What a difference a cast makes!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/18/12 at 11:58pm

Caught the new casts of Seminar and Sister Act last night and this evening. Both shows are fairly mediocre on the page, but a good cast can elevate the material and make for an enjoyable night at the theater.

The first time I saw Seminar I found it amusing enough and chuckled throughout. Rabe's personality perfectly suited her character and Rickman made an unbelievable role funny and bearable. To be fair the first preview had a full audience of supportive fans. It's much easier to laugh along when you have a crowd to support it.

I felt like there couldn't have been more than 200 people at the Golden yesterday and they were a pretty silent group. The cast on stage wasn't giving anyone much to laugh about though. All the creaks of the play had a spotlight on them. Goldblum was all over the place. I don't think he was struggling with lines, but his characterization almost was the type of person who can't find the right words easily enough (something not appropriate for a character who is overly assured of his expertise). So many of the laughs Rickman scored were completely lost.

Zoe Lister-Jones was very abrasive, and although she grew on me I wasn't blown away. Justin Long was the best replacement.

I wasn't actively recommending Seminar to anyone before, but now if a co-worker asks about it I will have to warn them against it.

Tonight held the opposite change at Sister Act: Raven has given this show the shot in the arm it so desperately needed.

I got the OLC before I saw the show originally and thought Patina sounded terrific on the recording. She never quite lived up to the energy and excitement I found on the album. Victoria Clark was too stiff and regal. The both took the roles a tad too seriously if that makes sense.

The book is written like a corny sitcom, and who better to make these jokes land than Raven. She gets how to let loose and finds a way to squeeze a laugh out of the cheesy groaners. Her voice is surprisingly powerful, she has an infectious smile and is loaded with charisma. For the first time I was rooting for Deloris. She truly is reason enough to revisit this show, even if you weren't over the moon for it before.

I'd seen Carolee before with Patina, but she's found more comedy with the role and has nice chemistry with Raven. Unlike Seminar where I was silent when I once laughed, here I was laughing when every other time I sat silent.

Raven brought up all the other performances too. Chester Gregory has never been more animated in his role, and never got a better response from the audience either. The nuns also seemed to form a real bond of friendship with her.

It's fun to see a show changes with replacements. I'm glad I gave Sister Act another shot and look forward to checking out Raven again later in her run.

[watchmesoar]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 8:06am

That's the point I love when I am at a theatre: every time the cast has a different energy and different actors and actresses give something different and unique to the role.