#1
Posted: 9/9/08 at 10:43pm
Hi, all. Inspired by others who post reviews, I decided to do one of my own to see if it catches on. Let me know if you like it, otherwise I'll stop and keep from cluttering the board. I hope it will allow me to see the work more critically and get more out of it, and allow others with taste similar to mine to benefit.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES, September 9, 7pm
Ultimately, this show has fantastic voices singing quality songs in a high-budget production. It falls short, however, in its approach to the story and its execution, didn't move me the way it intended, and is largely derivative from Les Mis, in my opinion.
I'll start with the good--it's obvious the cast is brimming with talent. James Barbour's playful nature is very amusing and a highlight of the show. The voices, on the whole, are very strong, and the songs do a good job of showing them off. The score was VERY reminiscent of Les Mis, though, and with nearly half the cast having done Les Mis in the past, it came of as the producers trying to capitalize on past success.
The sets are done well--rotation again plays a theme here in getting the houses on and off, but the minimalist nature of the wood allows each piece to play multiple scenes effectively.
What this show reminded me of, however, is a Harry Potter movie: the book is too long and complicated to be done justice in 2.5 hours, and the condensed version ends up feeling disconnected. It seemed at times that they would try to fit 50 pages of the novel into a scene, then have a lead sing a soliloquy that doesn't really advance the plot. The plot itself, then, alternates between cursory overview and in-depth contemplation. They try to include too many main characters, and the play suffers as a result.
As others have noted, the first half drags. Things that are included, which I tried hard to remember because they seemed like they would become important, weren't alluded to later. Cutting those relatively superfluous scenes would create a tighter show. In the end, the inconsistent telling of the story and the rushed character progression didn't leave my heartstrings pulled in the finale, though they should have been.
My recommendation: if you see most Broadway shows and/or you love Les Mis, go for it. You should be able to get affordable tickets. Otherwise, I think this show lacks the impact it could have.
Rating: 4/10 (40th percentile--if you randomly gave me 10 shows, this one would probably rank around 6th in my opinion).
A TALE OF TWO CITIES, September 9, 7pm
Ultimately, this show has fantastic voices singing quality songs in a high-budget production. It falls short, however, in its approach to the story and its execution, didn't move me the way it intended, and is largely derivative from Les Mis, in my opinion.
I'll start with the good--it's obvious the cast is brimming with talent. James Barbour's playful nature is very amusing and a highlight of the show. The voices, on the whole, are very strong, and the songs do a good job of showing them off. The score was VERY reminiscent of Les Mis, though, and with nearly half the cast having done Les Mis in the past, it came of as the producers trying to capitalize on past success.
The sets are done well--rotation again plays a theme here in getting the houses on and off, but the minimalist nature of the wood allows each piece to play multiple scenes effectively.
What this show reminded me of, however, is a Harry Potter movie: the book is too long and complicated to be done justice in 2.5 hours, and the condensed version ends up feeling disconnected. It seemed at times that they would try to fit 50 pages of the novel into a scene, then have a lead sing a soliloquy that doesn't really advance the plot. The plot itself, then, alternates between cursory overview and in-depth contemplation. They try to include too many main characters, and the play suffers as a result.
As others have noted, the first half drags. Things that are included, which I tried hard to remember because they seemed like they would become important, weren't alluded to later. Cutting those relatively superfluous scenes would create a tighter show. In the end, the inconsistent telling of the story and the rushed character progression didn't leave my heartstrings pulled in the finale, though they should have been.
My recommendation: if you see most Broadway shows and/or you love Les Mis, go for it. You should be able to get affordable tickets. Otherwise, I think this show lacks the impact it could have.
Rating: 4/10 (40th percentile--if you randomly gave me 10 shows, this one would probably rank around 6th in my opinion).
Updated On: 9/9/08 at 10:43 PM
