Going to New York? Take in a musical
Here's a look at the crop of musicals that opened in the spring:
"A Catered Affair": This review may be pointless as the show has now closed. And it's too bad ... I really liked it. It's about a family coping with the loss of their soldier son and trying to plan the wedding of their only, and sometimes overlooked, daughter.
Sure it wasn't the rip-roarin' Broadway musical that most tourists like when they're dropping more than a hundred bucks on a show. But it was very moving. It was warm, sad, endearing, enlightening and more ... all the things good theater should be.
Faith Prince was unbelievable. Any other year, if she hadn't been going up against powerhouse Patti LuPone, she would have easily walked away with the Tony. Tom Wopat and Harvey Fierstein were also fabulous. The show also had a wonderful message about life and how we live it, and love and who we choose to share it with.
One interesting thing: A couple of times there were extremely long pauses in dialogue. Moments of silence that lasted, easily, 30 seconds or more — an eternity in live theater. But they were so well done and so well utilized they were completely captivating.
"Xanadu": My husband forced me to watch the painful 1980s movie last year (he remembers when it originally came out with scary detail). He was right — I was glad I had seen it before seeing the musical, which is total, complete, campy fun. "Xanadu" is based on the roller-skating movie of the same name, which starred Olivia Newton-John as a muse sent to Venice Beach, of all places, to help inspire an artist to open a roller rink. I'm serious, that's what it's about.
The set looks like a Grecian garden of sorts, with a large mirror hanging overhead. The orchestra and some audience members sit on stage. (You might want to ask about those seats, as I've heard they're cheaper.)
The effects with the mirror are top-notch, and the whole atmosphere is fun. I was disappointed to walk into the Helen Hayes Theater and see the board announcing understudies. Kerry Butler?! I wanted to see her. I'm not sure if I was pouting that it wasn't Butler, which made the understudy less believable to me, or if she really wasn't that believable.
"Xanadu" has all the camp of the movie, but unlike the film, this musical actually means to be funny.
Recent comments
I love how 'Anonymous' is too above-all-of-this and can't even spell…
Very Clever | Aug. 4, 2008 at 7:59 a.m.
Yes, her review of HCT's Big (posted yesterday, I believe) was pretty…
Shelby | Aug. 3, 2008 at 10:13 p.m.
Has Erika Hanson ever seen a show she didn't gush about?
Anonymous | Aug. 3, 2008 at 1:51 p.m.
