Typically I’d write a third person account, but since Broadway is an extended genre for me to cover, I figure I’d give it to you straight. Last Thursday on the Bryant Park lawn, 106.7 Lite FM held their Thursday "Broadway in Bryant Park" show. And from what I saw, I ruled out which shows I would and would not go to see. What moved me?....
Death Takes a Holiday was first. They started off with “Shimmy Like They Do in Paree.” Mara Davi shimmied to her hearts content, and she was shimmying mad, but all I got from the song was that she did a good shimmy. “What Do You Do” and “More and More,” were operatic, and the opera kind of makes me yawn, but I liked the latter better. In the last two songs the actors hardly moved around, which I think they did because it was just about the music, but I would have liked to see some more action.
Jersey Boys about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was next. They sang some hits from the past, like “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” When I say the soprano, Russel Fisher, can hit notes! He hits notes with a baseball bat. It sounds like it hurts. I can only wonder how much honey he puts in his tea every few hours. They also sang “Walk Like A Man,” “Who Loves You,” and “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night),” ending with much of the cast and some basic dance grooves. The music is familiar to me, and I’d see this show, but I may feel out of place with all of the elders! Way before my time. The previews don’t lie people.
Third was The Lion King. Now I have the soundtrack and picture book from the movie lying around somewhere and I know the whole “When he was a young warthog,” “When I was a young warthoooooggggg!” bit, but I’m just not sure that part is in the play. Selloane Nkhela sang "Circle of Life" so solidly! I felt something rise up within me when she sang it. She then sang “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” with Joel Karie. I’d see the play just for her, though I consider that play watching a repeat of the movie.
Rent was next. Annaleigh Ashford and Corbin Reid sang “Take Me or Leave Me” completely in acting mode and worked the stage (I just happen to expect theatrics because though it’s just songs, its, "songs from the 'the-a-tre,' darling"). Then they brought Marcus Paul James to the stage and while I am in like with his personality, it was someone’s bright idea to make him sing “Seasons of Love” all by himself and I was like, “Where are the people?” One from every section would be enough. One alto, One soprano, one tenor, one bass! Come on! Especially the part before the end, “Measure your life in loooveeeeeee,” the part I play back over and over again when the track is on spin-- he let the audience sing that part. What a void! I know they’d all be there if I saw the play though, so that gets a go.
Wicked, the most anticipated performance of the day, was last, and I have never seen it but have heard songs from it before. “Popular” with Katie Rose Clarke was really on point, and “As Long As Your Mine,” was ok, but Teal Wicks blew it out the water with “The Wizard and I.” Her performance was spic and span. So clean you could eat off it. I’d see this play, for sure.
All in all, I give Rent, Lion King and Wicked a go. Death takes a Holiday, I'll skip. And I'll take a few of my senior citizen friends to see Jersey Boys. Oh wait, I have none. Well, I guess that will have to wait.
THE END.
--Girl Blue (TR)
(Photo Credit: Monica Simoes, Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
