| Six shows during my NY visit | |
| Posted by: dbg 02:27 pm EST 11/21/17 | |
|
|
|
| Hadn't been to NY in two years, so was delighted to get a fix of musicals while in town for a wedding. Last Tuesday I went to TKTS. half an hour before showtime and bought a ticket for Hello, Dolly! and was given fifth row orchestra, dead center, which had to be a premium seat. Donna was a delight and especially great on "Before the Parade Passes By," and I so enjoyed David Hyde Pierce, Kate Baldwin and especially Christian Dante White, who was on for Gavin Creel and almost stole the show as Cornelius. I thought the interpretation of Ernestina was all wrong and blame the director for that. She came off as something of a hooker. Not crazy about Minnie's and Ermengarde's screams, which were truly annoying. Lovely sets and costumes and overall very entertaining. Picked up a ticket for the Wednesday matinee of Dear Evan Hansen the morning of the performance, and while I'm sure Ben Platt was great and deserving of all the praise he received, Michael Lee Brown was truly brilliant in what I would rate as one of the best and most moving musicals I have ever seen. First rate performances from everyone, a very high tech and wonderfully conceived and executed scenic and lighting design, and a terrific score made this a production I will never forget. I never heard a single cough or saw a cell phone light checking the time. Audience was enraptured by it. Very much enjoyed Come from Away, which had some special meaning to me, as I was flying on 9/11, though landed safely in St. Louis, experiencing some of the same kindness that the passengers in Gander received. Special kudos to Jenn Colella, Joel Hatch and Chad Kimball. Wasn't crazy about Waitress. Betsy Wolfe was out, but Stephanie Torns was a fine replacement. Jason Mraz, whose work I don't know, has a very warm personality and was an audience favorite. I just don't care much for the score, and the relationship between Jenna and the doctor seemed somewhat improbable to me. Will Swenson did a great job as Jenna's despicable husband, but I thought his dismissal at the end could have been much stronger. Favorite was John Cullum, who is the epitome of an "old pro," making his brief scenes and one song quite memorable. So good to see him still turning in great work after 57 years as a Broadway performer. Once on This Island is simply sensational and should soon get rave reviews. The environmental staging and the special effects add so much to a lovely production with amazing voices. Hailey Kilgore has a voice that rivals Cynthia Erivo's, and the entire cast makes the show soar. I stood by the barricade after the performance and watched how generous each cast member was with the people waiting to greet them. Had a nice picture taken with Lea Salonga, who was so incredibly sweet to everyone. The Band's Visit is such a gentle story, beautifully told and sung by a superb cast. Katrina Lenk and Tony Shalhoub are sure Tony nominees next spring, and the entire cast is totally endearing. Loved the musical interludes played by the band members and some of the townspeople. The stage version follows the movie exactly. Was so glad Adam Kantor was given a lovely song towards the end, since he has to spend most of the show staring at a phone booth. This is a very special show that may not appeal to everyone, as it tells its story at a leisurely pace, but for me it is well deserving of all the high praise it is getting. |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | i agree - dramedy 08:02 pm EST 11/21/17 |
| Next: | re: Six shows during my NY visit - ashleylm 05:02 pm EST 11/22/17 |
| Thread: |
|
Time to render: 0.012973 seconds.