SmoothLover said: "I found it a bit labored and I thought the score was weak. The actors were likeable however. The show will more or less vanish after some community and dinner theatre productions. Perhaps Encores will revive it in 2035. I would have done some cutting and taken out the profanity and genital humor to make it more family friendly. The opening number of act 2 was rather horrid. Santino was very good however he tends to push a little perhaps in an attempt to keep things going and he can speak at the same level (loudly) for long periods of time. I have noticed this in other productions. I preferred Dorthy over Michael because as an actor he was more relaxed.
I don't even see Encores reviving it, because the score is the worst part of the show. I actually anticipated that, once the overture was completed. I remember asking myself why they would have an overture if there was not a discernible melody among the slim numbers even covered.
I have to say one thing in general. I am an older straight man, whose best friend of 50+ years is gay. I consider myself almost 'oblivious' to most issues related to sexuality, i.e., to each his own.
I must also add that I intensely disliked Tootsie because I thought the score was abysmal, and the direction, choreography and scenery were cheesy. That said, I think the feelings covered in some of these Tootsie threads are borderline silly. Tootsie is not trying to make a political statement about serious LGBTQ issues; it is a very funny musical comedy that, at its most serious, is trying to show how a person can grow when (in this case) he ends up seeing things through a different lens than he has up to then. Because of that lens, he becomes a more tolerant, and hopefully, a better person. All this deep discussion re what I assure is a very serious subject should probably be directed to something more substantive or 'real.' I am sure I will get my head chopped off, but I really think some people need to lighten up. End of preaching.
I was not serious about an Encores revival and was being silly. It was a slight reference to Encores reviving things that were not big hits. If Santino had been horrible the entire thing would have been a wash.
I did want to say that I saw a boat load of understudies and they were all quite good. A special nod to John Arthur Greene as Max.
The female ushers in charge of bathroom directing at intermission were rather droll and humorless for such a light hearted show. I recommend charisma training and a course on pretending to love your job,
joined:2/10/11
joined:
2/10/11
Posted: 11/19/19 at 5:38pm