I am excited for this show. Sally Mays is extraordinary in it. Saw it at NYMF in '08 and last year at NAMT.. it's about 50's gay hollywood.. A "jazz noir" . Great score and lyrics by the creator of Naked Boys Singing. They released a concept album with Lea Delaria which is great.. I hope it's the sleeper hit of next season..
Claudia, would you (or anyone else whos seen this) please give more specific information from your previous viewing? I'm seriously considering this for my partner and me on an upcoming trip to NYC, but feel I don't know enough to make a decision.
Is Play It Cool a traditional musical with stage/audience separation or more of a "cabaret" type experience staged around the audience? Is it a "normal" musical with songs that progress the story or are the songs more just to set the "noir" mood and not really part of the story?
Running time?
I guess I'm just confused by the nightclub setting described in the summary and want to be sure it is a full musical, not just a cabaret act.
Really interested in seeing this, but does anyone know if they have any kind of discounts available? I've looked on the Play It Cool website and Theater Row's website, but I know that there are other places where you can get discount.
I saw it last week and very much enjoyed it. The book isn't perfect and has a few heavy-handed lines, but those can easily be cleaned up. The score is overall very strong, and it's nice to hear a set of lyrics that sound natural and easy to take in without cringing every other rhyme. The music is reminiscent of "City of Angels" and I truly hope it gets recorded.
The true strength is the cast, especially the wonderful Sally Mayes. I feel like she's found her best role (spoiler?) as a lesbian who likes to dress up in men's clothing! Her connection to the jazzy is evident and she possesses the right combination of vulnerability and harden anger to pull off the character.
To answer some questions, it is a traditionally structured musical. It's not a song cycle, and though some of the songs are performed as club acts some are also book songs, and even the club songs reflect the thoughts of the characters. It takes place in a nightclub, that's all...kind of like "Cabaret" in structure.
When I bought my ticket there was a discount code for $25 seats- don't know if that's still valid. It's certainly worth the money for Mayes' stellar performance.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
Saw this tonight....the place was half empty (and it's only 199 seats as it is)..I was bored most of the show...and while Sally Mayes was GOOD, her performance is over-hyped. The music was decent, but forgettable.
And from what I gathered fro the rest of the audience, it seemed like almost everyone thought "EH" - very mellow applause all night. Updated On: 9/22/11 at 12:25 AM