#1
Posted: 8/2/06 at 6:20pm
Out: Laura Benanti and Amy Spanger
On: Tina Maddigan and Cara Cooper
It was a return trip to the show, hoping to catch Tina as Julia. As luck would have it, she was on. Something totally odd is happening at the Hirschfeld Theatre: the 2 leads have chemistry!
Stephen Lynch - great, as usual. He's at the top of his game and having the time of his life. It's a very tough part to do (he's on stage for 95% of the show), but he pulls it off very well for a Broadway newbie.
Tina Maddigan - "the Girl with Golden Hair," as you all call her, IS the part. She skates rings around Laura Benanti in every aspect. Her singing voice reminds me of Stephanie D'Abruzzo and her looks remind me of Christine Taylor (Ben Stiller). Her blonde hair looks a lot better than Laura's odd wig....but they still haven't changed the wedding dress. There is undeniable chemistry between her and Stephen and it shows. They're having a great time playing off each other, like they've been doing it for years.
Cara Cooper - she's no Amy Spanger, but she's great in her own right. She's developed her own take on the part, making it like a bad Madonna impersonator with a thick Jersey accent. The accent is a lot more pronounced than Amy's, as I can remember. It's a great way to do the part.
Kevin Cahoon's George gets better and better. Matthew Saldivar has finally realized how to loosen up (he was very stiff when I saw it the last time). Richard Blake has a lot of fun and it shows. Rita Gardner and Felicia Finley got the dead crowd going with their respective scenes.
The ensemble was uniformly great. They're having a blast!
The audience, as I just said, seemed DOA. There were groups of students from Pace University, I believe, who looked like they were in outer space. A few rows behind me, there was a group from some Mentally Challenged group home. They had a ball, making the most noise I've ever heard. The actors loved it!
The actors were very appreciative of the fairly large crowd at the sweltering stage door. Tina, whom I had met a few months ago (somehow), remembered me right away and greeted me with a big hug and kiss. I didn't expect that.
All-in-all, I had a blast, yet again. It's too bad nobody else knew what to make of it.
On: Tina Maddigan and Cara Cooper
It was a return trip to the show, hoping to catch Tina as Julia. As luck would have it, she was on. Something totally odd is happening at the Hirschfeld Theatre: the 2 leads have chemistry!
Stephen Lynch - great, as usual. He's at the top of his game and having the time of his life. It's a very tough part to do (he's on stage for 95% of the show), but he pulls it off very well for a Broadway newbie.
Tina Maddigan - "the Girl with Golden Hair," as you all call her, IS the part. She skates rings around Laura Benanti in every aspect. Her singing voice reminds me of Stephanie D'Abruzzo and her looks remind me of Christine Taylor (Ben Stiller). Her blonde hair looks a lot better than Laura's odd wig....but they still haven't changed the wedding dress. There is undeniable chemistry between her and Stephen and it shows. They're having a great time playing off each other, like they've been doing it for years.
Cara Cooper - she's no Amy Spanger, but she's great in her own right. She's developed her own take on the part, making it like a bad Madonna impersonator with a thick Jersey accent. The accent is a lot more pronounced than Amy's, as I can remember. It's a great way to do the part.
Kevin Cahoon's George gets better and better. Matthew Saldivar has finally realized how to loosen up (he was very stiff when I saw it the last time). Richard Blake has a lot of fun and it shows. Rita Gardner and Felicia Finley got the dead crowd going with their respective scenes.
The ensemble was uniformly great. They're having a blast!
The audience, as I just said, seemed DOA. There were groups of students from Pace University, I believe, who looked like they were in outer space. A few rows behind me, there was a group from some Mentally Challenged group home. They had a ball, making the most noise I've ever heard. The actors loved it!
The actors were very appreciative of the fairly large crowd at the sweltering stage door. Tina, whom I had met a few months ago (somehow), remembered me right away and greeted me with a big hug and kiss. I didn't expect that.
All-in-all, I had a blast, yet again. It's too bad nobody else knew what to make of it.
Updated On: 8/2/06 at 06:20 PM
