Would you look at the copper ceiling?
Here are those reviews I promised! The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be coming in the next day or so. I have to upload music and videos first!
I really enjoyed this production! My dad and I saw it a coupleish weeks ago at the Old Globe. Last winter, I stage managed this show at UCI. I fell in love with it. I also grew very attached to Omar Ricks portrayal of Othello. He uses his voice very well. Anyways, I didn't like this Othello. If I had the program I would cite names, but I don't know where it is. I have a feeling it's upstairs. His relationship with Desdamona wasn't clear enough. I didn't believe that he loved her as much as he say he did. I didn't even see him feeling lust towards her. My favorite speech, near the beginning of the play, did not live up to my expectations.
"This to hear Would Desdemona seriously incline;
But still the house affairs would draw her thence,
Which ever as she could with haste dispatch
She’d come again, and with a greedy ear
Devour up my discourse. Which I, observing,
Took once a pliant hour, and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had something heard,
But not intentively. I did consent, And often did beguile her of her tears When I did speak of some distressful stroke That my youth suffered. My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs: She swore, in faith, twas strange, 'twas passing strange, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished That heaven had made her such a man: she thanked me, And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but teach him how to tell my story. And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake: She loved me for the dangers I had passed, And I loved her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used:
Here comes the lady; let her witness it."
The beauty of the language in this passage gets me every time. Omar nailed it. However, I didn't like how this Othello did it. I felt like he rushed through it. In my opinion, this is a passage that an actor can just enjoy saying. You can take things slow, play with how the words feel in your mouth. Othello felt too authorative. I got the impression that Desdemona was more of a conquest for him. Overall, I liked his descent into madness. I just didn't believe his motivations and his relationship with Desdemona.
Everyone else in this production, however, was great. I LOVED this Desdemona. I believed that she loved Othello. She was sweet, innocent and just darling. Roderigo was HILARIOUS! The first scene of the play is great. This Rodrigo actually reminded me of how Greg played it when we did. He was very whiny, very upper class.
Iago was my favorite by far. This guy nailed it. He was the perfect combination of sincerity, cunning, manipulative and hilarious. His soliquies were very evil, just the way I like them. :D The lighting was really awesome for his soliquies too. The lighting, in general, was great. It looked really cool in Desdemona's death scene. It was softer, casting a blue tint on the white wedding sheets. But, I digress. Iago was great. He had a great slashy moment with Roderigo. I squeed. :D
Great production. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (music by David Yazbeck... book by I forget) at the Pantages with mostpulp two Thursdays ago. It was just as good as I expected it to be.
They changed the first number! On the cast recording, it's "Give Them What They Want." They changed it to something about a game. It was alright, but I thought it lacked energy. The show picked up after that. The song that Muriel sings, "What Was a Woman to Do" was HILARIOUS!!!! I loved it. Muriel was great in this show. She was hilarous and charming. The userhette, who sings one of my favorite solos in the show, was great as well. She was hiding out in the front of the theatre, and when it was her cue to sing, she turned on his giant flashlight so you could see her. It was awesome!!
"Great Big Stuff" was... wow. This was just the start of the dirtyness and raunchyness of this show. The songs are kindof dirty, but the book is waaaay worse. Norbert Leo Butz worked this song. The choregraphy was great in this number. It worked well with Freddie, Butz's character and added to the hilarity. Speaking of funny things, Laura Marie Duncan was great as Christine Colgate!! I talked to her after the show, and I found out that she sang the part of the usherette on the cast recording! She played the role in the Globe production (it started there in 2004) as well as on Broadway.
Tom Hewitt, who played Komerozki (I can't spell it at all..) in Zhivago at the playhouse, was a fantasic Lawrence. He had a great voice, and was charming. He was a joy to watch. His "Love Sneaks In" was beautiful. He and Butz worked well together. They had fabulous chemistry. I think the strongest number in the show was "All About Ruprecht." This number was dirty, hilarious and just fun. I loved the choreography. Another standout number was "Oklahoma." Jenifer Foote as Jolene was great! In the middle of the song, there is a huge dance number! I was surprised.
"Love is my Legs," my favorite number on the cast recording, was just as good as I expected it to be. This song is great because it's powerful vocally, has funny lyrics and is, overall, a strong duet. Duncan showed off her singing chops in this song. She wailed like there was no tomorrow! Butz was great too. I got chills. :D
If you get the chance, go see it! The touring cast is great. It was an enjoyable night of theatre. :) If you get the chance, find the stage door and wait for the actors. I got to meet Tom Hewitt, Norbert Leo Butz, Laura Marie Duncan and Jenifer Foote. I took a picutre of Sunny with Norbert, but it came out badly. We're going to try to take a better one on Monday.
I'm seeing this production on Monday, so I may write a mini write-up after that show.
I really enjoyed this production! My dad and I saw it a coupleish weeks ago at the Old Globe. Last winter, I stage managed this show at UCI. I fell in love with it. I also grew very attached to Omar Ricks portrayal of Othello. He uses his voice very well. Anyways, I didn't like this Othello. If I had the program I would cite names, but I don't know where it is. I have a feeling it's upstairs. His relationship with Desdamona wasn't clear enough. I didn't believe that he loved her as much as he say he did. I didn't even see him feeling lust towards her. My favorite speech, near the beginning of the play, did not live up to my expectations.
"This to hear Would Desdemona seriously incline;
But still the house affairs would draw her thence,
Which ever as she could with haste dispatch
She’d come again, and with a greedy ear
Devour up my discourse. Which I, observing,
Took once a pliant hour, and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had something heard,
But not intentively. I did consent, And often did beguile her of her tears When I did speak of some distressful stroke That my youth suffered. My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs: She swore, in faith, twas strange, 'twas passing strange, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful: She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished That heaven had made her such a man: she thanked me, And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but teach him how to tell my story. And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake: She loved me for the dangers I had passed, And I loved her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used:
Here comes the lady; let her witness it."
The beauty of the language in this passage gets me every time. Omar nailed it. However, I didn't like how this Othello did it. I felt like he rushed through it. In my opinion, this is a passage that an actor can just enjoy saying. You can take things slow, play with how the words feel in your mouth. Othello felt too authorative. I got the impression that Desdemona was more of a conquest for him. Overall, I liked his descent into madness. I just didn't believe his motivations and his relationship with Desdemona.
Everyone else in this production, however, was great. I LOVED this Desdemona. I believed that she loved Othello. She was sweet, innocent and just darling. Roderigo was HILARIOUS! The first scene of the play is great. This Rodrigo actually reminded me of how Greg played it when we did. He was very whiny, very upper class.
Iago was my favorite by far. This guy nailed it. He was the perfect combination of sincerity, cunning, manipulative and hilarious. His soliquies were very evil, just the way I like them. :D The lighting was really awesome for his soliquies too. The lighting, in general, was great. It looked really cool in Desdemona's death scene. It was softer, casting a blue tint on the white wedding sheets. But, I digress. Iago was great. He had a great slashy moment with Roderigo. I squeed. :D
Great production. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (music by David Yazbeck... book by I forget) at the Pantages with mostpulp two Thursdays ago. It was just as good as I expected it to be.
They changed the first number! On the cast recording, it's "Give Them What They Want." They changed it to something about a game. It was alright, but I thought it lacked energy. The show picked up after that. The song that Muriel sings, "What Was a Woman to Do" was HILARIOUS!!!! I loved it. Muriel was great in this show. She was hilarous and charming. The userhette, who sings one of my favorite solos in the show, was great as well. She was hiding out in the front of the theatre, and when it was her cue to sing, she turned on his giant flashlight so you could see her. It was awesome!!
"Great Big Stuff" was... wow. This was just the start of the dirtyness and raunchyness of this show. The songs are kindof dirty, but the book is waaaay worse. Norbert Leo Butz worked this song. The choregraphy was great in this number. It worked well with Freddie, Butz's character and added to the hilarity. Speaking of funny things, Laura Marie Duncan was great as Christine Colgate!! I talked to her after the show, and I found out that she sang the part of the usherette on the cast recording! She played the role in the Globe production (it started there in 2004) as well as on Broadway.
Tom Hewitt, who played Komerozki (I can't spell it at all..) in Zhivago at the playhouse, was a fantasic Lawrence. He had a great voice, and was charming. He was a joy to watch. His "Love Sneaks In" was beautiful. He and Butz worked well together. They had fabulous chemistry. I think the strongest number in the show was "All About Ruprecht." This number was dirty, hilarious and just fun. I loved the choreography. Another standout number was "Oklahoma." Jenifer Foote as Jolene was great! In the middle of the song, there is a huge dance number! I was surprised.
"Love is my Legs," my favorite number on the cast recording, was just as good as I expected it to be. This song is great because it's powerful vocally, has funny lyrics and is, overall, a strong duet. Duncan showed off her singing chops in this song. She wailed like there was no tomorrow! Butz was great too. I got chills. :D
If you get the chance, go see it! The touring cast is great. It was an enjoyable night of theatre. :) If you get the chance, find the stage door and wait for the actors. I got to meet Tom Hewitt, Norbert Leo Butz, Laura Marie Duncan and Jenifer Foote. I took a picutre of Sunny with Norbert, but it came out badly. We're going to try to take a better one on Monday.
I'm seeing this production on Monday, so I may write a mini write-up after that show.