Act Three - The Reviews: Michael McCarty

Showing posts with label Michael McCarty. Show all posts

Sunday, November 2, 2008

To Be or Not To Be

A well acted, yet disappointing production is currently languishing at the Biltmore Theatre (I know, it's now the Friedman) at the Manhattan Theatre Club. A little bit of a play within a play concept going on here; Throw in a lot of Hitler jokes; Add a dash of humor and you've got Nick Whitby's To Be Or Not To Be.

Based on the 1941 original and subsequent 1983 Motion picture staring Mel Brooks, this stage production seemed to pale in comparison. Perhaps that was Nick Whitby's interpretation or possibly Casey Nicholaw's direction or maybe both. Or maybe it was just the fact that taking a motion picture and turning it into a play doesn't always work. Strangely enough, I felt that this was somehow intentionally staged to compete with Roundabout's The 39 Steps. I think RTC won that contest hands down. Stop copying. Start pioneering. Welcome Back Lynne Meadow.

You'd better get to work. You are 0 for 2 so far this season. Barry Grove's choices that you are now stuck executing appear to be miserable failures.

It's not particularly knee slapping funny, but it's not a flop either. Entertaining, yes. Run-don't-Walk, no. Run time is about 2 hours (thankfully). The story doesn't really have much more in it to last any longer. I have to say that the ending (at least what you perceive as the ending) is odd. Thankfully someone threw in one last joke to let you leave the theatre with a smile. To Go or Not to Go? Don't rush.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Mary Poppins

It's a good idea to go see what a whole lotta cash can buy! Let me start off first by saying that I don't like the idea of Disney on Broadway. It's commercial and popular. Just look at the lines outside the New Amsterdam Theater - mostly tourists who are more than willing to drop $110 a ticket (discount, what's that?) for the chance to see "the show" of the season. And let's not forget that they all buy their 3 year old kids a soda in a souviner cup and a bag of chips for $20 - both of which are shockingly allowed in the theater during the performance! I spent the first 30 minutes thinking something was wrong with the sound system. No, it was just all those moron parents letting their stupid kids eat the potato chips (crinkle, crinkle crinkle x 500) during the performance!

Well, back to my original thought - It's a good idea to see what a whole lotta cash can buy. Disney has it and this show flaunts it. The sets (and there are more than I've seen in a long time) are opulent. The fly space (the space above and around the visible stage) in the New Amsterdam seems to be one of the best in the industry - allowing for huge backdrops and sets to come and go effortlessly. There's a doll house cut-away and an upstairs bedroom that alternatively raise and lower along with a rooftop and a park. The actors float around the stage, climb the proscenium, walk upside down and fly out into the audience - all effortlessly and magically.

What else can money buy? Costumes (an endless colorful supply of them); Lights (all sorts of colors and sizes); Special effects (rain, flying birds, stars); and let's not forget the magical effect of Mary and Bert flying all over the place - floating like birds and sliding up the staircase.

Disney money can buy a lot of things that many productions can't afford, but I have to admit, I was transported to #17 Cherry Tree Lane. It does work. But let's not forget - a large cast, a terrific score and the dark interpretation of the P.L Travers stories are also part of the formula of success. Ashley Brown and Gaven Lee certainly do dazzle and delight. They, along with the rest of the cast, really do seem like they are having fun from curtain to curtain. I'd believe it if they told me they all worked for free (OK, well sort of).

So, while I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and revel fondly in the memories while perusing my Showbill (what's that all about?) back at home, it does worry me that all those people who saw it (and loved it too, I'm sure) will just expect the next show they see to be bigger and better. How disappointed they will be when they go see Spring Awakening or Grey Gardens and find out there's only one set per act and people don't fly.

What is all that money buying us in the long run?

Saturday, December 30, 1989

Sweeney Todd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_Todd:_The_Demon_Barber_of_Fleet_Street_(musical)

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