I am 16 (which I have already proven on the off-topic board), but I am trying to get better and better at writing reviews as I am possibly considering as a career option when I get older, but who knows.
For example, your dismissal of Andrea Martin. Since you're 16, you know nothing of her long career, and the affection most of us already have for her built in. I've been watching her since I was 12 on television. Also, you likely don't have an appreciation of the fact that a nearly 70 year old actress is doing what she did in the show. Or understand her wonderful rapport with the audience.
Keep writing, but if you post here you're for sure gonna get called out on stuff. Good luck!
Just for the record, I thought she was extremely good and I was very impressed with her physique, but I had spent months with people telling me that what she did in the show was the most incredible thing that they had ever seen, so I think I just went in with way too high of expectations. I will grant you that I certainly do not have the lifetime of appreciation that many have for her, but like I said earlier, I am not trying to pass of as a professional critic, just a kid who likes writing reviews for fun and I put them on a blog because I am proud of them.
Reading these reports makes me so impatient! I don't get to see this tour until June 2015! I loved it on broadway and I can't wait to see a new cast! Heres hoping that Kyle Dean is joining. I would LOVE to see him again!
Keep writing. It's how you get better. Ignore the useless criticisms of your critiques. And take to heart the ones that ring true. You are entitled to your opinion. Yes even if you're 16. Keep at it. We need a new generation of theatre reviewers
I'm in my late 50's and thought your opinions were in many cases valid. Because they ARE YOUR OPINION. That is what a good critic is. Ignore he haters and learn from the valuable criticism
Great selection on Living Social as well, similar price point as GoldStar. Bought a pair of orchestra tickets for less than $100 so we can see it again before it leaves.
I'm a bit late to this party, but I saw Lisa Karlin as Leading Player on Thursday and Sasha Allen yesterday.
I'm a huge fan of Patina Miller's take on the role, so I couldn't help but compare the two of them (and Ciara Renee, when I saw her) to Patina, and no one lives up to that, for me.
I thought Patina struck just the right balance of menacing and charming. Lisa was quite charming, but not menacing enough, and had a nice voice. I thought she danced the Manson Trio pretty well, but again, I put Patina up on such a pedestal for everything with that role. Sasha has a phenomenal voice, and riffs a ton, but I didn't mind it. It sounded like her illness was still affecting her breathing—she dropped a few words here and there, nothing major, just little things I picked up on cause I've listened to the score so many times. She wasn't menacing enough either, I thought, but was definitely more menacing than Lisa. Ciara struck me as a bit too menacing, I think.
I *might* have a spare front mezz ticket for tonight's performance of Pippin at the Pantages at 8pm. I won't know for sure until closer to the 6pm hour. If you're interested, send me a PM. If it's available, I'll offer it to the first person who responds. Price: $Free.
If you don't hear back from me by 7pm at the latest, assume the ticket is no longer available. I've got a busy day and might not be able to respond to dozens of PMs.
Oh, and, btw, looks like they've released some add'l mezz tickets for tonight's performance on Ticketmaster.
The LP really is a devil of a part isn't it? Too much menace and you give the ending away too early, too little and the last two scenes don't land.
One thing that Ben Vereen did that I'm not sure that any of the actresses in the revival/tour have done is explore who this person is underneath all the glitz. I just watched Bob Fosse's preferred cut of the 1981 production, which is on youtube and contains 20 minutes cut from the commercially released video, including "I guess I'll miss the man". That particular scene is a fascinating watch, because the LP is onstage with her, slowly growing angrier as Catherine (played in the video by Leslie Denniston) continues to go off-script, and Vereen lets out an absolutely chilling "I don't think you should sing anymore, Leslie." You can practically hear the italics on her name. Even earlier, when he's berating her for screwing up the delivery, he is really browbeating and bullying her. When I saw the tour, Sascha Allen played this like she was throwing a diva-fit. All icey smiles It was an interesting choice, but it didn't quite convey an explanation for how much Catherine is afraid of the Leading Player.
Good points. I'd never seen it at all before last week, and I didn't quite understand what was going on with the Lead Player in act 2. It wasn't until I did some reading and watched other performances that it made more sense.
Sasha Allen is fantastic, but... maybe just too sweet to carry it off.
I don't think I'm going to win any friends with this post. I saw the tour today in LA and I have very mixed feelings about the experience. I saw the Broadway production last year with all of the original cast - with the exception of Andrea Martin - I saw Tovah Feldshuh in NY.
SASHA ALLEN: She was - by far - this production's weakest link. There was no fire, no strength, no seductiveness - frankly - there was no performance. Her face was almost constantly locked in a blank look - similar to the way Britney Spears looks when performing. And her body language said "I'm tired and I'd rather be elsewhere." The only time she seemed to have any sort of character was when admonishing Catherine in Act II. To me, what I saw was an attractive woman in some great costumes with an impressive voice. She looked disengaged and uninterested and her dancing was appallingly bad for a show in which dance is so central. I mean, she danced like an arthritic octogenarian. Does being a losing contestant on The Voice really make someone a big enough draw to justify this casting? And, yes, I know she has one Broadway credit already. Let's be honest, though, she's no an actress. She's a singer who occasionally does musicals. Oh, and speaking of her singing, while she certainly has an impressive voice, her diction was just terrible and there appeared to be no meaning behind anything she sang. I don't get the raves - even the qualified ones - for this performance. It certainly made me appreciate Patina Miller even more.
MATTHEW JAMES THOMAS: Just as fantastic as when I saw him last year. I know he's had a long break from the show, but I'm impressed at how well maintained his performance is and how spontaneous and fresh he keeps things after all this time. Still think he was robbed of a Tony nom. I can't wait to see what he does next.
JOHN RUBINSTEIN: Was delightful, but a bit too goofy. I mean, of course this character has a good deal of goofiness to him, but he was about as menacing as an Easter bunny.
ANDREA MARTIN: Oh, you already know. Marvelous. Would it be a crime to mention that I think I might have preferred Tovah by a hair, though?
SABRINA HARPER: Also, marvelous. Certainly made the most of a small part. A worthy successor to Charlotte.
KRISTINE REESE: Very good, but no where near as charming and wonderfully nutty as Rachel. But who is?
ENSEMBLE: The ensemble is stacked with incredibly talented actor/singer/dancer/acrobats, but as an ensemble they never seemed to gel in the way the Broadway company did. Numbers, like "Glory", that were visceral thrills on Broadway, felt a bit stiff and lacking in intensity by comparison.
Leading Player aside, if you haven't seen this production, the tour is still a must-see. There's still so much imaginative theatrical magic happening on that stage. If you saw the original cast on Broadway, you may want to skip the tour.
Round 2 tomorrow. Then round 3, the final time next week. I LOVE THIS SHOW! I agree with everything @HorseTears said! I loved everyone except for Sasha Allen. I never saw goddess Patina Miller but I've heard the cast recording 100+ times. I've gotten so used to hearing the songs sung by Patina that when I heard Sasha I thought "is she singing it her own way? or can't she not sing the part?".
Kyle Dean Massey is good. My problem with him is super dumb, and sounds silly compared to all the complaining in other Pippin threads, but I find him too pretty for the role. I don't know, I feel like Pippin is supposed to look like a normal human being, not someone with abs and a jawline chiseled by Zeus.
VIDEO: Miranda Raps Drunk Voice Mail in DRUNK HISTORY Deleted Scene
VIDEO: MISS SAIGON's Eva Noblezada & Alistair Brammer Perform on 'Today'
joined:10/3/14
joined:
10/3/14
Posted: 10/25/14 at 6:02pm