My All Shook Up Review!
I've decided to forego a big long entry about the entire NYC trip and instead I'm just gonna write a review of the show we saw. If my journals ever get sold on Ebay, the lengthy NYC entry is in the orange notebook, somewhere in the middle. :p
So!
After seeing ASU, it's easy to understand how this show has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews from the many people on my dear Bway message boards that have seen it. It's also easy to understand the beef that the few negative reviewers have had, but I think the good parts VASTLY outnumber the "eh."
It's a fun, upbeat, energetic show. It's not Sondheim, there are no profound social messages, and the ending is tied up in a neat little bow. And that's fine! Not every show can or should be Follies or Merrily We Roll Along. If that were the case, I think most theatre enthusiasts would be an even more messed up lot than we already are. Everyone needs to lighten up once in a while and ASU accomplishes that nicely.
The cast was flawless-- and I don't think I've been able to say that about any other show I've ever seen. Even the ensemble members were excellent. And everyone's voices. . .omg, they sang the hell out of these songs. (My only slight complaint was that everyone was overmiked. It was fine when just a few people were singing, but it got just a tad *too* loud during the company songs. Maybe I'm just getting old. ;p).
Of course I have to give a special shout-out to my man, Jonathan. I love the fact that he's not afraid to be a dork, hehe. I have to admit that it was a little weird having him actually be on-stage in front of me cuz even though I'm such a fan, I'd never actually seen him perform before, just heard all of the cast recordings he's been in. I'd really like to see him in a "meatier" role (like Roy Cohn in Angels in America again. . .PLEASE!!!! ^_^ ) but what the hell, I still accomplished one of my life goals, hehe. He was a little over the top, but it fit with the whole tone of the show. Rich and I did *not* attempt to meet him (or anyone else in the cast) at the stage door, but 1) a lot of the time, the stars don't leave the theatre between the matinee and evening shows and 2) we were tired and had other things we wanted to see. If we go back to NYC soon, maybe we'll try stage-dooring then. I would really love to get my Assassins playbill autographed and maybe it would even spark up a brief conversation. Well, I can wish. ;)
ANYWAY. . .everything else about the show was good, too, like the lighting, the scenery, all the technical stuff. Since Rich and I were sitting all the way on the side, some of the special effects were a little hard to see properly (ie. Cheyenne's entrance on the motorcycle) but that's alright. I got the idea, hehe.
I'm not overly familiar with most of Elvis' music, but I think they made very good choices out of (what I'm sure) is a huge variety of songs. The arrangements were great too, and I can't wait for the cast recording, which I believe comes out in May. Hell, I still get random snippets of "Burnin' Love" invading my mind at random points throughout the day. ;p Very catchy.
As you can tell, I could go on for days covering every little aspect, but I think I'll stop there. I would highly recommend this show to anyone, even someone who's not necessarily a fan of musical theatre. Forget the silly Disney musicals and other crap like Rent or BKLYN; the only way you won't have a good time at ASU is if you're a major theatre snob or lacking a pulse. So there.
Oh, and another major perk. . .balcony tickets are only $19.55, which is BEYOND cheap for a Bway show! I would consider seeing this show again and with prices that low, it's very tempting. v_V However I would love to see Avenue Q (especially cuz people that have recently seen it said it's still great as always) but they don't offer any cheap tickets and I don't know of any good discounts. Dammit.
Well, I have more to write on a semi-related subject, but it's snack time. Be back later.
So!
After seeing ASU, it's easy to understand how this show has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews from the many people on my dear Bway message boards that have seen it. It's also easy to understand the beef that the few negative reviewers have had, but I think the good parts VASTLY outnumber the "eh."
It's a fun, upbeat, energetic show. It's not Sondheim, there are no profound social messages, and the ending is tied up in a neat little bow. And that's fine! Not every show can or should be Follies or Merrily We Roll Along. If that were the case, I think most theatre enthusiasts would be an even more messed up lot than we already are. Everyone needs to lighten up once in a while and ASU accomplishes that nicely.
The cast was flawless-- and I don't think I've been able to say that about any other show I've ever seen. Even the ensemble members were excellent. And everyone's voices. . .omg, they sang the hell out of these songs. (My only slight complaint was that everyone was overmiked. It was fine when just a few people were singing, but it got just a tad *too* loud during the company songs. Maybe I'm just getting old. ;p).
Of course I have to give a special shout-out to my man, Jonathan. I love the fact that he's not afraid to be a dork, hehe. I have to admit that it was a little weird having him actually be on-stage in front of me cuz even though I'm such a fan, I'd never actually seen him perform before, just heard all of the cast recordings he's been in. I'd really like to see him in a "meatier" role (like Roy Cohn in Angels in America again. . .PLEASE!!!! ^_^ ) but what the hell, I still accomplished one of my life goals, hehe. He was a little over the top, but it fit with the whole tone of the show. Rich and I did *not* attempt to meet him (or anyone else in the cast) at the stage door, but 1) a lot of the time, the stars don't leave the theatre between the matinee and evening shows and 2) we were tired and had other things we wanted to see. If we go back to NYC soon, maybe we'll try stage-dooring then. I would really love to get my Assassins playbill autographed and maybe it would even spark up a brief conversation. Well, I can wish. ;)
ANYWAY. . .everything else about the show was good, too, like the lighting, the scenery, all the technical stuff. Since Rich and I were sitting all the way on the side, some of the special effects were a little hard to see properly (ie. Cheyenne's entrance on the motorcycle) but that's alright. I got the idea, hehe.
I'm not overly familiar with most of Elvis' music, but I think they made very good choices out of (what I'm sure) is a huge variety of songs. The arrangements were great too, and I can't wait for the cast recording, which I believe comes out in May. Hell, I still get random snippets of "Burnin' Love" invading my mind at random points throughout the day. ;p Very catchy.
As you can tell, I could go on for days covering every little aspect, but I think I'll stop there. I would highly recommend this show to anyone, even someone who's not necessarily a fan of musical theatre. Forget the silly Disney musicals and other crap like Rent or BKLYN; the only way you won't have a good time at ASU is if you're a major theatre snob or lacking a pulse. So there.
Oh, and another major perk. . .balcony tickets are only $19.55, which is BEYOND cheap for a Bway show! I would consider seeing this show again and with prices that low, it's very tempting. v_V However I would love to see Avenue Q (especially cuz people that have recently seen it said it's still great as always) but they don't offer any cheap tickets and I don't know of any good discounts. Dammit.
Well, I have more to write on a semi-related subject, but it's snack time. Be back later.
posted by Erica at 7:50 PM
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