TOXIC AUDIO

[theaterbear]

Posted: 5/8/04 at 5:15pm

Caught the show last night and was pretty blown away. If you are in town I highly suggest checking it out!

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/8/04 at 8:37pm

I was there last night and thought they were very creative.
It will appeal to the 10-30 year old crowd. It is worth seeing but it is not my favorite kind of theater.
It is more of a concert then a show. Updated On: 5/8/04 at 08:37 PM

[SuperSixOne]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 2:17am

"It is more of a concert then a show"

all in the perspective, i suppose. to an a cappella fan, it's more of a show than a concert

regardless, it's an excellent show. i went this afternoon, and i've seen it several other times before that. in a world where everything is slowly being replaced by machines and synthesizers, toxic audio creates everything, from drums to horns to electric guitars to seagulls to storms and more, all using nothing but their voices.

"never underestimate the power of the human voice." Updated On: 5/9/04 at 02:17 AM

[druidgirl103]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 3:05am

I entirely agree with SuperSixOne, as I was at the show with her today (and have also been several times in the past few weeks). Toxic Audio is an amazing group to watch, a comedic and outstandingly talented bunch of people. Each member is truly versatile and brings something different to the show. Personally, I think the age range for this group extends far past 30 as I've seen many elderly people thoroughly enjoy the show...it's great for all ages! It's a captivating (and addicting) show, utilizing all aspects of the human voice in its purest form to create harmony and unity. Everyone, a cappella fan or not, should see this show because it has so many levels that it can be appreciated from. I'm trying to find ways to go back! :)

[SuperSixOne]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 12:04pm

"Personally, I think the age range for this group extends far past 30 as I've seen many elderly people thoroughly enjoy the show"

agreed. ive seen the show 5 times at its current location, and helped out a little at the previous off-off broadway run in january. i've seen people of all ages, from young children to their grandparents, enjoying the show. while there may be some references (nsync) that only younger people will truly appreciate, there are also a lot of older songs that perhaps younger folk won't recognize (dream a little dream of me). there's a michael jackson song, a song by the beatles...all in all i would say the show caters to all age groups.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 12:20pm

The show is really fun, but it is more of a glorified concert than a show in MY opinion. I enjoyed myself a lot when I went, because while it was really goofy they actually had a lot of talent. I think it's totally worth my time...but I'm not sure if I'd want to spend 50 bucks to see it (I went for free). I DO think that a lot of older people actually would like the show...

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 6:08pm

They are a talented bunch but I would much rather see The Normal Heart or Caroline or Change or Avenue Q.
If you have so many choices Toxic Audio would not be on my pix list.
It is perfect for a family to take the kids to this production but it is light weight material.
It is all relative. Many kids will love it.
I liked it but I am not really into theatrical events.

[Gary2]

Posted: 5/10/04 at 4:55pm

Hey I am 22 years OVER 30 and totally love the show...and yes I do get all the jokes. 52 is not old...52 is just getting started!

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 12:48am

Actually my favorite part was the audience participation.
They brought an older woman who really hammed it up.
She was great.
I thought about the plant in Tunes show and wondered this woman is so funny could she be a plant.
She made me smile.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 10:34am

I got pulled up for the "romantic song" thing:P When I was there the remote control lady really hammed it up too:)

[sharonkurland]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 12:38am

My husband and I have been Toxic Audio fans for several years already. I'm from NY, he's from NJ and we moved to FL nearly 4 years ago. Fortunately, that gave us the opportunity to "discover" Toxic Audio circa 2001 and watch them grow from playing high schools, malls, county fairs (or not...darn rain!) and small theaters to their current big show Off Broadway.

We went back up to NY this past weekend, specifically to see Toxic "do their stuff" in their new show and we were NOT disappointed with what we saw. Their repertoire is filled with catchy, well-known songs ranging from the early 20th century to today. Their harmonies (some of which have been known to bring me to tears, they're so beautiful) and "instrumental voices" are flawless and while you're listening to them, you can close your eyes and admire the magic that their soundman does (and boy, does that theater have awesome acoustics or what?). Their ability to add humor and audience participation makes it all the more interesting. Their costuming and lighting are brand-new, just for NY and it only adds to the show.

My only complaints? Some of my favorite songs weren't included (sigh...I wasn't consulted or "The Water Is Wide," "Easter Island Head" and "Hooked On A Feeling" would be IN THERE [wink]. Then again, a few of my lesser-favorites AREN'T in there, so I suppose there's always trade-offs), and I'd like more merchandise besides T-shirts and CDs (we already had "his and hers" of the latter...now we've got 2 shirts too, but we want MORE! Though the free posters were REALLY cool).

Just for the record, my husband and I were not particularly huge a cappella fans prior to "discovering" Toxic Audio, but they have truly wrapped us around their little fingers.

Anyway, GO SEE TOXIC AUDIO IN LOUDMOUTH! We saw them twice this past weekend and are coming back up for 2 or 3 shows in July...perhaps earlier, if we can get a good deal on airline tickets [grin]. We're looking forward to the Drama Desk Awards this Sunday (the 16th) at 9pm Eastern, since Toxic Audio was nominated for Most Unique Show. The ceremony will be webcast live on TheaterMania.com and we're keeping our fingers crossed REALLY tightly.

-Sharon-
Orlando FL

[sharonkurland]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 9:47am

Oh, and PS to Corine2-

> I thought about the plant in Tunes show and
> wondered this woman is so funny could she be
> a plant. She made me smile.

I would be 99.99% sure they are NOT plants. I've seen a lot of Toxic's shows and I think they're just really good at knowing their audience based on looks, demographics, etc. They worked at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios for years...they're just good at reading people. Another reason why I don't think they're plants...there are 1 or 2 jokes that can or cannot happen, based on what the chosen audience member does. If it was a plant, I'd think they'd make the joke happen every time, no?

Funniest "audience participation" I ever saw with them was during Jeremy's "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" at a Central Florida college theater. The person they picked obviously had an Asian background, and, as it turned out, spoke no English. I mean NONE. It took about 5 minutes for them to coax the guy up onto the stage, since he was just waving his hands in front of his face, shaking his head no and saying "Sorry, sorry." Once they finally got him up there and he saw what he had to do, he REALLY got into it, MAJORLY hamming it up. It was SUCH a turnaround from his initial "I don't want to do this" demeanor. I swear, I almost wet my pants from laughing that night [wink].

It's stuff like that that lets me go back to Toxic Audio's shows time and time again and not get bored. There's always SOMETHING different. That's why we're willing to shlep all the way to back up to NY, see Toxic Audio twice and not see any other shows.

-Sharon-
Orlando FL