Dolly Makes it to Broadway

  in this picture from left to right: me, Rebecca, Nettie and Allison Janney
 my 9 to 5 Playbill signed by all the cast.

Dolly Makes it to Broadway ...

And she works it perfectly in her new Musical 9 to 5.

I went with two of my friends and we where lucky to win the lottery, which always makes me stress when I really want to see a show, but oddly enough it wasn't crowded for a Sunday matinee and they are nominated in three categories for the upcoming Tonys (june 7!!).

The main reason we went it's because Allison Janney (nominated as best leading lady in a musical) is starring in it, and she's a graduate form our alma mater, so as good Playhouse students we went to support her, and I didn't was sure on what to expect.

I respect Dolly Parton as a musician of pop country culture, but I would have never thought she was able to compose a whole musical by herself, was I ever wrong. She's quite amazing at it.

Every song fit perfectly into the structure of musical theatre and each of them is a breath of fresh air from what's playing on the Great White Way at the moment.

She's so clever that if you are really into musical theatre you can notice some references she plays with on her lyrics, that you'll spot the people who gets it cause they are laughing at odd moments in the show, i.e Stephanie J. Block singing at one point that "there's no good deed that goes unpunished", Miss Block was recently seen on Broadway as Elphaba on Schwartz's Wicked, so there's the joke. Pretty clever ha?

To this add Miss Janney brilliant performance, Megan Hilty's voice, Kudisch, who either is a real a*hole in life or one great actor because his performance as Franklin Hart, Jr is amazing.

Then we have amazing costumes, lighting and set combined with Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography (he won last year best choreography for In the Heights... so well deserve).

Mr Andy B's foot work in this show is perfect, I absolutely adored it, so precise and ad doc to the music and the show's feeling... he's someone to watch... he reminds me of a young Michael Bennett and we still have much more of him to see in the future I hope.

Now the cherry on top of our show is Joe Mantello as the Master Puppeteer... sorry! Director I meant. 

What's not to like? I just one superb surprise unfolding in front of your eyes each moment of the show... wouldn't be shock if they leave next June 7th with at least three of the awards. 

It's such a well produce show... Worth playing the lottery, and although the lottery tickets are 36.50$ each (which is such a scam when every other show is 26.50$, keep in mind this are words of a brooke 21 year old student) It was money well spent.

Now that's not all, at the end of the show my friend and I  waited for Miss Janey to come out since we wanted to meet her and tell her we attended the Playhouse. 

She was such a darling, she took time to talk to us, and we even did "repetition" which is the basis of our acting technique (Meisner) just outside the Marquis Theatre Stage door. I couldn't believe my eyes... I meet Allison Janney AND did repetition with her! What a gal!

I've always been proud of my school, but after sunday I felt even prouder!

That's what I call a great Sunday Afternoon. 

P.S

By the way, if you don't know this, the show is adapted from the movie 9 to 5  with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda, after seeing the show and Miss Fonda on 33 Variations, I can't wait to get the movie and watch it over the summer... let's see how that one goes.

Desire Under The Elms

... No witty title for this one on my behalf.

Desire Under The Elms. 

Well I was glad school took us to see it for free... I would have been really sad to loose my money if I had pay for the ticket.

And this is a show where I'm very puzzled.

Most reviews have been pretty good, but worth of mouth speaks otherwise, including mine.

Some people say is the playwright they don't like, they say Eugene O'Neill is dated, and that it is  the show the one that gets boring,  but they liked the actors.

I'm of the other side of the public opinion, I don't have a problem with Mister O'Neill's work, actually I think the story is rather interesting, of society in a different time that although  we are rather much liberated nowadays we can still seem traces of past cultures and behaviors in our modern civilization such as greed, pride, chauvinism and intolerance, which are still issues in the modern world and I found rather interesting to see how they play with them in this new production.

Here, as in Guys and Dolls I blame the director... those southern accents are so badly done, and although people try to defend him saying that's how they are also written in the original script, can somebody tell me how I'm able to understand them in the script and here I just snoozed for the first half hour of the show, since I didn't understand a single word they where saying, which by the way is 90 minutes long with NO intermission, god help you if you go see it... you won't feel guilty of taking your own pee break in the middle of the show... air is very much needed.

And even if it has really good moments, specially those steamy parts where  Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber interact together or where Brian Dennehy speaks his mind. Still you'll snooze 30 minutes of the show (I looked around... most of us did), Be deeply into it for another 30 minutes and then look at your watch for the other 30 left in the show.

Wondering in the end what in hell just happened and thinking that next time you want to see a straight none comedic show you'll choose Mary Stuart or August: Osage County... that's a really good show... And just leave O'Neill resting peacefully in his grave . Where with this production it seems like the right place where the father of american contemporary theatre should be.

Long live the 80's!

"Just a small town girl living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going"... to Times Square and it was actually around 12:00 p.m! (ha... bad 80's reference... I know!)

But if you where growing up in the 80's (I was born around the end actually...1987) this is a show you will have a blast with, is called Rock of Ages and currently performs at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Featuring hit songs from bands like Journey, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Posion, this show is sure to make you laugh, the band is pretty electric and the cast amazing.

It's not Shakespeare and it won't change your life, but you'll sure have a good time... I should not say this... but i wouldn't mind going to a pre-show dinner and having a couple drinks before getting to the theatre... if you get my drift ;)

Even if the story is only there for the songs, clearly written to carry them moment to moment I have to say it's pretty witty, and  the cast is great together, all good performers , of course I have some favorite performances as James Carpinello (I was sitting on the front row so he was right in front of me... he is gorgeous!) and Adam Dannheisser and Mitchell Jarvis make a great comedy duo, they really carry each other "home", and it's hilarious 

In the end everybody just has a blast, Constantine Maroulis (American Idol graduate) shake hands with me... awkward! but I had a blast.

Is like a great big concert that's not filled with drunk guys, shirtless girls and you wont get either step on or pushed, and you still get all the fun a top quality band a great music.

My friend Gaby wanted to met them and they all signed our Playbills, and even outside the theatre they where pretty laid back and no big egos, which is a plus!

Some Enchanted Evening...

... or SOUTH PACIFIC and what a genius Oscar Hammerstein II was.

This revival has been running uptown at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont theatre and it's a beautiful reminder of Broadway's golden days and the glory of  musical theatre glory.

With it's original orchestrations (which where a break trough back in 1949 and a challenge for modern orchestras nowadays due to such a big orchestra itself) This new revival plays it amazingly and it's just a non stop rush of joy.

Hammerstein's and Rodger's shows where innovating, and South Pacific is to my personal taste their masterpiece, lucky we are to be able to have this show running once again.

And although  if I have to be totally honest there's one or two thing on the main characters acting that is not quite convincing, but with  the rest of this grand performance.. who cares?! It's just a lovely sight you don't want to miss... and student tickets are just 20 dollars!! so worth it. 

I found myself having a hard time writting about this show, since I'm so moved by it that the only thing that comes to my mind are the lyrics and thousand of Hammertein's quotations, when I should be talking about this show breaking tabus for their time since it was only 1949 and they where talking about racial and political issues  and it's done in such a way there's no way that you won't be move even now in 2009, 60 years after it was originally done!

It has been greatly praised by the new New York Press and now that I saw it I totally agree with them...

Treat yourself, go see it!

That's theatre magic. 

"I'm as corny as Kansas in August,

I'm as normal as blueberry pie.
No more a smart little girl with no heart,
I have found me a wonderful guy!".... Men and their names where Rodgers and Hammerstein!!

P.S

here's the link to a video of the Original Cast of South Pacific Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin performing "Some Enchanted Evening". Just delightful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1qpQb11YWc

Guys turned out to be Dull

First let me apologize for the long absence, It's been a while.

Well, now let me tell you a sad little story (Broadway isn't always glitter and lights)

Last April (I KNOW...APRIL) I went to see a show I really wanted to see against odds, Specially when Miss Cole (my arts Obi Wan Kenobi... gosh! can I be dorky or what?)  told me not to.

Being the rebel I am I went.

GOD WAS I WRONG.

I went to see Guys and Dolls

The show is slow... I mean Broadway shows can be many things, but when they are slow that only means one thing : bad. This coming from someone  (me) who considers herself picky although is called a "cockeyed optimist" and "easy audience" by her theatre teachers, peers and Miss Cole.

The Nederlander usually gives really good student tickets, specially since it's a trend they started with Rent, before them no other Broadway theatre did it!

Well guess what, for the first time I got a bad student ticket there!

I was so on the side I could not see the back drops and I the performers are so careless they walk through the side of the stage as if elephants, I rather picked through the side and see them going on and off the stage to see what was happening on the play at times, ain't that sad?

Lauren Graham is surprisingly the best one in the hole show, she actually sings quite pretty if I may say so, Craig Bierko plays second to her, although she needs either acting classes for the stage or stick to t.v. 

One would expect better and bigger performances from known faces as Oliver Pratt, Tituss Burgess and Steve Rosen, but a song such as "Fugue for Tinhorns"  which is around a minute and 35 seconds seems to last hours, plus the fat suite Mr Burgess is in just look ridiculous.

On their behalf you see they are giving the best each minute of the performance and they haven't give up, I don't hold it against them neither blame them... The responsible for this 2 hours and 45 minutes reck is the director and his crack head vision for this classical: Mr Des McAnuff.

What on earth was he thinking?

Now I know why critics ate him alive for this show... good grief!

Even the animation in the back is so out of shape for this show plus the choreography (Although as a dancer I'll admit they are pretty sweet) they have nothing to do with the show... And even if I really respect Mr Trujillo's who in my personal opinion he's one genius choreographer.... this time is just a little bit narcissist and overdone.

How on earth can they be nominated for a Tony as best REVIVAL?! 

Either they are going crazy or -the real and sad truth- is that there's not enough shows and they needed a minimum of 4  be in the category 

Do yourself a favor, Don't see it... you don't want to spend a weekend evening in a place filled with giggling gilmore girls fans asking yourself why you spend you money on this.

Better get the Movie with Sinatra or the the revival record with Nathan Lane which is nice to listen to and save your money for a better show, dinner or clothes!... Even gambling it would be more productive than seeing this show.