I was there tonight, and while I found the show strong, I think there are also inherent problems.
The primary issue is that the first act of the show is just downright laborious. Because of all the exposition required by the conceit, it becomes very taxing very fast, and the cast haven't yet managed to get the pacing to a level where it zips along, which is
crucial. With the introduction of all the improvisational elements that essentially throw the plot out the window, the second act is infinitely stronger, and I think the fact that it's the last impression that leaves the audience walking out on such a high can be somewhat deceiving in terms of the total quality of the evening.
The other big issue that's specific to this production is the tone of the direction, which I think needs some serious refining. DROOD works best when the actors make the archetypes of the characters in the show within the show very clear, and the most successful people in this production do that beautifully- Chita Rivera, Jim Norton, Will Chase, Andy Karl, and Peter Benson.
Unfortunately, there are others (most notably Betsy Wolfe and Jessie Mueller) who tend to play those scenes in character quite straight, and it made their moments fall flat for me. Wolfe was infinitely better and more vibrant when she stepped out of the Rosa Budd character during the voting in the second act, as was Mueller when performing Helena's number after being voted as Datchery. Both of them need to up the melodrama and tone down the darkness when they're performing the scenes from the play, especially Mueller. To be fair to her, I also think she's ultimately miscast- I couldn't help but think the entire night how she'd be infinitely better served as Drood. She's just not a specific enough comedienne to make sense of the inherent oddness of Helena, which can be so memorable in the right hands, and her missed opportunities are made more apparent by the fact that Andy Karl has created such a weirdly inspired characterization opposite her.
I'm still on the fence about Stephanie Block. I think she'll probably go down in history as the best sung Drood there ever was (her "Writing On The Wall" was thrilling,) but like Betsy Wolfe, she came alive the most when she was out of character as Alice Nutting. As Edwin Drood, she really made no choices at all. There was no sense conveyed whatsoever of why so many people would potentially want to murder the character, which again, is crucial to understanding the function that he serves within the piece. I also agree with a comment I read elsewhere about the production values being pretty ritzy for what is supposed to be an amateur theater group.
In spite of the issues, overall, I think this will wind up a hit. I'd love to go back later in the run when they've settled into more of a groove. No matter what, it sure is fun.
P.S. How did Gregg Edelman finagle his way into above the title billing? Considering what a thankless part he's got, he must have one hell of an agent.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 10/21/12 at 01:59 AM
