(matinee performance)
Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City
Left Box B
I had planned on seeing Drowsy Chaperone, but, on a whim, decided to look at the offerings at TKTS - and saw that 2007 Best Musical winner Spring Awakening was there, so Chad and I immediately grabbed tickets.
I had seen the show back in January, back with the complete original cast. I enjoyed it very much, but did find some elements lacking, particularly the performance of Lea Michele as Wendla, and the book (ESPECIALLY the book). After a second viewing, my experience was somewhat different.
Upon reaching the theater, I learned that understudy Phoebe Stole would be performing the role of Wendla. At first I was sad about this, as I wanted Chad to see the original cast, but then I remembered my feelings for Michele's performance. This filled me with hope - and I can gladly say that Strole lived up to these hopes. At times, she sounded a tad nervous, particularly during her opening number, but she warmed up quite nicely after that. She played the role with the perfect innocence required, something I didn't get from Michele. Her chemistry with Jon Groff's Melchior could have been better, but given the fact that she's an understudy, that is somewhat understandable. Overall, a very nice performance by Phoebe Stole, I'm excited I got the opportunity to see her!
As for the book.... it was even worse, honestly. How it won the Tony Award for Best Book is beyond me. Now, I know that the Tony Award also stands for the dramatic structure of the piece, but even that didn't seem particularly strong. While the second act certainly surges forward to the climax, the first act tends to wander a bit, featuring secondary storylines that the audience doesn't really care about, storylines that aren't resolved in the end, or, in fact, are never mentioned again. While this problem comes from the original Wedekind play, there is no reason that this couldn't have been fixed (there were other elements of the original changed - why not aiding character development?). The dialogue itself is confusing, written in the style of the original, but missing its mark. Why didn't the creative team bring in an experienced playwright to write the dialogue (which could have been anachronistic without any issues, due to the way the music was presented in a similar anachronistic way).
I've now seen both of the "front runners" for Best Musical, Grey Gardens and the winner, Spring Awakening (the latter twice). I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy both of them immensely. That said, I do not see Spring Awakening's victory, not at all. Grey Gardens is an emotional journey, features far better writing, a more appropriate score, a far better book, and is overall a better performance. One thing I will acknowledge, however, is my initial feelings for both shows. When I saw Spring Awakening, I liked it right off the bat, even with its flaws. After the show, I knew right away that I enjoyed the show, and wanted to come back again. Grey Gardens, on the other hand, took a while to set in. Immediately leaving the show, I was rather disappointed, wishing I had seen something else. However, I couldn't stop thinking about the show, until I finally realized how wonderful it was. This difference is most certainly due to the different natures of the show: Spring Awakening attempts to get "in your face", while Grey Gardens is all about subtlety and the nuances.
All that said, its actually easier to find the undeserving Tony Award winners than the deserving ones, but that's a different post entirely.
All in all, a very enjoyable day at the theater. Let this be a lesson for all of you out there: if you don't have a strict limit on the price you want to pay for your ticket, look around! The TKTS booth is your friend (and don't let the often long lines intimidate you! The line for tickets was down the breeze way and back, and we reached the window in no more than 20 minutes)!
6.21.2007
6.08.2007
The Light in the Piazza, 6/7/07
The Colonial Theater, Boston, MA
Seat: Balcony Center
I had seen Piazza in January of 2006, featuring the second cast (Victoria Clark as Margaret, Katie Clarke as Clara, Aaron Lazar as Fabrizio). I enjoyed the show then quite a bit, but wasn't blown away by the show. The performances were quite good, headed by the Tony Award winning Clark, and a very strong (in my opinion) Broadway debut by the young Katie Clarke (I say my opinion because the majority opinion on Broadway message boards were negative, something I didn't quite see).
I'll say this about the national touring production: I was blown away.
I'll start with Clarke, who is the commonality between my two Piazza experiences. Last year, her acting was spot on, really capturing the youthfulness and innocence of Clara, coupled with a very nice voice. However, it was the voice that was a bit of a struggle at times - her break was very apparent, causing her "mixed" voice to waver at times. In all, I saw a great deal of potential in Ms Clarke, and hoped to one day see her again in a show... fast forward to the present, with Ms Clarke (now using her middle name as well, Katie Rose Clarke). Any issues at all with her break have now completely disappeared and her acting has gotten even better (which isn't surprising, as I saw her a month into her run). I thought after first seeing her that she has the potential to be a very solid Broadway star, but now I know it: Ms. Katie Rose Clarke is going to be a star.
Likewise, we have David Burnham as Fabrizio. While Aaron Lazar gave an admirable performance on Broadway, singing the role beautifully, I didn't feel much from an acting standpoint. Burnham, on the other hand, left everything he had on the Colonial stage. Everything I wanted as an audience member from Lazar was given to me by Burnham, and then some. It is truly refreshing to see a passionate performance by a performer who actually pours his heart into the role.
Finally, we come to the role of Margaret. With all due respect to the wonderful Christine Andreas, nothing she could have done on the stage could compare in my mind to the phenomenal Victoria Clark. Clark's performance was stunning, a true star turn in every sense of the word. Every gesture, every word was meaningful, leading to a truly nuanced performance. Her touring counterpart, Ms. Andreas, gave a wonderful performance, don't get me wrong, but completely different. Andreas was more animated on the stage, a much bigger Margaret, which may be due to the size of the venue (the Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center is large but intimate; this is often not the case in touring venues). In any case, Andreas' Margaret was in no means a weak link in a strong cast, just not quite at the level of Ms. Victoria Clark. As unfair as it may be to compare the two, it is an inevitable comparison, and rather hard to avoid.
Overall, the show is breathtaking, possessing one of the strongest scores I've ever heard. It's particularly telling when it comes to the Italian lyrics: the audience may not understand what the characters are saying, but it just does not matter - it is obvious what they mean in context with the production. Truly wonderful.
If you can see this show in Boston or any of the (unfortunately dwindling!) remaining tour schedule, I strongly urge you to do so. While this show will likely be a hit in regional theaters across America in the coming years, this cast and production should not be missed.
The Boston tour stop (and the 2006-2007 Broadway Across America season) concludes on Saturday, June 9.
Seat: Balcony Center
I had seen Piazza in January of 2006, featuring the second cast (Victoria Clark as Margaret, Katie Clarke as Clara, Aaron Lazar as Fabrizio). I enjoyed the show then quite a bit, but wasn't blown away by the show. The performances were quite good, headed by the Tony Award winning Clark, and a very strong (in my opinion) Broadway debut by the young Katie Clarke (I say my opinion because the majority opinion on Broadway message boards were negative, something I didn't quite see).
I'll say this about the national touring production: I was blown away.
I'll start with Clarke, who is the commonality between my two Piazza experiences. Last year, her acting was spot on, really capturing the youthfulness and innocence of Clara, coupled with a very nice voice. However, it was the voice that was a bit of a struggle at times - her break was very apparent, causing her "mixed" voice to waver at times. In all, I saw a great deal of potential in Ms Clarke, and hoped to one day see her again in a show... fast forward to the present, with Ms Clarke (now using her middle name as well, Katie Rose Clarke). Any issues at all with her break have now completely disappeared and her acting has gotten even better (which isn't surprising, as I saw her a month into her run). I thought after first seeing her that she has the potential to be a very solid Broadway star, but now I know it: Ms. Katie Rose Clarke is going to be a star.
Likewise, we have David Burnham as Fabrizio. While Aaron Lazar gave an admirable performance on Broadway, singing the role beautifully, I didn't feel much from an acting standpoint. Burnham, on the other hand, left everything he had on the Colonial stage. Everything I wanted as an audience member from Lazar was given to me by Burnham, and then some. It is truly refreshing to see a passionate performance by a performer who actually pours his heart into the role.
Finally, we come to the role of Margaret. With all due respect to the wonderful Christine Andreas, nothing she could have done on the stage could compare in my mind to the phenomenal Victoria Clark. Clark's performance was stunning, a true star turn in every sense of the word. Every gesture, every word was meaningful, leading to a truly nuanced performance. Her touring counterpart, Ms. Andreas, gave a wonderful performance, don't get me wrong, but completely different. Andreas was more animated on the stage, a much bigger Margaret, which may be due to the size of the venue (the Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center is large but intimate; this is often not the case in touring venues). In any case, Andreas' Margaret was in no means a weak link in a strong cast, just not quite at the level of Ms. Victoria Clark. As unfair as it may be to compare the two, it is an inevitable comparison, and rather hard to avoid.
Overall, the show is breathtaking, possessing one of the strongest scores I've ever heard. It's particularly telling when it comes to the Italian lyrics: the audience may not understand what the characters are saying, but it just does not matter - it is obvious what they mean in context with the production. Truly wonderful.
If you can see this show in Boston or any of the (unfortunately dwindling!) remaining tour schedule, I strongly urge you to do so. While this show will likely be a hit in regional theaters across America in the coming years, this cast and production should not be missed.
The Boston tour stop (and the 2006-2007 Broadway Across America season) concludes on Saturday, June 9.
6.02.2007
Parade, 5/30/07
SpeakEasy Stage Company, Boston, MA
Seat: Front Row Center
I am a huge Jason Robert Brown fan, ever since I first heard the opening notes of "I'm Still Hurting" from The Last Five Years. Therefore, every time I see a production of his shows done around me, I jump at the chance to see. When SpeakEasy announced that they were producing the Boston professional premiere of Parade, Brown's epic musical about the Leo Frank murder trial, I instantly bought a ticket... and am immensely happy to have done so.
Rarely, in my years of attending theater, have I seen such an emotional piece. By the end of the first act alone, I was drained. The first act is an incredibly structured piece, moving briskly from exposition, to the murder, to the trial and conviction, all the while showing Frank is indeed human and that the entire trial was a set up. While the second act faltered a bit in its flow, it did not hinder the experience. In all, Parade is a wonderful show, with a top-notch score.
SpeakEasy's production is also top-notch, fitting such a wonderful show. I must begin with my commendation for the ensemble. The music direction perfectly utilized the vocal talents of the ensemble, something that often is lacking in big productions, unfortunately.
Without going into details on the entire cast, I must share the accolades of Brendan McNab (Leo Frank). I had seen Mr. McNab previously in Lyric's 1776 (Dr. Lymon Hall) and See What I Wanna See (The Janitor/A Priest), and was impressed with him in each, but nothing prepared me for his performance in Parade. Throughout the entire performance, I was impressed with McNab's awareness of everything was going on around and inside of him. There was not a moment where I did not see the inner struggle required for the role, something very difficult to master. I believe that people will be talking about McNab's wonderfully nuanced performance for quite a while in the Boston theatre circuit.
The production runs through June 16th, I strongly urge to you go and see it!
On another note, I must say that I am particularly impressed with SpeakEasy's recently announced 2007-2008 season: Zanna Don't!, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 2007 Tony Nominated "The Little Dog Laughed", Terrance McNally's "Some Men" and the 2006 Tony Award Winner for Best Play "The History Boys". I will most certainly look into subscribing this season!
(In case you were wondering, yes, I have seen lots of theater since my last post, but haven't posted reviews - I'll keep up from now on!)
Seat: Front Row Center
I am a huge Jason Robert Brown fan, ever since I first heard the opening notes of "I'm Still Hurting" from The Last Five Years. Therefore, every time I see a production of his shows done around me, I jump at the chance to see. When SpeakEasy announced that they were producing the Boston professional premiere of Parade, Brown's epic musical about the Leo Frank murder trial, I instantly bought a ticket... and am immensely happy to have done so.
Rarely, in my years of attending theater, have I seen such an emotional piece. By the end of the first act alone, I was drained. The first act is an incredibly structured piece, moving briskly from exposition, to the murder, to the trial and conviction, all the while showing Frank is indeed human and that the entire trial was a set up. While the second act faltered a bit in its flow, it did not hinder the experience. In all, Parade is a wonderful show, with a top-notch score.
SpeakEasy's production is also top-notch, fitting such a wonderful show. I must begin with my commendation for the ensemble. The music direction perfectly utilized the vocal talents of the ensemble, something that often is lacking in big productions, unfortunately.
Without going into details on the entire cast, I must share the accolades of Brendan McNab (Leo Frank). I had seen Mr. McNab previously in Lyric's 1776 (Dr. Lymon Hall) and See What I Wanna See (The Janitor/A Priest), and was impressed with him in each, but nothing prepared me for his performance in Parade. Throughout the entire performance, I was impressed with McNab's awareness of everything was going on around and inside of him. There was not a moment where I did not see the inner struggle required for the role, something very difficult to master. I believe that people will be talking about McNab's wonderfully nuanced performance for quite a while in the Boston theatre circuit.
The production runs through June 16th, I strongly urge to you go and see it!
On another note, I must say that I am particularly impressed with SpeakEasy's recently announced 2007-2008 season: Zanna Don't!, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 2007 Tony Nominated "The Little Dog Laughed", Terrance McNally's "Some Men" and the 2006 Tony Award Winner for Best Play "The History Boys". I will most certainly look into subscribing this season!
(In case you were wondering, yes, I have seen lots of theater since my last post, but haven't posted reviews - I'll keep up from now on!)
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