I just came back from what was one of the greatest shows I have ever seen and I feel so lucky to have witnessed the first preview for a show that is only going to get better from here.
Before I begin let me preface it by saying I've seen the Broadway company 12 times. Victoria Clarke is the definitive Margaret for me as is Kelli O'Hara and the rest of the cast.
That being said, I was completely open to a new interpretation of the piece and was very excited to see what the new actors were going to bring to the table. So, first things first..
The Set
You never fully realize how much the thrust stage really played a part of the story until you realize that it's gone. On Broadway it felt much more spacious and just large and beautiful. The tour set has been much more compacted (for obvious reasons). There is no thrust which means most of the action which came from the thrust now takes place coming in from either SL or SR. Everything else was there including the moving buildings, paintings, statues and the black iron gate. You could tell a little bit that they were a bit smaller than the original (and a little claustrophobic), however if you didn't know you wouldn't be able to tell. Everything was beautiful and for the first preview moved absolutely smoothly without a hitch. I did miss the thrust stage but a regular audience member wouldn't know the difference.
The Actors
I'll only really comment on the actors that I really focused on. Characters such as Roy really didn't stand out to me but I'll try to be as detailed as I can.
Diane Sutherland (Signora Nacarelli)
She was good. Much more livelier and italian than Patti. Her soprano was okay but not as strong as Patti's. When she spoke in English she had a heavy Italian accent, which Patti did not.
David Ledingham (Signor Nacarelli)
He was also good. I'm not sure whether I liked him or not as he was much more subtle and a less demanding Signor than those of past but that was his own interpretation of it.
Jonathan Hammond (Giuseppe)
His acting was good but I much prefer the dancing of Michael Berresse in the role. It just didn't suit him. I think he'll find his character soon, but I prefer Michael's suaveness.
Laura Griffith (Franca)
She was great and had a beautiful soprano voice. She had a much more sexy, starlet feel than Sarah did but she made the character her own nonetheless. Her comic timing was on and everything was great. Although I do feel that Sarah was STUNNING in that brunette wig.
AND NOW FOR THE THREE...
David Burnham (Fabrizio)
I do not think it was a wise choice for the director to put the glasses on him as it made him look like a goof. I understand from previous posts that they wanted to make him look like he made a transformation, but David didn't play the transformation strong enough so it felt like he was a goof the entire time up until Love To Me. That being said I believe that David will only get stronger in this role. I know that he was one of the understudies in the Broadway cast, however, he needs to work on his Italian accent. The familys' accents felt very natural and his to me felt fake. His singing was great and he will continue to grow I believe and feel where the arc of Fabrizio is going.
Elena Shaddow (Clara)
Wow. Wow. Wow. This girl has a beautiful BEAUTIFUL voice. I hate to say this but almost a little better than Kelli's (and I love Kelli's). When this girl let's go it's like OMG where did that come from? I felt that she really defined the character and made it her own. Not as childlike as Katie and not exactly like Kelli's character. It was almost like a hybrid but not, but there were little things that she did that received laughs that didn't before. So I'm glad she's found little subtleties that will make it her own. If this is where she is on the FIRST preview she will be stunning a couple of months down the line.
Sidenote: I'm not a fan of the brunette wig. She blends in with EVERYBODY else in the show who's ALSO a brunette including her mother. She needs to be a blonde just because she'd stand out in the crowd. AND her (THe Joy You Feel) dress was awful, they need to replace it. Overall expect BIG things from this girl in the future.
and now DRUMROLL PLEASE...
Christine Andreas (Margaret)
It took me a little bit to grow on to her. Being "brought up" on Vicky's accent, it took me awhile to adjust to her deep southern accent. Christine has a husky, sexy voice so in turn it brought a southern sort of sexy charm to her Margaret. Her characterization of Margaret is FAAAAAR different than that of Vicky's. Christine doesn't play it with a little comic pizazz, it's more of a restricted southern belle-like woman. WHICH btw still gets laughs in places that I never thought would. I enjoyed her acting and think she still has a few kinks to work out. Her singing on the other hand...I think she's the first Margaret to have almost belted the entire show. Christine's voice is unique as it has (as I said before) a huskiness and a beltiness to it. BUT that being said let me tell you, when she soared into the rafters in The Beauty Is (Reprise) I was like Holy CRAP. She can get up there and have a beautiful soprano. I think she's still finding her vocal footing as well. It's weird, I love Victoria's voice but I loved the delicacy and the sexiness of Christines. OVERALL she has quirks and things to figure out about where she's going with Margaret. Some of her moments are stunning while others fall flat. I think she needs to have a sense of humor about her a little bit, but then that would be comparing her to Vicky which is not fair. I think she'll find it as the run goes along and it will be great.
CONCLUSION
Go see the tour. It may not be exactly as the Broadway cast or anything of the sort but that's the beauty of reinvention. New ideas, new concepts. Be open to interpretation and just know that the art of this show is still at it's core. I will always love the performances of Vicky, Kelli, Katie, Aaron, Matt and the others but it's nice to know that these people will live on in this tour across the country and touch that many more peoples' hearts.
"Isn't it strange that we spend most of our time learning to do what they put people in asylums for." - Jane Fonda on Acting
Updated On: 8/2/06 at 02:55 AM
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