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| My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 06:02 am EDT 07/31/22 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 05:57 am EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| MINOR SPOILERS BELOW... I get that this is a limited run of, essentially, a concert production. I do wish they'd thrown a few bucks at the production for the Witch's transformation. Patina simply walking off stage and walking back on stage out of "witch drag" was a bit meh. But, minor quibbles like that aside, what a joy to see AND hear this production. On that second note... unlike so much of what gets produced these days, I'm thankful that one area the producers did not cut back or neglect was the sound. This production has been so smartly cast. Not only are virtually all of the performers interpreting Sondheim's lyrics with wit and emotional intelligence, they are also singing his music with such beautiful tone. And, the accompaniment of the Encores orchestra is exquisite. The combination of those vocals and that orchestral accompaniment are worth the price of admission alone. I heard nuances and shades and layers in the score like never before. Patina Miller was my one... hesitation with this production. Having only seen her in Pippin (in which I thought she was incredible), I had to wonder if the Witch was a fit. She sang it beautifully -- her Stay with Me and Children Will Listen got me teary eyed and she brought the drama for Last Midnight. But, she seemed more comfortable in the "pre-potion" performance in full Witch's drag. When she had to play a less traditional, powerless witch her performance got strangely erratic. Over-gesturing, over-acting almost flailing around the stage. I found it a bit odd. I guess it was a choice. She just has stage presence in spades, I didn't feel like she needed to overcook her second act performance so much. She was far from terrible, it just felt like every other performance was fully drawn and hers was still being sketched in. Oh, and, yes, there was lots of "woooing", but, to my ears, it was all from a genuinely appreciative audience -- and never detracting from the performance. I think the loudest and longest ovation might have been for Sara Bareilles' 'Moment in the Woods'. Yes, the audience clearly went in with that energy, but it's not like the performances didn't live up to those expectations. It was nice to spend the evening with 1,700 Sondheim nerds. |
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| re: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James | |
| Posted by: Guillaume 03:20 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James - DistantDrumming 05:57 am EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| I agree - I wish there was "more" bang for your buck of a production on stage and a bit "more" magic regarding the witch and less staging in one with characters in a row. That being said, the nuance and sheer vocal beauty this cast pulls out of this show is extraordinary and it is oh so nice to hear so many legit voices actually singing and characterizing instead of wailing and hitting power notes ad naseum. I saw the transfer very early on so maybe Patina Miller was still figuring out dimensions in her role, but I felt a lot of her scene work, especially her restrained line readings, were pitched more for TV camera size than huge Broadway theatre size, especially when compared to her cast members playing opposite her who were all in the same magical land of pulling out all the stops performing while being honest. - that being said, this champagne cast sings and acts the show as rarely happens except in a Broadway theatre goer's dream - |
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| re: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James | |
| Posted by: Unhookthestars 02:19 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James - DistantDrumming 05:57 am EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| You’re lucky to have seen Sara Bareilles. She was out for most of the week last week with an illness when I was there. She came back this past Monday but is out again today (Sunday) with a viral infection, which sounds like a relapse. | |
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| re: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 11:42 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
| In reply to: re: My moment in the "woulds" at the St. James - Unhookthestars 02:19 pm EDT 07/31/22 | |
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| You're right, I got very lucky. If she wasn't feeling well on Saturday, she hid it well. A wonderful performance and beautifully sung. | |
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