Skins- Wild World

While not exactly a musical, the British hit show Skins did provide give me the greatest version of Cat Steven’s classic Wild World that I have ever seen. If you are not familar with it, this show is not a musical and does not even have much singing in it apart from this part. It comes completely out of nowhere, which is part of the reason why I find it so magical.

Look at this!!! Love it!

While looking at Blogway Babys blog I found this wonderful YouTube of NPH singing on Sesame Street. It just might have made me love him that much more.

Nominated For Best Musical- Billy Elliot

I have lots of mixed feelings about this musical. While I have never seen the movie and tend to not like movicals (or the transformation of movies into plays) I have heard good things about this show.

The New York Times says, “Billy Elliot” never doubts that it’s the sobriety that endures in life. Which makes those intoxicating, fleet-footed flashes of art, where leaden bodies fly and discord turns into harmony, all the more to be cherished.” But even with all the good dancing and effects I still have my doubts about this one.

I have no doubt that the actors are talented and the dancing is probably spectacular, but I still feel there might be better musicals out there this year.

Nominated For Best Musical- Rock Of Ages

My main concern with this show would have to be it turning into another Mama Mia, a bouncy and happy show with not much plot to back up the music. While shows like that do offer a truly joyful type of entertainment, it does not seem to give much more.

This might be the case with Rock of Ages. A review from newyorktheatre.com states, “Please do yourself a favor, do not go see Rock of Ages in search of great art. The creators are not trying to reinvent the wheel. They simply want the audience to have some fun.”

If fun is all that your after, this musical intertwined with classic 80’s rock songs like “Don’t Stop Believing” and “We Built This City” this show is probably a rockin’ good time. However, I am not so sure that makes it best musical potential in my eyes. I still love to search for the new and original ideas and concepts with all new music to really knock me off of my feet.

Family Theater Packages

Front page on Perez Hilton, he talks about Shrek the Musicals financial troubles and the new package deal they have created to try and lure more people to the theater.

It is sad when the economy meets its way to things like this, but I guess it was to be expected.

Nominated For Best Musical- Next To Normal

(Photo From New York Times)

Next to Normal is definitely one of those shows that I wish I could see in New York. The story centers around a family and the struggles their mother suffers from manic depression. The characters seems intriguing and the voices are music to my ears.

Similar in style to Rent, the set is very bare with more room to focus on the actions of the characters. I feel like sets like these work well with the right people for they allow all of the attention to be put on what the characters are doing.

Glancing over the reviews at BroadwayBox.com people that actually got to see the show don’t really have many complaints. Frankly, I am jealous and only wish I was one of them.

Separate from the actual show, I was so impressed with the website for it. Once the front page loads, you see the faces of everyone in the family and hear the music right away. You also have the option to add your face to the music. Once you have done this you might see your face going by while the music is playing. I think it is interaction from your audience that really makes something like this really special.

I also loved the integration of the show with twitter. If you follow their twitter account you can hear the story of the musical straight from the characters who tweet various aspects of it everyday. It is good to see theater embrace the current technology like that. I love the way you feel when a show really connects with you and programs like twitter give this show a whole new level.

I can’t wait to see what the Tony’s have in store for this show.

Nominated For Best Musical- Shrek..

I am not going to lie, when I first heard about this musical I had many reservations. My whole life I was schooled in the Rogers and Hammerstein way.  From South Pacific to even Oklahoma these musicals attempted to deal with a bigger issue or theme on top of the original plots and music.I learned to be fairly skeptical of movies turned into Broadway hits.

Listening to the music did not prove me wrong. My ears started to ring when Pinocchio began to sing the second song on the album, “Story of My Life.” While some of the songs might be catchy, it is most often times the ones you wished you could never hear again in your life. Some of the songs are almost too upbeat and out there. Who knows, maybe it will grow on me, but it is not doing so well at first glance.

Ben Brantley of the Times said “Aside from a few jolly sequences (nearly all featuring the hypertalented Ms. Foster), this cavalcade of storybook effigies feels like 40 blocks’ worth of a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, accompanied by an exhaustingly jokey running commentary.” All jokes aside, I would have to agree with him. Turning cartoons into real life people is a delicate balance and not everyone is going to have the positive experience of The Lion King.

This setiment seemed to be the case with many of the reviews that I found. The Washington Post even has the headline, “Here Comes Shrek, Hold Your Nose“.

Other reviews focused on the large difference of the transformation from screen to the stage. Theater Mania’s review reads, “The show’s biggest problem is that it is full of too many additional lumbering segments, many of which are made worse by the creators’ assumptions that metamusicalizing the show with twee references to a number of recent and not-so-recent song-and-dance entries, Woody Allen film, and Valley of the Dolls, would amount to innumerable new delights.” Since the movie had such great family appeal, you would think that the play would carry this same trait over and attract the same people to go see the performance. The worst thing to a parent would to bring their impressionable child to what they thought was going to be a family show and have it turn out to be catered more towards adults.

Overall i think this show might be much different to me if I were to actually see the performance on stage with the original cast members. However, that would mean I would have to pay for it and I am not sure that it would be on my list of top things to save up my money to go to New York for. Not really sure this completely fits Best Musical potential.

However, the show’s website did offer a pretty interesting series of video podcasts looking into the behind the scenes work which went into the show as well as offering some great behind the scenes clips I found helpful to look at the show as a whole. Check them out for yourself and see what you think about this musical and if you think it should be in the run for the Tonys.

THE TONY’S!!!

I can’t believe it. I really feel like I have not been keeping up with theater news. I miss it so much in my life… So, I open my computer only to find that the Tony Awards are in just 6 days!! and Neil Patrick Harris is hosting!!! (see article about his thoughts about that) I am literally jumping up and down. However, glancing over the nominees made me feel even more behind than ever. Of course there are some that I recognize right away, but others I have not heard that much about. Over the next few days, I am going to see what I can find about each show nominated for Best Musical and Best Revival of a musical. That way I can give you my outlook about what I think the best shows are. Hope you enjoy!