#30: The Best of times is Now, I promise.

If you recall, I mentioned that I was going to New York again. It was the typical cram-as-many-shows-as-humanly-possible in three days trip. I started off in Pittsburgh and stayed with my friend Kate, waiting for my friends Rach and Lyds to show up so we could journey to New York together. I know you're just dying to hear what I saw and what I thought, so without further adieu, my reviews:

I did see A Little Night music...again, since I've already written a review on it I'll make this brief: I did not care for Bernadette Peters as Desiree Armfeldt *ducks flying objects* Now before you chomp my head off, please let me defend myself. I had seen the production before it came to Broadway and it became one of my favorite Sondheim musicals, granted it wasn't as grand as it was on The Great White Way but it was still an excellent production; plus my best friend kicked ass as Desiree. When I saw Catherine Zeta-Jones she was absolutely exquisite; charming, seductive and vulnerable: everything that Desiree should be. Bernadette did an okay job, but there were several points in the show where I felt that I was just watching Bernadette Peters play...herself. Which is a huge no-no when you're acting, you're supposed to embody the character from the time the curtain comes up, to the time the curtain comes down.

Now that I've discussed that...lets move on to the other two shows I saw:

Following Night Music, I saw the revival of Promises,Promises. I have to admit, the only reason I was interested in seeing it at all was the simple fact that I had never seen Kristin Chenoweth live on stage. I was surprised by how much I liked it, granted there were some songs I was like "Okay..this seriously doesn't need to be in here." But for the most part it was a much deeper show than what I thought.
Sean Hayes really surprised me, I had a feeling he was going to be good but I was not prepared for the brilliant stage presence that he had, nor the amazing voice. He was positively brilliant, able to be absolutely hysterical and incredibly serious with ease.
Kristin was everything I expected her to be and more. She's a powerhouse in a tiny package, she is able to sing as delicate as a lullaby then, without warning, she's belting out those notes like it's nothing. She seemed to really enjoy being back in her element, in case you'd forgotten she got her start on Broadway; she's well known for playing Glinda in Wicked, but she's played several other amazing roles.
Katie Finneran was positively amazing. She was only in a few scenes in the second act but she literally stole the stage the minute the lights went up. I can see why the Tony committee thought her worthy of the Best Featured Actress Award because you literally were swept away in a sea of laughter the second she opened her mouth.

While the rest of my merry troupe went to see Memphis, some for the second and third time, I went to see La Cage Aux Folles. It has become one of my favorite shows of all time. Douglas Hodge was absolutely amazing as Albin, I don't think I have seen a performance that amazing in a long time. Kelsey Grammer was a fine choice for my first Georges, he had a great voice and amazing stage presence. I have to briefly mention an amazing talent, Elena Shaddow. She played Anne, which isn't a large role but she had such a presence that I was absolutely captivated every time she had the stage. Just the smallest gesture of her hand or the tilt of her head was absolutely charming, plus she's absolutely adorable.

I apologize if they weren't as in-depth as you thought they would be, I tend to run on and on when I review shows so I have to cut them rather short ;]

#27: A Little Rapture

I am going to warn you ahead of time, this post is going to mostly be gushing about my recent trip to see A Little Night Music and Everyday Rapture. So if that's not your cup of tea just skip the first couple of paragraphs.

Lets start with Night Music.

It was the first show that introduced me to the amazing composer/lyricist/all around genius Steven Sondheim, so I went into the show with a more than overflowing sense of excitement. From the moment the Overture's melodies filled the air, I knew that there was no place that could make me happier in that moment. The cast was almost perfect, I say almost because I did not care for Hunter Ryan Herdlicka's portrayal of Henrik. I won't go into every little detail, but what turned me off was when he sang "Later," he literally screamed at one point and I expected Sondheim himself to pop up and smack him. Other than that, I found everyone else to be a perfect fit for the characters. Let me mention just a few:
Leigh Ann Larkin was absolutely charming as Petra, the very "free-spirited" maid. Leigh Ann recently starred in the 2008 revival of Gypsy as Dainty June, so she's no stranger to Sondheim; I absolutely adored her version of "The Miller's Son" and it has become my new favorite song in the production.
I have to mention Betsy Morgan because when I went to see The Little Mermaid, she was playing Ariel and therefor it is my obligation to gush a little about her. She has a gorgeous voice, its one of those unique voices that makes you cock your head and go "Huh, that's different! I like it!" Her role was unique, she was part of the Greek chorus, I know it sounds weird that a Greek chorus would show up in a modern day Broadway musical but it really did work. I found it particularly fitting in "Remember," the scene in which the characters of Desiree and Frederik reminisced about their past together. In the original production everyone around them froze as they sang, this was unique and original, and as I said before it really did work.
How can one talk about this production, and not talk about Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury? Though she did perform, it was very apparent within the first few minutes that she was on stage that CZJ was not feeling too well. Her voice was a little stuffy, but that did not hinder her performance in the least; she was very careful in the first act and most of the second, one could tell that she was saving her voice for her solo, one of Sondheim's most popular and beautiful songs: Send in the Clowns. She did splendidly! Much better than her Tony Performance; don't get me wrong, she sounded amazing that night, but her neck jerking reminded me of a pigeon. Cut her some slack though, it was the Tony Awards, and I think even someone of her caliber is allowed to be terribly nervous. When she started to sing, I felt my eyes water, by the time she was finished I was a puddle. There is something about that song that touches a small part of you.
Speaking of something that touches a small part of you, let me gush about Angela. From the second she came out on stage I was all a flutter with excitement, then when it came time for her to sing her solo I was a puddle. I never thought in a million years that I would be able to say that I was blessed enough to see a living legend on a Broadway stage TWICE in my life. Oh and just so you know, age hasn't affected her in the least. She still has it, and her rendition of "Liasons" was absolute perfection.

I'm going to borrow the description from the facebook page: Everyday Rapture is the story of a young womans psycho-sexual-spiritual journey on the rocky path that separates her mostly Mennonite past from her mostly Manhattan future. Her life takes her from the cornfields of Kansas to the clover fields of New York (with a disturbing detour through YouTube). With a cast of five led by Sherie Rene Scott, the show also features songs made famous by David Byrne, Roberta Flack, Mister Rogers, The Dap Kings and Judy Garland. Sherie Rene Scott is probably one of the funniest people, with a killer voice, that you've never heard about, she co-wrote the show along with Dick Scanlan. It's sort of a semi-biographical, one-woman-and-two-backup-singers show; Lindsay Mendez and Betsy Wolfe are the two back-up singers, and they were phenomenal; I hope that they do concerts or something because I would love to hear them individually. The show is mostly a satirical look into the world of this young woman, but there were some moments that really got your wheels turning or had you reaching for the kleenexes. She described moments from the death of her gay cousin Jerome, and Fred Phelps in all of his hateful glory showed up to protest his funeral; to the time her son first found a four leaf clover, the cat eating it (to which she described: "I had my hands around his neck, prying his mouth open. I wanted to kill this fucking cat! I told my son that mommy was petting the cat in a way that you should never pet the cat!"), and her wondering if they really were specks of dust and if the world wasn't meant for them. I have to say that it has become my new favorite show, and I wish that it would extend its limited engagement so I could see it again.

I apologize for the long tirade, but there aren't enough words to describe the utter joy and freedom that the theatre gives me.