Image from www.roundabouttheatre.org

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

A teen idol musical set in the 60s gets its first revival.

Bye Bye Birdie tells the story of the ultimate teen idol, Conrad Birdie, being drafted to the Vietnam War but not before one final goodbye to his fans and the lucky girl who gets to give him his last kiss.  That last part was planned by his agent and songwriter Albert Peterson and his secretary/girlfriend Rose Alvarez.

I was distracted throughout the show by the downstage track that went between stage left and right.  I understand that in this age of technology there is no or at least little need for stagehands to move scenery and/or large stage props, but the fact that I could actually see the track almost distracted me from the entire show.  The only theory I could come up to explain its visibility is that it seems to be the main track.  I hope they find some way to make it look like the rest of the stage before it opens.

I liked the bright bold colors used in the sets.  The McAfee’s living room and kitchen set looked very realistic, almost like a time warp.  I liked how they had actual sets for scenes that took place at the train station and the school playground.

I thought that the kids were the best part of the show, especially Allie Trimm who played Kim McAfee, the girl that got picked to kiss Conrad.  I was excited to see Trimm, who was in the musical 13 as Patrice.  The musical number “One Boy” was my favorite number in the entire show because the girls sounded so perfect it almost didn’t seem real.  I believed the teen girls who went crazy for their teen idol, from screaming in his presence to serenading him.  “The Telephone Hour”, featuring all of the kids was one of my favorite performance numbers.  You could tell that a great deal of practice that went into coordinating something that could turn out disastrous if not done right.

Image from ?

I thought Bill Irwin as Kim’s dad was the best part of the show in terms of humor.  He was really taking his role as far as he could without making it stereotypical.  Almost everytime he was onstage, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing so hard.  I’m going to make an early prediction that he’ll get a Tony nomination for this part.

I thought that John Stamos and Gina Gershon were ok.  It didn’t occur to me until the end of the show that they were sort of the main characters/storyline, which was a little confusing since the show is called Bye Bye Birdie.

Image from ?

I thought Nolan Gerard Funk was sort of ok as Conrad Birdie.  He was certainly convincing when performing in front of the crowd of teenagers.  Personally I think that if the producers were going to cast the role of a teen idol, they would go for a modern teen idol such as Zac Efron.  It would certainly give kids a reason to see the show, other than at their respective schools.

I was bothered by the end of the show.  I won’t give anything away, but there were two main plot points that weren’t wrapped up.  Also, as I said before, the fact that the Conrad Birdie storyline was secondary to the Albert Peterson/Rose Alvarez storyline almost didn’t make sense.

I would recommend this show to anyone who’s a fan of the show in general, if only to relive the musical numbers.  It would be a perfect show for families as the parents get to remember what it was like to be teenagers and their kids will get to connect with their parents when it comes to worshipping teen idols.

Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes w/intermission

Image from www.bargaintheatre.com

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

I have no idea why anyone would see this play.  I mean, it’s not like there’s someone famous in it…

For the few people not familiar with this famous play, Hamlet is about a young prince who discovers that his mother has married his uncle upon his father’s death.  Convinced by his father’s ghost, Hamlet sets a plan to expose his father’s murderer.

My first thought when I saw the play was “Oh my god, did they keep the wall from Mary Stuart (the previous occupant of the Broadhurst Theatre)?”  Of course, once you consider that both productions came courtesy of The Donmar Warehouse, it all makes sense: the lack of scenery, the use of lighting to enhance scenes and the modern dress of the characters.  But once you look past all that, as I tried to, you’ll see something really good.

Since I was acquainted with the modern dress that most of the characters wore in Mary Stuart, I was not as distracted this time around.  Strangely, I think the choice of costumes allowed me to pay more attention to the dialogue of the play.  When you think about it, it could be mildly distracting to look at period-era costumes (or any era for that matter) while concentrating on the play because it almost turns the play into a fashion show.

I liked how they depicted the difference between scenes taking place indoors and outdoors by using a wall-behind-a-wall.  The front wall would occasionally part in the middle to reveal a space that could expand on a scene taking place outdoors or add more to a scene taking place indoors.  There were also a door on either end of the wall to help with scenes that take place in a room.  I wish I could find a picture of it, though.

My favorite scene in the play was when Hamlet staged a play to catch his uncle’s guilt. While most of the stage and the characters’ costumes were in dark hues, the characters for the play-within-a-play (”play”) and their small stage were in white.   While it seems obvious to make the “play” as detached as possible from the play itself, it almost serves as a way of creating a negative of the play that is going on.

I thought that the performances were good, especially Jude Law’s.  I thought his best acting was when Hamlet was acting erractically to throw off suspicion that he was up to something.  I was also drawn in to Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s performance as Ophelia.  I could feel her sadness when Hamlet turns her away and understand her madness when she offers the other characters herbs.

Image from www.trendhunter.com

I would recommend this show to anyone who’s likes Shakespeare.  It’s most appropriate for English and Theatre students as they can discuss the elements of the show afterwards.  Of course, it’s not appropriate for people who can’t sit through a tragedy play, especially one like this, for three hours.

Running time: 3 hours, 10 minutes with one intermission

Image from www.applause-tickets.com

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

What a way to make a living…yes, I went there.

9 to 5 tells the story of 3 female office workers (Violet, Judy and Doralee) who take revenge on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical” male boss by holding him hostage, unbeknownst to the rest of the company.  They then decide to enact changes to the office using his name.

Image from cityguideny.com

The sets are pretty basic: the boss’ office, the general office pool, the boss’ house, etc.  There’s nothing flashy about them, which is kinda good for a musical set in the 70s.  There’s an LED backdrop, much like Guys and Dolls, except 9 to 5 uses it more for atmosphere than part of the actual set.

I thought Megan Hilty and Stephanie J. Block were amazing.  It was a little entertaining seeing former cast members of Wicked together again.  I thought Megan was really playing up her character’s “assets” and showing a side of her character the audience wouldn’t expect.  I liked that you could see Stephanie’s character’s growth from a meek new employee to a woman with confidence.

I was surprised when I first heard that Allison Janney was going to be in a musical, especially this one.  I was impressed at how she managed to keep up with her costars.  I thought her character’s storyline, getting frustrated at watching people she trained get promoted above her, was just as realistic as everyone else’s.  However, while I’ll admit she can sing, there were times when I couldn’t hear her as sometimes the ensemble and/or the orchestra would overwhelm her voice.  It was almost like she opened her mouth and no sound came out of it.  Needless to say, I was completely surprised that she got nominated and not Megan Hilty or Stephanie J. Block.

I thought Marc Kudisch was perfect as the boss.  He exuded just the right amount of creepy as his character tried to look up Doralee’s skirt.  He had great comedic timing and you have to admire someone who spends part of the show hanging in midair.

I think the biggest surprise regarding this show is how almost all the songs didn’t sound country.  It really goes to show how talented Dolly Parton is.  I thought the songs that she wrote for each scene were really good, especially Doralee’s song “Backwoods Barbie”.

Overall, I thought this show was really good.  I would recommend this show for older teens and up because of some suggestive content.  It would be perfect for those who are fans of the movie or know what it’s like to work in an office environment and/or for a boss that they would like to exact revenge on.

Running time: 2 hours 30 mins w/intermission

Image from www.lauren-online.net

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

Keep in mind that this review is for a preview performance.  That being said, the show’s not bad.

The current revival of this musical stars Oliver Platt as Nathan Detroit, a guy trying to find a new place to hold his floating crap game; Lauren Graham as his “doll” Adelaide who wishes he would stop playing craps and marry her; Craig Bierko as Sky Masterson and Kate Jennings Grant as missionary Sarah Brown, the “doll” Nathan bets that Sky can’t get to go to Cuba with him.

What got my attention was all the neon signs in the house.  I thought it was a little much in terms of size and how one was practically a sentence.  I was glad, however, when they weren’t used all the time and the “wordy” sign was not always lit in its entirety.  I was a little caught off guard when I saw more of the signs on stage.  Thankfully they weren’t used all the time themselves.

One of my favorite parts of the production was when the orchestra was revealed to be upstage and on three levels.  I have to give it to the director for the original (I’m assuming it hasn’t been done before) layout.  I also liked what I think are the old fashioned stands, the kind you would see in an old movie or a movie set in the 40s or 50s.  The whole look really helps set the mood.

I liked the orchestrations and the choreography that went with them.  I really liked how the opening orchestration was its own number, and not some piece of music played before the curtain went up.

I thought the actors were really good.  I had no idea either of the leads could sing, so it was a pleasant surprise to seem them perform.  I really liked Lauren Graham’s character.  I thought she maintained her accent well.  I thought Kate Jennings Grant had a great voice.  I liked how her character evolved over the course of the show.

I would recommend this show to anyone who’s a fan of old-fashioned musicals.  I would not recommend this for teens because of content and an image that appeared during the show.

Running time: 2 hours, 35 mins w/intermission

Image from www.newyorkology.com

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

I had never seen the movie (yes, I’m the one) before, but I had some idea of what it’s about based on what I heard.  One of the main reasons I decided to go was when I found out that it was based on the book by William Steig (had no idea that there was a book) and the movie.

For the other few not familiar with the material, it tells the story of an ogre named Shrek who was sent to live on his own by his parents.  He goes through life scaring people away, either by his appearance or being scary to people and eventually settles in a swamp.  His idyllic life of living by himself is interrupted when familiar fairy tale characters such as Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf invade his space after being pushed out of the kingdom of Dulac.  While trying to find a way to get all the characters out of his swamp, he is asked by Lord Farquaad of Dulac to rescue the Princess Fiona.  I’ll stop here before I give away the whole story.

I understood most of the inside jokes that went on during the show.  I know some may have come from the movie, the rest inspired by shows (especially Disney) on Broadway.  I thought the songs were ok, though the only one that I can remember the lyrics to were “Big Bright Beautiful World”.

I really liked the staging of the musical.  The sets kind of reminded me of Tarzan and Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, but this show is much better.  I was literally mesmerized by the sort of concentric circles that managed to move part of a set in a straight line from upstage to downstage.  You could tell they put a lot of work into figuring out the kinks.

I loved Christopher Sieber’s portrayal of Lord Farquaad.  It was interesting to see a tall man become someone who’s really short.  I thought his was the best character in the show and his comic timing was great.  I thought Brian D’Arcy James was really good as Shrek.  I was glad to see his facial expressions because I was worried the all the prosthetics would prevent it.  I liked Sutton Foster as Fiona.  Her introduction was hilarious and I was left wondering how they manage to do her quick changes.

Image from www.broadwayworld.com

Image from www.daylife.com

My next favorite characters were the ones who were pushed out of Dulac.  I thought they were the best supporting players I’ve seen.  I liked how they were slightly exaggerated versions of the characters that I grew up reading about.  I loved how they came to realize to love themselves for who they were and sang about it.  It was the ultimate chorus line.

I would recommend this show to anyone who’s a fan of the movie and wants to take their kids to something other than Disney.  I guarantee that people who may be turned off to a show that makes fun of their favorite childhood characters need not be worried.  It’s all in good fun.

Running time: 2 hours 30 mins w/ intermission

Image from www.applause-tickets.com

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

In honor of Stephen Daldry’s nomination for The Reader,  I’ve decided to review the Broadway musical version of the movie Billy Elliot.

For those not familiar with the movie, it tells the story of a boy named Billy Elliot who chooses to learn dancing instead of boxing to the bewilderment of his family.  It is set against the 1984 Miner’s Strike, which his father and uncle participate in.  And it’s all set to music.

I was not familiar with the movie before I saw the show, which I think actually works as a disadvantage since I had to actually think while watching the show to figure out the musical scenes.  The one where the ballerinas dance with and amongst the riot police was unusual until I understood that it was a way of showing what’s going on inside and outside the school.

The other musical numbers were ok.  At the risk of receiving the wrath of Elton John, not all of them were memorable.  I really liked the one where the miners were parodying Margaret Thatcher and Parliament.  I thought the staging of that was reallly unique.  One of the better ones was one of the final numbers where the strike was over and the miners went down to work.  I liked the starkness of that scene, where it was all dark and all you saw was the lights from the helmets of the workers.  The fact that it also acted as the town’s farewell to Billy was good.

The set was pretty basic.  A large room is used for the union hall, dance/boxing studio and the Elliot family house.  Sometimes it gives way to other scenes that don’t require much in the way of scenery.  I thought it was pretty cool how Billy’s room goes up and down from the floor.  It made sense that they had to cancel a performance when that particular aspect of the scene wasn’t working.  It’s certainly much better that having th characters go from one end of the stage to another, trying to make you believe that they’re going to another room.

I forgot which Billy I saw, but I thought he was really good.  If I had enough money, I’d go again and again to see the other two.  You can tell why they need two other Billys as the character is in almost every scene and does some pretty acrobatic dancing, like the scene where he’s dancing with an older version of himself.  I thought that the choreography for the scene was stellar.  I hope all the young actors get nominated.

Image from www.billyelliotthemusical.com

I thought Gregory Jbara gave one the best performances I’ve seen in the show.  I believed his character’s transformation from his not understanding his son’s love for dance to his acceptancerealizing that dance would allow a better life for his son.

I thought this show was very good.  I liked how they managed to tell two stories at the same time.  I would recommend this show to anyone who’s a fan of the movie and loves musicals.  I think it would be most appropriate for families, as it would be something that parents could relate to and kids can understand the struggles parents go through for their children.

Image from www.newyorkcitytheatre.com

Rating: 4 out of 5

A new year, a new review.

For the few people who don’t know anything about the show, it’s based on the memoir of Gypsy Rose Lee, a burlesque dancer.  It tells the story of how Gypsy’s mother, Rose, pushed her daughters (the other one was named Rose June, if you can believe it), into the vaudeville circuit and how it affected their lives.  To the average person, it’s a study on why one shouldn’t be an overbearing stage mother.  Although, and I won’t give away the ending, it does have a bittersweet ending.

I thought Patti LuPone was ok.  I really bought her desperation and delusion to make her daughters stars.  You can tell Rose had a goal for her daughters whether they wanted to go along with it or not.  And when you find out why she did what she did for her daughters, it really adds to the sadness of her situation.  I really liked Laura Benanti’s portrayal of Rose Louise because you got to see her character evolve from a wallflower who’s awkward onstage to one finds herself relishing the limelight.  The scene where her character confronts her mother about her life was perhaps one of the best scenes in the show.

Image from www.nytimes.com

I thought the story was good, if somewhat disturbing.  The fact that it was based on a true story just added to the shock of watching grown women act as though they were still children.  As a result, the story distracted from the show itself, in my opinion.  I found myself almost unable to pay attention to the performances in general.

I liked the sets, though they seemed pretty generic.  It looked like it a high school set of Gypsy, rather than one on Broadway.  I did like how part of the set looked like a stage, almost like watching a show within a show.  I think this part of the set shows Rose’s mentality, that her daughters are always putting on a show.  The placards that change with almost every scene is a nice touch. 

I thought this show was good.  I would recommend it to adults only, because of some of the content.  I would highly recommend this to all parents, in the hopes that they wouldn’t do to their children what Rose did to her daughters.

Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes w/one intermission

Image from www.rogerbean.com

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

When I heard about yet another musical featuring songs from the 50s and 60s, I have to admit I was excited.  The last show I saw, which I can’t remember right now (I know it played at the Julia Miles Theatre), was really good.  Granted not all shows that feature some of your favorite songs are good, but what’s the worse that can happen?  It’s most likely more cheaper than going to a concert and if you’re lucky has a good story to tell.

The Marvelous Wonderettes takes place in 1958 at the Springfield High School prom.  The act that was supposed to perform dropped out, leaving four girls who call themselves “The Marvelous Wonderettes”, to perform in their place.  The four girls sorta represent the typical teen archetypes, at least for that period of time.  There’s the pretty/bitchy one who adores the spotlight, the ditzy one who always the optimist, the hardworking one who for awhile is in the pretty/bitchy one’s shadow and the nerd who gives new meaning to the term “teacher’s pet”.

What I found interesting is that the storyline is expressed through both dialogue and song.  In between the songs, you learn more about the girls and how they interact with each other.   Sometimes the songs are used as part of the dialogue, sometimes cleverly.  I get the sense that the show was built up around the songs, especially since some of the names mentioned onstage matched the songs they sang. 

What I loved most about this show was that it didn’t take place entirely at the prom.  The second act takes place at the graduating class’ ten year reunion.  You really get to see the difference between the girls at 18 and then at 28.  There are more costume changes during the second act than the first since the girls are filling in what happened to them during the ten years since the prom.

I really liked the set, which is made to look like a gym with prom decorations amongst banners displaying the school’s achievements.  I thought it was really cool that the decorations extended into the house and lobby.  It really helps to bring you into the environment of the show.

Overall, I thought the show was really good, though I may be biased as I loved the songs featured.  I liked the characters and how they were three-dimensional and not just the typical stock characters.  What I loved the most about the show was the audience interaction.  I won’t give it away, because you have to see it for yourself.  Trust me.

Running time: About 2 hours long, with one 10mins intermission

Image from Applause Tickets

Rating: 4 out of 5 masks

Since I had seen The Producers on Broadway and the movie that this musical is based on, I was looking forward to seeing this show.  And I was quite pleased.

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character, since everyone was so hilarious in their own way.  I loved Elizabeth’s number “Don’t Touch Me” which included a word that I don’t think had ever been said onstage.  Igor was hilarous, especially when it came to his hump.  It was almost a tie between the introduction of Frau Blucher and the musical number “Putting on the Ritz” as the funniest and most looked forward moments of the show.

The musical numbers were very good.  If the only good ones were the ones that I just mentioned, it would still be a good show.  Another musical number worth mentioning is the blind man’s lament.  It’s both sad and hilarious, only because those familiar with the movie knows what will happen next.

The sets were pretty good in general.  I really liked the Frankenstein living room and the forest sets.  The laboratory set is huge and awe-inspiring.  Considering that the stage itself is huge, I was surprised to find that the laboratory managed to span it.  It looked like a real mad scientist’s lab and left me wondering how they got rid of the set between scenes.

Image from Seattle Pi.com

I would recommend this show to anyone who’s a fan of the movie version.  I would not recommend this to families, unless they’re all adult or to anyone under the age of 18.  This is because I found the content of some of the musical numbers and the way that they’re staged inappropriate for a youth audience.

Running time: 2hrs, 45 mins w/one intermission

Image via Curtains Musical

Rating: 4 masks out of 5

    I was pleasantly surprised from the opening number to the finale.  I’m a fan of musicals and comedies and the fact that they were paired together with a mystery made it a must-see for me.

     The plot is what ties the whole story together.  It centers on the murder of a despised leading lady during the out-of-town tryout of a Broadway bound musical, which happens to be investigated by a detective who’s a fan of musicals.  It was enjoyable to watch David Hyde Pierce’s character, Lieut. Frank Cioffi, try to juggle a homicide investigation while being starstruck from being around Broadway-caliber performers to his growing attraction to a rising actress.  On top of all this, he adds his two cents regarding the production.

     I loved the scenery, especially for the scenes that take place on the stage of the musical-within-the-musical.  The back of the stage looked believable enough that I actually thought I was watching in the audience of the make-believe theater.  The scenery for the musical-within-the-musical were cheesy and bright and made you wonder with mild horror if a similar production is in the works somewhere.

     Of course, it’s the songs that make a musical what it is, and Curtains has enough to spand a wide range of emotions.  From “What Kind of Man”, the producers’ and lyricists’ lament over their show’s reviews to the perfect comedic timing of “He Did It”.  The songs of the musical-within-the-musical should be noted as well for their cheesiness (hey, it matches the scenery) as for their mildly inappropriate choreography, especially for the number “Thataway!”, which is featured below.

Image via Curtains Musical

     What prevents me from being completely and totally in love with this show is the lack of the one, big defining number.  The kind where if you hear it somewhere you automatically think of the show and start replaying it in your head.  I guess “Show Business” would count but it doesn’t have enough of a “punch” for me.

      Anyone who’s a fan of musicals or ever wished they were in one (especially on Broadway) would love this show.  I would highly recommend this show to people not familiar with what goes on in a musical or have never seen one before live.  I think those who eat, drink and sleep theatre will enjoy the show for its inside jokes.

 

     Curtains (which closes June 29th) is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  Running time: 2hrs, 40mins with a 15 min intermission.

Al Hirschfeld Theatre
302 W. 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)
New York, NY 10036
Phone 866.353.5167