Six Shows in Five Days Plus Jason Robert Brown at Birdland

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 7:17pm

Just got back from NYC and I thought I'd post my reviews.

Avenue Q--I finally had the chance to see the show and must say it is in excellent shape. Though I never saw the OBC, the current performers are uniformly good. I especially loved Howie Michael Smith as Princeton and Rod. Mary Faber was great too and I really loved her delivery of "There's a Fine, Fine Line" which is probably my favorite song in the show. As much as I love "Wicked," I think "Q" was more deserving of the Tony. Lopez and Marx's score is very clever and tuneful and I can't wait to see the show when it stops off in Louisville next year.

Spring Awakening--Though I liked the show I expected to be blown away by it and I wasn't. The cast is young and energetic and they easily put over Sheik's rock music score. Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff are the obvious standouts, though John Gallagher Jr. almost steals the show with his portrayal of Moritz. One of the most moving moments of show for me was Lilli Cooper and Lauren Pritchard's "The Dark I Know Well" where they share some very horrific aspects of their lives. I also liked the show's penultimate number "Those You've Known." As I said I loved the show, but don't know if it lives up to all the hype it's getting.

Curtains--I truly enjoyed this show. It is shamelessly old-fashioned, which is one of the best things about it. The score is a little bit Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Both Hyde-Pierce and Monk earn their above the title billing. Monk tosses off her one-liners with aplomb and all but stops the show with her Act II number "It's a Business."

Hyde Pierce is delightful as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a detective who also loves the musical theatre. What I love about Hyde Pierce is ability to be a part of an ensemble. I guess this comes from his years on "Frasier." Though Hyde Pierce is billed above the title he is a gracious performer who allows others to shine, especially his love interest played by Jill Paice. Their "A Tough Act to Follow" is a goofy homage to Fred and Ginger and brings down the house in the second act.

Hyde Pierce and Monk get fine support from Karen Ziemba, Edward Hibbert, and Jason Danieley. Danieley's rendition of "I Miss the Music" is probably one of the most poignant moments of the show and Ziemba shines in the first act closer "Thataway!" a nod to "Oklahoma" and "Annie Get Your Gun." I also challenge anyone who sees the show to not come out humming the great show biz anthem "Show People."

Company--This show was the highlight of my trip and I found it to be perfect in every way! Sondheim's score still sounds contemporary even though it was written close to fourty years ago. Every performer in the show is outstanding, but Raul Esparza is a revelation. His Bobby is easily the best performance I've seen on a stage anywhere. One of the things I really loved about his performance were his reactions to the other actors/characters around him. Raul's rendition of "Being Alive" gave me goosebumps. Hand the man the Tony right now!

Raul may be great, but has able support from everyone else in the cast. I was particularly moved by Angel Desai's rendition of "Another Hundred People" and chuckled at Heather Laws' delivery of the comic number "Not Getting Married Today."

And then there is Barbara Walsh. I think Walsh has the toughest job as her role is so identified with Ms. Stritch. I personally think Walsh nailed every aspect of Joanne and manages to put her own stamp on the show's signature song "The Ladies Who Lunch." See this show before it closes!

Grey Gardens--Ms. Ebersole was out, but I thoroughly enjoyed Maureen Moore's performance. I think Moore offers the strongest argument that this show can continue on after Ebersole's departure. Having seen Ebersole perform some of the numbers from the show, I felt like Moore's performance was a bit more understated but very effective. Moore's many highlights include her Act One closer "Will You" as well as her Act Two opener "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" which is probably my favorite song from the show. Moore's final big number "Another Winter in a Summer Town" caps a great evening at the theatre! Mary Louise Wilson was in the night I saw the show and she did not disappoint. Even without Ebersole, I'm glad I saw the show.

A Chorus Line--Having only seen two dinner theatre productions of this show, I was very excited to see this recreation of the original Broadway staging. I have to say I really liked the show. I really felt like every performer was trying to put their own personal stamp on these iconic characters. I especially liked Jason Tam's Paul and feel his performance is Tony-worthy. I enjoyed Deidre Goodwin's take on Shelia as well as Jessica Lee Goldyn's performance as Val.

Charlotte d'Amboise has some pretty big shoes to fill in the role of Cassie and I felt like she did a great job. I love Michael Berresse but feel his talents are wasted in the role of Zach. He's a great song and dance man who doesn't get to sing or dance very much in this show.

The entire company truly shines in "The Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" montage. This show is highly recommended for anyone who was not fortunate enough to see the the original Broadway staging.

Jason Robert Brown at Birdland--I ended my trip by going to Birdland to catch Jason Robert Brown's eleven o'clock set on Thursday night and I was glad I did. I personally think that Brown is the most accessible of all Broadway's up and coming composers. His set was a mix of songs from his shows and his solo album "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes." Brown opened his set with a passionate rendition of "King of the World" from "Songs From a New World." He also sang "Someone Else's Clothes and "Someone to Fall Back On" from his solo CD. Based on those two wonderful songs I picked up a copy of his CD which Brown graciously signed after the show. Brown also performed a song from his score for "Honeymoon in Vegas" which he says will hopefully be workshopped sometime before the end of the year.

Laura Benanti was Brown's special guest and she gave moving performances of "Christmas Lullaby" and "I'm Not Afraid of Anything" and dueted with him on "I'd Give it All For You," all from "Songs From a New World."

All-in-all a great trip and as always I can't wait to get back to NYC again!


Updated On: 4/7/07 at 07:17 PM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 1:02am

Great Reviews!

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 2:05am

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit! I was at the same Jason Robert Brown show and enjoyed it as well. I still need to get that CD, though...

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:07pm

Just wanted to bump my thread in hopes that some others might respond to my reviews.