I just got back! Karen Olivo was in attendance
Show ended at 10:30 on the dot. Was on the street by 10:32. So seems like it was REALLY tightened. There were only some minor unnoticeable tech issues.
I really enjoyed the show! I was shocked how zippy act 1 was. It ended by 9:10. It flew by. Act 2 is definitely too long. It could use some trimming. There was no "Lie to Me" reprise or "Shoes From Heaven." The last thing sung was a reprise of "My Crazy Heart" by Pepa's Concierge. The show ended with Pepa and Marisa on the terrace. It was a nice ending, but I think the audience would like to leave with a song. I think the company should sing "On The Verge" at curtain call or something.
I enjoyed the score quite a lot. I love Yazbek's two other scores. But I feel this score is not as accessible as the other two. It's a darker score, and really shows more of Yazbek's colors as a composer. This score has probably his best lyrics to date.
I had not seen the movie before, so I was basically unfamiliar with the work. I thought the book was good, but could definitely use some trimming in act 2. I think the dramatic arc was clear, and it was evident that this IS Pepa's story.
On to the performances. I thought Sherie was fantastic. She never once seemed once at sea. She was fully devoted to the character. She was sexy and quirky. I actually felt "Mother's Day" was one of Pepa's weaker songs. LuPone was hilarious. Sure her accent goes in and out, but this was such a perfect fit for her. Benanti was fantastic, but I don't think she "walks away with the show." I was shocked by how small Stoke's role was. It was a pretty thankless role, and I am shocked he took it. At times it was like we didn't even need Ivan as a character; we find out enough about him through the women. The rest of the cast were uniformly excellent. I did think Burstein's "Madrid" was a bit random.
The set was definitely busy, but I really liked it. I LOVED the opening image of Sherie on the rotating bed with the mirrors. I thought it was just a perfect image. There seemed to be some minor issues with the staircase and motorcycle. But they were hardly noticeable if you weren't looking.
A big shout out to Jim Abbott and his wonderful orchestra. They sounded GREAT. The orchestrations were also lovely. But at times the orchestra was overpowering the performers a bit.
Overall I was quite impressed. It will only get better and tighter from here. I very much felt like I saw a "finished product."
And for those wondering. We got rush at 6:00, and ended up with K 22 & 24. Not the best seats, but not completely awful. Definitely partial view.
Updated On: 10/16/10 at 11:58 PM
