Rocky

I'll be the first to admit that I thought this musical was a ridiculous idea, and when I first heard of it moving to Broadway I was crying for the downfall of commercial theater. But then when my mom asked me to find cheap tickets for our little "vacation" to NYC, I ended up throwing caution to the wind and getting tickets to Rocky.

Having never seen any of the movies, I knew very little about the plot. The biggest reason I decided to give the show a shot was Andy Karl, the actor playing Rocky. I've seen him in Jersey Boys and Edwin Drood and I gotta say I'm a huge fan. Also, having read all the interviews and press about how he bulked up and the process he went through to transform himself into Rocky, I was willing to take a chance on the show. Andy Karl just seems like a genuinely nice human being who puts his heart and soul into everything he does, and Rocky is his first time as a leading man.

A friend told me that this production changed the way she thought about theater. I was extremely skeptical. I mean, I saw Spiderman, so I was up on the whole spectacle over content situation. At intermission I was pretty sure there was nothing all that special about Rocky, but then the last twenty minutes of Act II are just mind blowing. Is it theater or is it a real sporting event? That question sounds bizarre and stupid, but let me tell you it's absolutely insane how the space changes and the audience reacts to everything going on. It was most definitely a spectacle, but it had heart.

I'm listening to the cast album while writing this and I have to admit that I'm enjoying the music more now than I did during the show. The lyrics aren't brilliant, neither is the music itself. The book is lacking and I found myself laughing at times just from the absurdity of whatever was being said. I didn't like the big cast numbers, but the solo songs by Rocky and Adrian were to die for and their duet "Happiness" was gorgeous. The lyrics weren't, but their voices were and they just sounded great together.

The performances were solid. Andy absolutely killed it. I couldn't imagine his performance being any more perfect. Really. His voice is flawless. There was not one flubbed note throughout the entire show from anyone actually. And trust me, I notice those things. The voices were spot on and carried beautifully throughout the house.

I don't know how you're supposed to feel about Rocky after seeing the movie, but I wanted to marry him by the end of the musical. Or maybe just hug him. Definitely one of the more sympathetic characters I've seen onstage.

Now, from the way I'm raving on about how great it was you might think I didn't have many issues with the show. Let me assure you I did. Aside from the stupidity of the lyrics, my biggest issue was the ending. The very very last minute of the whole show after the fight is over. It was as if no one could figure out how to end it! Literally it just ended and no one knew if it was over or not. There needed to be one more scene away from the boxing ring with just Rocky and Adrian. As someone who didn't know the story, I was confused by the ending because it went so fast and there was so much happening. And then suddenly it was bows and I felt like I'd missed something.
 
I wasn't going to stage door, I really wasn't. But we ended up walking out of the theater through the doors that lead right to the stage door... so I just had to. And it was worth it because the people who I cared about getting autographs from came out. Oh, and we met and took a picture with Andy... so that was worth the price of the ticket right there.

If you're at all skeptical about seeing this show, just go. Because honestly, Andy Karl's performance is one of the most honest and heartfelt I've seen recently.

Check Back Soon!

Heading to NYC Tuesday for an overnight and *crosses fingers* two shows. I'm seeing Rocky on Tuesday night and whatever I can get tickets for on Wednesday afternoon.

Check back here at the end of the week for thoughts and reviews!

The Tony Awards 2014

I actually went through and took screen shots of my Twitter feed from the whole night. So anyone who is curious about what I was thinking in the moment but doesn't want to scroll through my whole Twitter page just let me know.

I have a lot of thoughts about what happened last night. But, unlike other years, I don't feel like my opinion matters at all because I only saw three shows this entire season. Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I've already cried over that fact many times.

Still, I versed myself on all the shows and had my favorites even if I was unsure who was most deserving based on performance.

The fact that John Tiffany didn't win Best Director and Celia Keenan-Bolger didn't win Best Actress for Glass Menagerie was a crime. And, in my opinion, the two biggest upsets of the night. I was shocked. Go back and read my review of that show -- I stand by the statement that it was the best piece of theater I've seen in this country.

The other upset for me was Kelli O'Hara not winning Best Actress in a Musical for Bridges. I didn't see the show and I'm sure Jessie Mueller is fantastic in Beautiful. BUT based off the soundtrack to Bridges, the award should've gone to Kelli. Even if just to recognize the talent that was on the stage. I've heard a lot of things from people who have seen the show, all about how the story was boring even though the music was incredible. Jason Robert Brown won two Tony's for his work on the show in terms of the music, but no performer won.

Now to the performances and the whole evening in general...

I was so impressed by the cast of Les Miserables. It was just one of those perfect Tony performances. A well known song, good shots of the big players in the cast, and the whole cast together. Overall I thought all the performances were pretty strong. And even the ones I didn't care that much about were entertaining -- like Aladdin. I got why they chose that song -- it showcased the actor who ended up winning the Tony for the role and the costumes and sparkles were enough to get people interested in buying tickets. The only performance I was kind of "eh" about was Rocky just because it wasn't really a song... just more showcasing the fight choreography. And let's be real, we all wanted to hear Andy Karl sing.

I guess I can't really blog about the Tony's without mentioning NPH's performance with Hedwig. It was pretty perfect. Unfortunately the show is impossible to get tickets to and the only tickets available are bazillions of dollars and they do a lottery instead of rush so not even worth it since it's probably impossible to win. For most of us, that performance was the only one we will ever get to see of this production. But it was fun and entertaining and it won lots of awards. I'm not bitter about the fact that I'll never get to see it... I swear I'm not. OKAY I AM. Fine. Whatever.

So that opening number, huh? So disappointing. Ugh. Really though it was not okay. Hugh Jackman did a good job of hosting, but he did not do a good job of making sure his opening number would go down in Tony history like so many of Neil's have. I wanted a performance. Not a show of his athletic ability.

Audra's speech was to die for.
Ramin Karimloo's kids were to die for.
NPH kissing David was to die for.
Idina redeeming herself from the Oscar's and crushing that song was to die for.
Matt Bomer and Zachary Quinto presenting in matching glasses was to die for.
Hartford getting a shout out in Darko's speech was to die for.

Overall a really good night. I had a lot of fun watching. The rap seemed bizarre and out of place while it was happening but upon a second viewing it was fun.

Also, the fact that Sound Designers are no longer being recognized is a horrible thing and I hope the committee rethinks that decision before next year.

Casa Valentina

Okay, first I have to say that I was so impressed with how nice the inside of the theater was. It was my first time at the Samuel Friedman theater, and it was impossible not to notice how clean and fresh everything from the paint on the walls to the chairs were. As someone who cares about that kind of stuff, it was nice to see a space so well taken care of.

I didn't go into this show with any expectations at all. I knew the play was nominated for a few Tony awards, but I hadn't read much about it. Literally I found cheap tickets and was just bought them. The lighting designer does a lot of work at my sister's school so she has worked with him before and we figured it would be fun to see a show he worked on. It's unusual for me to go into a show completely blind. I mean, I guess I wasn't completely blind -- I had seen some of the actors in other shows and obviously I know all about Harvey Fierstein and Joe Mantello. But in terms of what I was going to be sitting through, I had no idea.

It was so good. Honestly, I had such a great time. The story was interesting, exciting, and emotional. The play was just on the right side of political.

For me, it was a lot of fun to see actors I had previously seen in other roles (in musicals) in such a different environment. Most notably Gabriel Ebert.

The ending killed me. Without giving too much away I just have to say that I love a good white death light and it was used perfectly.

Shows where it's obvious the actors feel strongly about the parts they are playing are always going to be the most memorable to me and Casa Valentina was no exception. When you see a lot of theater you get to the point where it becomes obvious when actors are just phoning in their performances. I didn't feel that here at all. Everyone was engaged the whole time and that meant that the stakes were incredibly high. I mean, how could they not be? Everything was on the line for these people. Their careers, their relationships, their relationship with themselves. High stakes makes for great theater, especially when the audience is on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens. And nothing about the plot was obvious. At intermission I turned to my sister and asked her what she thought was going to happen and she said she had no idea. It's not everyday I find myself struggling to think of possible endings.

I'm pretty sure I've seen less this season on Broadway than any other season in the last nine years (my first Broadway show was 2006). So I'm having a really hard time making my predictions for Sunday night. In any case, I'll be rooting for Casa Valentina.

Les Miserables

March 8, 2014 (matinee)

So first I have to say that this was Les Miserables, so no matter what issues I had with the production, it's still always going to be one of my all time favorite shows.

Right from the bat anyone who is familiar with the musical realizes things are going to be a little different this time around. The second the lights came up and I saw the first projections on the scrim, I knew this was going to be more like the movie than the original production I had seen so many times before. The order of the songs wasn't changed like in the movie, but many elements just felt more movie-like than the original staging. Honestly, many of these are little things that only a Les Miserables enthusiast would realize -- Valjean's hair, for example, is usually long and scraggly in the beginning and then gets shorter and tamed as time moves on. Here Valjean started with a shaved head (like Hugh Jackman in the movie) and wore various wigs later on. That's not necessarily a good thing or bad thing, just different. I actually like it that way better.

Also, I just have to mention that this was the first week of previews so there were a few line issues and forgetting to come in here or there. It will be interesting to see if anything changes in previews before they freeze the show.

SPOILERS AHEAD. I tried to be good, but there are a few things I couldn't avoid giving away.

The pros:

• Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean. He was stunning in every way. Yeah, there was one moment where he forgot his lyrics and sang someone else's part, then stopped and just waited until he figured out his words and then kept going, but it's previews so I'll forgive him. Holy shit balls though, that man can sing. His "Bring Him Home" was the best I've ever heard. The clarity and smoothness of his voice is unmatched by any Valjean I've ever seen. And I mean, he acted the part perfectly. He even came out to sign at the end of the show, which was a pleasant surprise since it was a matinee and I assumed he'd stay inside and steam his voice until that night. He was clearly on vocal rest, not speaking but smiling and nodding as he signed autographs. I was incredibly impressed by his performance, and him as a person.
• Caissie Levy as Fantine. This was the casting choice I was questioning most when I heard about it for the first time. Levy never screamed Fantine to me. Boy did she prove me wrong. Her voice was made to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" and it was utterly flawless. She didn't bring anything particularly new or exciting to the role, but her voice was unbelievable and it was different enough from other Fantine's I've heard to make it interesting.
• Javert's suicide. Will Swenson didn't impress me until this moment. It was the first time I'd ever seen Javert go mad in such a believable way. We truly followed his journey from sane to insane and this was the climax of that journey. I'm not going to give away the specifics of how they chose to do the jumping off the bridge bit, but it was certainly shocking. The whole scene/song was just a great moment and I thought Swenson redeemed himself and I understood why he was cast for that role.
• "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and the candles. Andy Mientus was nothing to write home about. Yeah, he's adorable and yeah, he has a sweet voice. This song though, this was his moment. Incredible. The way it was staged was remarkable -- there were candles around him, one for each dead friend, and when they appeared as ghosts they stood by the candles, blowing them out at a particular moment. I would go so far as to call the scene breathtaking. So Mientus really stepped up for that. 

The cons:

• Kyle Scatliffe as Enjolras. Okay, Enjolras is and has always been my favorite character in this show. I've always been fascinated by him and I always have high hopes for Enjolras when I see the show. This was the absolute worst casting decision I have ever seen on a Broadway stage before. Scatliffe acted like Marius' father, scolding him when he was late to the meeting, treating him like a baby. There was no friendship there AT ALL. The relationship between Enjolras and Marius is one of love, not romantic but brotherly and admiration and absolute love. Marius makes an incredible choice to "join [his] brothers there" rather than run after Cosette. In this production there was no chemistry. In fact, I don't know when I've ever seen such a freaking lack of chemistry between two characters before in my life. Like I can't even express how saddened and angry this made me. Enjolras is supposed to be a strong man, who is really still a child, fighting for a cause that he believes in so strongly that he's willing to sacrifice his life. From Scatliffe, all I got was an egotistical douchebag who didn't care about anyone else but himself. He was dragging everyone else down with him because of how badly he wanted to win, not giving a second thought about the "friends" that might die. Scatliffe and Mientus just didn't connect at all, and it was disappointing because I truly think that relationship is one of the most important in the entire show. Enjolras' death is the most iconic death in the show, the way it is traditionally staged with the barricade turning and we see him hanging by his foot with the flag draped over him. I felt nothing but "thank goodness" when Enjolras died here, and boy if that didn't make me furious.
• The set, set changes, lack of turntable. I really understand why they cut out the turntable, to update the production and make it feel new and refreshing. But, the lack of a turntable made me realize just how important it is to telling the story of the show. Overall, Les Miserables is traditionally a minimalist show in terms of the set. No way can that be said for this production. There were giant walls that were moving in and out and turning and just overall making the production slower than it had to be. My sister pointed out that the turntable helped show the passage of time, and she's right. Without it I felt a little lost, even though there were projections used here and there -- like in the sewers -- to show movement. The barricade is supposed to be the biggest piece of scenery, but it was overshadowed by the other giant moving pieces. ALSO, the turning of the barricade is so important, both with Gavroche's death and Enjolras, and we didn't get that. Enjolras was wheeled out in a cart after the barricade went away. No epic death for Enjolras then, okay.

So there are my thoughts. Like I said before, it was Les Miserables and I would see it in any way, shape, or form. I think this production was put out there to attract people who know the movie and haven't been introduced to the stage version in its original form. Still there were real Les Miserables fans in the audience, and the standing ovation at the end was the longest I've ever witnessed. The cast bowed so many times and it was great to see them break character to show their appreciation.

They say that as an audience member at the theater you are experiencing everything with those around you, your fellow audience members. I really felt this here, and it was obvious that Les Miserables is just one of those shows that can bring people together.

Moral of the story, someone take me to see it again after it opens.

The Heart Of Robinhood

January 11th -- 2pm matinee.

Almost a year to the day since the last time I was at A.R.T. (American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA), I returned to see The Heart of Robinhood.

This was one of those shows that isn't really considered a musical, but it's not quite a play either (think Peter and the Starcatcher).

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the theater was set, because honestly it was amazing. When I was at A.R.T. last year, the space was set up as a typical proscenium-style theater. This time the stage extended onto the floor and there was seating on the right and left side of the thrust and then the normal stadium style was across from that. We sat in row I, seats 33-35. I honestly don't think there was a bad seat in the house for this show -- the way the space was set up allowed for great sight lines. I was in the last seat on house left and I didn't miss anything.

After I assessed the differences in seating, I looked up and saw tree branches extending onto the ceiling from the tree on the stage. It was like walking into a forest. The band (Poor Old Shine), a Mumford and Sons-esque group of men with odd facial hair, greeted the audience when the doors opened and played for the fifteen minutes until the show. They fit right in with the set, set the overall tone of the show -- hip, new, cool, but also aged, and they sounded great. Having them come up into the audience was a nice touch. Poor Old Shine played during scene changes, and provided the soundtrack to the show. The cast did sing a few times as well.

The show itself wasn't the most brilliant thing I have ever seen, but it was a lot of fun. The word that comes to mind every time someone asks me what I thought is "charming" because that's exactly what it was. You couldn't help but fall in love with Robinhood. You couldn't help but adore the flamboyant and up-on-pop-culture servant, Pierre. And you couldn't help but be wowed by the special effects and the gorgeous twinkle lights and the beautiful costumes.

So yeah, it was a little contrived and some of the jokes were too obvious, but it was almost a farce. And I appreciated that it was smart, the humor was enjoyable and the audience was filled with kids laughing and adults.

I don't know where this show is going (if anywhere), but it was a fun afternoon at the theater.

And Robinhood's body was worth the $65 ticket price. Classic.

The Glass Menagerie

Saturday, October 12 (matinee - 2pm).

If you've spoken to me personally since I saw this show, you know how I feel about it. This production was the best play I have ever seen in my life outside of a few things I saw in London. It was absolutely mind blowingly (not a word, yes I am aware) amazing. I've read the play a few times before, but never really had a good grasp on it until seeing the action play out onstage.

First of all, I predict this season will be pretty epic for male leads in revivals of plays, and the Tony category will be stacked in June -- think Mark Rylance, Ian McClellan, Patrick Stewart, Daniel Craig. But if Zachary Quinto doesn't at least get nominated for his portrayal of Tom, my faith in theater will be lost. Actually though, this is a career defining for him. He was unbelievable. Stunning. Brilliant. Fabulous. A joy to watch. And it wasn't just how he spoke or how he moved, it was everything. The entire package. Every minute he wasn't onstage I found myself wishing he was. I was enthralled by how he moved, not just the choreographed movement, but just how he walked around. It was fluid and remarkable.

Celia Keenan-Bolger's first entrance and last exit was stunning and surprising. There was a collective gasp from the audience when she appeared. As always, she was perfect. I often marvel at how she plays young characters so well. Laura is an extremely sympathetic character and Celia's Laura was so easy to relate to it felt like I had known her my entire life. Cherry Jones was wonderful as well and it was clear the audience enjoyed her immensely. We laughed when she appeared in an extravagant dress, and the true beauty of her relationship with her children brought the audience to sniffles.

The Gentleman Caller was portrayed to perfection by Brian J. Smith. I had actually completely forgotten what ends up happening with his character so by the end of his big moment with Laura I was dying a little inside. He was a joy to watch, and he played the part with a hint of melancholy that could be felt from the last row of the mezzanine (where I was sitting).

The lighting and sound design were characters in their own right. I was mesmerized by the lights. And the set was... stunning. It was so simply yet so complicated. Everything worked together perfectly to create an absolutely magical performance.

This production is one of those shows that I will remember experiencing for the rest of my life. Go see it ASAP. They just extended until February 23. No excuses.