New York State of Mind
Farewell, New York! I'm on the train heading back home, and I can't lie and say I'm not feeling sad. I miss my family, but this trip was amazing. AMAZING. I expected that it would be great, because with a combination of theater, museums, and stoney321 how could it not? But it was even better than I could have anticipated. The internet is an amazing tool for so many reasons, not the least of which is that you can make actual friends that transcend pixels and bytes and pretty boys. And we really are more than just partners in squee, no question about it. But more on that later.
Let's talk theater. We saw three shows while we were here: Sleep No More, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Book of Mormon. We saw them in that order, one each night, and it was the best bit of happenstance planning we could have done. Any other order wouldn't have worked as well.
Sleep No More is the story of Macbeth as told through modern dance, pantomime, and a massive set open for exploration by the audience. The actors move and perform throughout five floors of a warehouse filled with countless creepy rooms, and as an audience member you just wander through, masked, and pretty much do whatever you want. You can read the books, eat the candy, hang out in a chair, or follow the performers around. My favorite rooms were the forest maze (super creepy but beautiful) and the grand ballroom.
To start you are separated from your friends (though lots of people seemed to avoid this part), given a mask to wear, and dropped off by elevator on some floor. At this point you are not allowed to talk at all until you leave, but otherwise you're on your own. I was dropped off on the fifth floor, and that was that. I took a deep breath (and was sorry for it, because they use a lot of fake smoke/mist, and it doesn't agree with my lungs) and started walking and looking.
I had read a bunch of reviews and articles about the show before I went, because I knew just from the nature of it that I would miss a lot and wanted to have an idea of both what I was missing and what I might want to seek out. It didn't really help me, to be honest, except for the fact that when I spent the first half hour wandering around without seeing a single actor I knew it wasn't a grand social joke of making people wander around in masks in an empty warehouse. Yes, it took a half hour of me actively exploring multiple floors to find anyone but other people in masks.
Over the course of the night I did catch some important plot scenes, most notably the "Out, damn spot" sequence, and I missed other bits the show is known for like the rave. I saw the big dance sequence in the ballroom twice (they repeat the scenes three times throughout the night.) Even knowing Macbeth I couldn't follow along with most of what I saw because there's no dialogue and most of the action is told through dance and nudity instead of pantomime. Some of it was very moving; some of it felt gratuitous or forced. Most of it didn't actually tell a cohesive story an audience member only picking up bits and pieces could follow.
It didn't ultimately matter, because from my perspective the show isn't so much about the plot as it is the entire experience of wandering around amongst the set and the actors and interacting with performance art as an active audience member choosing your own path rather than sitting in your seat and being performed to. It's like life, in a way. You can't see everything. You can't get every perspective. And there are always cool shiny things to look at.
Intellectually, I think it was a very interesting event. It's more than just theater, and as someone who is passionate about performance and writing I'm fascinated by how the show pushes boundaries for everyone, including the dancers, who have no distance from the audience and yet little way to connect with them behind their masks. Emotionally, however, I had no connection to it (other than my visceral horror movie feelings about opening certain doors). Some of the dancers were spectacular, and a few of the lesser characters were charming even when doing nothing of import. (One of them caressed my hair, darling man!) But mostly it was a lot of flailing about, heavy emoting, and people running off with comet trails of masked onlookers following behind. It was also impossible to see all of the set, nevertheless all of the action, because doors and such were just not marked and sometimes weren't easily visible in the extremely low light. (I know, this is part of the conceit of the show, but it lessens the experience of the audience, in my opinion.)
I wouldn't call this a night at the theater. It's performance art, interpretive dance, and an art installation all at once. Since story and emotional connection are so important to me in all forms of art (not that they have to be to everyone; that's just how I'm wired), I found it interesting but very unsatisfying. I keep thinking about it, but it's all from the level of wondering about their process and the meta of what art and story mean, not from a personal connection to the action of the show.
The hidden gem of the evening, though, was a fantastic jazz quartet in the bar there afterwards. The singer was amazing! stoney321 and I may have become her personal cheering section in the corner, but she seemed tickled. But seriously, if you go stay at the bar and listen to the music while you talk with your friends about the show. And cheer a little for us!
We also got to meet one of the people who worked at the show, a connection of stoney321's, which was great for a little insight into the process of putting it on.
The next night was How to Succeed, and it was a solid Broadway show of its type. The costumes and sets were fantastic, and the cast was so good. SO GOOD. We saw the understudies for Smitty and a couple of the other roles, and they were phenomenal. Rosemary was particularly charming, but Smitty and Bud stole the show for me. Every reaction, every little glance, every line was just hilarious. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, even when they were off to the side. And they weren't acting too broadly for the show; they were just that good.
Oh, yes, and there were some more famous people in the show, too. I'm actually not saying that with much sarcasm. Every time Darren or Beau were off of the stage, I forgot they were even in the show.
The thing is, for me, that while Darren is both obviously easy on the eyes (and it's kind of odd to be not only able but encouraged to stare at him for hours from five rows away as he does his thing on stage, because given my experience of fandom it feels creepy to be fixated… except that's his job to be looked at while he's dancing around) and a charming and talented performer with a pleasant voice and a good sense of physicality and timing, he doesn't make Finch live to me. He goes through the lines and motions quite competently, but I didn't feel the character behind his eyes. There wasn't much in there for me. I think that's a flaw of Finch more than of Darren, but it may also be the nature of the beast when you have a performer who doesn't have tons of rehearsal time to find the hidden character or a long enough run to grow into the role as a mature performer. Some parts were clearly Darren's choices, but others were I think just his lack of time to make every single choice in a thoughtful manner.
I'm truly not bashing Darren, but between the relative weakness of his (lovely) voice and the lack of inner spark of his portrayal of Finch I just wasn't compelled by his performance. To me, in the fifth row, he didn't really push his presence off of the stage. His projection was weak both in terms of singing and in terms of the spark in his eyes. He made me laugh, but he didn't make me believe.
He isn't helped by the fact that the rest of the cast is so impressive around him, and Beau Bridges was so weak (no charm, no energy, stumbled over lines, sang painfully off-key more than once) that instead of making Darren better he made their scenes together seem like a struggle.
I will say, though, that I went in without much expectation one way or the other about Darren's dancing abilities, and he was a joy to watch move. He looked very comfortable and competent in his skin, in his limbs, in every extension and twist. So I was impressed by that, because his singing felt held back and a bit self-conscious at times, but his movement was very solid.
Anyway, I did have a great time at the show, but I think Darren's brief fill-in spot now isn't enough to show how much he can really rise to the occasion on Broadway. I mean, he's very good, especially for the amount of rehearsal he had, but I think if he were able to get his teeth into a role with a book that suited his talents better he could very well be much more compelling than pretty, charming, and competent. He wasn't here, for me. (And I love him. You know I love him.)
The fans inside the theater that I could see were well-behaved and for the most part properly dressed. I mean, Darren could do no wrong, of course, and people were through the moon every time he blinked, but there wasn't anything inappropriate from my point of view. I saw a handful of people leave just before the curtain call, but they at least stayed through the entire show. (But OMG how hard is it to clap for the people who entertained you for the past couple of hours?!) There were tons and tons of people at the stage door when we walked past, but I've no idea how the night went there, as we didn't have any interest in sticking around, as much as we would have liked to tell the cast how amazing they were. It's so frustrating, especially after our experience at BoM (ahead), not to be able to express our appreciation.
We also got to meet regala_electra at the show, and we had a nice dinner together afterward and closed out the restaurant. I was entertained to realize later that I didn't actually talk that much, because the other two ladies had so much to say (not in a rude way) that I just sat back and listened and enjoyed instead of trying to interject too much, but I sure made up for the with the rest of the trip. stoney321 and I didn't pause for breath once the entire time. I'm actually a bit hoarse this morning from it, and it was wonderful! I'm just amused that I was quiet at dinner, because I can be measured sometimes but am not quiet.
And then there was Book of Mormon. Oh my LORD, this was the best show to see on our last night. I laughed SO hard. The cast was SO impressive. In contrast with Beau and Darren (sorry, guys), there was no comparison. They were AMAZING. Their dancing, their singing, their acting, their every tiny reaction was perfection. And the songs and such were also fantastic: catchy, funny, spot-on, drawing on and parodying other shows, pop culture, and of course religion. Now, I'm a religion junkie, and obviously stoney321 is fandom's most famous (and dare I say beloved?) ex-Mormon, so we totally geeked out on everything in it, but I don't think you have to know a thing about Mormonism to enjoy this show. It is hilarious. It is also surprisingly touching, thoughtful, and respectful to believers of all sorts. It is filled with really solid, meaningful, hysterical songs performed by actors who can kill it. I mean, this show won Tonys for a reason. It's not a joke of a show; it's the real deal. And the performers are so well trained; they make these complex, aerobic, powerhouse numbers look as easy as skipping down the street. I can't even single out the actors, because each and every one, each and every role was cast to perfection. I laughed so hard, I was moved, and I was so impressed by them all.
My dear stoney321 had brought her own well-used Book of Mormon for the cast to sign instead of the playbill, and although that part's really her story to tell, I will say the cast was so delighted by it. We saw most of the performers at the stage door, and they were all kind to the fans there, but when they got to her pretty much every single one was like ZOMG at her book and really took a step out of their shell to talk about it a little. One of the chorus also used to be a Mormon, and he chatted with her for a good five minutes at the end of the (small, respectful, and very, very accessible - take that, Darren fans, you're doing it all wrong and ruining it for everyone) signing line. We so wanted to take him to dinner with us and keep talking!
We were delighted to be able to tell them that we loved what they were working so hard to create, and as a member of the audience that was really gratifying to us. I hope it was to them, too. They should be extremely proud of their show.
The shows were all very different, but each one was better or at least more satisfying to me than the last, so I think we saw them in just the right order. I wish we could just keep going!
I'm already in Connecticut as I'm typing, and I'm very sad to be going home. stoney321 and I truly had the best time. (Or I did; she might be a fabulous liar!) We spent delightful hours at the Met and the Cloisters, sat and talked forever in cafes, walked around the city, played spot-the-fangirl in Times Square (yes, we saw you!), and picked out new drinks for me to try. (Still haven't found my sweet spot with that. We'll just have to get back together for more experimentation! Darn.) And we never stopped talking. At times it was lovely and mature as befits two ladies, and at other times we swooned over pretty boys and flailed at each other about stories we want to write. We geeked out over music, art, religion, theater, well-dressed men, and just everything, and I feel like the connection we already had was made that much stronger. She is even funnier and lovelier in person than she is online; truly, she's a warm, kind soul with an infectious personality. (Also an infectious accent; I may be drawling a little, because I am such a subconscious mimic.)
I am so grateful to her for having been the Darren to my Chris and said, "Let's go see a show! Or twelve!" It was the best idea ever. And I know it won't be the last thing we do together in person. It just isn't possible. :)
I'm also grateful that she did so much of the heavy lifting when it came to navigation on this trip, because that's my job when I travel except that a part of me just released all need to be responsible for anything because my life is all on my shoulders, so I was uncharacteristically just floating around instead of being Type A. So, er, sorry about that, and thank you, my dear. :)
Whew. Okay, now off to poke at my fic writing, because she's scary and threatened me if I don't produce words I'm all inspired!
Let's talk theater. We saw three shows while we were here: Sleep No More, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Book of Mormon. We saw them in that order, one each night, and it was the best bit of happenstance planning we could have done. Any other order wouldn't have worked as well.
Sleep No More is the story of Macbeth as told through modern dance, pantomime, and a massive set open for exploration by the audience. The actors move and perform throughout five floors of a warehouse filled with countless creepy rooms, and as an audience member you just wander through, masked, and pretty much do whatever you want. You can read the books, eat the candy, hang out in a chair, or follow the performers around. My favorite rooms were the forest maze (super creepy but beautiful) and the grand ballroom.
To start you are separated from your friends (though lots of people seemed to avoid this part), given a mask to wear, and dropped off by elevator on some floor. At this point you are not allowed to talk at all until you leave, but otherwise you're on your own. I was dropped off on the fifth floor, and that was that. I took a deep breath (and was sorry for it, because they use a lot of fake smoke/mist, and it doesn't agree with my lungs) and started walking and looking.
I had read a bunch of reviews and articles about the show before I went, because I knew just from the nature of it that I would miss a lot and wanted to have an idea of both what I was missing and what I might want to seek out. It didn't really help me, to be honest, except for the fact that when I spent the first half hour wandering around without seeing a single actor I knew it wasn't a grand social joke of making people wander around in masks in an empty warehouse. Yes, it took a half hour of me actively exploring multiple floors to find anyone but other people in masks.
Over the course of the night I did catch some important plot scenes, most notably the "Out, damn spot" sequence, and I missed other bits the show is known for like the rave. I saw the big dance sequence in the ballroom twice (they repeat the scenes three times throughout the night.) Even knowing Macbeth I couldn't follow along with most of what I saw because there's no dialogue and most of the action is told through dance and nudity instead of pantomime. Some of it was very moving; some of it felt gratuitous or forced. Most of it didn't actually tell a cohesive story an audience member only picking up bits and pieces could follow.
It didn't ultimately matter, because from my perspective the show isn't so much about the plot as it is the entire experience of wandering around amongst the set and the actors and interacting with performance art as an active audience member choosing your own path rather than sitting in your seat and being performed to. It's like life, in a way. You can't see everything. You can't get every perspective. And there are always cool shiny things to look at.
Intellectually, I think it was a very interesting event. It's more than just theater, and as someone who is passionate about performance and writing I'm fascinated by how the show pushes boundaries for everyone, including the dancers, who have no distance from the audience and yet little way to connect with them behind their masks. Emotionally, however, I had no connection to it (other than my visceral horror movie feelings about opening certain doors). Some of the dancers were spectacular, and a few of the lesser characters were charming even when doing nothing of import. (One of them caressed my hair, darling man!) But mostly it was a lot of flailing about, heavy emoting, and people running off with comet trails of masked onlookers following behind. It was also impossible to see all of the set, nevertheless all of the action, because doors and such were just not marked and sometimes weren't easily visible in the extremely low light. (I know, this is part of the conceit of the show, but it lessens the experience of the audience, in my opinion.)
I wouldn't call this a night at the theater. It's performance art, interpretive dance, and an art installation all at once. Since story and emotional connection are so important to me in all forms of art (not that they have to be to everyone; that's just how I'm wired), I found it interesting but very unsatisfying. I keep thinking about it, but it's all from the level of wondering about their process and the meta of what art and story mean, not from a personal connection to the action of the show.
The hidden gem of the evening, though, was a fantastic jazz quartet in the bar there afterwards. The singer was amazing! stoney321 and I may have become her personal cheering section in the corner, but she seemed tickled. But seriously, if you go stay at the bar and listen to the music while you talk with your friends about the show. And cheer a little for us!
We also got to meet one of the people who worked at the show, a connection of stoney321's, which was great for a little insight into the process of putting it on.
The next night was How to Succeed, and it was a solid Broadway show of its type. The costumes and sets were fantastic, and the cast was so good. SO GOOD. We saw the understudies for Smitty and a couple of the other roles, and they were phenomenal. Rosemary was particularly charming, but Smitty and Bud stole the show for me. Every reaction, every little glance, every line was just hilarious. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, even when they were off to the side. And they weren't acting too broadly for the show; they were just that good.
Oh, yes, and there were some more famous people in the show, too. I'm actually not saying that with much sarcasm. Every time Darren or Beau were off of the stage, I forgot they were even in the show.
The thing is, for me, that while Darren is both obviously easy on the eyes (and it's kind of odd to be not only able but encouraged to stare at him for hours from five rows away as he does his thing on stage, because given my experience of fandom it feels creepy to be fixated… except that's his job to be looked at while he's dancing around) and a charming and talented performer with a pleasant voice and a good sense of physicality and timing, he doesn't make Finch live to me. He goes through the lines and motions quite competently, but I didn't feel the character behind his eyes. There wasn't much in there for me. I think that's a flaw of Finch more than of Darren, but it may also be the nature of the beast when you have a performer who doesn't have tons of rehearsal time to find the hidden character or a long enough run to grow into the role as a mature performer. Some parts were clearly Darren's choices, but others were I think just his lack of time to make every single choice in a thoughtful manner.
I'm truly not bashing Darren, but between the relative weakness of his (lovely) voice and the lack of inner spark of his portrayal of Finch I just wasn't compelled by his performance. To me, in the fifth row, he didn't really push his presence off of the stage. His projection was weak both in terms of singing and in terms of the spark in his eyes. He made me laugh, but he didn't make me believe.
He isn't helped by the fact that the rest of the cast is so impressive around him, and Beau Bridges was so weak (no charm, no energy, stumbled over lines, sang painfully off-key more than once) that instead of making Darren better he made their scenes together seem like a struggle.
I will say, though, that I went in without much expectation one way or the other about Darren's dancing abilities, and he was a joy to watch move. He looked very comfortable and competent in his skin, in his limbs, in every extension and twist. So I was impressed by that, because his singing felt held back and a bit self-conscious at times, but his movement was very solid.
Anyway, I did have a great time at the show, but I think Darren's brief fill-in spot now isn't enough to show how much he can really rise to the occasion on Broadway. I mean, he's very good, especially for the amount of rehearsal he had, but I think if he were able to get his teeth into a role with a book that suited his talents better he could very well be much more compelling than pretty, charming, and competent. He wasn't here, for me. (And I love him. You know I love him.)
The fans inside the theater that I could see were well-behaved and for the most part properly dressed. I mean, Darren could do no wrong, of course, and people were through the moon every time he blinked, but there wasn't anything inappropriate from my point of view. I saw a handful of people leave just before the curtain call, but they at least stayed through the entire show. (But OMG how hard is it to clap for the people who entertained you for the past couple of hours?!) There were tons and tons of people at the stage door when we walked past, but I've no idea how the night went there, as we didn't have any interest in sticking around, as much as we would have liked to tell the cast how amazing they were. It's so frustrating, especially after our experience at BoM (ahead), not to be able to express our appreciation.
We also got to meet regala_electra at the show, and we had a nice dinner together afterward and closed out the restaurant. I was entertained to realize later that I didn't actually talk that much, because the other two ladies had so much to say (not in a rude way) that I just sat back and listened and enjoyed instead of trying to interject too much, but I sure made up for the with the rest of the trip. stoney321 and I didn't pause for breath once the entire time. I'm actually a bit hoarse this morning from it, and it was wonderful! I'm just amused that I was quiet at dinner, because I can be measured sometimes but am not quiet.
And then there was Book of Mormon. Oh my LORD, this was the best show to see on our last night. I laughed SO hard. The cast was SO impressive. In contrast with Beau and Darren (sorry, guys), there was no comparison. They were AMAZING. Their dancing, their singing, their acting, their every tiny reaction was perfection. And the songs and such were also fantastic: catchy, funny, spot-on, drawing on and parodying other shows, pop culture, and of course religion. Now, I'm a religion junkie, and obviously stoney321 is fandom's most famous (and dare I say beloved?) ex-Mormon, so we totally geeked out on everything in it, but I don't think you have to know a thing about Mormonism to enjoy this show. It is hilarious. It is also surprisingly touching, thoughtful, and respectful to believers of all sorts. It is filled with really solid, meaningful, hysterical songs performed by actors who can kill it. I mean, this show won Tonys for a reason. It's not a joke of a show; it's the real deal. And the performers are so well trained; they make these complex, aerobic, powerhouse numbers look as easy as skipping down the street. I can't even single out the actors, because each and every one, each and every role was cast to perfection. I laughed so hard, I was moved, and I was so impressed by them all.
My dear stoney321 had brought her own well-used Book of Mormon for the cast to sign instead of the playbill, and although that part's really her story to tell, I will say the cast was so delighted by it. We saw most of the performers at the stage door, and they were all kind to the fans there, but when they got to her pretty much every single one was like ZOMG at her book and really took a step out of their shell to talk about it a little. One of the chorus also used to be a Mormon, and he chatted with her for a good five minutes at the end of the (small, respectful, and very, very accessible - take that, Darren fans, you're doing it all wrong and ruining it for everyone) signing line. We so wanted to take him to dinner with us and keep talking!
We were delighted to be able to tell them that we loved what they were working so hard to create, and as a member of the audience that was really gratifying to us. I hope it was to them, too. They should be extremely proud of their show.
The shows were all very different, but each one was better or at least more satisfying to me than the last, so I think we saw them in just the right order. I wish we could just keep going!
I'm already in Connecticut as I'm typing, and I'm very sad to be going home. stoney321 and I truly had the best time. (Or I did; she might be a fabulous liar!) We spent delightful hours at the Met and the Cloisters, sat and talked forever in cafes, walked around the city, played spot-the-fangirl in Times Square (yes, we saw you!), and picked out new drinks for me to try. (Still haven't found my sweet spot with that. We'll just have to get back together for more experimentation! Darn.) And we never stopped talking. At times it was lovely and mature as befits two ladies, and at other times we swooned over pretty boys and flailed at each other about stories we want to write. We geeked out over music, art, religion, theater, well-dressed men, and just everything, and I feel like the connection we already had was made that much stronger. She is even funnier and lovelier in person than she is online; truly, she's a warm, kind soul with an infectious personality. (Also an infectious accent; I may be drawling a little, because I am such a subconscious mimic.)
I am so grateful to her for having been the Darren to my Chris and said, "Let's go see a show! Or twelve!" It was the best idea ever. And I know it won't be the last thing we do together in person. It just isn't possible. :)
I'm also grateful that she did so much of the heavy lifting when it came to navigation on this trip, because that's my job when I travel except that a part of me just released all need to be responsible for anything because my life is all on my shoulders, so I was uncharacteristically just floating around instead of being Type A. So, er, sorry about that, and thank you, my dear. :)
Whew. Okay, now off to poke at my fic writing, because she's scary and threatened me if I don't produce words I'm all inspired!