Harry Potter and the Dancing Sylars
I'd pretty much decided to get rid of the 20 years worth of Playbills in my apt, but now I'm reconsidering.
Back in the fall when Edgar and I were looking for shows to see, the only one in the entire season that looked interesting was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It's a perfect star vehicle, Daniel Radcliffe is at the peak of his fame, 1950s corporate culture is really popular these days, and it's not a bad little show. So when I got a notice about discount tix, it was a no-brainer: I actually bought a pair of seats - middle of the orchestra! - without lining up a companion. Surely somebody would be free that night... right?
I don't love the publicity, but the show itself is even better than I expected. The choreography is absolutely incredible, with perfect little numbers developing organically and with perfect period flair. I don't wish to spoil the surprise, but "Brotherhood of Man" is the best musical dance number I've ever seen in my life and have I mentioned how many crates of Playbills I have, mostly musicals or ballet? Radcliffe's singing is perfectly adequate, but I could not believe how well he danced. He was incredibly athletic - who has that much energy??? - but also hilarious in "Grand Old Ivy". The rest of the cast is also superb, with only one exception. The gal playing Hedy LaRue just didn't quite live up to the sexpot the script calls for, and her Brooklyn accent was spotty. Given how much of the plot revolves around her irresistibility, it was disappointing. The show is still in previews, so there are still a few other things they need to get right: the timing on a few dance numbers, the spotlight that highlights Finch's cunning, etc.
My companion mentioned at dinner that he knew someone at the theater - but didn't tell me until we were late for the show that his friend had said we could stop by beforehand. Oh well, I thought, bc having watched amateur actors prepare, I was pretty sure pre-show on Broadway is even more focused on acting, not socializing. After the show, there were barricades to contain the Playbill-clutching fangirls and NYPD to herd them, but my companion eventually spotted his contact, who had duly put us on the list and escorted us. Just crossing the stage, walking through the (amazing) set, past the ghost light, and looking out on a Broadway house was pretty darn cool. S- had us wait outside the star's door. A woman came by and S- told her the star was showering. She laughed and said she'd wait, as she'd seen enough of him in 60-odd performances of Equus. S- commented that he'd seen 180-odd performances and she replied he would. My companion told the woman, "You must be so proud"; he later told me that was Radcliffe's mum.
The door opened and I went in. "Call me Dan," he said, and held out his hand. I introduced myself, as did my companion, and we burbled about how much we loved the show. His companion turned out to be his dance coach, and I congratulated him on a great job. Dan said something about how they're still in previews, there's still stuff to work on, he wasn't satisfied with his performance in "I Believe In You". Personally, I agree with his assessment: it's my favorite song in the show, the choreography is fantastic, but Dan needed to exude more presence in this song that is about how charismatic he is. Instead, I commented that he really knocked the cover off the ball on "Brotherhood of Man". We chatted a little about the show's anachronisms, the quality of the source material; Dan commented he liked the choreography bc it's men dancing like men, nothing namby-pamby, which frankly I couldn't agree with more. And not just bc of the multiple kicklines with men in 3pc suits. He signed my Playbill - "Lots of Love, Daniel" - and we said our goodnights.
Back in the fall when Edgar and I were looking for shows to see, the only one in the entire season that looked interesting was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It's a perfect star vehicle, Daniel Radcliffe is at the peak of his fame, 1950s corporate culture is really popular these days, and it's not a bad little show. So when I got a notice about discount tix, it was a no-brainer: I actually bought a pair of seats - middle of the orchestra! - without lining up a companion. Surely somebody would be free that night... right?
I don't love the publicity, but the show itself is even better than I expected. The choreography is absolutely incredible, with perfect little numbers developing organically and with perfect period flair. I don't wish to spoil the surprise, but "Brotherhood of Man" is the best musical dance number I've ever seen in my life and have I mentioned how many crates of Playbills I have, mostly musicals or ballet? Radcliffe's singing is perfectly adequate, but I could not believe how well he danced. He was incredibly athletic - who has that much energy??? - but also hilarious in "Grand Old Ivy". The rest of the cast is also superb, with only one exception. The gal playing Hedy LaRue just didn't quite live up to the sexpot the script calls for, and her Brooklyn accent was spotty. Given how much of the plot revolves around her irresistibility, it was disappointing. The show is still in previews, so there are still a few other things they need to get right: the timing on a few dance numbers, the spotlight that highlights Finch's cunning, etc.
My companion mentioned at dinner that he knew someone at the theater - but didn't tell me until we were late for the show that his friend had said we could stop by beforehand. Oh well, I thought, bc having watched amateur actors prepare, I was pretty sure pre-show on Broadway is even more focused on acting, not socializing. After the show, there were barricades to contain the Playbill-clutching fangirls and NYPD to herd them, but my companion eventually spotted his contact, who had duly put us on the list and escorted us. Just crossing the stage, walking through the (amazing) set, past the ghost light, and looking out on a Broadway house was pretty darn cool. S- had us wait outside the star's door. A woman came by and S- told her the star was showering. She laughed and said she'd wait, as she'd seen enough of him in 60-odd performances of Equus. S- commented that he'd seen 180-odd performances and she replied he would. My companion told the woman, "You must be so proud"; he later told me that was Radcliffe's mum.
The door opened and I went in. "Call me Dan," he said, and held out his hand. I introduced myself, as did my companion, and we burbled about how much we loved the show. His companion turned out to be his dance coach, and I congratulated him on a great job. Dan said something about how they're still in previews, there's still stuff to work on, he wasn't satisfied with his performance in "I Believe In You". Personally, I agree with his assessment: it's my favorite song in the show, the choreography is fantastic, but Dan needed to exude more presence in this song that is about how charismatic he is. Instead, I commented that he really knocked the cover off the ball on "Brotherhood of Man". We chatted a little about the show's anachronisms, the quality of the source material; Dan commented he liked the choreography bc it's men dancing like men, nothing namby-pamby, which frankly I couldn't agree with more. And not just bc of the multiple kicklines with men in 3pc suits. He signed my Playbill - "Lots of Love, Daniel" - and we said our goodnights.