There were things I loved...the staging is very inventive and has a definite movie feel to it. I would see almost anything Rebecca Chavkin directed...I thought her version of The Royale was excellent and while there are things I didn't love about Natasha, the staging is an event.
I thought the story was pretty fascinating (although according to what I've read on wiki, like most historical shows, lots is left out and lots is exaggerated.) She certainly led an interesting life...and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in both Russia and Europe.
There are three former-Elphabas...so that tells you the nature of a lot of the music. I really liked the orchestrations, but then they started getting a little too similar.
I sat second row....way too close. It's a show that definitely needs to be seen from a few rows back or front mezz. The people in the first row were really struggling because the lighting was bleeding into the front of the audience.
...coincidentally, one of my bosses and his wife (relatively avid theatergoers in their 70s) were there the same week, and he called me after to recommend it. |
