100% agree, Delvino. This is a directorial issue. Mueller is a gifted performer who knows how to hold a stage - and an audience. From On a Clear Day to Beautiful and, more recently Waitress - she has given us fully committed and very present performances.
I revisited Beautiful recently, and while Chilena Kennedy is very good as Carole King, I definitely missed Mueller's heartbreaking and ultimately empowered performance. The moment during Natural Woman, when King begins to come into her own and finds her voice as a performer - in Mueller's hands was stunning. It literally took my breath away. Kennedy is in excellent voice but doesn't have that extra something that made Mueller's performance so special.
But I digress. Back to Caousel. I enjoyed it quite a bit for the gorgeous, gorgeous score and the lovely singing. Renee Fleming's You'll Never Walk Alone is magnificent.
This production, however, has some issues. |
