Review: La Cage aux Folles

Musical: La Cage aux Folles

Venue: Longacre Theatre, New York

Date: 9th April at 20:00

Cast: Harvey Fierstein (Albin/Zaza), Christopher Sieber (Georges), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Jacob), A.J. Shively (Jean-Michel), Heather Lindell (Anne), Cheryl Stern (Jacqueline u/s), Mike McShane (M. Renaud/M. Dindon), Veanne Cox (Mme. Renaud/Mme. Dindon)

Rating: *****


Review: It's my first two-show day and after a quick bite at the nearby Japanese restaurant, I went straight to the Longacre Theatre on my own for a performance of La Cage. I arrived inside the theatre about 15 minutes before curtain but what I didn't know was that there was a "pre-show". One of the drag queens were sitting on the stage and greeting audience and making all sorts of funny jokes and really getting the audience ready for the show. She (ahem!) also made funny remarks to the next door show 'House of Blue Leaves' as well as 'Wicked'. I think this was a really nice way to begin the show because it really sets up the mood for you that you are actually at a club rather than a theatre.

The Longcre Theatre on 48th Street

The Longacre is a small intimate theatre, suitable for the scale that this production of La Cage was going for. At the front of the stage were these 'front seats' seating with round tables and chairs resembling a cabaret show seating. Quite clever, I think, but look really uncomfortable though.

The show began with Georges played by the multi-talented Christopher Sieber greeting the audience and welcoming us to La Cage aux Folles. As some of you might know, Sieber was an immediate replacement for Jeffrey Tambor who left the show after only a week. And he was just amazing. He was very charming and funny and his singing voice was just lovely and I love how he chose to sing the last note of 'Song on the Sand' one octave higher than the original and really showed off his singing talents. He was very good in a more dramatic part of the show as well. I even think that the role suits him better than the original Georges, Kelsey Grammer (based on what I heard from the cast recording only though). It reminds me of when I saw Jonathan Pryce (replacing John Lithgow) in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels who were just brilliant and much more suited to the role than his original counterpart.

Christopher Sieber as Georges
in his purple velvet suit as he welcomed audience to his club

Harvey Fierstein was our Albin/Zaza/Uncle Al. In case you don't know, he was the bookwriter of the musical and it was really interesting to see him play the role and he didn't disappoint at all. His comedy timing was just impeccable and though his singing voice was raspy as ever, somehow I feel that it suited the 'diva' character of Zaza very well. And though his 'I Am What I Am' could have been stronger vocally, it was simply perfect emotionally. True, Douglas Hodge (the original Tony-Winning Zaza) might have a bigger voice (and a better body), but Harvey Fierstein was just as good, if not, may I say, better.

Harvey Fierstein as Albin/Zaza
Here disguised as Jean-Michel's mother during "Best of Times" scene

during "La Cage aux Folles"

A.J. Shively and Heather Lindell played the couple Jean-Michel and Anne and they were both very lovely in their (minor) roles. Mike McShane and Veanne Cox took on the dual roles of M.&Mme. Renaud and Dindon. They were pretty funny in both roles. I was sad not to see Christine Andreas as Jacqueline but our understudy Cheryl Stern was very cute and played the role really well.

The lovely couple: Jean-Michel and Anne
(AJ Shively and Elena Shaddow)

Cheryl Stern (second left) was our Jacqueline at my performance

I also need to mention the 6 Cagelles who were very graceful, talented, funny and simply a joy to watch. However, I must say that the Thai version of La Cage that I saw last year in Bangkok boasted a much more complex and impressive choreography and costumes.

The six Cagelles seen here with Sieber and Fierstein

The only thing that let me down in this production was the role of Jacob. I heard so many good things about Robin de Jesus and with him being nominated, I thought the role must have been really good and funny. And with Tony-Winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia (of Rent), my expectation was really high. What turned out was a total waste of talent. The role didn't suite Heredia at all. He wasn't funny and he didn't really have a chance to show off his singing voice except a small part in 'Cocktail Counterpoint'. Also, I think the costumes and the makeup of Jacob made the role look really, forgive me for saying this, cheap and trashy.

Wilson Jermaine Heredia at his curtain call

Wilson Jermaine Heredia and AJ Shively
during "With Anne on My Arm"

The music by the great Jerry Herman was a lot of fun. I really like the "We Are What We Are" tune which was very catchy and hummable. "Song on the Sand" "The Best of Times" and "I Am What I Am" were real showstoppers. However, I think La Cage suffered from a weak book. I think Act One was fine and it built up nicely. I never liked how suddenly Albin became so sarcastic with the whole situation at the beginning of Act Two and gave in so easily. It really devalued "I Am What I Am" that he sang at the end of Act One and I feel that everything ended too easily.

Productionwise, I think it was very good. They use simple scenes and simple props which were effective enough. However, I really wish that there were more glitz and glamour in the Cagelles scenes but I guess it was a club that was "rather gaudy" anyway..

Overall, I still enjoyed the show a lot. It was a lot of fun and I was really happy to see Fierstein and Sieber in the roles (and also got their autographs at the stage door afterwards). Too bad it is closing this week so if you have the chance, try to make it before it's gone.  

I Am What I Am

I hear "La da da da..."

Cagelles during "La Cage aux Folles" number

"The Best of Times" seen here with original cast members
including Christine Andreas, Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge

The Finale

MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
We Are What We Are... Georges and Cagelles
A Little More Mascara... Albin and Georges
With Anne on My Arm... Jean-Michel and Georges
With You on My Arm... Georges and Albin
Song on the Sand... Georges
La Cage aux Folles... Albin, Cagelles and Company
I Am What I Am... Albin


ACT TWO
Song on the Sand (Reprise)... Georges
Masculinity... Georges, Albin, M. Renaud, Mme. Renaud and Company
Look Over There... Georges
Cocktail Counterpoint... Anne, M. Dindon, Mme. Dindon, Georges, Jean-Michel and Jacob
The Best of Times... Albin, Jacqueline and Company
Look Over There (Reprise)... Jean-Michel, Georges
Finale... Company

Review: Sondheim's Company in Concert

Musical: Company
Venue: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York
Date: 9th April 2011 at 14:00
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris (Robert), Stephen Colbert (Harry), Martha Plimpton (Sarah), Craig Bierko (Peter), Jill Paice (Susan), Jon Cryer (David), Jennifer Laura Thompson (Jenny), Aaron Lazar (Paul), Katie Finneran (Amy), Jim Walton (Larry), Patti LuPone (Joanne), Anika Noni Rose (Marta), Christina Hendricks (April) and Chryssie Whitehead (Kathy)
Conductor: Paul Gemignani
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Rating: ****1/2


Review:
It's day three in New York and today Bomb and I got tickets to see the limited engagement of Stephen Sondheim's Company in Concert at the Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center featuring the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Paul Gemignani!!! There were only 4 performances of this star-studded concert and all of them were sold out so I felt very lucky to be able to go to this one.The Avery Fisher Hall is such a large, beautiful concert hall. We got quite good seats in the centre orchestra, if a bit to the back, but still very good seats.

Me with the sign inside the Avery Fisher Hall

The concert was absolutely amazing. I knew there were lots of stars of the stage and screen involved but I didn't know how much until I opened the playbill. There must be at least someone in there that you know. To my surprise, including in the cast were Stephen Colbert (of the Colbert Report), Jon Cryer (of Two and a Half Men), Aaron Lazar (of A Little Night Music and more), Christina Hendricks (of Mad Men), to name a few. And all of them performed their hearts out. However, I felt that there was quite a waste of star in this concert because you got all these amazing talents but since the show involves 1 bachelor, 5 married couples and 3 girlfriends in 2 and a half hours, there wasn't any real spotlight moments for most of the cast members.

The stage setting was pretty simple as most concerts, with the New York Philharmonic at the back and Paul on a high-rise conductor podium with pulled-out bed under it. I like how they use wheeled sofa as the symbols of marriage. All the married couples were seated on sofa while Bobby, the main character, would sit on a smaller individual one-man-sofa throughout the show until after 'Being Alive' that he would sit on a bigger sofa with a room for another person to share it with. Clever and I actually figured it out before the show ended! ;)

This production chose to perform the whole show with its full script so it's a bit weird to call it a concert since they sang less than they talked, not that it's bad or anything because, having mostly listened to the cast recording, the book of the show was actually very good and emotional and gave the story and the songs more depth to it especially for numbers like 'Another Hundred People' and 'Being Alive'.

We started at Bobby's (surprise?) 35th birthday party with all of his married friends. The opening number (Company) was just an amazing beginning to the whole concert. Neil Patrick Harris did very well as Bobby in terms of acting. He adopted a playboy-ish personality, similar to the one we've seen him in How I Met Your Mother. His singing was good as always, though his high voice (both falsettos and belts) was quite thin but still beautiful. All of his solos in the show were such a great treat.

Full cast during the opening number

We first followed Harry and Sarah (Colbert and Plimpton) who were very funny with the karate and the drinking and diet problems. With that acting to the hilarious performance of 'Little Things (You Do Together)' by Patti LuPone in the role of Joanne made the evening so much fun.

Martha Plimpton, Stephen Colbert and Neil Patrick Harris

I was a bit disappointed with 'You Could Drive a Person Crazy' which was supposed to be a really funny song but here the girls (Rose, Hendricks and Whitehead) were drowned by the powerful New York Philharmonic and the way they sang it was too pretty. Bierko and Paice played Peter and Susan and I really liked how they adapted the sofa to portray the terrace of a New York house. The homosexual bit (which I wasn't aware of) in the second act was simply hilarious.

Anika Noni Rose, Christina Hendricks and Chryssie Whitehead

I was very much looking forward to Anika Noni Rose's 'Another Hundred People' but again she was drowned out by the orchestra which made it really hard to hear the lyrics and she chose not to belt the song which made it kinda less impressive for me. (Or maybe it's the mike problem?) But she really did a lot better job acting as the feisty New York lover, Marta.

Anika Noni Rose and Neil Patrick Harris

Cryer and Thompson (as David and Jenny) were just so much fun in their scene with Bobby. I wish the show could give more chance for Cryer to sing.

The 'Getting Married Today' bit was just amazing delivered by the Tony Winning Katie Finneran (as Amy) with Aaron Lazar (as her soon-to-be husband Paul) and Jill Paice (as the 'Bless This Day...' Woman). I really like the scene that came after it and it really set a nice mood for Act One closer, Marry Me a Little, for Bobby. Too bad, I wish Lazar could have sung more.

Aaron Lazar and Katie Finneran who are not "getting married today"

Act Two opening (Side By Side By Side/What Would We do Without You) was just beyond amazing. The choreography, the dancing, the props and everything were just top-notch and really energized the audience to be ready for the second act. After that, we went into Bobby's relationship with flight attendant April (Hendricks). She nailed the part perfectly and got lots of laugh from the audience. Their making-love sequence (Tick-Tock) was good with Chryssie Whitehead (of the 2006 Chorus Line revival) as the main dancer. Somehow I felt the songs in the second act were less emotional-engaging and at times, boring. Or maybe that's just too much Sondheim for me? However, the bok was very interesting and engaging.



Neil Patrick Harris and the married couples in Act Two Opening
"Side by Side by Side/What Would We Do without You?"



Martha Plimpton and Jennifer Laura Thompson
lead the wives in "Poor Baby"

Christina Hendricks and Neil Patrick Harris (showing his abs)
during "Barcelona" number

And then we came to the last scene with Larry and Joanne (Walton and LuPone). I almost forgot that she was in the show.. The dialogue there was quite good and thought-provoking. And then it came to the song that everyone had waited for 'The Ladies Who Lunch'. I actually preferred the version that LuPone sang at Sondheim Birthday concert which was funnier but I guess it was funnier because she was singing as LuPone and not as Joanne. However, this rendition that she gave was still fantastic and poor the people in the front row when she splashed the drinks in her hand at them at her last "RISE!".

Patti LuPone during her "The Ladies Who Lunch"
with Paul Gemignani, the musical diretor at the back

'Being Alive' was wonderful and it was the first time that I cried listening to that song. "What do you get?", asked Bobby.. I just loved that line before he started singing.. 'Someone to hold you too close...' It really made you think a lot about marriage and made you appreciate having someone there by your side and when he didn't show up for that last Birthday at the end of the show was just cute and then he went to sit down on a sofa with a space for another "somebody".

It was such a fulfilling show for me musically and emotionally and I'm looking forward to watching it again on DVD when it releases. I just wished that I could hear more singing from many of the cast members. And though it was a grand performance, I would still deduct half-a-star for its sound quality and some part of the show which, to me, dragged the production a little. Still a great revival of a great show. Get a DVD of it if you can.



MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Overture... New York Philharmonic
Company... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Little Things... Patti LuPone and Couples
Sorry-Grateful... Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer and Jim Walton
You Could Drive a Person Crazy... Anika Noni Rose, Christina Hendricks and Chryssie Whitehead
Have I Got a Girl for You... Husbands
Someone Is Waiting... Neil Patrick Harris
Another Hundred People... Anika Noni Rose
Getting Married Today... Jill Paice, Aaron Lazar and Katie Finneran
Marry Me a Little... Neil Patrick Harris


ACT TWO
Side by Side by Side... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
What Would We Do without You?... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Poor Baby... Martha Plimpton, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Wives
Tick-Tock... Chryssie Whitehead
Barcelona... Neil Patrick Harris and Christina Hendricks
The Ladies Who Lunch... Patti LuPone
Being Alive... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Bows... Company

Review: Spider-Man

Musical: Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark (Preview Version 1)
Venue: Foxwoods Theatre, New York
Date: 8th April 2011 at 20:00
Cast: Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Jennifer Damiano (Mary Jane), Patrick Page (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), T.V. Carpio (Arachne), Ken Marks (Uncle Ben), Isabel Keating (Aunt May/Classic Teacher), Kevin Loomis (u/s J. Jonah Jameson), Laura Beth Wells (Emily Osborn), GEEK CHORUS: Gerald Avery (Jimmy-6), Jonathan Schwartz (Professor Cobwell), Mat Devine (Grim Hunter) and Alice Lee (Miss Arrow)
Rating: **1/2


Review: I'm just gonna admit it shamelessly that I ENJOYED SPIDER-MAN despite its many flaws. There, I said it. So let's get down to the actual review. This is one musical that I didn't plan on seeing at all. It was my second day in New York and I was selecting my shows at TKTS and was probably gonna see either Mary Poppins or La Cage but the seats were pretty bad so I decided to ask for Spider-Man and it turned out that since I was alone, I was able to get a seat in the centre orchestra for $90 so I thought why not give it a chance. I have always been curious about it anyway so I took my shot.

I arrived at the Foxwoods Theatre about 10 minutes before the show started. My brother went to see the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the next-door American Airlines Theatre with his friend. I took my seat and noticed that there were a lot of children, kids and teenagers in the theatre as well as "tourist-looking" audience.  The Foxwoods is a very beautiful theatre with very high ceiling, or maybe in USA, every theatre is big and tall. Anyway, let's start the review, shall we?

NOTE: LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW (as if it matters now..)

Let's get the bad things out first. I really didn't enjoy the music in the show. As you know, it is written by Bono and The Edge and the sound was very U2-ish.. I guess there were some nice songs but most of them were just horrible and painful to listen to, notably 'Bullying by Numbers', 'Deeply Furious' and 'Sinistereo' to name a few.

Also, I disagree with some of the direction in the show, at that point was still by Julie Taymor who was later replaced. Spider-Man slow-motioned ran down the bridge was just weird to look at. The whole 'Bullying by Numbers' (again!) were just so amateur. Most of the drama didn't look real and it did take away a lot emotionally for the audience especially in (supposed-to-be) dramatic scenes like when Peter and Mary Jane fought with their 'parents' at home or the death scene of Uncle Ben, or maybe it's just bad acting? Another really bad scene was when Peter Parker (as the Human Spider) wrestled with the 'inflatable' wrestler.. Feel bad for the actor, he must have felt stupid. And whoever thought of the villains 'fashion show' at the top of act two and the shoes scene should go hang themselves.

The director, Julie Taymor

However, the show was truly a spectacle. The sceneries were nicely-done, lots of perspective angles. There were quite a number of stage effects which was fun to watch. Many of the scenes were designed to replicate the comic-book style which was also quite good.

The main highlight of the show was probably the flying stunts. It was a real feast for the eyes. They were swinging at a very fast speed (I heard 50 mph) professionally and they would jump from the very back of the stage to stagefront in seconds, catching many front-row audience off guard. There were also platforms on the mezzanine right and balcony left where Spider-Man would stop at (and greet his audience). However, this, at several times, made me feel like I was not at a musical, rather, it made me feel like I was at a kids show where stuntmen in costumes would act to the pre-taped conversation using exagerrated body gestures. (Get the picture?)

Here comes Spidey!

Personally, I feel that the musical was a lot better when there were real people involved in the show and that was probably what made me enjoy the show a lot because the actors in this cast was really talented ones. Reeve Carney was our Peter Parker/Spider-Man and he had a really charming presence (though he reminded me a lot of James Franco). His voice was quite good, not your typical Broadway voice, but seemed to suit the sound of U2 very well. His solo in 'The Boy Falls from the Sky' towards the end of the show really showcased his talent. Jennifer Damiano from Next to Normal fame was our Mary Jane Watson and she didn't disappoint at all. Her singing was great and it was such a pleasure to hear her sing. And when both of them joined forces onstage in a duet like 'No More' and 'Walk Away', it was a real treat for the audience.

Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano

Reeve Carney in his Spider-Man costume

Patrick Page whom I saw as Scar in The Lion King on Broadway many years ago played Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin. I think he did well for the material that he was given. I really hate how they design the costume for Green Goblin, it was just ugly and couldn't match the look in the movie at all.

Patrick page as the Green Goblin at curtain call

Another star of the night was T.V. Carpio as Arachne, the new character written for the stage. Though I doubt the rationality of her character in the show, she really did her part well. She was beautiful and she chose to sing the songs more hauntingly which suited both the character and the show really well. She brought arrays of emotions to the show as well as her character, especially in her opening scene during the number 'Behold and Wonder'. That must have been my favourite scene of the whole show. I didn't like the idea of the Geek Chorus in the show and frankly they threw me off a bit in terms of what they were doing there and their narration didn't really help move the story along at all, actually they dragged the show even more.

T.V. Carpio who plays Arachne

Arachne in the musical (I think this is Natalie Mendoza though)

I also would like to mention the scenes at the Daily Bugle with J. Jonah Jameson. I think it was a clever way of moving the stories along quickly. Kevin Loomis was our JJ understudy and he did very well with this non-singing part.

Overall, I think the problem of the show lies in its story. The show crammed the whole Spider-Man 1 into Act One so we lost all connection with the character. If I hadn't watched the movie before, I wouldn't give a damn when Uncle Ben died. Here, he was seen only once before he died so there wasn't any emotional connection between him and Peter (or even us). Aunt May's role was very pointless and she didn't contribute anything to the story here. A waste of talent for having Tony nominee actress like Isabel Keating portray her. Frankly, I don't think I even understood what happened to Green Goblin and how he died.

The end of Act One with Spider-Man and Green Goblin
on top of the Chrysler Building in Manhattan

Then, Act Two was even worse. I tried really hard to make sense of the story but I really couldn't. Most characters from Act One either died or disappeared. Arachne became the villain instead. I wasn't sure whether the whole Act Two was mainly Arachne's illusion or what and the end, I think they were trying to be Phantom but it just ended so easily. You were totally lost and wondered "what the heck just happened and why did she transform back into a goddess?"

There were a lot of holes in the story to be fixed. Now the show has gone into hiatus aiming to revamp before it re-opens in June after this year's Tony Awards. I read some news about it and I like the many things that they are going to change. Green Goblin will live through to Act Two which could make more sense. Geek Chorus will be taken out, good! (I do feel sorry for the actors who play them though. Where would they be, fired?). And I also heard the role of Arachne will be reduced to a sort of Spider-Man's guardian angel rather than villain. I like that idea and it might make better sense but I hope they still give her a lot of stage time because, again, T.V. Carpio is amazing. 

Geek Chorus whose roles will be taken off the new version

Overall, what I can say about the show is that it is fun and entertaining to watch. The audience seemed to like it since there was a standing ovation in the whole theatre. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed a night out at the theatre and doesn't mind a light-hearted musical and it seems like a good one to bring the kids to. If I were in NYC, I would go see it again after it re-opens wholeheartedly. I really root for the show to be better because it holds such high potential that hasn't been exploited yet. However, stay away from this show if you're expecting something more than fun at the theatre, i.e. if you hate shows like Mamma Mia! and Legally Blonde. 

The first scene in the show

Arachne and Peter Parker during 'Rise Above' number

The Spider-men at curtain call. I counted 9 of them.

The famous Spider-man kiss which they saved for the curtain call
(I think it would be cool to have this in the show though)

Seat Recommendation:
Orchestra: do not take anything behind row S because you won't see any flying
Mezzanine: take the left side in the front to be closed to Spider-Man and Arachne
Balcony: take the right side in the front to be closed to Spider-Man


Here are the videos of Spider-Man I found on YouTube. The first one is the montage of the show overview. The other is the three main casts singing "Rise Above" on the Letterman Show. Enjoy!

Musical Numbers
ACT ONE
Splash Page... Citizens
Behold and Wonder... Miss Arrow, Arachne and Weavers
Bullying by Numbers... Bullies and High School Girls
No More... Peter and Mary Jane
D.I.Y. World... Osborn, Emily, High School Students and Lab Assistants
Bouncing off the Walls... Peter and Geek Chorus
Rise Above... Peter, Arachne and Citizens
Pull the Trigger... Osborn, Military Generals and Soldiers
Picture This... Peter, Mary Jane, Osborn and Emily
I'll Take Manhattan... The Green Goblin


ACT TWO
Spider-Man Rising... Busker and Citizens
Turn off the Dark... Arachne
Walk Away... Peter, Mary Jane and Geek Chorus
Think Again... Arachne and Furies
Sinistereo... Soloists
Deeply Furious... Arachne and Furies
If the World Should End... Mary Jane
The Boy Falls from the Sky... Peter


From the Playbill:
The Myth of Arachne
(An excerpt from Peter Parker's Oral Report)
The ancient Greeks reserved a special word for the sort of arrogance that makes you forget your own humanity. That word was hubris. In the time before Time, there was a young woman named Arachne, celebrated far and wide as the most gifted of weavers. Gods and animals - made only of thread  - seemed to come to life on Arachne's loom. Woven bulls bellowed and leapt, rivers roared and splashed those who came near Arachne's tapestries, so magical was her art. Before long, Arachne was boasting that her skills were greater than even those of the Gods. The Goddess Athena heard these impudent claims and was not pleased. After all, Athena - in addition to being the Goddess of Wisdom and War - was also the Goddess of Weaving. So she challenged Arachne to a weaving contest, and that night shuttles flashed across two giant looms as the young mortal and the powerful goddess created tapestries of exquisite beauty. But to all in attendance it was plain to see that Arachne's tapestry... was better. Enraged, Athena destroyed Arachne's work. In despair, Arachne hanged herself. But Athena took pity on the dying girl and transformed her into the world's first spider. "Now you shall live and weave forever," said Athena. Arachne was cursed to immortality in the shadows. Nevermore would she and her work inspire praise; now, only fear. Arachne was doomed to live and weave alone - alone and forever... nevermore in the light.

Review: Catch Me If You Can

Musical: Catch Me If You Can
Venue: Neil Simon Theatre
Date: 7th April 2011 at 20:00
Cast: Aaron Tveit (Frank Abagnale, Jr.), Norbert Leo Butz (Agent Carl Hanratty), Tom Wopat (Frank Abagnale, Sr.), Rachel de Benedet (Paula Abagnale), Kerry Butler (Brenda Strong), Nick Wyman (Roger Strong), Linda Hart (Carol Strong) 
Rating: ***1/2

Review: It's my first night in New York and my brother got me a ticket to see the new musical "Catch Me If You Can" which was still in preview back when I saw it (it was due to open on the following Sunday). The main reason we went for this one is purely the cast. How could you say no to Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz??!! and we weren't disappointed at all in that aspect of the show.

After a nice meal at Public, we went straight to the Neil Simon Theatre (where I saw Hairspray 6 years ago) and ready to enjoy the show. We got to our seats which was in the front orchestra right, very much to the side. We had quite a bad overview of the stage but what's good was we got to see the actors really close.

The Neil Simon Theatre

The musical is based on the 2002 movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. It started as Frank, Jr. was arrested at the Miami Airport and he demanded that his story to be told to the "audience" by putting into a show "live in living color" despite Agent Hanratty's objection. I think it was quite neat in terms of how the show was told. It gave all the characters a chance to address the audience. However, there were times when I felt that the show relied too much on narration which became boring after a while. 

Live In Living Color

The script in the musical by Terrence McNally was very similar to that in the movie (and probably in the book). I like it since it reminded me of the good moments in the movie but my brother disagreed, he felt that it left nothing new for the audience who had seen the movie. My favourite scene was towards the end of Act One where Frank, Jr. made a phone call to Hanratty on Christmas Day. I think it captivated the vulnerable side of Frank, Jr. very well.

The music was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman of Hairspray and it reminded me a lot of Hairspray. I must say that the music is not the strongest part of the show. There were some catchy tunes, of course like 'Seven Wonders' 'Fly, Fly Away' and 'Live in Living Color', but most of them were 60s music which, again, became quite boring after having listened to so many of it like 'Butter Outta Cream' and 'Little Boy, Be a Man'.

The real star of the show was probably the actors. Aaron Tveit was just phenomenal! He had the charm of a conman and his acting was just terrific, especially in the sadder moments in the show. And his singing voice, what can I say about that voice! It was a pleasure to hear him sing live. 'Good-Bye' was my favorite song of the night. 

Aaron Tveit as Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Then we had the amazing Norbert Leo Butz. Nothing more to be said of this man. His comedic timing was just impeccable. His expressions when Frank, Jr. was about to tell the story was hilarious and his solo number 'Don't Break the Rules' received several minutes of thunderous applause. I wonder what they would do if he ever left the show.

Norbert Leo Butz as Agent Carl Hanratty

However, what bugged me was that the two of them kept reminding me of Lawrence and Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels especially in the last song 'Strange But True' which resembles 'Dirty Rotten Number" a lot but didn't really give the show as good a closing theme as DRS.

I also needed to mention the rest of the cast, Tom Wopat, Rachel de Benedet and Kerry Butler who portrayed their roles very well, both acting and singing. Another thing I need to mention are the GIRLS. Oh, wow! They all were very beautiful and really stole the show whenever they came on to the stage and I guess the producers know that so they put them on the stage fairly often.. ;) Visually, the scenes were simple and you also have your orchestra on the stage so at times it made you feel like you were watching a concert.

with Tom Wopat at Frank Abagnale, Sr.

Kerry Butler as Brenda Strong
during "Fly, Fly Away" number

The graceful Rachel de Benedet
as Paula Abagnale (Frank's Mother)
during 'Don't Be a Stranger' number

Overall, I can't totally say that I love the show. It was good, entertaining and enjoyable but a bit old-fashioned to my liking. I must admit that I did yawn at several points in the show, probably because of the music and the narration and wasn't sure if I want to see it again. But I wouldn't say that it was a disaster. It was worth the ticket price to see all these actors performing live on stage together but I doubt that it would do well on this year's Tony Awards against big contenders like Anything Goes, Mormon and H2$. So, if you're curious about the show, I say give it a go. If you're a fan of Aaron and Norbert, definitely come and see it, but if you have a limited number of shows to see, I'd say go for other ones first.

'Jet Set' with beautiful flight attendants

'Doctor's Orders' with even more beautiful nurses

I went to the stagedoor after the show with my brother and got my pictures taken with both Aaron and Norbert. :)

Me with Aaron Tveit (if a bit far..)



Me with the ever-amazing Norbert Leo Butz

 

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Overture

Live in Living Color... Frank, Jr. and Company

The Pinstripes Are All That They See... Frank, Sr., Frank, Jr. and Company

Someone Else's Skin... Frank, Jr. and Company

Jet Set... Frank, Jr. and Company

Live in Living Color (Reprise)... Frank, Jr.

Don't Break the Rules... Hanratty and Company

The Pinstripes Are All That They See (Reprise)... The Ladies
Butter Outta Cream... Frank, Sr. and Frank, Jr.

The Man Inside the Clues... Hanratty

Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year... Partygoers

My Favorite Time of Year... Hanratty, Frank, Jr., Frank, Sr. and Paula

ACT TWO

Entr' Acte

Doctor's Orders... Nurses

Live in Living Color (Reprise)... Frank, Jr.

Don't Be a Stranger... Paula and Frank, Sr.

Little Boy, Be a Man... Frank, Sr. and Hanratty

Seven Wonders... Frank, Jr. and Brenda

(Our) Family Tree... Carol, Roger, Brenda, Frank, Jr. and Strong Family Singers

Fly, Fly Away... Brenda

Good-Bye... Frank, Jr.

Strange But True... Frank, Jr. and Hanratty