Post by santtu on Sept 8, 2011 6:38:40 GMT -5
I wasn't really expecting much from this show since I had really very little interest in the show itself. But I was curious to see how Daniel Radcliffe pulls his first Broadway musical off! The whole show turned out to be really enjoyable and fun!
Ok, the score isn't my cup of tea, only a couple of nice songs ("Paris original" and "Brotherhood of man") but most of the songs were forgettable. The choreography was good but not really mindblowing or anything. The only dance number I didn't like much was the women's tap dance number in the beginning of Act II. I don't know why, something in it just didn't work for me.
It was actually fun to see how the show's book is relevant today, the age of reality-tv and its 'stars', when a lot of people want success no matter what the cost without having to work for it.
Daniel Radcliffe (J. Pierrepont Finch) isn't the best singer in the world but definitely not the worst either! He did very good job, both in acting and singing and his dancing wasn't that bad either. A lot of people go in to see 'that Harry Potter guy' and come out positively surprised. I'm one of them. Radcliffe has a great entrance in Act I as he is pulled up from the orchestra pit! Radcliffe hasn't played many comedies but I don't see any reason why he couldn't do more of them as well, since he knew where the laughs were and didn't overdo it.
John Larroquette as the big boss J.B. Biggleywas good, but at times little too over the top.
Rose Hemingway did a nice job as Rosemary, unfortunately her role is just written so that there isn't much of a stretch when it comes to acting. But she did what she could and did it well.
Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue, Biggley's mistress, wasn't my favorite. Blanchard played La Rue as if she was drunk or something, it reminded me a bit of Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates movies, the same kind of hovering etc. I don't know if that's the way the role was written to begin with but I didn't see the point of it.
Christopher J. Hanke was fun to watch as the jealous Buddy Frump, Biggley's nephew. His take on the role wasn't the usual 'bad guy sick with jealousy' which I was more or less expecting to see. It was more a spoiled brat which made the role funnier and interesting. And Hanke's comic timing was brilliant.
Visually the show was nice. Not the most memorable set design ever but it worked well and served its purpose.
In the performance I saw there was a "small" blooper as in the office scene leading to "Grand Old Ivy" Larroquette accidentally called Radcliffe "Mr Wizard" instead of "Mr Finch"! Radcliffe totally lost it and laughed really hard and the audience went wild! Larroquette lost it as well and didn't know what to say or where to catch the scene. They couldn't continue for a while as the audience was applauding, making such a huge noise and roaring with laughter (as were Larroquette and Radcliffe on stage, too!). Larroquette mumbled something a couple of times trying to get the act together but eventually it was Radcliffe who got the scene (and the two actors!) back on track. It was hilarious!
All in all, the show was definitely a positive surprise! Really enjoyable.
Ok, the score isn't my cup of tea, only a couple of nice songs ("Paris original" and "Brotherhood of man") but most of the songs were forgettable. The choreography was good but not really mindblowing or anything. The only dance number I didn't like much was the women's tap dance number in the beginning of Act II. I don't know why, something in it just didn't work for me.
It was actually fun to see how the show's book is relevant today, the age of reality-tv and its 'stars', when a lot of people want success no matter what the cost without having to work for it.
Daniel Radcliffe (J. Pierrepont Finch) isn't the best singer in the world but definitely not the worst either! He did very good job, both in acting and singing and his dancing wasn't that bad either. A lot of people go in to see 'that Harry Potter guy' and come out positively surprised. I'm one of them. Radcliffe has a great entrance in Act I as he is pulled up from the orchestra pit! Radcliffe hasn't played many comedies but I don't see any reason why he couldn't do more of them as well, since he knew where the laughs were and didn't overdo it.
John Larroquette as the big boss J.B. Biggleywas good, but at times little too over the top.
Rose Hemingway did a nice job as Rosemary, unfortunately her role is just written so that there isn't much of a stretch when it comes to acting. But she did what she could and did it well.
Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue, Biggley's mistress, wasn't my favorite. Blanchard played La Rue as if she was drunk or something, it reminded me a bit of Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates movies, the same kind of hovering etc. I don't know if that's the way the role was written to begin with but I didn't see the point of it.
Christopher J. Hanke was fun to watch as the jealous Buddy Frump, Biggley's nephew. His take on the role wasn't the usual 'bad guy sick with jealousy' which I was more or less expecting to see. It was more a spoiled brat which made the role funnier and interesting. And Hanke's comic timing was brilliant.
Visually the show was nice. Not the most memorable set design ever but it worked well and served its purpose.
In the performance I saw there was a "small" blooper as in the office scene leading to "Grand Old Ivy" Larroquette accidentally called Radcliffe "Mr Wizard" instead of "Mr Finch"! Radcliffe totally lost it and laughed really hard and the audience went wild! Larroquette lost it as well and didn't know what to say or where to catch the scene. They couldn't continue for a while as the audience was applauding, making such a huge noise and roaring with laughter (as were Larroquette and Radcliffe on stage, too!). Larroquette mumbled something a couple of times trying to get the act together but eventually it was Radcliffe who got the scene (and the two actors!) back on track. It was hilarious!
All in all, the show was definitely a positive surprise! Really enjoyable.