parislover87 REVIEWS 7 shows in 4 days...

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 6:56pm

Arrived in NYC Thursday, January 4th. Tarzan was the first show on the agenda (I know… I know…) We arrived with broadwaybox.com discount tickets because we figured we’d already missed the student rush and whatnot… but we went by the theatre to check if the student rush tickets had by chance been moved back to front row. When we got in front of the Richard Rodgers theatre, we were greeted by Merle Dandridge loading a car with shopping bags and Dylan Riley Snyder (young Tarzan) chowing down on a hot dog with his family on the front steps… Other star encounters included Ana Gasteyer (she wasn’t as nice as I expected… perhaps because I brought up Reefer Madness…) and Sutton Foster nearly plowed over me yacking on her cell phone. Anyway… the shows

1/4/07 8:00 p.m. Tarzan- Broadway Box Discount Tickets: $70-ish
Right Orchestra, Row E
Understudies: Kerchak- Horace V. Rogers
Son of Man Vocals/ Snipes- Joshua Kobak
So, I’d already seen the show, but as you might have noticed, have a bit of an unbridled desire for Josh Strickland… whoa man. Horace’s vocals greatly surpass those of Hensley’s (who I saw in August), but his acting was… interesting. Interesting in a way that a train wreck is interesting. The crowning moment of his performance was his chest pound that harkened to a full-fledged Celine-to-Andre in-concert heart thump.
Basically the only thing that changed is the bizarre accents that Josh and Merle decided to adapt. and strangely enough/unbeknownst to me… the new young Tarzan has a British accent. but only when singing. naturally. Josh’s accent (much to my pleasure) reminded me of a subdued Heather Headley (which is totally fine by me because I love them both) whereas Merle’s accent was kind of <>”Tossin (supposed to be Tarzan), Ay’m neveer gahing tu loose yu agayn”
Jenn Gambatese’s comedic timing had drastically improved and her cross-eyed bit still seems semi-fresh. She and daddy, Tim Jerome, have wonderful chemistry (yes, I’m digging for good things to say). Speaking of Tim Jerome, he had a wonderful pin on Thursday at stage door. It read,“I Miss The Cold War”. And for the third time, Josh Strickland left me speechless at stage door with those sex-eyes of his…


1/5/07 8:00 p.m. Grey Gardens- Student Rush Tickets: $26.50
Right Orchestra, Front Row
Oh hi…
This show was chosen on a whim… I’d heard little about it and was pretty set on seeing Mary Poppins (thank god I didn’t). Only five of us did student rush, but I’m not complaining. Caroline Rhea was also in attendance… That’s right, Sabrina’s aunt. I wonder if she visited ex-Libby Jenna Leigh Green over at the Gershwin as well.
All I have to say is this show is… gah. It’s just brilliant. The right balance of comedy, seriousness… Oh man. I was a bit concerned since I hadn’t seen the documentary and I’m not exactly a history buff… but the show really eases you into it. Also I was concerned because I’d never seen a show without being familiar with the music.
Highlights of the show were “Hominy Grits” (my personal fave, though BOTH African Americans in the audience seemed a bit skeptical), “Peas In A Pod”, “Will You” (gah this was the simplest and most moving Act I finale ever… this just proves that you don’t have to be painted green, suspended from a cherry picker, and permanently damaging your vocal chords to end an act!) As for Act II, of course Revolutionary Costume stood out but I also really enjoyed “The House We Live In” and “Jerry Likes My Corn”.
It seems that Christine cements her claim on the Tony with this performance and I think the show itself may take many of the awards home. Also, I think that Erin Davie should have come out for an encore bow along with Mary Louise because I thought she nailed it.
Matt Cavenaugh really does a great job. Aside from his strapping good looks, he along with the others had two wonderfully developed characters. But of the menfolk, Bob Stillman as Gould takes the cake… I had. (sorry I had to). He is totally the slightly more sober Beth Leavel of this production (and if you knew how I felt about Beth Leavel, you’d know this comparison is a HUGE compliment).
Other highlights, (so as to not spoil anything) binoculars and magnifying glass and a cane with a Kleenex box.. and all the other random props the act two ladies used to really make the play alive.


1/5/07 11:00 p.m. Evil Dead The Musical- Myspace Discount Tickets: $36
Row D, just outside the SPLATTER ZONE
11 PM o’clock show… WTF?
Understudies: Linda- Amy Shute

Yes, it’s true. I went. I lived. I splattered.

I didn’t get my 36 dollars back, but I didn’t really care… First impression was made by the very hateful ushers, which was annoying. If you go, PUNCH them.
The show was exactly what it was supposed to be: Awesomely Horrible. I went in expecting something like the Reefer Madness movie… I shouldn’t have. The performances themselves were memorable, but only a few tunes stuck with me. There was some VERY clever dialogue and especially witty lyric (but that was hidden in a deep pool of fake blood and exploding guts). The best part of the performance was given by Jenna Coker as Cheryl… reminiscent of a VERY raw Sara Ramirez, she really rocked and you could tell she was a DIE-hard fan of the movie. The best parts were homages to musical theatre in the cheesy duet “Housewares Employee” and the Tango Maureen inspired “What The F*ck Was That?”. Also the well sung “All The Men In My Life Have Been Killed By Candarian Demons” sticks out, but I mean you know how those zombie romance ballads all run together…
The nerd in me was totally impressed with the expertly computerized fake hand and moose head… whoa buddy. I was really mad that they didn’t do more with Ed… his number had potential to be a show stopper but it fell short. Also the Necromicon (the signature song of the show) is probably it’s least enjoyable. Maybe just because I knew the end was near, but still far enough away to tease me. Let me remind you it was at 1:00 in the morning
So yeah, glad there wasn’t a stage door… and glad the fake blood comes out so easily. Otherwise I’d be at the law office suing right now.


1/6/07 2:00 p.m. Les Miserables- Standing Room Only Tickets: $21.50
Eventually we found seats in the back row of the orchestra
Understudies: Enjolras- Nehal Joshi
So I entered this show with HIGH expectations after my neighbors and friends of Rebecca Luker came back singing its praises. All I have to say is the show is exactly what the title forewarns… miserable. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a place in my heart for the show. It was the first show I ever saw and I have seen it twice since then not including this production, so I know it well… and this production just… missed? Some of the performances were stellar. Some were embarrassing. The rest were underappreciated.
I knew I was in for a rough night right off the bat. The ‘chain gang’ arm-on-shoulder walking was awkward and unnatural and ugh, I was just not a fan. The first Act moved ridiculously slowly. Almost as slow as the motion of about 10% of the show (or at least that’s the fraction that seemed to be in slow motion in my opinion). As a matter of fact I thought my watch died for perhaps the entire extent of Fantine’s life. Speaking of Fantine… Daphne, Daphne, Daphne… doubleyoo tee eff?!?! I mean I’m a fan of hers and all and I think that she sounds exactly like your run of the mill 19th century French whore should sound… but in a world of sweetsounding nannies, crooning gorillas, and vocally acrobatic dancers you’d think they could find someone with a VOICE that could convey the passion semi-correctly… As opposed to Rugrats: The French Revolution Musical. Maybe I’m a bit too critical.
I don’t know if it is sad or terrific that the highlight of this performance was, without a doubt, little Brian D’Addario as Gavroche. He was probably the most passionate actor on stage… and he handled his SPOILER----- death much better than Daphne (shocker!).
On a lighter note, some of the performances were simply magical and despite my disapproval of the show, should be seen by any Broadway lover. My biggest qualm was that not a single great performance occured until the Confrontation which is well over an hour into the show. Norm Lewis’ “Stars” was nice. “Lovely Ladies” was beautifully staged though sort of disengaging, “A Heart Full of Love” was perhaps my favorite part. “Master of the House” and the “Thenardier Waltz” were, of course, excellent because Gary and Jenny are flawless in those roles.
Act II almost… almost… salvaged the show for me, Celia was excellent and Adam Jacobs and Ali Ewoldt were electric. at times. “Beggars at the Feast” was perfectly done… otherwise I would have left the Broadhurst feeling like I myself had suffered La Guillotine.
Oh! And I wish they’d use that revolving floor a little more…



1/6/07 8:00 p.m. A Chorus Line- Lottery Tickets: $26.00
Orchestra, Row G- partial view
Understudies: Don- E. Clayton Cornelious
Greg- Grant Turner
Replacement: Connie- Lisa Ho

Wow wow wow wow wow…. God how I love this show. The actors were passionate and relatable, the music was great as ever and the dancing was so incredible that even those of us who know little about dancing know we are seeing something special.
This show had very few highlights for me because the entire thing kept me entertained, but I will note that most of all Paul McGill kept me spellbound. I always caught myself watching him. He plays #63, Mark. He moves beautifully (and it’s not just because he is beautiful—though it doesn’t hurt). I also usually hate the role of Mark and the whole STD bit because I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to bathroom language but he played it well.
“And” was very well done and totally engaging. Chryssie Whitehead was utterly fantastic in her rendition of “Sing” and I felt that Deidre Goodwin was an outward manifestation of my sassy self as Sheila. Jessica Lee Goldyn brought Val to a whole new level although she was a biotch at stage door… but I’ll get to that later. Lastly let’s hear it for Natalie Cortez who truly was the heart of this production, not Charlotte… though Charlotte did fine.
The seats were fine, though we did not get full view of the mirrors.
This is the only show of the trip I will be seeing again.


1/7/07 2:00 p.m. The Apple Tree- Broadway Box Discount Tickets: $60ish
Rear Mezzanine, Row GG
Talk Back Seats: Orchestra, Row B

First things first, Studio 54 is a mother effing BEAUTIFUL theatre. The orchestra is beautiful, the surroundings are beautiful and… of course THE apple tree is perhaps one of the most exquisite pieces of scenery I’ve seen to date.
Cutie Patootie Deluxe, Kristin Chenoweth (to quote Rosie) was in true form in this play. She amazes me… Here’s a breakdown of each act

The Diary of Adam and Eve:
This is the part I was most familiar with so it garnered little reaction from me, though I realize it is probably the best of the three acts. Kristin plays the role of Eve beautifully and I could tell there is actual thought behind everything she said or did. Brian was, in my opinion, lacking. He did just fine, but didn’t stand up to the performances of Kristin and especially Marc. Marc did SO much with his roles and was a real joy to watch. What stood out to me most was how well Kristin portrayed the aging of the character without relying on clichés and cheesy comedic bits. Highlight of Act I: “The Apple Tree (Forbidden Fruit)” -OR- “What Makes Me Love Him”

The Lady or The Tiger?:
This was, of course, my favorite of the three… surprise surprise, I liked the fluff filler with the least substance. I just feel the orchestra was lush, the costumes were neat and humorous and this was the only one where I didn’t know the ending. Again Brian paled in this Act. Kristin was perfectly at home and it was hilarious… but a different kind of hilarious from Popular, contrary to what I’d heard about the show. I mean sure there’s some Sally Brown in there, but I think she is REALLY trying to be that great actress. I hated the tiger costume and thought the ensemble was an awkward size. However, I was truly glad that Sarah Jane Everman didn’t have to sing or anything after seeing footage of her as Glinda… yikes. Highlight of Act II- “I’ve Got What You Want”

Passionella: A 60’s Romance
Not sure that is the actual title because Marc seemed surprised when it was called that at the talk back. I think if ever a bit was labored it was the chimney sweep bit. Still the Act was great in its own way as well. I enjoyed Brian’s approach to Flip. Kristin was, again, fabulous. Not much to say about this one. It wasn’t profound but it was done right. Highlight of Act III- “Gorgeous” (and I hate being cliché… this is like having Defying Gravity as your favorite, but she really nailed it. Sorry.)

The Talkback:
The session will air on XM radio January 21st at 6:00 p.m. Marc, Brian, and Kristin were in attendance. Kristin was a few minutes late but nothing to worry about. It was a very awkward interview. Kristin was hilarious, even when she struggled to answer questions… Marc really had some brilliant insight on how he developed his characters. He really did his research. Brian was quiet and distant and didn’t stay to sign autographs. Kristin stayed, though a man followed her protecting her from rabid Wicked fans that made an UGLY UGLY poster for her. My conversation with her was as follows: (feel free to laugh… I am not ashamed)
Me: Oh Kristin, thank you so much for completing my life. I can now freely go out into that street and let the cars have their way with me.
Kristin: Oh…. No! You are too^(said an octave higher) precious
Me: No, no Kristin. YOU. are the precious one.


1/7/07 7:00 p.m. Spring Awakening- Student Rush Tickets: $26.00
Left Box C
Understudies: Georg- Robert Hager
Best part of the production: JOAN RIVERS WAS THERE!!!!!! NOT EVEN KIDDING, WATCHING HER OVER-BOTOXED FACE REACT TO “MY JUNK” IS THE FUNNIEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!
So, sadly, I went into this show with very high expectations. I left not liking it much, but then I revisited the cast recording and decided that it was better than I thought… it just isn’t entertaining in the way I was expecting… The tone was very inconsistent in a very different way than it is in Grey Gardens.
My theory is that our audience laughed at all the wrong places, which ruined the performance because ALL of the actors were in awful moods when they came out for stage door.
Also. Before I get into all this, a thought: It was in the Sweeney Revival theatre… there is a masturbation scene… and I expected Melchior to haunt us with his rendition of “My Friends” when he pulled out his razor blade… Sadly enough, there were no precious rubies in this production.
Lea Michelle has a great voice, but seemed a little melodramatic. John Gallagher Jr. is obviously the best part of this production and his story definitely evoked the most emotion from me. Lauren Pritchard also sang a haunting Ilse. Lilli Cooper as Martha had vocals like none I’ve heard in a while… But all this still didn’t add up to a mind-blowing show for me.
Call me dumb, but I didn’t think that “My Junk” was supposed to be funny… I mean I know Jonathan B. Wright had great comedic timing and whatnot, but I thought the audience should have laughed at his dialogue only… ALSO! The gay scene doesn’t work. It’s sad that they have to make it funny because New York audiences still can’t handle seeing two men intimately on stage… Oh well. That wasn’t the biggest flaw. I feel the biggest flaw may have been the lyrics or, in my opinion, the responsibility the show puts upon the audience to decide what is serious and what isn’t… because I think someone whipping out a microphone from the coat pocket is pretty darn funny…
Also… I think they could have handled the sex in a more powerful way… who knows.
I’ll end this by saying that Mara Davi was also in attendance because I don’t know how to wrap up this show because apparently I missed something.


Stage Doors:
Tarzan- Josh was being a diva and saying he was tired so he left… Jenn was super nice and Tim Jerome was hilarious
Grey Gardens- Christine was not overly gracious but we had to RUN to Evil Dead so neither were we…
Les Mis- Because of the kids in the show, there was a herd of Mama Rose’s… it was annoying. Gary was very kind and talkative but I could almost see the longing in his eyes to be across the street doing Producers
A Chorus Line- By far the most gracious bunch of kids in the world. Paul McGill was super friendly (here’s to hoping he’s in love with me). The chic who played Val came out first and just signed a few without saying thanks and then left. Tisk tisk. Chryssie was also super hilarious. Tyler Hanes was not near as cute as expected
Spring Awakening- Everyone was pissed and refused autographs most of the time. Bebe Neuwirth was RUNNING down the street… don’t know why.


Kristin vs. Christine Tony Battle:
Obviously Christine SHOULD get it, not because she’s better, just because Grey Gardens is one of those pieces. I really feel that Kristin Chenoweth is just as good, but Apple Tree just isn’t that kind of Tony vessel.
I feel that Kristin could do Grey Gardens excellently whereas I don’t think at any age Christine could have done The Apple Tree… I don’t know if that entitles Kristin to the Tony but Kristin feels very strongly about her performance and said in the talkback that it’s the hardest but most rewarding thing she’s ever done.
Maybe it’s a year for another tie.

Thanks for reading

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:10pm

I can promise you that Gary Beach was not longing to do The Producers.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:11pm

Wow.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:14pm

The cast refused to sign autographs at SA? They're one of the nicest casts out there.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:24pm

"Spring Awakening- Everyone was pissed and refused autographs most of the time"

wow, that's a first.

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:24pm

yeah... i got Lauren and Tom and that was it

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:08pm

"Josh was being a diva and saying he was tired so he left…"

Damn him for being exhausted after doing 8 shows a week of a physically vigrous role. How dare he!

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:17pm

oh come off it... everyone else stayed for autographs... and he's stayed the two other times i was at stage door... leaving wasn't the diva part about it... it was the fact that he made a scene... like a "no autographs please" thing

[MotorTink]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:19pm

How were your seats for tarzan? I have Row E in a few weeks.

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:27pm

mine were row E but I had front and center the first time i saw it so im biased. they were fine

[danstudney]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:36pm

Can't claim to know someone's mind for sure, but I doubt Ana Gasteyer would not be nice because you brought up Reefer Madness. We have kept in touch since the movie, she got me house seats for 3Penny, even asked my partner and I if she could put a song from it in her cabaret act.

She does have a toddler at home... perhaps she was anxious to get home to her. In fact, if she did seem at all "not as nice," that could easily have been why.

Cheers,
Dan

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 8:43pm

well it wasnt a big deal... i figure it was because she didnt have makeup on... and we saw her before the show... not after

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 9:36pm

You reviewed the stage door...

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 9:49pm

what can i say... im thorough... and stage door can be the best part sometimes... like Les Mis... meeting gary beach was the best part about it

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:14pm

Here's to picking up actors at the stage door! Good luck, man.

BTW - Barbara Harris, the original Kristin, won a Tony. So, it's not the show... Updated On: 1/9/07 at 10:14 PM

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:21pm

Yeah, I'm still holding on to winning Paul McGill over... he is perfection

yeah i thought about that... but did it have a grey gardens to go against it....

AND i think its like the Patti not winning a Tony for the role that Angela originated (not singing it as well, but acting it better)

Updated On: 1/9/07 at 10:21 PM

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:25pm

Paul McGill is pretty hot. And he's very sweet at the stage door.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:29pm

Well, she had Lotte Lenya and Mary Martin. And it's Martin's only loss...(Well, Lenya's, too)

But I don't think Ebersole and Chenoweth are near the same park. Ebersole's batting at Yankee Stadium and Chenoweth's striking out at Shea. Updated On: 1/9/07 at 10:29 PM

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:40pm

BACK OFF Fabrizio...

[parislover87]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 10:59pm

Oh, and yeah I think Christine is better but I have no idea who will get the Tony... those are two totally different things. I mean Kristin, I thought, deserved the Tony over Idina... but whatever

[Freckles1329]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:01pm

Paris, I agree with Dan about the Ana / Reefer Madness thing. Both times I met her, she was very sweet and I brought up Reefer Madness both times. In fact, the first time I met her I had her sign my Reefer picture thing. Sorry, this is really random, but I just thought I'd add.

[snl89]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:18pm

just have to say this as well:

"Spring Awakening- Everyone was pissed and refused autographs most of the time."

woah. Something MAJORLY bad must have been going on that day or something, because they are the single NICEST cast I've met :) and I'm 99.9% sure I didn't just catch them on a good day, because sooo many people have mentioned it too. They will stay there talking to each group of people for like... 15, 20 minutes at a time or more usually. Especially Johnny Gallagher.

so yeah, thats just... REALLY out of character for them!


anyway, thanks for the reviews!! cant say I personally felt the same way for SA, but, you know, differences of opinion make the world much more interesting

oh, and the other thing I'll comment on is that I'd have to disagree about the gay scene- I absolutely understand why some might think that they made it funny just so that people would be able to handle it better, but actually if you look at it within context of the show, that scene just... NEEDED to be funny, for plot reasons. I mean, thats right after Moritz's funeral and right before... well I dont want to give away too many spoilers, but right before ANOTHER extremely intence and sad scene. If you dont have some kind of comic relief, its just.. emotional overload.

(by the way the only reason I'm not commenting on any of the other reviews is because I havn't seen the shows so I feel like I cant really comment. haha)

Updated On: 2/1/07 at 06:18 PM

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:36pm

That is odd...usually the SA cast is beyond nice.

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:56pm

nice reviews