| Two good choices | |
| Posted by: oddone 01:01 am EDT 04/23/24 | |
| In reply to: Illinoise or The Outsiders? - theaterdude 11:05 pm EDT 04/22/24 | |
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| I've now seen every new musical this season (including Illinoise) except for Lempicka, and of the Broadway musicals this season, these are probably my two favorites. (I think the season's best new musicals were Off Broadway.) I would say don't think too much about reviews, and go by what you are interested in. Do you like Sufjan Stevens' music? I think a lot of what made Illinoise sell out at the Armory was due to his fan base. That show does have a book, and some story, but no dialogue. The first half is more stand-alone songs from the album, where each song is its own self-contained story. And then the second half is a different, longer story. I liked it a lot more than I expected, but I remember feeling the same way about Movin' Out - I can find lengthy dance sequences without a ton of story to drag a bit (which is where I sense your hesitation is coming from), but when this kind of "dance musical" is done well, it can really work. And I think it does here. That said, if you aren't sure you will like this kind of musical, maybe The Outsiders is a better choice. I went in with no expectations, thinking it would be along the lines of The Notebook (which I found poor, with bad direction/concept, but some decent performances) or Water for Elephants (slightly better, with some strong design/staging elements). And I was more than pleasantly surprised by The Outsiders- I am actually interested in going back to see it again. Some really smart direction, with a strong lead male performance (incidentally, Illinoise also has a strong lead male performance), and the rumble in Act 2 of The Outsiders is perhaps one of the most stunning sequences on Broadway right now. I'm sure Illinoise will get strong reviews, since it already did, and the only major change is that Robbie Fairchild (who was mesmerizing) is no longer in it. But if you want clear characters who sing, go with The Outsiders (there is singing in Illinoise, but not by the characters of the various stories). But honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either. (And if you aren't seeing Stereophonic, well, I would put that about both of these.) |
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