June 2011: DC/NYC Round 2

Follies...again.

Reading the script, a making-of book, and Sondheim's own analysis in his book Finishing the Hat, and a second viewing of this production at the Kennedy Center have deepened my appreciation for Follies, but it's still to me such a flawed show that I can't really say I even like it when taken as a whole (at least as it is in this seemingly frozen version of the script). I blame the librettist, John Goldman, who from what I know seems to have been unwilling to make any major changes, forcing Sondheim, Hal Prince, and Michael Bennett to step it up in an attempt to gloss over such a crappy book. As it stands, the show just doesn't work and that's sad because the concept and score are so great. Of course, the fun of seeing such a legendary flop is to put on your creative producer's hat and imagine what could be done to save it. For me, it would take drastic changes along the lines of cut songs, reassigning songs, shifting the framework, etc, to get it to work. I'll be seeing what Chicago Shakespeare Theater can do with it in the Fall. Until then...

A Time To Kill at Arena Stage

WOW! Not for the show, but for Arena Stage's new home, a three-theatre multiplex housed in a beautiful glass shell. Seriously, where does a non-profit get this kind of money?!? My only concern is that none of the three theaters can possible have much wing or fly space. There's a lot of beautiful, but wasted space inside the hangar-like building surrounding the theaters that to me could have been better used for the actual performances spaces. As far as the show is concerned, unfortunately Rupert Holmes's adaptation of John Grisham's first novel turns a "can't-put-it-down" book into a "can't-wait-'til-this-is-over" play. Totally uninspired!

The Book of Mormon

Like last year's Best Musical Tony winner, this year's other "impossible-to-get-a-ticket" hit (along side War Horse) is highly derivative of other musicals (in this case especially The King and I), but boy is it fun!!! Not only is the show shockingly vulgar (a la the South Park movie, which made the TV show it was based on seem tame), but it is also full of heart with an interesting story. This is definitely the best directed show I can remember seeing in a long time. The staging and cast are simply outstanding! And, the second act's "Small House Of Uncle Thomas"-esque sequence made me "laugh-so-hard-I-couldn't-catch-my-breath"!

Sister Act

This adaptation of the Whoopi Goldberg movie makes a merely serviceable musical. The movie's enjoyable cover songs (a la Glee) are replaced by an all-new Alan Menken score with mixed results (Howard Ashman is sorely missed!). Added since the musical's London premiere are some truly hilarious Douglas Carter Beane one-liners, which are the highlight of the show. Unfortunately, there's really not much else to praise.