#1
Posted: 8/31/08 at 6:26pm
Just returned home from a preview performance of Tommy today.
First of all- FABULOUS talent. Cedric did not disappoint as Tommy. Since I had never seen the show before, I did get a little anxious thinking that he may not be singing. Luckily, he eventually started to sing, and his voice is just fabulous - not to mention his performance...All I can say is WOW!
Joshua Doss has a small part, but he does well. Liz Mikel is fabulous as the Gypsy. I wish she would have had a bigger part as well! Her voice is so powerful.
Betsy Wolfe who has been on B'way in 110 in the Shade and Spelling Bee was an excellent Mrs. Walker. I thought she looked familiar throughout the whole show, and I realized why after reading the bio. OSOCLOSO was the onstage band/ensemble and were amazingly talented.
That being said, the amazing talent was put into a mishmosh of concepts already developed and displayed on the New York stage. The setup mirrored Passing Strange with an onstage band that spoke to the audience, narrated, and interacted with and spoke for the characters. The set which was large metal stairways and balconies and sparse props was reminiscent of Rent. There is also a pool of water like Metamorphoses. The dancing had a hip hop touch to it like In the Heights. The fact that I was able to single out these possible inspirations makes me think that something did not mesh in the directorial concept. None of these concepts are bad. I actually love them all -as many of these are some of my favorite shows of all time. However, I'm not sure about putting them all together.
I did like the fact that they used local talent. OSO CLOSO was amazing to watch, and I would definitely go see a local gig with them. I also loved the lighting... especially when it reflected on the pool of water. I enjoyed some of the costumes, the fact that the stage was filled, and the actual story and music. I was never once bored with what was happening on the stage.
I think that this show will receive rave reviews which is great because the talent truly deserves it. However, the elaborate staging was not particularly original.
It felt like Moriarty took everything he saw happening on the New York stages and threw it together in one production. For those who don't follow the shows closely, I'm sure it was invigorating because the concepts ARE extraordinarily exciting.
There were a few people who walked out of the show which wasn't surprising considering the tone of the other productions I've seen at the DTC. However, even with all my criticism I was compelled to continue watching to see what would happen next. I'm definitely glad I saw it, and the cast has much to be proud of in this production. I'm looking forward to hearing the review of critics and other patrons in the upcoming weeks!
First of all- FABULOUS talent. Cedric did not disappoint as Tommy. Since I had never seen the show before, I did get a little anxious thinking that he may not be singing. Luckily, he eventually started to sing, and his voice is just fabulous - not to mention his performance...All I can say is WOW!
Joshua Doss has a small part, but he does well. Liz Mikel is fabulous as the Gypsy. I wish she would have had a bigger part as well! Her voice is so powerful.
Betsy Wolfe who has been on B'way in 110 in the Shade and Spelling Bee was an excellent Mrs. Walker. I thought she looked familiar throughout the whole show, and I realized why after reading the bio. OSOCLOSO was the onstage band/ensemble and were amazingly talented.
That being said, the amazing talent was put into a mishmosh of concepts already developed and displayed on the New York stage. The setup mirrored Passing Strange with an onstage band that spoke to the audience, narrated, and interacted with and spoke for the characters. The set which was large metal stairways and balconies and sparse props was reminiscent of Rent. There is also a pool of water like Metamorphoses. The dancing had a hip hop touch to it like In the Heights. The fact that I was able to single out these possible inspirations makes me think that something did not mesh in the directorial concept. None of these concepts are bad. I actually love them all -as many of these are some of my favorite shows of all time. However, I'm not sure about putting them all together.
I did like the fact that they used local talent. OSO CLOSO was amazing to watch, and I would definitely go see a local gig with them. I also loved the lighting... especially when it reflected on the pool of water. I enjoyed some of the costumes, the fact that the stage was filled, and the actual story and music. I was never once bored with what was happening on the stage.
I think that this show will receive rave reviews which is great because the talent truly deserves it. However, the elaborate staging was not particularly original.
It felt like Moriarty took everything he saw happening on the New York stages and threw it together in one production. For those who don't follow the shows closely, I'm sure it was invigorating because the concepts ARE extraordinarily exciting.
There were a few people who walked out of the show which wasn't surprising considering the tone of the other productions I've seen at the DTC. However, even with all my criticism I was compelled to continue watching to see what would happen next. I'm definitely glad I saw it, and the cast has much to be proud of in this production. I'm looking forward to hearing the review of critics and other patrons in the upcoming weeks!
So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?
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