My companion and I both wondered if our knowledge of the recent situation was coloring what we were seeing onstage, or if Oak really did seem down and defeated. I was a little disappointed in his performance. It lacked even momentary joy. However, in the final scene with Natasha, he surpassed Groban in the yearning to say what he wanted to say to her. As if his whole life had been about NOT taking risks and putting himself out there to be judged. A lifetime of passivity.
His vocals were never as clean or powerful as Groban's. But I'm nitpicking, mostly. Had I never seen the show before, I might not have felt I was missing anything. And I disagree that the show isn't in great shape. I was able to sit back and admire the production more, this time, and I was amazed at the accomplishments onstage and behind the scenes. It's still my favorite show of last season (still haven't seen DEH). |
