Weekly Round Up 15.04.16

Shows Seen (From Saturday To Friday): 1

Shows Booked For Future: 0

This week saw me make a return to Wicked. After disappointment with the Broadway production when I visited last September, I was pleased that once again the West End production reignited my love for the show. I think the theatre has a lot to do with my enjoyment as the stage feels more encompassing. 

I'm starting to catch up with my blog posts with at present only 3 to write up. I'm off to see another show next week which for benefits of my friend who still doesn't know what we're seeing, will remain unnamed! 

I haven't booked up any more shows however have various vouchers I want to use before I move to Cornwall in a couple of months. I've currently short-listed Showboat, Sunny Afternoon and Funny Girl as they are all shows I haven't seen previously. I'd like to try to see The Phantom Of The Opera again however this will be money permitting and moving our into a flat of my own isn't cheap!

So here's to being back in full swing!

Matilda 13.03.16

Matilda

Location: Shubert Theatre, New York City

Date Seen: 13^th March 2016

Seen With: Dad

Understudies at This Performance: Geoff Packard as Miss Trunchbull, Sean Montgomery as Mr Wormwood, Scott Difford as The Party Entertainer, Colin Israel as Doctor/Sergei and Amanda LaMotte as The Acrobat

Summary

This review comes just as they’ve recently announced the closure of the Broadway production of Matilda next year. I first saw the show in the West End and the decision to see it on Broadway was last minute, a choice of my dad’s, with tickets purchased from the TKTS Booth in Times Square. Matilda is a musical stage production of the book by Roald Dahl. This review will partly review the Broadway production specifically with regards to the acting, but will cover both productions in terms of the choreography, music and songs and set.

Acting

The acting on the most part was fantastic for this production. Geoff Packard made a formidable Miss Trunchbull and Allison Case was the perfect Miss Honey. They each delivered their performances with my expectations from this show. Mimi Ryder as Matilda gave a headstrong performance and her fellow classmates provided great comedy throughout. Whilst most of the performances were fantastic I was extremely put off by Amy Spanger’s Mrs Wormwood. It felt like all of her lines were shouted and as a result the character seemed one dimensional. It was a disappointment after seeing Mrs Wormwood nailed perfectly by Rebecca Thornhill.

Music & Songs

Tim Minchin’s lyrics and music are such a success. The lyrics in songs such as the ‘School Song’ are extremely clever. It actually took me a listen of the soundtrack to really appreciate the thought that has gone into this song in particular. There are clear flairs of Tim Minchin’s character featured in ‘The Smell Of Rebellion’ which really showcases the character of Miss Trunchbull.  

Choreography

Like the music and lyrics, the choreography is clever and effective. Again, ‘The School Song’ demonstrates this with every letter of the alphabet on a block that fills up the school gates and two ensemble members clever move to climb up these blocks. The choreography also showcases the talents of the child cast, particularly in ‘Revolting Children’ with some great synchronised sections.

Direction

The direction for this show is huge as there are so many elements to focus on but it had been balanced extremely well. Although Matilda is the titular character, every other character has been rounded out well and the dynamics between them has been clearly portrayed.

Set/Lighting

The set revolves around the theme of books and words, which is Matilda’s main interest and a recurring theme in the show. My favourite piece of set is the swings that drop down at the beginning of act two for ‘When I Grow Up’ and is one of the most memorable parts of the show with the cast swinging out above the audience.

Costumes

The costumes for Crunchem Hall are grey or dulled colours and I think this has cleverly represented the misery of life there. Miss Honey’s colourful but understated palette represents the hope that is there for the students. In contrast, the colours used for the Wormwoods are garish and clashing which represents their big and outrageous personalities. I think these contrasts are extremely clever and the costumes have been executed well.

Stand Out Performances

Allison Case as Miss Honey – this was casting done right. Not only did she look right, she had real warmth which is needed. I saw a wonderful Miss Honey in the West End but Allison Case outdid this role by a mile and will be hard to top.

Geoff Packard as Miss Trunchbull – both times I’ve seen Miss Trunchbull it’s been an understudy and both times they’ve got the harshness and unbalanced nature of her correct. I did prefer the understudy Oliver Brooks in the west end as his great height really made him domineering by Geoff Packard performance will be remembered.

The Entire Child Cast – child casts never cease to surprise me and Matilda is no exception. I think Matilda is a more demanding musical for child casts but each actor delivered an impeccable performance.

Show to Show Comparisons

I’m making comparisons here to the London production which for me was superior to its Broadway counterpart.  I feel the London production had more heart and soul behind it and I think this is because it was home grown there. For me, certain actors in the Broadway production didn’t provide the same dynamic or chemistry as those that were seen in London. This could just be due to a large number of understudies however I doubt this was the case as understudies in my experience always give as much, and normally more, than the original casts.

Would I Recommend?

Matilda is a wonderful musical and I’d definitely recommend it, but I’d recommend seeing it in London over Broadway as I think it reigns in its originating country.

Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):

4 Stars 

Something Rotten 11.03.16

Something Rotten

Location: St James Theatre, New York City

Date Seen: 11^th March 2016

Seen With: Dad

Understudies at This Performance: David Hibbard as Nick Bottom, Eric Giancola as Eyepatch Man/Francis Flute & Matt Allen as Yorick/Shakespeare’s Valet

Summary

When I visited New York City in September 2015, I heard ripples of admiration for Something Rotten from previous patrons as I walked past on numerous occasions. It got me wanting to see it and my recent trip to New York City provided the perfect opportunity. Focussing on the story of two brothers and their attempt to write a hit to rival renaissance idol William Shakespeare, we see the ‘birth’ of the modern musical.

Acting

The acting is very strong throughout from the leads to the ensemble members. Most of the heavier dialogue scenes fall between the lead characters and within the comedy there are moments of sincerity particularly from Heidi Blickenstaff as Bea. Although she has a storyline with quite a comedic portrayal, she also demonstrates the real values and relationships that are core to the story and to her character. In contrast, some of the characters like Nostradamus played by Brad Oscar, have to be over exaggerated and grotesque and this is done equally as well.

Music & Songs

I briefly listened to the soundtrack before I saw the show but it didn’t prepare me for how good the songs in the show are. The music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick are a work of genius. I never thought anyone could come up with a musical song about omelettes but they did with a hilarious outcome. ‘A Musical’ makes reference to many hit musicals and the way it has brought these together is inspired. My favourite song is ‘Hard To Be The Bard’ about Shakespeare’s struggles to keep writing great hits and meet the expectation of his fans.

Choreography

The show is choreographed by Casey Nicholaw who choreographed The Book Of Mormon and Aladdin which are two of my favourite shows. He did not disappoint with Something Rotten with superb ensemble routines that were clever and comedic. One of the signatures of his work for me is his tap dance breaks that feature in ‘Turn It Off’ from The Book Of Mormon and ‘A Friend Like Me’ in Aladdin. Here they are seen in numbers ‘A Musical’ and ‘Make An Omelette’ and they are truly impressive. Another great tap moment in this show is a ‘tap off’ between Shakespeare and Nick Bottom. You need to see it to believe it. The annunciation onfeach beat is remarkable and unforgettable.

Direction

Casey Nicholaw also directed this show and it is an absolute triumph. He brings Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick’s script to life and has truly pulled off all the comedy elements that are fundamental to this show. I’ve laughed a lot in musicals but not as frequently as I did here. The staging itself is quite simple but it focuses in on what is being said by the actors. I think they’ve achieved what they set out to here as so much of the narrative is based on the words of Shakespeare’s works and the big hit the Bottom brothers are attempting to write.

Set/Lighting

The set features traditional Tudor buildings on flats with several larger pieces including The Globe Theatre which also doubles up as Nick and Nigel Bottom’s rehearsal space for their own theatre troupe. Throughout, the scenes are often changed mainly through use of different cloths and flats. Overall the set on face value seems quite simple but it does a great job of setting the time period and filling the stage with atmosphere.

Costumes

I’ve seen some amazing costumes in productions but Something Rotten’s costumes by Gregg Barnes really stood out. The bold colour of the renaissance wardrobe really fills the stage. The stand out costumes was the female ensemble costumes featured in the song ‘A Musical’. The best way to describe them is as renaissance showgirls with rouched skirts and fitted bodices accompanied with stunning velvet covered heeled tap boots. I also absolutely loved the modern take on Shakespeare. He wore what was expected of the time but it was brought into the 21^st century with leather and detailing on the back of his doublet. I found a great article about the designs of the costumes and the thought process behind them which you can find here.

Stand Out Performances

Christian Borle as Shakespeare – there is a reason why he won a Tony Award for his performance as he makes the perfect Shakespeare. He knows how to gain attention from the show audience to the actual audience. When he dons his disguise, his versatility as an actor is put to the forefront with a convincing Yorkshire accent.

Brad Oscar as Nostradamus – if he hadn’t been up against his co-star, he would have deservingly won the Tony award for this role. His highlight is his role in ‘A Musical’ but he entertains throughout the show with his insight into the future.

David Hibbard as Nick Bottom – although I had wanted to see Brian D’arcy James, David Hibbard effortlessly filled the boots of Nick Bottom and his vocals seemed like it was the same person. I would say he is a superman of sorts, as he covers 3 main roles in the show whilst normally performing in the ensemble on a daily basis.

Me with Christian Borle who plays Shakespeare

Show to Show Comparisons

I can compare the comedy of this show to The Book Of Mormon despite the differences between the plots. The comedy is less crude in Something Rotten but it gets you laughing out loud in the same way. As I’ve also previously mentioned, the fact the shows are choreographed by the same person also draws similarities with the dance numbers in both being original and memorable.

Would I Recommend?

If you’re in New York and get a chance to see this then absolutely and there are often tickets in the TKTS booth at a discount price. It is the funniest musical I’ve ever seen and the whole coming together of this show is an absolute triumph.

Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):

5 Stars 

Weekly Round Up 08.04.16

Shows Seen (From Saturday To Friday): 1

Shows Booked For Future: 0

I'm aware that I haven't posted a weekly round up in a few weeks which is due to me being on holiday in Las Vegas. I also realise that I still haven't posted reviews from my trip to New York or my last visit to The Book Of Mormon. 

Whilst I was in Vegas, I went to see two Cirque Du Soleil shows and this includes the one show I saw this week on Saturday. Whilst not strictly 'theatre' I plan to do a joint review of these two shows together once I get through my existing review backlog! The 2 Cirque Du Soleil shows I saw were Mystere at Treasure Island and Zarkana at the Aria. It was my first dabble into circus on this scale and its well and true to say that I am completely hooked. I'm already looking up dates for Ama Luna at The Royal Albert Hall next year.

So even though I'm behind on the blog, it doesn't mean I won't catch up and it is my intention to over the next couple of weeks. I will also have another review to add to my list next week when I see Wicked for the 4th time, with it being my 3rd time in the UK.