recent theatre experiences
10:35 pm - Smokey Joe's
Going into the national tour of Smokey Joe's Cafe, I had very low expecations. Emily Dake saw a prior incarnation (featuring Gladys Knight no less) and gave it a down (if I remember correctly, she fell asleep)...really, I thought, at best, it would just be nifty to see a restaging of all the musical numbers that made the cut for our GPS production of Smokey Joe's...
But I was flat wrong.
It was amazing. The first act was okay and probably pretty much what I expected. The dancing was lackluster and the break-kneck pacing just wasn't doing it for me, but then we hit "On Broadway" with an intense dance break. When the number ended, Barrett and I both spazzed out in our stolen orchestra seats as they ended the flying moves with that oh-so-familiar one-hand-in-the-air motion that wrapped up just about every number in our show. From there, it was all up hill. "Saved," "Baby that is Rock & Roll," "You're the Boss," "Treat Me Nice," "Hound Dog," "I'm a Woman," "Jailhouse Rock," "Spanish Harlem" (achievment in dance), "I (Who Have Nothing)," and "Stand By Me" were all flat-out fabulous, and the reprise of "Fools Fall in Love" literally moved me to tears. After the disappointing cut off the original cast recording, I thought it would be bad, but it was a veritable tour de force for Nova Payton.
I swear there is very little that is more satisfying to me than a good musical...
Shake the hand of a brand new fool
----
Fantasticks- Barrett scampered away to a suprise party for Liz but I decided to stick to my plan and met Dusty (as well as suprise meeting with the ever-gorgeous Allison Fowler and cameo by that Vatt kid who graduated a couple years back) at UTC for what would be a veritable achievement in live theatre. The Fantasticks just knocked the wind out of me it was so well done. It was a work of beautiful simplicity. The plot was simple--a slight twist on the familiar Shakesepearean plot of Romeon & Julliette except more light hearted with numerous whimsical song breaks. I first walked into the theatre and was striken (is that correct?) by the beautifuly simple stage set with a palette of only three pastel colors (a pink, a purple, and a green I beleive) which just worked with the simple, beleivable characters, and the beautiful music so well. Even some of the foibles were just perfect I thought as it was just so relaxed and beautiful a show. I mean the singing was a tad lackluster (except for El Gallo who was immaculate) and there were hints of southern accents and the two members of the simple orchestra (harpist and pianist) talked to people from there positions before the show started which kindof bothered me but it just kindof worked really. Ive heard the CD a couple of times because Dusty gave it to me (was that the whole thing, Dusty, or just highlights?) but they werent coherent so I didnt get it but seeing it was grand and the use of glitter and use of the entire theatre were both marked (by Dusty and me) as particularly well done. Afterwards we walked out to our cars and had a nice chat deconstructing the show and about music theatre in general. My only disappointment was that I was under the impression that it was to be metadramatic but it really wasnt as there was just a story-teler and thus not really a show-within-a-show per se.
"Mortimer, fetch the dublet!"
----
And I realized that the simplicity is how it could stay off-Broadway for so long...no need to expand
----
Porgy and Bess- Since Sarah ditched us for her life-partner and Nicole ditched us for homework (I suppose anyway as she never returned me calls...!), Barrett and I struck out alone to experience Porgy and Bess, a folk opera in the original Gullah language by George Gershwin....which started out kindof rocky. First of all, I dont speak Gullah (but, go figure, my mom did a research paper on it in college...), and secondly, I dont speak opera....and there werent supertitles or context clues (joke...kindof) so we didnt know what in the world was going on at first, but as time progressed, it became increasingly clear what was happening on stage and it turned out to be extremely enjoyable. My favorite number, "A Woman is a Sometime Thing," was divine and the number where Clara dies in the hurricane gave me chills. Special acting accolades go to the ample Bess, the INCREDIBLE voice of Porgy, the well-cast for body-type Crown, and the kooky-as-Fortune Maria. Nicole and Sarah, you really missed out...especially consider that we once again weaseled our way into the best seats in the house while paying for the worst.
Going into the national tour of Smokey Joe's Cafe, I had very low expecations. Emily Dake saw a prior incarnation (featuring Gladys Knight no less) and gave it a down (if I remember correctly, she fell asleep)...really, I thought, at best, it would just be nifty to see a restaging of all the musical numbers that made the cut for our GPS production of Smokey Joe's...
But I was flat wrong.
It was amazing. The first act was okay and probably pretty much what I expected. The dancing was lackluster and the break-kneck pacing just wasn't doing it for me, but then we hit "On Broadway" with an intense dance break. When the number ended, Barrett and I both spazzed out in our stolen orchestra seats as they ended the flying moves with that oh-so-familiar one-hand-in-the-air motion that wrapped up just about every number in our show. From there, it was all up hill. "Saved," "Baby that is Rock & Roll," "You're the Boss," "Treat Me Nice," "Hound Dog," "I'm a Woman," "Jailhouse Rock," "Spanish Harlem" (achievment in dance), "I (Who Have Nothing)," and "Stand By Me" were all flat-out fabulous, and the reprise of "Fools Fall in Love" literally moved me to tears. After the disappointing cut off the original cast recording, I thought it would be bad, but it was a veritable tour de force for Nova Payton.
I swear there is very little that is more satisfying to me than a good musical...
Shake the hand of a brand new fool
----
Fantasticks- Barrett scampered away to a suprise party for Liz but I decided to stick to my plan and met Dusty (as well as suprise meeting with the ever-gorgeous Allison Fowler and cameo by that Vatt kid who graduated a couple years back) at UTC for what would be a veritable achievement in live theatre. The Fantasticks just knocked the wind out of me it was so well done. It was a work of beautiful simplicity. The plot was simple--a slight twist on the familiar Shakesepearean plot of Romeon & Julliette except more light hearted with numerous whimsical song breaks. I first walked into the theatre and was striken (is that correct?) by the beautifuly simple stage set with a palette of only three pastel colors (a pink, a purple, and a green I beleive) which just worked with the simple, beleivable characters, and the beautiful music so well. Even some of the foibles were just perfect I thought as it was just so relaxed and beautiful a show. I mean the singing was a tad lackluster (except for El Gallo who was immaculate) and there were hints of southern accents and the two members of the simple orchestra (harpist and pianist) talked to people from there positions before the show started which kindof bothered me but it just kindof worked really. Ive heard the CD a couple of times because Dusty gave it to me (was that the whole thing, Dusty, or just highlights?) but they werent coherent so I didnt get it but seeing it was grand and the use of glitter and use of the entire theatre were both marked (by Dusty and me) as particularly well done. Afterwards we walked out to our cars and had a nice chat deconstructing the show and about music theatre in general. My only disappointment was that I was under the impression that it was to be metadramatic but it really wasnt as there was just a story-teler and thus not really a show-within-a-show per se.
"Mortimer, fetch the dublet!"
----
And I realized that the simplicity is how it could stay off-Broadway for so long...no need to expand
----
Porgy and Bess- Since Sarah ditched us for her life-partner and Nicole ditched us for homework (I suppose anyway as she never returned me calls...!), Barrett and I struck out alone to experience Porgy and Bess, a folk opera in the original Gullah language by George Gershwin....which started out kindof rocky. First of all, I dont speak Gullah (but, go figure, my mom did a research paper on it in college...), and secondly, I dont speak opera....and there werent supertitles or context clues (joke...kindof) so we didnt know what in the world was going on at first, but as time progressed, it became increasingly clear what was happening on stage and it turned out to be extremely enjoyable. My favorite number, "A Woman is a Sometime Thing," was divine and the number where Clara dies in the hurricane gave me chills. Special acting accolades go to the ample Bess, the INCREDIBLE voice of Porgy, the well-cast for body-type Crown, and the kooky-as-Fortune Maria. Nicole and Sarah, you really missed out...especially consider that we once again weaseled our way into the best seats in the house while paying for the worst.