To start this off, I have to remind everyone that this show already held a special place in my heart. I was a house management intern at Barrington Stage Company last summer (2013), and I've watched John Rando's production of On The Town come together from its early stages on BSC's mainstage. I watched tech of this production, I watched final dress rehearsal, I was there on opening night of its regional premiere.
I don't like old musicals. I don't particularly like fluffy musicals. I can appreciate what old musicals have done for the musical theater world, and how we got to where we are today because of them. But if I have a choice of seeing Guys and Dolls or American Idiot, 99% of the time I'll choose American Idiot.
If this production of On The Town has taught me one thing, it's that old musicals can be amazing with the right group of people involved.
The changes made since BSC are plentiful, but simple from an audience member's perspective. Everything is bigger and brighter. There are more set pieces and the projections were added. The concept of the scene changes are the same, but the execution is Broadway versus regional theater. Needless to say, it was very exciting to see how far the show has come.
If Tony, Jay, Clyde, Alysha (I've been a huge fan of Alysha's since seeing American Idiot multiple times back in 2010/2011 and she just continues to blow me away every time I see this show), Elizabeth, Michael, and Allison had not stayed with the production, it would've been a tragedy. This cast of all-stars is what makes this production so great. And Megan Fairchild was the perfect addition to the group.
These guys are the ultimate triple threats. This show goes a long way to proving musical theater is a sport. You could be sitting in the last row of the balcony and still notice every nuance of Tony's musculature as he dances shirtless.
I'm a total sucker for dancing, and this production does not disappoint. The dances are bigger and better than ever, and everything just flows beautifully -- especially the costumes.
I'll be the first to admit that the script isn't brilliant, and sometimes I find myself utterly puzzled at the lyrics to songs. But you'll get so swept up in the beauty and overall magic of seeing classic musical theater at its best, that the shortcomings of the show don't matter.
I don't throw around the word "perfect" very often, but I think I can safely say (in my opinion, of course) that this revival of On The Town is as perfect as this show can be.
Tony Award for Best Revival? Hell yes.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
This is Our Youth
I have to begin by saying this is one of my favorite plays. I don't remember how or when I discovered it, but I've had the script for a few years and managed to read it quite a few times. If you know me that's a big thing, because I don't just sit down and read scripts very often. So before last Sunday I had never seen the show onstage, just in my imagination.
As much as I wanted to finally see it realized in front of me, I was hesitant because I didn't want to be disappointed. I allowed myself to walk into the theater knowing I would be disappointed, that way when I was it wouldn't be so disappointing (I'll stop using that word now).
Surprise! I thought it was fantastic! Really, I'm just as surprised as you are right now. I didn't think I would like it because I had such a vision of what it should be like in my head and nothing. But it was truly a remarkably well done piece of theater.
One of the reasons I love this show is because there's nothing frilly about it and it is as realistic as a play can be. The set was amazing -- a studio apartment with a door leading out to the hall and one leading to the bathroom, which we could see action happening in through a frosted window on stage left. Apartment buildings with windows and fire escapes took up the rest of the stage behind the apartment we could see into in order to utilize the whole stage. Lights could be seen going on and off in different windows helping create the illusion of passing time. Everything on the set was believable and helped bring the audience into the time, which was 1982.
Michael Cera played Warren, and the part could've been written for him. In reading the play I don't think I ever pictured someone as awkward as Cera taking on the role, but it worked so well! He never knew how to stand, and was constantly fidgeting. It was obvious he didn't quite know where he fit in the world yet. Yeah, his voice was the typical Michael Cera high pitched monotone, but that didn't bother me. His vocal pattern made the funny parts funny and the sad parts sad. I felt for him, but also felt he was an idiot. He's a movie star (sort of?), but he did a kick ass job onstage.
Kieran Culkin was the highlight of the play. There's not too much to say other than he was incredible and the few times he left the stage had me wishing he would come back, and then when he did it made it that much more exciting. The buddy-buddy thing Cera and Culkin had going on was so so so fun to watch, but also left you unsettled because of the way Culkin's character, Dennis, treats Warren. They worked well together, and the physical comedy was enjoyable, exciting, and hysterical.
The biggest qualm I had about this production was Tavi Gevinson as Jessica. I feel like I'm constantly talking about how a show would be better off without the female character, but here she plays an important part. The actress wasn't all that great, and I didn't love her portrayal of Jessica, but she did the job. The relationship between Warren and Dennis is the star of the show, and Warren's relationship to Jessica is just extra.
So I give this production a big old thumbs up. I'm very happy I was able to see it, and I'm very happy I wasn't disappointed.
Side note: I bought my tickets through the app TodayTix for $35.00 (not including fees). I highly recommend the app, and to pick up the tickets you just meet the TodayTix concierge out in front of the theater a half hour before the performance.
As much as I wanted to finally see it realized in front of me, I was hesitant because I didn't want to be disappointed. I allowed myself to walk into the theater knowing I would be disappointed, that way when I was it wouldn't be so disappointing (I'll stop using that word now).
Surprise! I thought it was fantastic! Really, I'm just as surprised as you are right now. I didn't think I would like it because I had such a vision of what it should be like in my head and nothing. But it was truly a remarkably well done piece of theater.
One of the reasons I love this show is because there's nothing frilly about it and it is as realistic as a play can be. The set was amazing -- a studio apartment with a door leading out to the hall and one leading to the bathroom, which we could see action happening in through a frosted window on stage left. Apartment buildings with windows and fire escapes took up the rest of the stage behind the apartment we could see into in order to utilize the whole stage. Lights could be seen going on and off in different windows helping create the illusion of passing time. Everything on the set was believable and helped bring the audience into the time, which was 1982.
Michael Cera played Warren, and the part could've been written for him. In reading the play I don't think I ever pictured someone as awkward as Cera taking on the role, but it worked so well! He never knew how to stand, and was constantly fidgeting. It was obvious he didn't quite know where he fit in the world yet. Yeah, his voice was the typical Michael Cera high pitched monotone, but that didn't bother me. His vocal pattern made the funny parts funny and the sad parts sad. I felt for him, but also felt he was an idiot. He's a movie star (sort of?), but he did a kick ass job onstage.
Kieran Culkin was the highlight of the play. There's not too much to say other than he was incredible and the few times he left the stage had me wishing he would come back, and then when he did it made it that much more exciting. The buddy-buddy thing Cera and Culkin had going on was so so so fun to watch, but also left you unsettled because of the way Culkin's character, Dennis, treats Warren. They worked well together, and the physical comedy was enjoyable, exciting, and hysterical.
The biggest qualm I had about this production was Tavi Gevinson as Jessica. I feel like I'm constantly talking about how a show would be better off without the female character, but here she plays an important part. The actress wasn't all that great, and I didn't love her portrayal of Jessica, but she did the job. The relationship between Warren and Dennis is the star of the show, and Warren's relationship to Jessica is just extra.
So I give this production a big old thumbs up. I'm very happy I was able to see it, and I'm very happy I wasn't disappointed.
Side note: I bought my tickets through the app TodayTix for $35.00 (not including fees). I highly recommend the app, and to pick up the tickets you just meet the TodayTix concierge out in front of the theater a half hour before the performance.
Friday, July 11, 2014
First Broadway Show -- VLOG
Hey there.
Click HERE to watch the latest installment of GoelerGirlsGab.
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Click HERE to watch the latest installment of GoelerGirlsGab.
Make sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
I got in line at 8:00am to rush this show on Wednesday morning, and there were at least 20 people ahead of me in line already. So while the sister and I waited, we sent mom to TKTS. As soon as we made our way into the box office, mom had already gotten tickets at the TKTS booth. So we paid more than we would've if rush was successful, but figured it won the Tony so we'd be getting our money's worth.
This is not my kind of musical. I'm just gonna throw that out there right now. Go back and read other reviews here... you'll get to know what I like and what I don't. It's not that I can't appreciate this style, it's just not what I'm drawn to. I tend to like my plays with more of a slapstick and comedy of errors type feel, and my musicals dark and edgy with heavy music.
Gentleman's Guide was traditional American musical theater. Deserving of the Best Musical Tony Award? Yes. Absolutely.
It was cast perfectly. I couldn't imagine a better group of actors to put on this piece.
Bryce Pinkham has the greatest facial expressions. I've seen him onstage a few times, but the last show I saw him in was Ghost and there he had that evil but unassuming thing going on. So clearly he's pretty darn good at playing the bad guy that comes off like a good guy. He was very funny both to listen to and watch, and wow is he light on his feet.
Jefferson Mays plays an entire family of characters and each character transitions smoothly into the next. Since I knew that Mays had played a role that required him to transform into multiple characters at the drop of a hat before, I had high expectations. They were definitely met.
There's not much to complain about when it comes to the acting or the singing. Just because the music didn't excite me doesn't mean I didn't think it was fantastic. For such a small cast the ensemble numbers were powerful. I spaced out once or twice and there was one song that was just odd and seemed unnecessary even though it was a good song ("Sibella"). There is no huge showstopping number, but there are songs that are more popular than others for sure.
Overall, I had a lot of fun at Gentleman's Guide. There were two times that I absolutely cracked up and fell over in my seat. Anyone who has seen a show with me can tell you I don't outwardly express my feelings very often at shows. A friend told me I was in for a "real treat" with Gentleman's Guide, and I agree. It was a treat. Two and a half hours of good, fun, traditional musical theater.
This is not my kind of musical. I'm just gonna throw that out there right now. Go back and read other reviews here... you'll get to know what I like and what I don't. It's not that I can't appreciate this style, it's just not what I'm drawn to. I tend to like my plays with more of a slapstick and comedy of errors type feel, and my musicals dark and edgy with heavy music.
Gentleman's Guide was traditional American musical theater. Deserving of the Best Musical Tony Award? Yes. Absolutely.
It was cast perfectly. I couldn't imagine a better group of actors to put on this piece.
Bryce Pinkham has the greatest facial expressions. I've seen him onstage a few times, but the last show I saw him in was Ghost and there he had that evil but unassuming thing going on. So clearly he's pretty darn good at playing the bad guy that comes off like a good guy. He was very funny both to listen to and watch, and wow is he light on his feet.
Jefferson Mays plays an entire family of characters and each character transitions smoothly into the next. Since I knew that Mays had played a role that required him to transform into multiple characters at the drop of a hat before, I had high expectations. They were definitely met.
There's not much to complain about when it comes to the acting or the singing. Just because the music didn't excite me doesn't mean I didn't think it was fantastic. For such a small cast the ensemble numbers were powerful. I spaced out once or twice and there was one song that was just odd and seemed unnecessary even though it was a good song ("Sibella"). There is no huge showstopping number, but there are songs that are more popular than others for sure.
Overall, I had a lot of fun at Gentleman's Guide. There were two times that I absolutely cracked up and fell over in my seat. Anyone who has seen a show with me can tell you I don't outwardly express my feelings very often at shows. A friend told me I was in for a "real treat" with Gentleman's Guide, and I agree. It was a treat. Two and a half hours of good, fun, traditional musical theater.
Goeler Girls Gab
Many of the adults in my life (mostly mom's friends) have been telling me for a long time that I needed to make a YouTube channel all about theater. Apparently I'm interesting and exciting to listen to when it comes to talking about theater.
So today my sister and I bit the bullet and recorded a video with the hopes of more to come in the next few days.
Check out our first video, and let me know if there are any topics you'd be interested in hearing us discuss!
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO!
Review of Gentleman's Guide is in the process of being written, so look for it tomorrow!
So today my sister and I bit the bullet and recorded a video with the hopes of more to come in the next few days.
Check out our first video, and let me know if there are any topics you'd be interested in hearing us discuss!
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO!
Review of Gentleman's Guide is in the process of being written, so look for it tomorrow!
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.
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.
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