they spent waaaay to much time on fiddler and wicked though.

The Boy From Oz--I didnt really like this show. I thought it was poorly written and extremely boring. I thought that the individual performances were great, but the show was totally lacking. Hugh Jackman was wonderful, but I do think he is a little bit overrated. I think the whole show is a little bit overrated.

Frozen--I loooooved this show. It was so intense and touching and the performances were incredible. Laila Robins did not compare to the other two performers, but she was sitll great. Swoosie Kurtz was out so Pippa Pearthree was playing Nancy. She was wonderful and I couldnt imagine the part being played any better.

Chicago--I had never seen this before, and i was thoroughly dissapointed. I thought it was an awful show. Christopher sieber, brenda braxton, and roz ryan were great, but i didnt like paige davis. I regretted seeing this.

Movin Out--I went into this show thinking I would hate it, but decided just to see it for the hell of it. I loved it. It was one of the best things I saw the whole trip. I thought everything about this show was great. The parts of eddie, brenda, and tony were all understudies, but they were so great. Michael Cavenaugh was incredible. I thought the technical aspects of this show were extremely well done as well.

Sly Fox--Very mediocre theatre. I hate to say it, but almost like good high school. Richard Dreyfoos was good. Rene Auberjonois was incredible, as were Rachel York and Bob Dishy. I did not enjoy Eric Stoltz, Elizabeth Berkley, or Bronson Pinchot. The sets were great, and the show itself was clever, this was just not a very good version of it.

After the fall--I loooooved this show. Everything about it was very well done. The casting was great. I did not like peter krause at first, but he had grown on me by the end of the show. Carla Gugino gave the performance of a lifetime. She did an amazing job making the tranistion of maggie totally believable.

So that was my trip, i saw some great, and some not-so-great shows, but i enjoyed it a lot.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 3:55pm

SO glad you enjoyed Carly!

[mallardo]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:00pm

And glad you enjoyed Carla.

[mominator]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:02pm

So glad you enjoyed and thanks for your reviews!

[CJR]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:18pm

You regretted seeing Chicago? How sad for you! Were you expecting it to be like the movie or something?

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:35pm

Never regret seeing any show. They all have positive aspects. I loved Movin Out, 42nd Street and all the musicals I saw. No one said Oz was a good show, it is the performers that were wonderful. You seem to like the dramas more than the musicals. That is okay too. Thank God, there is a variety of theater for everyone.

Please be advised that you upset CJR very much when you state you do not like Chicago. Chicago is not like the movie and people that see it should not expect it to be like the movie. It is its own wonderful stage show in itself. (as long as Melanie is not in it) I regret not seeing it with Chris Seiber.

Needless, to see you made a great choice with the shows you picked.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:36pm

correction.. as long as Melanie and Pia Dowes are not in it. Could you IMAGINE the horror of those two doing Chicago together?? EEK!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:37pm

It was justna matter of time before CJR came and defended her show.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:52pm

Broadwayguy2, I rather chew glass or get an enema then see those two do a show in anything.........

[WICKEDforever]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 4:55pm

You didn't see WICKED?!?

[CJR]

Posted: 7/29/04 at 5:41pm

Hahaha Yeah, I had to defend my show. I've seen some damn ****ty casts, but I've always found something I've enjoyed in it.