I had a fabulous weekend of NY theater and had not posted the reviews yet so here it is, catching up on my post and giving you my thoughts on Some like it Hot, & Juliet and The Collaboration.
Official Blurb: Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. Entertainment Weekly calls SOME LIKE IT HOT “a booze-soaked boisterous good time from start to finish, boasting infectious music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, a witty book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, and stellar direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw.” All aboard Broadway’s great big musical comedy!
My take: I was very much looking forward to this. I had never seen the movie, but went with someone who loves the movie and the conclusion was the same for both of us. It is an entertaining musical it just wasn’t anything spectacular. I enjoyed it, it was a fun night out but it wasn’t as memorable as I might have wanted it to be. What is great: J. Harrison Ghee is spectacular and a star on stage, he commands your eye and I loved him in every scene. Adrianna Hicks is great as Sugar, I loved her in Six and she didn’t disappoint here even if her character is a bit bland and I wish more meat was given to her. The costumes are gorgeous and so is the set.
What wasn’t my favorite : although I am a huge Christian Borle fan, i just think this wasn’t his part, I didn’t feel it as engaged with him as with the other characters, in my personal opinion a tad miscast. Also the music, nothing made me want to play it again or got stuck in my head. It was very appropriate serviceable music but nothing will get added to my playlist probably (with the exception of the Smash song I was very excited to hear that!).
To give you a different take, I’m going to start adding my theater companions thoughts on the show, so that you get a varied view, of those that I go with someone.
my friends take: “I had massively high expectations, because this classic madcap comedy should lend itself perfectly to Broadway. While I enjoyed some of the staging and the performances of J. Harrison Ghee and Adriana Hicks, the show was missing the sizzle and polish of other big Broadway shows and also lacked a showstopper spectacle before intermission. I kept waiting for the “wow” number but it never came. This show felt like a massive missed opportunity.
Official Blurb: Warhol. Basquiat. Electric, eccentric, polar opposites… together, for the first time in the most unlikely partnership the art world has ever seen. Paul Bettany (The Avengers, “WandaVision,” “A Very British Scandal”) and Jeremy Pope (Choir Boy, Ain’t Too Proud, The Inspection) star in the thrilling American premiere of the London sensation. In the summer of 1984, longtime international superstar Andy Warhol and the art scene’s newest wunderkind, Jean-Michel Basquiat, agree to work together on what may be the most talked about exhibition in the history of modern art. But can these two creative giants co-exist, or even thrive? The stage is their canvas in this sizzling tour-de-force by Anthony McCarten (four-time Oscar®-nominated writer of The Two Popes and Bohemian Rhapsody), directed by the acclaimed Kwame Kwei-Armah (Artistic Director of London’s Young Vic).
My take: The pre show DJ was a wonderful start to what was an absolutely fabulous show. Two epic performances that i am very glad are going to be recreated on film by the same actors shortly. I described Jeremy Pope to my friend before the show started as one of those people that you cant take your eyes off when they are onstage and he is magnetic here. His performance is thrilling and spot on. Paul Bettany’s Wharhol, although a more subtle performance is equally as magnetic. Great acting and one of my favorite things, leaving the theater to want to know more, to want to research more. I love when plays teach you something and make you want to go even further. A must watch.
my friends take: ““This is one of those shows that leaves an impression, that you keep thinking about after you’ve left the theatre. Both Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope are masters of their craft and totally gripping in their roles. There was a moment in the second act where Bettany’s voice breaks a little from emotion, and the entire audience audibly swallowed the ball in their throats together.”
My take: i spoke at length of & Juliet when I was in London, and I had loved it! Is the Broadway production as good? Yes it is. It is very similar so there is no doubt that it was going to be. The real difference is the cast. What are my thoughts? Betsy wolfe is the star of this production for me. That is a bit different from london where Juliet is the star and although Anne is a fab character she was not the standout for me. Here Betsy stood out even over Juliet. I really enyoe3d the actress playing Juliet and she has a phenomenal voice, but it wasn’t the command performance that London had, i.e. its a great performance for the show, but unlike London I don’t think its a Tony winning one. The music still kills it its so good and surprising. Sadly the costumes are still weird, and we were realizing that they kind of worked in london because Miriam-Teak Lee had legs for days but in a normal sized person, the costumes are just not as flattering.
my friend’s thoughts: So much fun! We knew all the songs, loved the spin on the story only disappointed with the ending, the only person Juliet needs was Juliet!
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