#1
Posted: 9/11/08 at 11:03am
So, saw the official press opening last night (my published review should be up soon) and wanted to share a few thoughts.
First, all of the problems with the show are quite fixable. All of the huge obstacles inherent to a new musical have been overcome, so that's the good news. Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire's score is quite wonderful. Her music is riveting, soulful, with plenty of melodies that seem to reach out an hug you. The show sings at all the right points (with only a few numbers that need expansion/replacing) and Abaire's lyrics are hilarious.
The cast is solid. D'Arcy James gives a warm, capable leading performance and he is in great voice. Sutton Foster is hysterical and gets one of the shows best songs, the Act II opener "Morning Person". She and James also have superb chemistry. One number, sorry my playbill is not with me at the moment, has the duo having a farting and burping contest that is delightful. Christopher Sieber had the entire audience, including myself, in stitches top to bottom. He's got 2 great numbers, "Things are Looking Up in Duloc" and a big comic soliloquy for Act II (played in a bathtub). His costume is one of the funniest I've seen, and, I would be surprised if he walked away with the Tony come June. It's a big, fantastic performance and Tesori really shows off his voice. Kecia Lewis-Evans plays the Dragon like a soul-mama, which works like gangbusters, especially in her big number "Donkey Pot Pie" (with the female chorus members sort of acting as her tail). Here 2nd Act number is quite short and never takes off like you think it will. The entire ensemble is divine, including John Tartaglia as Pinnochio and The Magic Mirror. Though, he's forced to speak in a high pitched voice in the former, so his beautiful singing chops are never fully utilized. The fairy tale creatures are hysterical, Jen Cody was a standout as the elf, and they get the big 11'Oclock number "Freak Flag".
Now, the not so good.
Chestor Gregory does his best, he's a capable performer with a great vocal instrument. Tesori's written him some top notch stuff, though I miss "I Could Get Used to This" which is now replaced by a lesser, semi-forgettable number, his Act II showstopper is quite wonderful though, BUT he's essentially been directed to do an Eddie Murphy imitation. Many of his lines are lifted from the movie, another problem with the book that easily can be fixed but I doubt will be, and he's almost inflection for inflection channeling Murphy. WHen he sings, it's not a problem.
Now I know Rob Ashford was brought in, and from Joshua Prince's pedestrian choreography, I can see why. Tesori's music is bursting with opportunity to be innovative but Prince never siezes the many opportunities she gives him. His movements are very Musical Theatre Choreography 101, and stick out in an otherwise satisfying evening. I'm never one to wish someone out of work, but I'd say give Ashford billing and replace every Prince dance altogether. Foster has a fun tap number in "Morning Person" but her step are so basic and don't ever show off her more than capable dance ability.
And as I mentioned before, the lines from the movie stick out like a sore thumb. It kind of feels like Dreamworks kept pestering Abaire, who writes lyrics like he's been doing this his whole life, to inject more and more of the original screenplay. His lyrics are hilarious and I don't think there's need to inject the book scenes with so many of the movie one-liners. There is so much originality bursting from the score, which at this point is also a lock for a Tony nom, if not win, that there's no need for the movie bits. The "Ogres are like onions" bit didn't even go over well with the opening night crowd. Cut it all. Abaire's got plenty of great jokes of his own (including one about scientology and another, for Donkey, about Duloc looking like Stepford, both of which I don't recall from the film).
It almost feels like they're afraid to be completely original. They're about 75 percent onto their way from distancing themselves enough from the film. The costumes are beautiful, look like they cost a pretty penny, and are the one thing from the film that should be kept. Beyond that, they need to trust their audience more. There is a slight trepidation in Abaire's book at the moment that feels like several hands have been forcing his voice. And his writing style is so perfect for this material, again, the lyrics are superb, that Dreamworks needs to trust him to "do the right thing".
Also, though James is a winning Shrek, the Scottish accent, a creation of Mike Meyers, needs to go too. I don't think anyone would miss it.
And for those who are fearful that the show is just for the little ones, rest assured, it has a great bite and cynicism to it that will win you over. I'd say it's an 8 and up show. The real little ones it the audience were fussing and/or scared at some of the darker parts(mainly the Dragon's entrance and Fiona's Act II transformation). There's a lot of heart in this show. It's a spectacle, the sets are superb by the way, with plenty of substance. I think, a few changes pending, that they've got a critical and financial hit on their hands. They just need to push their voices more.
If anyone needs specifics, ask away!
First, all of the problems with the show are quite fixable. All of the huge obstacles inherent to a new musical have been overcome, so that's the good news. Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire's score is quite wonderful. Her music is riveting, soulful, with plenty of melodies that seem to reach out an hug you. The show sings at all the right points (with only a few numbers that need expansion/replacing) and Abaire's lyrics are hilarious.
The cast is solid. D'Arcy James gives a warm, capable leading performance and he is in great voice. Sutton Foster is hysterical and gets one of the shows best songs, the Act II opener "Morning Person". She and James also have superb chemistry. One number, sorry my playbill is not with me at the moment, has the duo having a farting and burping contest that is delightful. Christopher Sieber had the entire audience, including myself, in stitches top to bottom. He's got 2 great numbers, "Things are Looking Up in Duloc" and a big comic soliloquy for Act II (played in a bathtub). His costume is one of the funniest I've seen, and, I would be surprised if he walked away with the Tony come June. It's a big, fantastic performance and Tesori really shows off his voice. Kecia Lewis-Evans plays the Dragon like a soul-mama, which works like gangbusters, especially in her big number "Donkey Pot Pie" (with the female chorus members sort of acting as her tail). Here 2nd Act number is quite short and never takes off like you think it will. The entire ensemble is divine, including John Tartaglia as Pinnochio and The Magic Mirror. Though, he's forced to speak in a high pitched voice in the former, so his beautiful singing chops are never fully utilized. The fairy tale creatures are hysterical, Jen Cody was a standout as the elf, and they get the big 11'Oclock number "Freak Flag".
Now, the not so good.
Chestor Gregory does his best, he's a capable performer with a great vocal instrument. Tesori's written him some top notch stuff, though I miss "I Could Get Used to This" which is now replaced by a lesser, semi-forgettable number, his Act II showstopper is quite wonderful though, BUT he's essentially been directed to do an Eddie Murphy imitation. Many of his lines are lifted from the movie, another problem with the book that easily can be fixed but I doubt will be, and he's almost inflection for inflection channeling Murphy. WHen he sings, it's not a problem.
Now I know Rob Ashford was brought in, and from Joshua Prince's pedestrian choreography, I can see why. Tesori's music is bursting with opportunity to be innovative but Prince never siezes the many opportunities she gives him. His movements are very Musical Theatre Choreography 101, and stick out in an otherwise satisfying evening. I'm never one to wish someone out of work, but I'd say give Ashford billing and replace every Prince dance altogether. Foster has a fun tap number in "Morning Person" but her step are so basic and don't ever show off her more than capable dance ability.
And as I mentioned before, the lines from the movie stick out like a sore thumb. It kind of feels like Dreamworks kept pestering Abaire, who writes lyrics like he's been doing this his whole life, to inject more and more of the original screenplay. His lyrics are hilarious and I don't think there's need to inject the book scenes with so many of the movie one-liners. There is so much originality bursting from the score, which at this point is also a lock for a Tony nom, if not win, that there's no need for the movie bits. The "Ogres are like onions" bit didn't even go over well with the opening night crowd. Cut it all. Abaire's got plenty of great jokes of his own (including one about scientology and another, for Donkey, about Duloc looking like Stepford, both of which I don't recall from the film).
It almost feels like they're afraid to be completely original. They're about 75 percent onto their way from distancing themselves enough from the film. The costumes are beautiful, look like they cost a pretty penny, and are the one thing from the film that should be kept. Beyond that, they need to trust their audience more. There is a slight trepidation in Abaire's book at the moment that feels like several hands have been forcing his voice. And his writing style is so perfect for this material, again, the lyrics are superb, that Dreamworks needs to trust him to "do the right thing".
Also, though James is a winning Shrek, the Scottish accent, a creation of Mike Meyers, needs to go too. I don't think anyone would miss it.
And for those who are fearful that the show is just for the little ones, rest assured, it has a great bite and cynicism to it that will win you over. I'd say it's an 8 and up show. The real little ones it the audience were fussing and/or scared at some of the darker parts(mainly the Dragon's entrance and Fiona's Act II transformation). There's a lot of heart in this show. It's a spectacle, the sets are superb by the way, with plenty of substance. I think, a few changes pending, that they've got a critical and financial hit on their hands. They just need to push their voices more.
If anyone needs specifics, ask away!
