This new play, while a little long, is entertaining throughout and keeps you guessing until the very end. Henry (Aaron Yoo) is trying to find answers to the somewhat mysterious circumstances of his father's death.
The Performers There were some really great moments, with the most impactful performances from Laura Kai Chen and Johnny Wu as Henry's parents, Leena and George. One of my favorite scenes is their first meeting, which (after a bit of English) transpires in their shared Chinese dialect - the audience needs no subtitles to understand, and it is refreshing to see a play incorporating language to portray an immigrant's story. The supporting characters are also moments of brightness in a somewhat monotonous performance from Aaron Yoo - though his endurance is impressive (I think he's on the stage for most, if not all, of the 90 minute play). The Set Very minimal (is an understatement), but the storytelling and acting made up for it and allowed the audience to focus on the emotion of the characters. The bare white set made me think of the recent production of Betrayal and was almost as effective. Unfortunately, the effect was often ruined by the intrusion of images projected on the white walls of the set. These were used to show location changes or memories, and were mostly distracting. But during one of the final scenes, a video of the play up until that moment is replayed on the back wall - and because of the visual references the effect is more powerful and makes it all worth it. The Story This murder mystery turned family drama has enough red herrings to lead you confidently astray multiple times. While I did not predict the end until the end, the journey takes a bit too long and loses some momentum along the way. In fact, every scene with Henry and his girlfriend Jess (Mahira Kakkar) could have been cut. They have no chemistry and their interactions fail to move the story along in anyway. We had low expectations for this one. Despite knowing that we would like the music, shows that try to create an original story from existing songs are always hit or miss. Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill album is the epitome of 90s angst. Teenage angst is timeless, and the creators did a good job of using the songs (some more well known than others, and a few brand new ones) to tell a story about a dysfunctional family trying to figure things out.
The Performers This was an ensemble cast, and everyone is solid. Because many of the roles are teenagers, there are a number of impressive Broadway debuts on display. And the acting is much better than what I've come to expect from new musicals - in particular, Elizabeth Stanley, as Mary Jane Healy, is fantastic as a picture-perfect mom who descends into opioid addiction. You can hear her channeling Alanis when she sings. The other main standout voice is Lauren Patten as Jo, and she gets some of the best songs too, including "You Oughta Know" - which she delivers with enough passion to bring audience members to their feet mid-show. I also really enjoyed Kathryn Gallagher as Bella, and her performance of "Predator" (one of the new songs) is memorable enough to compete with the classics. The Songs All of the good ones are in there, and some vaguely familiar ones too. I would argue that a couple of the new songs are better than the lesser known Alanis originals from the early naughts. The Set And here is the main negative. More and more musicals rely on screens for scenery, but this show might take the cake. Not only are there a ton of screens, but the projections on the screens - from the facade of a house to a hallway in the school to a shelf of books - are just a bit blurry for some reason. The screens are also on wheels. Everything is on wheels. Each scene is made up of at least 6 screens and 1 piece of furniture. It felt like a rotating Raymour & Flanagan's clearance sale. The cast is constantly wheeling screens and desks and chairs and couches and kitchen islands on and off the stage. And not just for transitions between scenes either. During almost every scene, the main actors are spun around endlessly by the rest of the cast. The Choreography and The Direction There are a few really enjoyable dance scenes, including one step routine that is expertly executed. And many of the ensemble dancers get great solo time, though much of the movement is centered on rearranging furniture. Otherwise, there are a couple of great moments in direction - one that stands out is a scene that unfolds backwards, illustrating Mary Jane's opioid fugue. The Story The beginning feels a little like the creators were using some kind of checklist to ensure they hit all the social justice issues of contemporary times. The sexually frustrated dad, the opioid-addicted mom, the bisexual adopted daughter, the perfect Harvard-bound son, the lesbian friend, the new kid with a terminally ill sibling, and the slut. It's a lot. But the story does eventually find it's footing and we get to know Mary Jane and her family more than expected. Seeing any opera at the Met is an amazing experience, but seeing Porgy & Bess is a very special treat. From the very first notes of the opening song, Summertime, to the end I was entranced. The soprano we saw, (Janai Brugger), sings that song as if she has been born to sing it. The entire opera could have been her singing that song on repeat, and I would have walked away smiling.
The Performers One of the reasons I love seeing operas at the Met is to marvel in sheer wonder at the fact that these people can not only sing beautifully, but they can do it without any mics, without any speakers. Another reason I love seeing operas is the mass of people that come onto the stage to perform at once. When 70 people sing in perfect choral harmony, you'd have to be dead not to feel moved. And to me, the amount of people on stage doing all sorts of commonplace things (in addition to the main action) makes it feel as though we're just observing real life, real life that just happens to be punctuated by incredible arias. That all being said, Bess (Angel Blue) outshone Porgy (Eric Owens) in this production - he was still great, but maybe he was having an off night. The Set An impressively versatile wooden structure that rotated and moved back and forth on the stage to allow for scenes to take place both inside and outside. The Music and The Story There are so many iconic songs in this opera that have caught on in popular culture, but I had never heard them in an actual opera setting before. And the story has everything - celebration, drugs, murder, romance, longing, community, and love. The breathtaking music with the heartbreaking story is a tremendous combination. I've never seen the original Swan Lake, but of course am familiar with the iconic music and some of the scenes. Matthew Bourne's production is completely different with (I'm told) clever nods to the original sprinkled throughout. It is sexy and contemporary and the choreography is incredible.
The Performers Every dancer in the production is truly great, and the Swan that we saw (Max Westwell) had incredible stamina and embodied the tall, dark, and handsome role perfectly. The Choreography Since I'm not as familiar with the traditional ballet, the stark difference in this production did not affect my experience. But even I know that no ballet is this sexy, and the way the men are able to so completely and gracefully embody swans is mesmerizing. The Story Again, the gender swap in the famous swan scene is not so scandalous when you haven't seen the original. And beyond that the story is completely altered, placed in a contemporary world with cell phones and a club scene and oh so much sexual tension between the Prince and the Swan. The Music Incredible, and on a loop in my head for days after. The classic dark comedy comes back to Off-Broadway in a fantastic production that hits all the right spots.
The Performers We were lucky enough to catch the show during the 2-month window when Gideon Glick stepped into the role of Seymour. He has a beautiful voice, and is perfectly cast in the role. Judging from the cast album, Jonathan Groff was probably also great – though one could argue that he's a bit too good-looking to play such a nebbishy nerd. Christian Borle surprised me with an excellent performance as the dentist (and every other minor character). His comedic timing is perfect, and you can tell he's having the time of his life. The voice of the plant, Kingsley Leggs, was spot on. Audrey, played by Tammy Blanchard, was just okay. The Set Great set. The plant fills the stage by the end, and the puppeteers work its tentacles and gaping mouth masterfully. The Songs All the songs in this show are so catchy with extremely clever lyrics. A comedy about familial dysfunction, that also centers on an older couple's inner emotional turmoil after 50 years of marriage.
The Performers A mix of veterans and lesser known actors who all hold their own, carrying on despite the midday coughs and hearing aid feedback of a Sunday matinee. Nancy and Bill (Jane Alexander and James Cromwell) are excellent and are both able to pivot meaningfully between their present selves and their youthful past selves. The rest of the cast is a tad heavy-handed, but still fun to watch. The Set Simple, yet effective. Nancy and Bill's unit in an independent living community is everything you would expect. And after its destroyed right before intermission, they are swiftly housed in a new unit that looks identical but is devoid of any personal touches. The Story While generally predictable, the journey is enjoyable. This one night only concert at Carnegie Hall is not to be missed, except that you already did... but keep an eye out for anything TItus in the future (and go watch him in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). He is truly a triple threat, and his West Side Story medley gave us all eargasms.
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