WiCkEDrOcKS @ '...Spelling Bee'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 3:45pm

I know the puns are all over in reviews and everything but how do you spell 'Perfect'? The answer is this amazing show playing at the Circle In The Square Theater. So far, Ive seen all out raves for this show *with the exception of a few MR BARNES!* (this is, its safe to say the best reviewed musical of the season by far). And it deserves every single compliment and accolade it has acquired.

The Score- Incomparable. William Finn has outdone himself yet again. This is the best score Ive heard in a long, long time. It ranges from hysterical, eye-tearing comedic songs to all-out amazingly sung power-ballads and these songs are placed just right. They work seamlessly in each scene and they also show the amazing range of talent on the stage wonderfully.

The Book- We've found our Tony winner, folks. It's funny, charming, and at times beautifully sincere. The one-liners are priceless and the monolouges some of the spellers go into are wonderfully pitch-perfect.

Cast highlights (IMO):
Although the entire company of this show is worth recognizing for their wonderful performances, there were a few that really sparkled and shone among the rest.

--Dan Folger as William Barfee: The best male performance Ive seen in a musical so far this year. He is hysterically funny and rioutously adorable. He really shines in this production.

--Celia Keenan Bolger as Olive Ostrovsky: What a voice this girl has! When she sings in "The I LOVE YOU Song", your jaw will literally drop. She is also hysterical and when she's speaking about her *SPOILER?* parents, she gives it her all and literally had people around me nearly in tears.

--Lisa Howard as Rona Lisa Peretti: Another amazingly wonderful performance. Her one liners regarding the spellers are perfectly delivered with impecable comedic timing and she has a voice that could shatter glass (in the best way possible).

--Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Leaf Coneybear: He is perhaps, the funniest, quirkiest, most lovable part of the show. He brings the perfect amount of comedy to his part as well.

The show, as I said, remains one of the best Broadway shows Ive ever seen, honestly. I am happy for its succesfully good reviews and for the fact that it wont be leaving the Circle In the Square Theater for a long, long time. It deserves Best Musical, without a doubt. Please go see Bee, you will not regret it.

**** out of four

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 3:58pm

thand wr... i love you and i love the show! next wednesday for me!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:03pm

Aw, love you too apdarcey! Have fun on Wednesday. Its a knockout. Be sure to post a review!

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:03pm

So glad to hear someone single out the GORGEOUS and uber-talented Lisa Howard in this production. She is so phenomenal and I like to say "I knew her when..."

oh, and I hate to quibble, but everyone is doing it so it's not just you, Wickedrocks, but Dan's name is Fogler, not Folger like the coffee.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:40pm

Thanks, Bwaysinger. I did that once before also.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 4:51pm

So tell me more about Llana singing "My Unfortunate Erection" to Donna Murphy.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 5:03pm

Yeah, I wanna hear about that as well. And if you could elaborate on the song itself as well, it would be greatly appreciated....

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 6:13pm

Well, I wasnt really paying much attention because I didnt realize it was her until towards the end of the song but during the part where Llana points to someone in the audience and asks Leaf if thats his sister, people laughed but by the end of the song when everyone looked over to see who he was singing to, they began to ROAR with laughter. Sorry, I cant elaborate much but it was just hysterical.

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 6:21pm

i saw it on saturday and it was great. i loved william beafee.lol i had lotto seats, the benches and it was like hell.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 6:44pm

Glad you enjoyed it WR! What did you think of Jose Llana out of curiousity, he was my personal favorite, but I'm slightly biased, I thought he was fantastic though.

With my show when he singled out the girl, we only realized that he had actually picked a member of the audience b/c I think he specifically gave her a candy or something. That would have been great to have seen it be Donna Murphy!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 6:58pm

He was pretty good but as I said, The four performances I mentioned eclipsed everyone else on the stage.

[wendy72]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:39am

For me, Jesse, Jose, Lisa and Celia were the standouts--Dan was good, but difficult at times to understand (because of the character's nasal condition). Jesse should be receiving just as many accolades as Dan.