Marjorie Prime

Steve and I saw Marjorie Prime last week at Dobama Theatre.  It starred Cleveland's amazing Dorothy Silver.   In this world, you can have a simulation of a deceased loved one called a prime.   And there was a lot about grieving.   I really loved this play.  There is a movie version from this year's Sundance Film Festival.   You can actually view it now from various online streaming services.   This show looks realistically at the role of artifical intelligence in our lives.    

Waitress

Yesterday, Steve and I saw Waitress at Playhouse Square.  It was truly a feminist musical and a lot of fun.   We laughed a lot.   Jenna is a waitress married to abusive husband.  She works at Joe's Diner and makes pies.  She finds out early on that she's pregnant and knowingly makes some bad decisions.  And you can't fault her for them!  She rescues herself!

This show was quite clever with their marketing.  They scented the lobby with apple pie and sold tiny pies in jars.   Brilliant!  Quite effective.  We ended up buying pie later at dinner, but it's certainly a good idea.  Go see it!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

We saw the Hunchback of Notre Dame at Great Lakes Theater this past Thursday.   I hadn't seen the movie until the week before.  I really enjoyed this production.   They made the ending closer to the book.   It was nicely un-Disney-like to remove the happy ending.   The music was lovely, lots of Latin.   Also, it is implied that the talking gargoyles may be part of Quasimodo's mind rather than the magical dancing characters seen in the animated film.   This is playing until November 4th, and I highly recommend it.

Shakespeare in Love

I saw the Cleveland Playhouse show, Shakespeare in Love yesterday.  I liked it so much better than the movie.  It had a wonderful plot and truly likable characters.   Also, the costuming was very rock 'n roll Ren faire.   I really recommend that you see it.  The last day is Sunday.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Net

It's a new theater season!   We saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Beck Center last Sunday.   There are no matinee showings because of the mature subject and themes of the show.

It really is an excellent production.   Very much like the movie and all the ancillary characters are spot on in displaying the signs of mental illness.   I was particularly impressed with the  guy with tardive diskinesia, a side effect of many drugs to treat mental conditions.  

As a healthcare provider, I can call this one a how not to treat your patients.   But the show is set in the 60's and the practices are thus outdated.   I recommend this show, but don't expect a happy ending.

An American in Paris

I wanted to like An American in Paris.  But I didn't.   I haven't seen the movie, so I came in to it with a fresh set of eyes.   I love George Gershwin's music.   This show was a great disappointment to me.

There are three Americans in this show, and I only liked the female, Ms. Davenport, the secondary love interest.   The two guys were former soldiers who decided to live in Paris after World War 2, as an artist and musician.  They fall in love with a French girl, who is poorly developed as a character but a fantastic ballet dancer.  She is already in a relationship with another guy, so we have this love triangle going on from the beginning.

I found the Americans' inability to say no to the pursuit of a relationship a real turnoff.   The staging, costumes, ballet, and projections are all wonderful.  The plot and relationships leave something to be desired.   If I was to produce this show, I'd make it a straight out ballet and cut all of the dialogue.

Freaky Friday the Musical

I have seen all three versions of the Freaky Friday movie franchise.   Although the characters were different in all versions, the premise is the same: a mother and daughter switch bodies and experience one another's lives.   I was quite happy with the musical at Cleveland Playhouse last night.  This show has not been to Broadway yet, but I imagine it will once it earns a following.   CPH has even extended its run by an entire week.  Go see it!

Bring it On the Musical

We went to the Beck Center to see Bring it On the Musical this past Sunday.  I cringed when it started because all of the sportsball.   I was afraid of it being vapid.   Honestly, it's a wonderful musical with music and lyrics by Lin Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame.   It bears only a superficial resemblance to the movie in uniform colors and title.  With only one plot point I find objectionable, I give it an B+.  

Disney's The Little Mermaid

We got back from a seafood dinner after seeing the Little Mermaid at the Beck Center.  Ok, I admit that dinner was slightly morbid.  But they were singing about delicious fish!

Seriously though, I had low expectations for the show and was happily surprised.   It wasn't all kiddie stuff, which was nice.  They brought back the concept of Ursula as Ariel's aunt (which was cut from the movie) and of course the ending was changed for staging purposes.   The actress who plays Ariel gets to sing her thoughts in the second act though her character is mute.  Also, watching her expression as the fish is served at dinner is hilarious!

Finding Neverland

Hi world!  It's been a while.  Been really busy.  Last week we went to see Finding Neverland.   That was neat.   It's about the inspirations behind J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.   Of course, some parts of the story were modified to make them more palatable to a Broadway audience, but that's to be expected.  
It was a bit of a slow starter for me.  Very early 1900s Victorian-ish beginnings.  Things got much better when Captain Hook appeared on stage.   Definitely worth seeing.

Heathers: The Musical

We just got back from seeing Heathers: the Musical at the Beck Center for the Arts and I feel compelled to write this review right now!  I have never seen the movie it is based on, but I do know that it's a cult classic with tons of high school drama.   This show is phenomenal.   The first two weekends are sold out in this regional premier.   I predict an extended run!   It has mature content, so our usual Sunday matinee was a Sunday night show.  Do not bring your kids and hold on to your hats and your hearts!

The story follows Veronica Shaw, a high school outcast who falls in with the popular girl clique, the Heathers.  They are Heather Duke, Heather McNamara,and Heather Chandler.   Veronica is seen as valuable because of her forging ability for things like hall passes and report cards.  She gets in and popular, then her life goes crazy.   Death, death, and more mayhem ensue.

This reminds me a bit of Sweeney Todd.  I came out of act one singing, "We All Deserve to Die" from that show.   This show is absolutely dark, yet somehow uplifting at the end.   Please please go see it.  You won't be disappointed.

Bullets Over Broadway

 Yesterday, Steve and I went to go see Bullets Over Broadway at Playhouse Square.  That was fun!   A terrific dark comedy that reuses popular music from the 1920-1930s in new ways.   It's based off of the Woody Allen movie of the same title from 1994.

 You have one struggling playwright, who is partially autobiographical to Woody Allen.  He will finally get his big break at getting a play on Broadway via money from the mob.  This is if, and only if, the gang leader's girlfriend is given a part in the play.   Oh, and she's hilariously awful.

 The girlfriend's bodyguard, Cheech, ends up making improvements to the author's play.  He makes the dialogue easier to understand.

You will never look at murder so cheerfully!   This is a fun show!

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage

Steve and I just got back from seeing Dirty Dancing.  Admittedly, I haven't seen the movie on which the play is based.  But I enjoyed it.  The year is 1963 and family vacations lasting the whole summer are a thing.   Girl meets noble dance instructor, romance ensues along with mistaken trust on the part of the family.

The dancing was really wonderful.   Excellent choreography.  I'm usually a bit skeptical of movies turned into plays, but Dirty Dancing was well executed.  I can see why people love the movie so much.

I call this a play with music because it's all about the dance.  There are only two vocalists (pictured above) and they sort of float in and out of scenes as needed.  It works.

If you love the movie, you will definitely enjoy this.  If you haven't, you still will.

Dogfight

It's a two musical weekend for us.   We just got back from Dogfight at the Beck Center.  It's a regional premier for this one.   I was very moved.   I didn't even know it was originally a movie from 1991 starring River Phoenix.

A squad of Marines is spending their last night in San Francisco before shipping out to Okinawa, en route to what will eventually become the Vietnam War.  They have this contest where they have to bring the ugliest girl to a party to be judged.  Our male lead, Birdlace picks up Rose, a shy and socially awkward waitress.   He eventually has doubts about enrolling her in the cruel game, but it's too late.  Rose discovers the contest and things get ugly.  

The girl who plays Rose as an amazing voice.  It's so emotive.  I can see her playing Elphaba in Wicked someday.  

I got angry, I cried, I shuddered, and just ran through all of my emotions.  It's definitely a show to see.

Mary Poppins

We just got back from seeing Mary Poppins at the Beck Center.  Now that is how a musical is supposed to be!  It was dozens of times better than White Christmas!

The plot has changed from the movie version, but all changes are an improvement.  You get a little more background on Mr. Banks, and Mrs. Banks has an internal struggle as she adapts from being an actress to a wife.  The children are naughtier in this version, but Mary Poppins sets them straight.  She's not all sugar and roses, but perplexing and enigmatic which makes her an intriguing character.  
This is a very strong production from the Beck Center and is not to be missed.

White Christmas the Musical

We saw White Christmas the Musical yesterday.  From the season's announcement, I really doubted that I would enjoy it.   White Christmas was exactly what I expected.   It brilliantly shows off the music of Irving Berlin, but as Joe Garry said in the pre-show talk, the plot is cellophane thin.

I am not a fan of classic Broadway musical style.   The plot exists only as a vehicle to bring up more songs.  The costumes are nice, as are the sets and choreography.  However, I cannot relate to any of the one dimensional characters.   There is no major development and they are essentially cardboard cutouts.   The character with the most growth and change is the barn keeper, and he's a running gag character.

If you are a fan of the holiday movie, you will probably enjoy this.  If you're a fan of Broadway shows, you may find this disappointing.   It's optimistic, sweet, and ultimately fluffy.   Every single song is written in a major key.  You will not be burdened by major thinking or heavy plot analysis.  

Newsies

We just got back from Newsies: The Musical at Playhouse Square!  I had never seen the movie and I didn't have huge expectations for the show, but I was greatly surprised and enjoyed myself.   The movie bombed back in 1992.  Alan Menkin actually got a Razzie for the score.   However, when it was produced as a musical version for the stage, that same show earned him a Tony Award.

It's all about the newsboy strike around the turn of the century.   There weren't protections for child laborers, who were greatly abused.

I really enjoyed the dancing and the singing.   Particularly, it's an all guy chorus of dancers.  There are lots of flips, tap dancing, and overall enthusiastic acrobatics.   The show is 98 percent sold out everywhere that it plays and I was fortunate to win some really nice seats in the loge.  

The dancing isn't just on the ground, it extends through the 3 steel towers that rotate around the stage.   The dancers climb and dance, and dance and climb.  It's an extraordinary show and is not to be missed!

Evil Dead: The Musical

Steve and I saw Evil Dead:the Musical last night.   I love this show!   It's wonderful mix of camp and horror, and of course gratuitous stage blood that douses the audience members.  It was the first musical we saw together at the Beck Center.  The one we saw last night was the North American touring company.

The music is really fun.  I found myself singing along to the lyrics.   The high point of the show is the epic zombie fight.  They do a Thriller type of dance followed by a chainsaw battle with Ash.  Each of the zombies is wearing a prosthetic that sprays blood out into the audience.  

We came right from work, so I made sure to get seats outside of the splash zone.  I really recommend this show.  It's one of my all time favorites!

Young Frankenstein

We saw Young Frankenstein at the Beck Center on Friday with some friends from out of town.   That was truly fun!   Absolutely hilarious!  It's an adaptation/elaboration of the 1974 film featuring Gene Wilder and directed by Mel Brooks.

It's definitely a show for teens and above.   There's a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle innuendo, as well as excellent comedic timing and slapstick.   Two numbers that stick out in my mind are Putting on the Ritz and Roll in the Hay.  The Beck Center did a great job on this one!   Go see it!

Flashdance the Musical

We just got back from seeing Flashdance the Musical.  I learned a lot about the cultural phenomenon today.   For instance, the movie was made with very low budget and was not expected to bring in much money.  However, because the dance sequences were aired on MTV, it quickly made millions of dollars. 

The sad part about the story is that the girl who was the inspiration for the movie sold away her rights for only $2,300 dollars when the film was in production.  She never saw a penny after it became a cult favorite.

The choreography was wonderful and the costumes were fun.   However, I feel like the plot wasn't as strong as it could be (the show has not been to Broadway).  Particularly, I didn't feel very connected to the two characters in the B story.   It was enjoyable overall.  If you are a fan of the original movie, you will love this show.