| I'm intrigued that you found Richard Oberacker's music indicative of a vanity project. Whatever "Bandstand's flaws -- and I get them, especially some of its second act feel good-ness, shoehorned into a dark story -- Oberacker's driving, emotion enhancing score just lifts the work as much as Blankenbuhler's. That synergy -- the direction and choreography, gorgeously arranged music, and hard-working cast -- compensates for me. I certainly see how any number of producers or others could consider this B'way worthy. The show may have marketing issues, but its not a thrown-together, derivative piece. The thought and care are all on display -- and taste, in the design decisions by Korins and Young -- and make this more worthy than any vanity production I've seen. Including two of the ones you mention, which I can't related to "Bandstand" in the same sentence |
