I wish I could see this and hope it gets a successful Broadway transfer. The show is such a delightful pre-Golden Age revisal much like Crazy for You and deserves a big, splashy production with first-rate performers. I like Christian Borle, but I just don't see him in this role (honestly, I'd prefer a British actor, but whatevs).
Zzzzzzz...nothing new to see here. Just the same old conservative nostalgic hand-wringing bemoaning the good-old-days. The "Golden Age" was a relatively brief period of a couple of decades in the history and evolution of both Broadway and musical theatre that spans over a century. The idea that musical theatre should remain fixed in its style in order to survive is against the very nature of art and criticizing "commodity musicals" is against th
I'm definitely rooting for The Band's Visit and I do think its book and score are at a higher level than the other nominees. I don't find it boring at all. What it lacks in flash and spectacle it more than makes up for in sophistication, cultural diversity and emotional resonance. When I saw Spongebob in Chicago, I saw what amounted to a mildly amusing mess, but nothing about it looked like a Best Musical winner to me. And based on its grosses, what ap
Marie Christine is right up there among the toughest. I also think Jane Eyre deserves a mention. Both Audra McDonald and Marla Schaffel deserved Tonys for their respective roles in those shows.
"And are we just going to blow past the fact that the kid is basically a product of rape?"
Sounds like the product of a closed mind that wasn't even paying attention. The original story was gothic melodrama and so is the sequel, but there is no allusion to rape of any kind in the show. Following that with, "The continued story doesn't revisit old friends, it pees on them and in the most predictable and boring way" just
Audra in Concert May 8
2018, 07:33:52 PM
Got my tix to see at Ravinia. Can't wait!
The Secret Service from Mr. President What's New at the Zoo from Do Re Mi Lovely and That'll Show Him from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
I was a senior in high school when Hairspray was released and I loved it so much, I saw it 6 times in the movie theatre. The soundtrack was constantly playing in my car for about a year, which became as inseparable from the film to me as the screenplay. I even recorded the audio from the VHS and would play the whole film in my car on long road trips. Then the Broadway musical premiered and despite my hesitation, the musical was different enough to allow me to fall in lo
I think it looks pretty cool and I'll definitely go see it. The biggest problem is the location. A 6-month exhibition in a temporary space during the coldest months in Chicago wouldn't be too awful, except when in a rather remote location. You can take a bus to the Planetarium, but it would still probably be a bit of a hike from there in freezing temps and high winds off the lake.
I'm going to try and see it again before this run ends. I want this burned into my brain and I don't want to wait over a year (at least) to see it again.
Juts saw the Chicago Lyric transfer of the Olivier-winning revival of Jesus Christ Superstar today. In 30 years of seeing numerous productions and tours, THIS is the one that should be on Broadway. It is breathtaking. The costumes and staging are modern, but without being over-conceptualized with heavy-handed political and literal references. A multi-level unit set that is immediately interesting, but the staging, direction and choreography are brilliant and effective
Was Vanessa Williams really that big a star in 1995 to warrant an entirely new cast recording (on a different record label), or was that a Garth Drabinsky stunt?
I don't know the specific reason as to why the cast recording was made, but yes, she was riding a tidal wave of success at the time. She already bounced back from the Miss America scandal by producing her first hit single, Dreamin', in 1988. By 1994, she had two more successful albums, and a #1 hit
No, I saw it way before I met him (he and are I friends now). I was actually surprised when I saw the show because I loved the cast recording and I had never seen Chita perform and it had just won Best Musical, so I was ready to love the whole show. Afterward, I felt the Tonys mostly got things right that season, especially Direction, Lighting, Scenic Design and Choreography, but Tommy should have won Best Musical.&
I love the score, but when I saw the tour with Chita, I really hated the staging. With all the bars, panels, spots, projections and lasers, I found it to be a visual mess and at times, had difficulty finding the actors on stage or knowing where to look. I was also disappointed in the choreography and thought the end scene was rather trite. It was great hearing the score performed live and there were a few effective numbers here and there with Gimme Love being the u
I saw the tour in Houston with Linda Balgord as Rose and I believe I saw Stephen Foster go on as understudy for Alex. I thought it was utterly gorgeous and to this day, it's still my favorite ALW score. To me, this score more than any other represents an authenticity of the rather vast range of emotions required by the text and the monochromatic staging was the perfect blank canvas on which to highlight and feature these characters and the story. With no distraction
