Dreamgirls (The SOB Review) – Apollo Theatre, New York City, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)
Dreams don’t necessarily always come true, at least not in the way you hope.
But a partial realization is better than a complete pipedream going up in smoke. And so it goes not only with the lofty aspirations of Effie Melody White in
Dreamgirls, but also with the entertaining, if somewhat disappointing, revival of the musical itself.
When I learned that this show, one of my all-time favorite musicals, would be revived -- and at the
Apollo Theatre, no less, the fabled venue prominently featured in the tuner’s opening scene -- I began to fantasize about how a new stage incarnation could reclaim the collective consciousness of an audience whose memories of the original had been wrestled away by the decent, if dramatically different silver screen incarnation from 2007.
Director Robert Longbottom’s
Dreamgirls may have avoided stepping into the bad side in the most pejorative of senses. Yet it’s remarkable how many steps backward he’s taken via liberties with the vastly superior original book by
Tom Eyen, as well as making it seem a bit cartoonish.
Not only has a new version of the song “Listen” been lifted from the film version (this time sung as a duet between Effie Melody White and Deena Jones), but like the movie, this
Dreamgirls has unnecessarily shifted too much of its heart away from what should be Effie’s enthralling and supremely urgent story. In doing so, the irony is that Longbottom has nearly subjugated Effie to the type of supporting role her character rails against playing within the fictional Dreams.
There are flashes of brilliance in its hardworking cast to be sure, and they make
Henry Krieger and Eyen's score come alive. It should be heartbreaking to watch any rendition of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” Fortunately,
Moya Angela wells up with the requisite mix of anger and anguish to nearly make this the show-stopping tune it’s intended to be.
However, nearly all of this
Dreamgirls’ biggest flourishes come from the
giant LED screens that
Howard Werner has used in lieu of scenery. That’s not necessarily all bad as the dizzying array of displayed images provide an added texture to the proceedings. Unfortunately, it’s almost the single most electrifying aspect of the show, and all fingers point back to Longbottom
again for not investing more in his talented cast’s ability to move the story along with heart and soul.
The biggest exception here, and it is extraordinarily large, is
Chester Gregory’s astonishing, captivating turn as the fictional R&B pioneer, James “Thunder” Early. Gregory’s supporting performance is so electrifying that his breathtaking mega-wattage practically leaves those illuminated LED panels in the dark.
Longbottom’s slick choreography is serviceable, albeit a tad uninspired, much like his direction, leaving dreams dashed for those anticipating something truly unforgettable. At least this
Dreamgirls avoids devolving into a nightmare, and is more enjoyable than not.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.Labels: Apollo Theatre, Chester Gregory II, Dreamgirls, Moya Angela, Musical, New York City, Off-Broadway, Revival, Robert Longbottom, The SOB Review
Is Shrek Drek?With all the changes taking place for the upcoming Broadway tuner
Shrek - The Musical, no one would accuse you of being an ogre for wondering whether the show will be DOA.
Given the underwhelming
Variety review for the Seattle tryout, which stated:
It also has plenty of flaws, but none necessarily fatal ... (Brian) d'Arcy James and (Sutton) Foster are a delight -- separately and together... Sadly, the same cannot be said of d’Arcy James and (Chester) Gregory. For some reason, the grumpy-ogre-plus-pesky-sidekick formula ... falls flat here, not helped by the static staging of some of their scenes.... Or it could be that the role of the donkey would be better suited to a character actor than to a singer-dancer — even one as accomplished as Gregory. Gregory doesn’t fare much better with his other partner, the dragon, played sometimes by (Kecia) Lewis-Evans alone, sometimes by a phalanx of women, sometimes by a puppet and sometimes by a combination thereof.
it probably came as no surprise yesterday when
it was announced that Gregory and Lewis-Evans will not be transferring to Broadway with the rest of the cast, especially after the
Dreamworks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg admitted that critics' reviews had been "spot on."
Passing Strange's breakthrough
star
Daniel Breaker replaces Gregory (and suddenly the musical has become more appealing to me, a complete
Shrek virgin, who has never seen any portion of the film franchise). Lewis-Evans' role as the dragon is reportedly being substantially reworked.
As if that wasn't enough,
it had been previously reported that choreographer-director
Rob Ashford had been brought in "to provide 'a fresh pair of eyes.'" However, Ashford's presence has yet to yield an official credit.
Whether or not all of these changes will shore-up
Shrek remains to be seen. But given the overall
positive response I've had from many Seattle audience members, the upcoming alterations may very well make the difference between
Shrek success and
just another Young Frankenstein.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Brian d'Arcy James, Broadway, Chester Gregory II, Daniel Breaker, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Musical, Rob Ashford, Shrek The Musical, Sutton Foster
Broadway Preview: Shrek The MusicalI don't mean to be an ogre, but could it be that I'm the only living person who hasn't seen any of the
Shrek movies?
I'm not exactly sure why I never took them in, but the longer I've gone, the less interested I've become. Perhaps I've avoided them because I've been told that they're too smarmy for their own good, and I've never been able to shake that notion.
So it's against that backdrop that I find myself less than excited about the upcoming
Shrek The Musical, which already begins its
out-of-town tryout next month in Seattle at the city's 5th Avenue Theatre -- the very same venue that proudly launched
Hairspray six years ago.
The 5th Avenue Theatre describes their tryout:
This summer, the most beloved swamp-dwelling ogre of all time will make his theatrical debut in the World Premiere of Shrek The Musical, at The 5th Avenue Theatre. This all-new production is based on Shrek’s adventures in the classic William Steig book and Oscar-winning film. Joining Shrek on his journey from the swamp to the stage will be his wisecracking sidekick Donkey, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad and a chorus of everybody’s favorite fairytale creatures. With more layers than ever and a completely original new score, Shrek The Musical proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.
Shrek The Musical is due to land at the Main Stem's
Broadway Theatre in time for previews starting November 11, with an opening night slated for December 14.
Now, if there
is anything to get excited about, it's that
Jeanine Tesori (
Caroline, Or Change) is writing the music for its score. The fact that Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
David Lindsay-Abaire (
Rabbit Hole) is supplying the lyrics and book should also have me intrigued, but we all know what happend during his
previous musical effort. Knowing a thing or two about monsters is Tony nominated director
Jason Moore (
Avenue Q), who helms the show, yet the choreography comes from Broadway first-timer
Josh Prince. You see, everything I see as good is somehow tempered.
OK, another positive is that the criminally underused, Tony-nominated
Brian d'Arcy James returns to Broadway in the title role. Tony-winning actress
Sutton Foster will portray Princess Fiona; regular readers
will recall that it wasn't until my
fourth attempt to see her that she was actually performing in a show, but on the plus side, I thought she was incredibly talented when I finally saw her. Other cast members include the Tony-nominated
Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad,
Chester Gregory II as the Donkey,
Kecia Lewis-Evans as the Dragon and the Tony-nominated
John Tartaglia as Pinocchio.
Nevertheless, with the lackluster critical success of recent
film translations to the stage, along with some early
negative press already appearing in some important quarters, I'm left still feeling a bit like a bogeyman.
So, I ask you, dear readers. Should I bite the bullet and see the "Shrek" trilogy on film? Will it have me thirsting for the stage incarnation?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Shrek Seattle tickets.Click here for Shrek Broadway tickets.Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or... (Part III) (January 22, 2008)
Labels: Brian d'Arcy James, Broadway, Chester Gregory II, Christopher Sieber, David Lindsay-Abaire, Film, Jason Moore, Jeanine Tesori, John Tartaglia, Musical, Seattle, Shrek The Musical, Sutton Foster
