(no subject)
I saw A Catered Affair last night, finally. And I actually liked it a lot more than I thought I would, although I didn't think it was really great. It seemed as though Fierstein and John Bucchino made this into the piece they wanted it to be, and it works on its own merits for the most part, as long as you don't compare it to the source material (difficult to do, certainly.)
It's very clear they wanted this to be a story that war and loss is a large part of. That alone makes it very different from the movie. But it works in some ways - it provides more tension that leads to the big blow-up late in the show, and provides an interesting family dynamic for Janey and Aggie that's very different in the movie. The other huge change - the gay Uncle Winston - actually would've worked better if they had just toned it down a bit. Ok, so he's out and open at home, but you'd think he'd be just a little more careful, a little more nervous when out on the town. There was none of that in Fierstein's performance. I think with just a few cuts and changes to that character, the show would've worked a lot better. I actually liked "Immediate Family," the song he sings when he's drunk to the groom's parents, but the reference to his lover's head in his crotch again just went too far. I can't believe that this openly gay man has never been persecuted or doesn't know the risks of his lifestyle at that time.
But I think that a lot of what's there works. The moment when we see Janey in her white dress and veil for the first time, at the end of that duet with her mother, is quite moving. Tom Wopat's big number at the end was very good, living up to the hype. Faith Prince is just as good as everyone says she is, and she really holds the show together. Janey and Ralph's duet "Never Stop Saying I Love You" is gorgeous, and its reprise made me cry a little, and I also really loved "Coney Island."
Overall, this show is not only way better than Cry-Baby, I actually liked it more than I liked In The Heights. This definitely should've been nominated for Best Musical at the Tonys, even with my reservations. It's sweet piece, and I'm glad I saw it.
I haven't written about several shows lately. A lot's been happening! I am busy. I love it though. Going upstate tonight for my Grandfather's birthday - I'll be back in the city on Sunday, just in time to catch the matinee of [title of show], my third time seeing it.
It's very clear they wanted this to be a story that war and loss is a large part of. That alone makes it very different from the movie. But it works in some ways - it provides more tension that leads to the big blow-up late in the show, and provides an interesting family dynamic for Janey and Aggie that's very different in the movie. The other huge change - the gay Uncle Winston - actually would've worked better if they had just toned it down a bit. Ok, so he's out and open at home, but you'd think he'd be just a little more careful, a little more nervous when out on the town. There was none of that in Fierstein's performance. I think with just a few cuts and changes to that character, the show would've worked a lot better. I actually liked "Immediate Family," the song he sings when he's drunk to the groom's parents, but the reference to his lover's head in his crotch again just went too far. I can't believe that this openly gay man has never been persecuted or doesn't know the risks of his lifestyle at that time.
But I think that a lot of what's there works. The moment when we see Janey in her white dress and veil for the first time, at the end of that duet with her mother, is quite moving. Tom Wopat's big number at the end was very good, living up to the hype. Faith Prince is just as good as everyone says she is, and she really holds the show together. Janey and Ralph's duet "Never Stop Saying I Love You" is gorgeous, and its reprise made me cry a little, and I also really loved "Coney Island."
Overall, this show is not only way better than Cry-Baby, I actually liked it more than I liked In The Heights. This definitely should've been nominated for Best Musical at the Tonys, even with my reservations. It's sweet piece, and I'm glad I saw it.
I haven't written about several shows lately. A lot's been happening! I am busy. I love it though. Going upstate tonight for my Grandfather's birthday - I'll be back in the city on Sunday, just in time to catch the matinee of [title of show], my third time seeing it.