Many posters have parsed the changes in detail, weighing in about subjective feelings pro/con. For me, the final experience is so shattering and satisfying, quibbles about small losses (a couple of Krieger's wonderful melodies are missed in act one, yes) become irrelevant. The second act holds onto the shape of the original, but literally deepens everything. Somehow, the work there seems mysterious. Yes, there are additional plot points (notably much more about the threat/possibility of surgery; and Jake's role in the denouement). But the rewriting is more about heightening emotion and clarity -- critically, raising the stakes in every moment. And the climax feels unrushed, as the 5 major players take stands, amends them, and continue to make life-altering decisions. It all just seems to matter more by the end. And the end -- I won't spoil a moment -- has a one-two punch that nails both this production and the show itself. The final tableau, a searing image, scary, sad, tragic. I was already an afficianado. I am stunned by how much more persuasive the storytelling feels by the end.
I loved the company, to a person. The two leads are at once smaller and thus closer to the real Hiltons. If they seem slightly less the focus of the front of the sometimes busy first act, they continue to grow before our eyes. More than ever, they are very different women by the end, and again, as they evolve and handle the blows that befall them in act two, they acquire the needed survivors' resiliency in real time, right there, center stage. To my ears -- fans of the iconic original performers -- they handle the music as persuasively, perhaps even more so. This afternoon, their set pieces were every bit as heartrending. And thrilling. I don't understand the naysayers, who seem to hear more "power" in the prior leads; these women are their match.
In many ways, this is almost a different show, or a different telling of the story, certainly. It's an overwhelming emotional experience for many. I was in the front mezz and there were few dry eyes.
MINOR SPOILER: One of the mow powerful moments in the original, one twin asking Todd Browning the name of his film, now feels like a court verdict, the wrenching reply provoking earned gasps in the entire house, now with more potency.
This show packs a devastating wallop, maybe one even the prior devotees could not fully anticipate. I hope it stays with us. It deserves to be around as long as anything currently playing.
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