Showtunes

spidey - I forgot to ask you, I meant to - how was Gypsy at the State Theater?

QUOTE (spidey_88 @ November 30, 2007 03:03 am)

QUOTE (isiscloud @ November 29, 2007 08:34 pm)

I've been taking out some more CDs from the library and Love The Drowsy Chaperone, so-so about Avenue Q, and love Patty Lupone in Sweeney Todd-Excellent.

Not sure why I didn't love Avenue Q, but it was cute. Loved the Rod/Nick-Bert/Ernie near comparisons, though!

I can't even tell you how much I love that recording of Sweeney Todd, especially Michael Cerveris as Sweeney.

Michael Cerveris was excellent but it would have been nice if Patti Lupone's accent had been a little less, er, Dick Van Dyke. I know it sounds a bit precious but I saw three different incarnations of that production (London, on tour, and Broadway) and the accents did make the Broadway version my least favourite. Anthony sounded like early Hugh Laurie (so at least British). I prefer the OBC - I think the impact of the actor/musician style doesn't really come over on a cd. I so wish John Doyle would do Company here - he's doing Merrily We Roll Along next year which I'm excited about

The John Doyle version of Company will be aired (in America) on PBS in February and will be released on DVD after that. I have ~~a bootleg~~ an advance copy of the PBS version and it's gorgeous! There were some minor rumors about it going to the UK, but at this point, it seems untrue. I adore Merrily, so I hope he brings his production of it here because I'd love to see it Doylized.

Gypsy was very nice, ulkis. Not the best production ever, but their leads were talented and they carried the show well. Their Tulsa was a pretty weak singer, but his featured scene was over quickly enough.

Ooh! Will look out for the Company dvd. He did Mack and Mabel here a couple of years ago - it worked really well, I thought with the two leads (Mack was David Soul) being the only people not playing instruments. Though I think he might have cheated a bit with a tiny band. I know some people hate the actor/musician thing but it's not like anyone else is doing it or there aren't plenty of other Sweeneys and Companies to see.

I loved John Doyle's version of Sweeney Todd <Patti's accent was...interesting, but the rest of her performance made it up for me. She played the freaking tuba, man!> so I'm really excited about that.

Plus Raul Esparza!

As if I didn't already have a raging crush on Lin Manuel Miranda, the guy that wrote In The Heights, his la-*test*-('") promotional effort for the show's upcoming move to Broadway is pure genius. Plus I keep seeing the commercial for the show and it gives me the chills. I'm pretty much counting the days until previews start for this one since I only got to see it once before it closed off-Broadway and I'm really psyched to check it out again.

My sister got me tickets for the Little Mermaid in two weeks, whee. I think even it sucks I't'll be interesting to see what sets they built for the show.

I saw the "Little Mermaid" today, and the most unintentionally (or maybe not so unintentional) hilarious moment was when at the end, Eric asks <<King Triton, who's played by a black actor: "are you REALLY her father?" It just - they had to do on purpose, I think.

The new music was alright - I really disliked Ursula's new song, which sounded like 1940s party music, and my favorite one was called "She's in Love" with the sisters and Flounder. Really catchy.>>

I really like Norm Lewis and Sherie Rene Scott, so I've been rooting for Mermaid for their sakes, ulkis. Are the costumes as dreadful as they look in the photos?

Listening to the London Revival cast of Sunday In the Park With George is making so excited for the upcoming Broadway revival!

The London production was completely awesome with projections for the picture and the cocktail party scene with George Jr schmoozing. The dogs were hilarious. Supposedly the techies are confident that they could do a stage Who Framed Roger Rabbit? this way because they're so good at it,

QUOTE

I really like Norm Lewis and Sherie Rene Scott, so I've been rooting for Mermaid for their sakes, ulkis.

Oh, i'm sure Mermaid will do fine. One little girl after the show started to cry, "I wanna see it again!"

Norm and Sherie were underutilized, unfortunately. Especially Norm. He disappears in the second act. (I saw Sherie in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and there too she didn't show up until an hour in. Can someone get this woman a good show where she actually appears in the whole thing?"

The costumes were awesome if they weren't actually on a person, because they were so detailed. But people looked ridiculous in them. The eels and Ursula's were good. I felt bad for the poor bastard who played Scuttle. He had on black-and-yellow striped tights, denim oversized shorts, and Ronald McDonald shoes. (My sister whispered, "he must drink a lot.")

The sets were awesome too. I was really impressed with how they did Eric's <<drowning scenes.>>

QUOTE (psammead @ January 08, 2008 08:21 am)

The London production was completely awesome with projections for the picture and the cocktail party scene with George Jr schmoozing. The dogs were hilarious. Supposedly the techies are confident that they could do a stage Who Framed Roger Rabbit? this way because they're so good at it,

They're bringing the two London leads over with the projections, etc. so I'm totally going the show when it opens. I can get cheap tickets, since it's at the Roundabout.

Daniel Evans is fantastic - so, so cute (Doctor Who fans might recognise Prof Llewellyn from The Christmas Invasion but he's done loads of musicals) and Jenna Russell is excellent too (she was the Salvation Army gal when Ewan MacGregor did Guys and Dolls). Trivia note to impress your friends - she's the singer on the Red Dwarf credits.

QUOTE (ulkis @ January 08, 2008 10:48 am)

QUOTE

I really like Norm Lewis and Sherie Rene Scott, so I've been rooting for Mermaid for their sakes, ulkis.

Oh, i'm sure Mermaid will do fine. One little girl after the show started to cry, "I wanna see it again!"

Norm and Sherie were underutilized, unfortunately. Especially Norm. He disappears in the second act. (I saw Sherie in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and there too she didn't show up until an hour in. Can someone get this woman a good show where she actually appears in the whole thing?"

The costumes were awesome if they weren't actually on a person, because they were so detailed. But people looked ridiculous in them. The eels and Ursula's were good. I felt bad for the poor bastard who played Scuttle. He had on black-and-yellow striped tights, denim oversized shorts, and Ronald McDonald shoes. (My sister whispered, "he must drink a lot.")

The sets were awesome too. I was really impressed with how they did Eric's <<drowning scenes.>>

I wish she and Norbert would do The Last Five Years on Broadway, but it's such a tiny show, it probably would not survive. Why do I discover all this great off-Broadway stuff only after it has closed?

QUOTE

Why do I discover all this great off-Broadway stuff only after it has closed?

Because Sherie and her husband only release recordings AFTER the show closes, heh.

(That reminds me - I had wanted to get the CD of "Bare", but apparently no one was getting their album when they were supposed to. Shady.)