Book: N. Richard Nash
Lyrics: Tom Jones
Music: Harvey Schmidt
Based on N. Richard Nash's play The Rainmaker. Quite faithful to the play (helps when the playwright is the librettist). Also many of the lyrics come from the play.
I did not see it. I just listened to the 2007 Revival recording.
LIZZY: Was away for something, not sure what. Has father and brother. Visiting family, trying to find a husband. Wasn't successful. **Intelligence, sharp wit, insecurities**
FIFE: Sheriff of the town. Has a Poker Face. But gave it up. Good at dancing, etc. But hesitant at beginning to go to the picnic. Seemingly desirable by the women of the town. Wife walked out on him. He was unable to tell her he needed her, even though she prompted him to do so.
First song: Sets the tone. Not particularly upbeat though.
Lizzie's coming home: Cheesy rhymes. Except "when lizzie is here I eat until I nearly pop." Something like that.
Love Don't Turn Away: Singing to love. Interesting to sing to love.
Hungry men: Some cool round stuff, but still cheesy lyrics. Catches my ear, and not in a good way.
The Rain Song: Very different style. Definitely a change to the town. Jazzy stuff coming in to it. Also very bold MTheatre song, once it gets into the chorus. I like this song. Which makes sense, cause they need to like the character in order for this show to go anywhere. (though some of the orchestrations seem empty, esp in one of the call and response parts.)
You're Not Fooling Me: The really fast "fiddling with your buttons" is glorious. For character, etc. Not sure about the dotted slow rhythm once it gets started into the song. The rest of the song, while it works, feels slow.
Raunchy: Melody very effective at beginning, though it might in part be the performance. Overall, stereotypical Gypsy Rose Lee style song. Not sure how it fits contextually into the show.
A Man and a Woman: FILE and LIZZY. Sonata-form-ish in that it is the same melody, with different words. Man and a woman, they eventually drift apart. VS. Man and a woman, they can live together forever in love if they try. One cheesy lyric part.
Old Maid: Umm... YES!!!! There's a reason why they put it as the act closer. Western flair, a la Copland. Has a slow, lamenting, music box, POETIC intro. "Always being one, never being two. Rearrange the furniture, there's nothing else to do." And then the horror that comes with the label "Old Maid." And then the caesura. Dat caesura. o.O Back to music box. Rinse and repeat and SUCCESS!!! And the lyrics seem to follow her train of thought very well.
Evenin' Star: Melody analogous to the first song. Lyrics mostly effective. Metaphor between Starbuck and the evening star. Both have to travel. Why? Line that ends with "night" cheesy rhyme. Other than that, no complaints. Melody is not completed sometimes, which seems fitting for the wandering man's song.
Everything Beautiful: Cool lilt to part of the melody.
Melisande: Making up the story as it goes. Which solidifies the shady character of his character. Very exuberant music, and seems quite effective. And the ending is very sweet, and subtextual, and beautiful.
Simple Little Things: Talks about what she wants from someone who loves her. Just someone to hold her, tell her he loves her. "Melisande" sang under his breath at the end of the song. Not sure how context works, but that sounds like it could be a powerful temptation.
Little Red Hat: Song out of context of the story. Characters that don't have other songs, so it's hard to tell what it's about. However, sex. Veiled? I don't think so. I think the end of the song, he decided to stop where he was before he went too far. So he literally has her little red hat. But they're in love, exchanging tokens, crying in the moonlight together, etc.
Is it Really Me?: Starbuck tells her she's beautiful. Which she hasn't heard (or thought) before, though he's probably not the first one to think that (if you ask me. The little redheaded boy on a "dare" from his friends. Could be a good cover from him.) Fine song.
Wonderful Music: YAY! File wins. Good for him. And good for Lizzie's dad for his advice: "Whatever you decide, just remember you don't have to go through life as a woman who hasn't been asked." And good for Starbuck for letting her go. Cool stretto duet between Star and File.
Last song: Definitely a last song. Coda-like. The show is mostly over, but Starbuck actually gets to make it rain. But yes, good chorus, close-y song.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Avenue Q -- BWay 2003, Tours all over, Off BWay 2009
Book: Jeff Whitty
Music: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
I watched the 2009 Off BWay in 2014 at the New World Stages (March 2nd, the night Lopez won his EGOT!!!)
This musical is a lovely blend between episodic-like scenes and songs that still maintain an overall and purposeful arc. The transitions, seemed to be really smooth, even though there would often be a post-applause button that drew my attention more than once.
The puppets are a really awesome addition to the show. I found myself watching the actors SLIGHTLY more than the puppets, as they made more facial gestures, etc. But the synchronicity with which they moved together was incredible. The actors were their charactes. Like when the lady helping out with and Nicky and Trekkie Monster was doing the extra hand (Maggie Lakis), she was actively mimicking (only not mimicking, cause it was very specific) the facial expressions of the main puppeteer (Jason Jacoby), who by the way had an awesome Ernie impression).
Princeton/Rod (Darren Bluestone) was INCREDIBLE as far as specificity, though I thought his voice was not as dead on as it could have been. The notes seemed a little bit out of his range, but I was certainly able to forgive that for his UBERcrisp specificity.
Kate Monster (Veronica Kuehn) was not seeming to enjoy it as much as the rest of the cast. She enjoyed her Lucy the Slut more, but Kate, there wasn't much of a sparkle in her eye.
Brian (Nicholas Kohn) was brilliant, and really lived in the world.
Christmas Eve (Sala Iwamatsu) was similarly brilliant, over the top and... I was kind of offended by her stereotypical performance. Which is maybe the point? I guess it was all in good fun.
Gary Coleman (Danielle K. Thomas) felt very at home. Her performance was all in good fun, no doubt about it.
As for songs:
"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" while brilliant lyrically, was kind of generic as far as melody and harmony. The same thing happened too many times, and I was disappointed by it.
In contrast, "The More You Ruv Someone" wasn't that great lyrically. I don't remember how I feel about it as far as music.
"I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" functions very well in the context of the show. When I first encountered the show (in the songbook) I was worried that it was a big song without much content to it. But it is meant to function as a transition, and is BRILLIANT for that.
Also the animations are quite amusing. They add a lot to the show, though they're perhaps not in the same art style as the puppets, which was a little distracting (more MS Paint, Allie Brosh with less skill).
Music: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
I watched the 2009 Off BWay in 2014 at the New World Stages (March 2nd, the night Lopez won his EGOT!!!)
This musical is a lovely blend between episodic-like scenes and songs that still maintain an overall and purposeful arc. The transitions, seemed to be really smooth, even though there would often be a post-applause button that drew my attention more than once.
The puppets are a really awesome addition to the show. I found myself watching the actors SLIGHTLY more than the puppets, as they made more facial gestures, etc. But the synchronicity with which they moved together was incredible. The actors were their charactes. Like when the lady helping out with and Nicky and Trekkie Monster was doing the extra hand (Maggie Lakis), she was actively mimicking (only not mimicking, cause it was very specific) the facial expressions of the main puppeteer (Jason Jacoby), who by the way had an awesome Ernie impression).
Princeton/Rod (Darren Bluestone) was INCREDIBLE as far as specificity, though I thought his voice was not as dead on as it could have been. The notes seemed a little bit out of his range, but I was certainly able to forgive that for his UBERcrisp specificity.
Kate Monster (Veronica Kuehn) was not seeming to enjoy it as much as the rest of the cast. She enjoyed her Lucy the Slut more, but Kate, there wasn't much of a sparkle in her eye.
Brian (Nicholas Kohn) was brilliant, and really lived in the world.
Christmas Eve (Sala Iwamatsu) was similarly brilliant, over the top and... I was kind of offended by her stereotypical performance. Which is maybe the point? I guess it was all in good fun.
Gary Coleman (Danielle K. Thomas) felt very at home. Her performance was all in good fun, no doubt about it.
As for songs:
"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" while brilliant lyrically, was kind of generic as far as melody and harmony. The same thing happened too many times, and I was disappointed by it.
In contrast, "The More You Ruv Someone" wasn't that great lyrically. I don't remember how I feel about it as far as music.
"I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" functions very well in the context of the show. When I first encountered the show (in the songbook) I was worried that it was a big song without much content to it. But it is meant to function as a transition, and is BRILLIANT for that.
Also the animations are quite amusing. They add a lot to the show, though they're perhaps not in the same art style as the puppets, which was a little distracting (more MS Paint, Allie Brosh with less skill).
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