adamyntium

Category: theatre

  • Cirque du Soleil show “Ka”

    I saw this show in 2008 with three colleagues in the $99 section ($109 after tax)… pretty center, towards the back (best seats available).

    Cirque du Soleil "Ka" poster
    Copyright 2013, Cirque du Soleil

    My thoughts:

    • Very comfortable seats!
    • A little too much fighting-oriented for my taste.
    • The hand-shadow part was touching and beautiful and clever.
    • Call me a dunce, but I really didn’t follow the story line at all. Okay, two sides… some bad people trying to kill the others, but that’s about all I grokked. And the Cirque folks are too damn cheap to give out even a small program? That’s a piss-off after such pricey tickets.
    • Yes, the stage was unbelievable! I know it may sound silly to gush about a moving platform, but… really, you won’t appreciate how amazing this is and how much it adds to the performance until you see it.
    • Costumes, music… very impressive.
    • Theatre… oddly not so impressive. Except for the amazing stage and comfy seats, pretty uninspiring.

    By the way, I was easily able to obtain tickets the day of (albeit not-outstanding seats), so if you’re not picky, you probably don’t have to worry about booking far in advance. Then again, this was for a Tuesday night, so if you’re arriving on a weekend, your mileage may vary.

  • Cirque du Soleil’s "O" show in Las Vegas – my review

    So what did I think of Cirque du Soleil’s show “O”?

    Absolutely beautiful.  I think my mouth was open most of the time, and I’m glad there weren’t flies about (just people flying, and they’re bigger.  And sexier.  And waterproof, apparently!)

    One of my friends that attended with me joked (okay, somewhat lamely) that the show is called O because everyone keeps breathlessly sighing or marveling “Ooooooh!”  But maybe she’s right.

    Some quick specific thoughts:

    • I sat in row M.  If I had my choice, I’d sit in maybe row D or E.  I’d rather see expressions and subtle movements, even at the slight expense of getting “the overall picture.”  Row M wasn’t bad at all, though.
    • The expensive seats are $165 after tax.  That hurts.  Shockingly, I still think it was worth it, and I may attend again when I’m in Vegas next year.
    • My three friends and I got last minute tickets (and, as noted, fine seats) by arriving just over two hours prior to a Thursday early show.  I’m guessing this’d be much less successful Fri-Sun.  And we got the *last* remaining tickets.  So I’d indeed recommend booking ahead or—if you’re available to see a show on a weekday, get there 2.5 hours early and bring a snack to eat in line.
    • I didn’t quite click with the clown scenes.  Cute, but not particularly funny or entertaining.
    • Sure, the feats of the performers were insanely amazing, but I was more taken by the artistic creativity and beauty of the show.  There were a few sections in which I thought, hmm, maybe this is a bit repetitive, but overall, the show captured and held my attention strongly.
    • Gotta pee?  Go well *before* the show starts, or you’ll be pretty frustrated with, well, all the water around ;-).  And there’s no intermission!
    • O is in the Bellagio hotel, and the buffet there is outstanding!  My friends and I were amazed at the quality and diversity of food that was available for our 9:30pm dinner!  And, unlike most buffets, (non-alcoholic) drinks are included at no extra price… including fresh-squeezed OJ.  Yum!

    Anyway, go see the show.  Quite an experience! 🙂

  • Blippet: [Video] Avenue Q + Fiddler on the Roof — oy vey, so gay!

    Love Avenue Q?  Appreciate Jewish humor?
    Watch what happens when the cast of Avenue Q mashes up with the cast of Fiddler on the Roof!

    P.S.—I’d like to hat-tip a fellow blogger, but I can’t remember exactly where I first saw this (I just re-found it via a YouTube search).  Much apologies.  Next time, I’ll be more careful about blogtribution.

  • Bay Area Theatre Review: "Into the Woods"

    Last night I had the pleasure of attending the final dress rehearsal for Palo Alto’s Theatre Works’ performance of Into the Woods. It was a thoroughly professional, impressive, and magical performance and if you’re in (or can get to) the Bay Area, I urge you to get tickets for it right now.

    Let it be known up front that I’m a huge fan of Into the Woods. I own the CD and DVD, I’ve accompanied many a singer with ITW pieces for auditions, and I’ve previously attended a live production of the show (albeit not on Broadway).

    Therefore, as you might imagine, I attended this performance at Theatre Works with an eager but cautious mindset. Not only was it a dress rehearsal (not even a preview, much less an actual paid-for performance), but this was also “regional theatre.” As someone who has done regional theatre in the past, not to mention attended a ton of regional theatre performances, I’ve come to temper my expectations to prepare myself for oft-lackluster albeit sincere and enthusiastic orchestras, costuming, choreography, singing, and so on.

    Boy, was I in for a surprise with this show, which was pretty much professional caliber! I should have gotten a hint early on when, in perusing my program, I noticed that the bulk of the actors are members of the Actors’ Equity Association… folks *serious* about theatre.

    * * *

    I barely noticed the orchestra except when concentrating on them — which, for a musical, is how it should be IMHO (and mind you, I was an orchestra conductor for a regional theatre once upon a time :-D). The balance within the orchestra and between the orchestra and cast was admirable, as was its connection with the singers in tempo and feel.

    The lighting, costuming, and — wow! — the sets… all fantastic. In fact, after seeing the Broadway production on DVD, I was particularly floored at how much was done here with the sets… engaging but not obtrusive or distracting. Plus, a live “cow” — very different than the original production, but a clever (and oft-hilarious) touch!

    Okay, Adam, but how about the ACTING AND SINGING, eh?

    Well, I was quite impressed there, too. In particular, I found that the princes — while certainly assisted by the humorous book — were especially adept at their comedic roles. The Baker’s Wife was another standout, IMHO… with a fabulous ability to provoke sympathy, laughter, indignation… the whole spectrum. In general, the entire cast showcased strong acting and singing talents, though I was a bit less impressed with the singing abilities of Jack’s mom.

    Additionally, I did feel that the witch was slightly less proficient at enunciating than other leads, and — when comparing her to the distinctive (original witch) Bernadette Peters — her acting and singing dynamics seem a tiny bit dwarfed.

    And speaking of enunciation issues: while my friends (who weren’t familiar with the musical) and I found the lyrics to be sung generally cleanly and clearly overall, I did feel that some of the ensemble numbers (actually few and far between in this musical) were a bit muddled… likely due to mic/balance issues (quite possibly to be cured by actual performance time), but also possibly due in part to a lack of exactness/sharpness/togetherness in enunciation. More critically, I was unable to understand almost anything boomed by the giant.

    Aside from the above issues concerning spoken/sung clarity, I do have a few of other nitpicks:
    – Jack’s Mother’s ear-pulling grew annoying in its repetitiveness.
    – Ditto for the witches ‘pain boom’ or whatever it’s officially called. Additionally, this was the only special effect I can recall that felt hokey in the production, and is one of those things that likely would have been more powerful without any visible effects at all.
    – I’d like to see a bit more expressiveness and depth from the narrator. The narrator of this production is certainly fine, but seems to lack some of the gravity and punch of the one I had grown used to in the professional recordings.

    * * *

    A warning to prospective attendees: This show is long (around 3 hours, including a brief intermission). It’s also *NOT* for young children. Yes, it involves fairy tales. No, there’s no blood or foul language or explicit sexuality. But it tackles very adult themes… love, death, fidelity, morality, loneliness, parenting, and so on, and in a way that often requires concerted listening and patience.

    This show, however, is a wonderful affair for the rest of us. While not providing a Disney’esque happy ending, it should deftly entertain, amuse, and charm anyone with heart. No live helicopters, no Elton John ballads… just an intricate, thoughtful, and engaging book and score — and thankfully a cast and crew that does the work justice.

    Bring tissues, and bring a friend. This is a show you’ll feel good about loving :-).

  • Miscellanous Musings ’bout Musicals (mmmm!)

    Lots of you probably know I’m a techno-geek. But did you know I’m a music ‘n’ theatre-obsessed geek?

    Well, I have lots… LOTS… on my mind about theatre stuff, but for now I’ll just subject you to some random musings. Hope you don’t mind.

    Magic in musicals
    I believe the very best musicals are MAGICAL. An audience with mouths wide open, no concept of time elapsed… an experience that makes you really think or dream or wonder or desire long after the curtains go down. Singing in the Rain is magical. Little Shop of Horrors is magical. Though it wasn’t quite my taste, Les Miz is magical.

    Breaking of the third wall
    It may have been cute once, but I’m getting sick of musicals constantly referencing the audience. It’s okay to have a narrator (I think this works in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, for instance), and it can be fun to involve the audience in some ways interactively (as in The Mystery of Edwin Drood). But snide remarks about ticket prices, frequent comedic asides or jarring pleas to the audience and so on… this all reminds me that… damn, I *have* paid $90 for this artificial experience. It’s not real. It’s almost akin to having a serious TV movie broken up by commercials (wow, way to break the mood).

    I’m forking over hard-earned cash because I want to escape from reality for a bit. Quit the jarring reminders that I’m sitting in a not-so-comfy chair in the nosebleed section, okay? It’s not nice, and it’s not particularly funny either.

    And speaking about prices…
    $100+ to see a musical on Broadway. I’d like to know where that money is going. How much to the performers?… and not just the big-name stars, either! How much to the orchestra folks? The choreographer? I sincerely hope the actual ARTISTS (not just business managers) are making the bulk of this cash.

    Still, even if that’s the case, it’s making me sad to see ticket prices so high. Heck, I’ve noticed even community theatre productions are selling tickets for as high as $53 a seat!

    Thankfully there are ways to save a lot of money on tickets!
    Here are a few tips:

    • In New York City and I think a few other cities, if you don’t mind seeing a show that’s been running for 6+ months, get half price tickets at the TKTS booths either the day of or day before.
    • Offer to usher!
    • See if theatres offer free open seating for previews or dress rehearsals. For instance, I’m going tonight with friends to see Into the Woods for FREE from the very talented Theatre Works group in Palo Alto. Tickets are normally $40-$53 each!
    • If you’re in the Bay Area, sign up for the Artsopolis newsletter. Sort of like the airline weekend Internet specials, Artsopolis sends out a newsletter each Thursday with ~40%-off deals for lots of great local performances!
    • Scan Craigslist.

    Please, please, PLEASE, people… don’t patronize scalpers. IMHO, these folks are the scum of the earth and at least partly responsible for inflated ticket prices. By the way, if you see people selling tickets on CraigsList for more than face value, flag the posts! Scalping is against CraigsList’s terms of service!

    See the musical or listen to it first?
    I’m still trying to figure out what’s best. A few times, I’ve become so familiar with the score of a musical before seeing it, that I find myself either somewhat bored during the show or disappointed that the performers don’t sound like the folks I’ve grown comfortable hearing sing the musical.

    On the other hand, I know that it’s sometimes very helpful and enjoyable to have a better understanding of the plot AND the lyrics before seeing a show live.

    A little-known secret to upgrade your theatre seat at no extra cost
    At a recent show I attended in New York (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), I was initially saddened that my half-price ticket was for a seat in the VERY back of the theatre… until I saw a neighbor grab a comfy seat pillow and instantly become 4 inches taller. I’m guessing that this isn’t an appropriate option for those NOT in a back row, but let me tell you, using such a pillow myself improved my appreciation of the show immensely… not only due to my improved height, but my happier bottom 🙂

    Theatre as a solitary affair
    At the above-mentioned New York theatre trip, I ended up seeing the musical all by myself. Er, no, it wasn’t a private one-person showing, but rather, this was the first time I had attended a musical alone. It was a bit sad and disconcerting, frankly, and I don’t think I’ll do it again. There’s something about having a friend or family member or date or significant other next to you, even without any words shared during the show; it’s hard to describe, but I now realize just how comforting it is!

    You paid $100 and you’re walking out before the show is over?
    I’ll never understand why people pay such money to see shows on Broadway and then hustle towards the exits WHILE THE ORCHESTRA IS STILL PLAYING. Whether they don’t consider the orchestra to be part of the show or they’re so eager to be first out the door, it makes no difference in my mind. It just seems like moronic, disrespectful behavior.

    What’s with the standing ovations for EVERY fricking show?!
    Colleges have grade inflation, theatres have ovation inflation. Both, IMHO, are equally annoying and regrettable.

    When a name just isn’t worth it
    John Lithgow, I’m sorry, but you’re not a singer. You can’t even cleanly hit an ‘F’ above middle C. Please step aside and let actual singers take your role.

    Then again, the public seems to be so name-obsessed (in movies, music, everything… gah!) that talent is subordinate. How regrettable.

    Sure, I love some of the ‘big names’ (Nathan Lane is a hell of a lot of fun and he CAN sing. Same for Norbert Leo Butz… though if I were him, I’d have gotten a name change eons ago). But it’d sure be nice to have musicals marketed based more upon their book and such, rather than what big name star happens to be coming or going.

    Why aren’t William Finn’s musicals more popular?
    I know, I know… he writes about gay people and brain tumors and other non-traditional issues. But his musicals have so much HEART in them! Luckily, though, his Spelling Bee musical has caught on like wildfire… so it seems that he’s finally getting his due. Then again, outside of New York, just how many people HAVE heard of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee? Ah, if only the world of musicals got as much press and play (no pun intended) as the over-inflated world of bubblegum pop.

    I guess that’s about as likely as high school arts programs getting as much support and funding as athletic programs. Oh well. I can dream, right?