Vanities a new Musical, Show and Cast Recording

[Soliantu]

Posted: 7/31/09 at 12:55pm

Saw Vanities last night off-broadway at 2econd Stages, and I have to say I really recommend it. It was much better than I expected. I really enjoyed it. I didn't know what to expect when I read the girl Annaleise Van Der Pol was from a show on the Disney channel. I'll admit I was a little "oh great".. But I actually thought she was really good. Also I spoke with one of the girls after the show, and asked her if there was to be a Cast Recording made (saw it on Wikipedia but didn't know whether to trust) and she confirmed that they will be recording it next month. yay :)
Updated On: 7/31/09 at 12:55 PM

Posted: 7/31/09 at 1:21pm

I enjoyed it as well. It's nothing ground breaking, but a fun night at the theatre. I'm not sure I love the ending...I'm partial to the play's version. But the music does lend itself to a happy ending. So glad to hear about the cast recording! I'll definitely get it!

[DancingThroughLife2]

Posted: 7/31/09 at 1:37pm

I also saw on Anneliese's twitter that they are recording and i am very happy to hear that confirmed!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/31/09 at 1:42pm

I'm going to the final performance. I am tenuous about seeing it, as I love the play.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 3:32am

Just caught this show tonight and I loved it. Get tickets for the final weekend now! The place was packed

[pretendworld]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 4:50am

any news on the recording?
i've seen they also taped the show. i wonder if they'll release that?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 10:47am

Why would they release it?

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 10:53am

I haven't seen the show. I am so excited for the recording!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 11:19am

I think the intention is for it to be released on sh-k-boom.

Updated On: 8/8/09 at 11:19 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/8/09 at 11:25am

Seein' it tomorrow!

[bryan]

Posted: 8/10/09 at 8:37pm

oh boy i think that cry baby need a cast cd.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/10/09 at 8:40pm

I am wickedly excited for this cast recording. I have loved all of the songs that I've heard and I'd like to be able to hear the rest of them.

Posted: 8/10/09 at 10:58pm

I am one of the few that adores the music!

dramamama611 - What did you think of the show?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/10/09 at 11:23pm

I saw it, and I'm sort of indifferent about it. I mean, I enjoyed myself, but to me it just ended very obviously. The best scene was the rooftop scene as the others were just sort of pointless. I really liked the "Cute Boys in Short Haircuts" song, and I thought Lauren Kennedy was a force to be reckon with. I Just couldn't not stop watching her. I thought she was fantastic.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 8/10/09 at 11:27pm

How was Annelise??

I saw a clip of her singing a big belty song, but don't know what it is called and want to hear the full thing so badly!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/10/09 at 11:34pm

She's not bad. I mean she's a capable actress, and her voice is great, but I just didn't really feel that much for her character. So much is like "hinted" at, and I had a friend explain the play to me, and it seems like they cut a lot of her story or watered it down or maybe I missed something? I dunno, but yeah, she was good.

Posted: 8/10/09 at 11:39pm

Rentboy86 - Her character is pretty vague in the play. I don't remember them leaving out anything significant from her character. You almost have to draw your own conclusions about her. They actually added her whole writer occupation for the musical.
Updated On: 8/10/09 at 11:39 PM

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 4:05am

For me, Sarah Stiles was by far the standout. I loved her as Kate/Lucy, but had no idea she had a voice like that inside of her. And she had arguably the most to play with in the show.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 9:45am

I thought she was interesting but by the end of the play she just got annoying - both her actual character and her portrayal of her character.

SingingMySong: My friend said that in the play both of the girls slept with Sarah Stile's character's husband. Or something to that effect, but I didn't quite grasp that in the musical. Or, in the play, my friend said, that Annelise's character is living in the apartment by him or something? I didn't quite get what her "situation" was?

[pretendworld]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 11:39am

In the play, Joanne gives Mary a nasty remark and Mary says something like, "I won't with Ted around!"

That's pretty much where Joanne runs out. Well, this is actually from the TV special.

In it, Kathy doesn't have a job and after Mary points out some very expensive pieces of furniture she keeps asking her what the deal was. She admits the apartment doesn't belong to her, but to *a friend.* Kathy doesn't sleep with Ted, but she and Ted would talk on the phone about their troubles.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 1:26pm

Kathy's ambiguity is what makes her universal. The other two characters are drawn to such extremes that she becomes the person the audience most identifies with.

Each girl represents a different journey. Joanne strictly adheres to the conservative values her parents taught her, Mary rebels to the ultimate degree, and Kathy is figuring out who she is somewhat in between.

If you look at the third scene (which is where the original play ends,) Kathy is the only one who has grown beyond the judgmental self absorption that continues to consume the lives of Mary and Joanne.

Updated On: 8/11/09 at 01:26 PM

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 1:32pm

So Kathy wasn't a lesbian?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 1:34pm

There isn't an answer to that question.

As I said, the specifics of the character's journey are written ambiguously for a reason.

While I don't believe she's a lesbian, per say (I think that's thinking a little too literally,) you very well could.

In both the original play and the musical, I always thought Kathy didn't want to explain the specifics of who owned the apartment in order to avoid judgement from Mary and Joanne about her unconventional living situation, i.e. living with someone who seemingly supports her financially without a serious commitment or her giving them anything in return.

Updated On: 8/11/09 at 01:34 PM

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 1:38pm

Twas just a joke that I was pulling from the "New York is a haven for horny girls" and Kathy saying her boyfriend of 6 years was her "first and last."

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/11/09 at 1:43pm

Several people I've talked to have walked away from the show thinking she was a lesbian because of her exclamation of "no more cute boys with short haircuts," the line you've mentioned about Gary being her "first and last," the mystery over who owns the apartment, and even something as silly as her initial desire to be a PE teacher.

Kathy is also the only one of the three who ends up unattached (seemingly) at the end of the show, but I think the message being delivered through her is that happiness is just as attainable through the fulfillment of one's self, not necessarily by definition of a relationship with another person.

The way people are so prone to speculating about who she is or isn't involved with (she can't just be single and happy?) kind of proves the point of why that social commentary is still so relevant.

Updated On: 8/11/09 at 01:43 PM