saw the South Pacific and In the Heights national tours yesterday!

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/28/10 at 3:46pm

South Pacific matinee and then In the Heights evening... i'll just give some thoughts... nothing formal

I would consider South Pacific one of my top five musicals and I'm so glad to I got to see this show live for the first time and with such a wonderful production and cast... i wish more musicals would have large orchestras... it just sounded so lush and not synthesized... i got chills when the overture started... David Pittsinger I found to be a wonderful Emile... I loved his voice... Carmen Cusack played Nellie with the right amount of naivete without seeming like an idiot... her act I finale moment when she said "colored" was just a great scene in itself... I'm glad I got to see Keala Settle as Bloody Mary... only seen her in vids of Hairspray and she is a phenomenal singer and actress... the weak link for me was probably Matt Saldivar as Billis... i just felt he played the character way too much like a tough guy... i didn't care for it.. but I did love him in The Wedding Singer! ha

ok... In the Heights... I'm so glad Lin-Manuel Miranda is reprising his role in LA... because ever since the CD and just watching this guy in interviews and stuff I just found him to be likeable and I just wanted to watch him perform... and dude was everything and more... i loved his portrayal of Usnavi... but then again i don't have someone to compare him to! haha... actually, I loved this cast very much... made me completely forget the OBC recording... i was worried about Arielle Jacobs as Nina because I love Mandy Gonzalez's voice... and I actually think Arielle is better in the role voice wise... although not a belter like Mandy... something about her voice seems more appropriate for the character's age... very young as opposed to Mandy who has a very rich sounding voice like a mature woman... anyway... the show was amazing and i loved every second of it... would love to see it again... maybe when it comes to san diego after its LA run... does anyone know who is taking over the role of Usnavi?

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 6/28/10 at 3:55pm

Glad you liked them! I'm waiting for the tours to hit Philadelphia.
And Kyle Beltran's returning to ITH after the LA leg of the tour.

[christinabellaa]

Posted: 6/28/10 at 4:03pm

William Michals of South Pacific will be interviewed on Valerie's New York online Radio show Tuesday, June 29th accessible at wor710.com/valerie! Or catch the podcast on the site anytime.
Follow Valerie's New York on Twitter

[shrekster224]

Posted: 6/28/10 at 5:17pm

Kyle's coming back now? I thought Joseph Morales was taking over?

[Steve2]

Posted: 6/28/10 at 7:41pm

Wow, what an amazing day!
I recently saw both these tours and they are probably the highest quality I have ever seen.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:11pm

I saw the South Pacific National Tour on Tuesday evening. It was fabuolous. Here are my thoughts on the show and the performances:

https://denver.broadwayworld.com/article/Review_National_Touring_Company_South_Pacific_20100724

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:17pm

"I thought Joseph Morales was taking over?"

That's what I heard too.

[bway1261]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:17pm

Kyle is going to join the Broadway company after Corbin leaves.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141289-In-the-Heights-to-Welcome-Sparks-Beltran-Oliver-Taylor-Corbett
Updated On: 7/24/10 at 10:17 PM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:37pm

i got chills when the overture started

I literally started crying during the overture the first time I saw South Pacific on Broadway. Growing up with the music and hearing it played the way it's supposed to be played was an emotionally overwhelming experience.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:45pm

I noted in my review that the audience on opening night here decided to talk through the entire overture. I was NOT happy!

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:17pm

Eris I still have the same experience when hearing that masterful overture at the Vivian Beaumont. I tear up at the beginning and then toward the end when they get into the "Some Enchanted Evening" segment and the strings echo the horns on each phrase. Gorgeous and I'll be sad it won't be around after August 22nd! Thank goodness for the cast recording!

[tazber]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:24pm

So glad you loved them lasagna. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

And I was just mulling this weekend how much I miss overtures.
They are not appropriate for all shows these days (i.e. - N2N, AI) but for some of the more convential shows I would love to hear them again.

I think it's probably something that is gone for good though. Today's audiences aren't used to them and they would probably be considered a distraction.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:48pm

Tazber, speaking of overtures and modern audiences, I worked on Oklahoma! last year at my school and forced a lot of friends to come see it. Apparently one of my friends was getting really antsy during the overture and couldn't stand just sitting there and waiting for the show to start. I guess it was one of only a few of her theatrical experiences and she wasn't prepared to sit in the dark and not have to watch anything.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 7:54pm

They really should bring Arielle to the Broadway cast. She's the best "Nina" I have seen. (Sorry Mandy).

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 10:14pm

Eris I still have the same experience when hearing that masterful overture at the Vivian Beaumont. I tear up at the beginning and then toward the end when they get into the "Some Enchanted Evening" segment and the strings echo the horns on each phrase. Gorgeous and I'll be sad it won't be around after August 22nd! Thank goodness for the cast recording!

I revisited the show for the final time yesterday and it's still as beautiful as always. I always loved how they stand up during "Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair" at the beginning of the second act