Loved the Waitress segue from Sara to Jessie, but wish they'd just gotten rid of Opening Up. Replacing it with Bad Idea would've been great (but I suppose ~sex~) or even The Negative! Jessie's performance is love it or hate it, so that's pretty effective.
Somewhat disappointed with She Loves Me, not sure what could've been done though. Maybe I Don't Know His Name/Tonight At Eight for their Tony nominees? But those numbers don't showcase SLM's feel and what to expect. Ilona/She Loves Me/Vanilla Ice Cream has the spectacle, color and high notes that people expect from classic musicals... especially effective, I think, for those who'd watched the 1993 staging.
For Hamilton, wished they'd just stuck with one angle for the ensemble shots. The choreography did not come off as well as a simple front shot would've. Also, the closing number was overkill (3 performances!) though it was nice to hear the women, finally.
Color Purple - Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia, yes!!! I thought they did a nice job balancing the cast in the first minute with Cynthia bringing it home with I'm Here. Weird camera angle though... I could see all the way into the back of her mouth, including her molar fillings. Too much detail.
I thought School of Rock was cute, and Shuffle Along was appropriately energetic. Spring Awakening was another show that could've benefitted from fewer camera angles. And Bright Star showcased Cusack's voice beautifully but sort of petered out halfway... would've loved a single Cusack solo.
Updated On: 6/14/16 at 12:08 AM