But Fall is fast approaching, and with the change in seasons comes new Broadway shows. So I thought I'd give my opinion on a few of the productions currently playing The Great White Way. I'm planning on making a little series out of this, the first entry of which will be:
The Three Most Overrated Shows Currently on Broadway
(and by "Shows" I mean musicals... that's not to say some plays aren't overrated, I just haven't seen that many)
1. Sister Act
from Playbill.com
I saw this musical in the front row with student rush tickets, and even that could not "save" it (like my pun) in my eyes. I really wanted to like this show because of my soft spot for Alan Menken (I grew up during the Disney animation Renaissance of the 90s, how can I not love Alan Menken) and my disappointment that his latest work has not been receiving the praise that it should (Tangled and Enchanted specifically), but I just couldn't enjoy it. The score felt very blah and plain. A score I could have heard in any other show.
The acting in Sister Act is atrocious (I'm looking at you, Chester Gregory). Even Tony winner Victoria Clark, in a completely phoned-in performance, could not make this show better. But what I simply cannot understand is the praise for lead Patina Miller. I found the cadence of her speech unbearable (I'm not sure if this was an active choice for her character or simply her style of "acting"). Her singing voice was okay (maybe she would have sounded better if she were singing a better score), but the performance as a whole was severely lacking. There was nothing special about it. Anyone can play the sassy lounge singer living with a group of conservative nuns.
Add in a bunch of paper-thin, cookie-cutter side characters (the boisterous but friendly fat nun, the cranky nun with a funky side, the shy nun who comes out of her shell) and some of the worst wig lines I've ever seen on a Broadway stage, and you have Sister Act the musical. To be fair, I did appreciate the stained glass set pieces in the church scenes.
I honestly believe Sister Act is one of the worst musicals I've seen on Broadway in recent memory (it probably ranks up there in the top 3 worst of all time). However, I am apparently in the minority when it comes to my opinion of this show. The audience at the performance I attended seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Go figure.
I'm going to keep this fairly short. This is a great show. It's both hysterically funny and irreverently edgy, while still packaged in a classic Broadway musical style. The songs are funny and sing-a-long-able (if you aren't afraid to sing the lyrics out loud). The actors are all very talented. I really like this show.
Do I think this show was deserving of its 9 Tony wins? Yes, I do (given the lack of competition this past year). Do I think they should be selling out shows? Yes, I do. Do I think there should be a waiting list until next summer to get tickets to this show? No, I do not. Do I think it's okay for the producers to jack up the price of a regular orchestra ticket to over $150. No, I do not. Do I think this should be your first Broadway show if you've never seen one before? No I do not (no need for a special trip out to NYC just for this show). I think that about covers it.
Oh, I also hate how it's like a special members only club for the people who have had the "privilege" (and I say "privilege" because you have to be very privileged to afford tickets at these prices [unless you were extremely lucky like me and bought your tickets at a discounted price before the show even opened...]) to see The Book of Mormon.
from Playbill.com
It's sort of an odd, experience when you go to a Broadway revival of a 1960s workplace comedy (a genre that is way overdone if you ask me... ahem Promises, Promises and 9 to 5) and half the audience are tweens. This in itself is the main reason why this show just doesn't work for me. Stunt casting at its highest (just look at the Playbill cover).
Daniel Radcliffe. I give him credit. He tries really, really hard. But it just doesn't cut it. His singing voice is sub par (not a single sustained note). His acting is fine... for Daniel Radcliffe. Even his Harry Potter performances, to me, are just okay (the weakest of the HP trio in my opinion). His dancing is satisfactory, until the big numbers when all the professionally trained chorus dancers put his skills to shame. The general indignation at his lack of Tony nomination was absolutely ridiculous. Why should we reward someone just because he tried hard and sells tickets (they actually canceled performances while Radcliffe was promoting the final HP film instead of just letting his understudy sub in)?
I also have to give my two cents about the other bit of stunt casting: John Larroquette as Biggley, a grown man who loves to knit and has an irrational fear of chipmunks. But Larroquette chose to take a what is already an unrealistically large character, and play him over the top (to much comedic effect amongst the tweens I might add, surprisingly since I don't think any of them have heard of Night Court, unless they saw that 30 Rock episode, which Larroquette wasn't even in by the way). The result for me was in-seat cringing.
There were a couple of songs I enjoyed (not the one where Rosemary sings about keeping her future husband's dinner warm, that's just sad, even for a 60s musical). I liked the multi-colored diamond backdrop used in various ways throughout the show. I also liked Anderson Cooper as the narrator. That's about it. The fact is, I feel like this musical has the potential to be very good, if proper casting were employed. If you're a big Daniel Radcliffe fan, then by all means see this show. If you're looking for a good Broadway experience, then skip it.
Daily Monku: I despise how so many people seem to have difficulty with maintaining breathable space in a line. I like to believe I'm a conscientious person. When I enter a line (say at the grocery store), I leave adequate space between myself and the person in front of me. It's not like anyone is going to squeeze in there if I don't fill up every inch of space there. But this understanding seems lost on so many people. Granted these are often children, who just don't seem to have a proper sense of personal boundaries. But then I have to wonder, why aren't their parents teaching them about proper line etiquette (or teachers in school for that matter). Because line encroaching children, ultimately grow into non-personal space abiding adults who breathe down your neck and accidentally bump into you with their sweaty, stinky limbs.
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