There is that moment, when the house is dark and just before the curtain rises, that sends a small shiver down your spine. Let's capture that moment together!
Lights dim, the curtain goes up. Suddenly, we are transported into the imagination of a playwright and actors we do not know! The stage is set for magic and fireworks.
Showing posts with label based on a film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label based on a film. Show all posts
Cheerleading is not a philosophical endeavor. We get that. But it should have plenty of verve.
"Bring It On, The Musical," at the St. James Theatre for a limited run through October 7th, wants to make absolutely clear that it is a physically demanding activity.
The cast of "Bring It On" (C) Photo by Joan Marcus
In fact, Campbell (Taylor Louderman) narrates the facts of her life as she becomes the captain of the Truman pep-squad, introducing the predictable power points that describe this spirited pursuit and the dedication with which she pursues it. Complications follow when Campbell is transferred to Jackson High in a stroke of redistricting. At Jackson, Campbell meets Danielle (Adrienne Warren) the leader of a dance crew.Will she triumph and find her "One Perfect Moment?"
Taylor Louderman, Neil Haskell, Kate Rockwell, and Janet Krupin (c) Photo by Joan Marcus
The songs (by the usually brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In The Heights" was terrific) who teams up with Amanda Green on lyrics and Tom Kitt for the music) narrate a dull recitation of the lives of girls determined to win a state championship in rallying. Jeff Whitty has created a libretto based on the 2000 movie written by Jessica Bendinger to take "Bring It On" to the stage.
Adrienne Warren and cast. Photo (c) Joan Marcus
Once there, even with propulsive rally-squad moves and togh hip-hop inflected dancing (choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, who also directs), "Bring It On" dies a thousand deaths. Stereotypes abound: the black girls (and guys) are cool, the white girls vapid. Campbell's boyfriend Steve (Neil Haskell) is pretty effectively channelling his inner Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd from "Cheers." Despite the paucity of interesting characters, Adrienne Warren as the head of the Jackson dancers, and Ryann Redmond as the fat girl, Bridget, are both quite charming.
Gasps of admiration at girls tossed into the air and landing gracefully quickly dissipate in the general dumbing down. Unfortunately dumbing down seems to have risen to a competitive sport in this musical. Aiming squarely for the lowest common denominator, "Bring It On" hits its target.
This is an update since we had a chance to give "Dogfight" a second look!
For some, cruelty is a birthright. For others a rite of passage.
"Dogfight," the new musical playing at Second Stage Theatre through August 19th, doesn't examine the fine points of meanness and callousness. It does offer an improbable, or on second peek moving, redemption for Eddie Birdlace (Derek Klena.) Rose Feeney (Lindsay Mendez) sees past the ugliness of his actions and his physical good looks.
In "Dogfight," with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Peter Duchan based on the 1991 indie film of the same name, male bonding is mostly abusive and nasty. The girls, like Marcy (Annaleigh Ashford) and Chippy (Deirdre Friel, who also plays a number of other cameos) and even Rose are either victims, or just wanna have fun. Eddie and his pals, Boland (Josh Segarra) and Bernstein (Nick Blaemire), the three Bs, are marines on the eve of shipping out. Their destinaton is Vietnam.
This last night in San Francisco is for them to have "Some Kinda Time," as the opening number suggests. The songs are not unpleasantly generic '60s style pop, maybe with a bit of an edge to match the subject matter. The acting is good, particularly Derek Klena and Lindsay Mendez as the leads, and Annaleigh Ashford's Marcy is tough as nails and terrific.
"Dogfight" is about insensitivity and heartlessness. Why are we not championing the women these marines treat so badly? It seems like we should be more concerned. The story line while both disturbing and satisfying, still manages to be bland. "Dogfight" uses the familiarity of its musical style, the dancing, and the wrap-around sets of staircases and catwalks, designed by David Zinn, to bolster the weakness of its plot.
So, about that second look: "Dogfight" was much more engaging the second time around. Its central characters were touching and its storyline was poignant. Even the music flowed better and was more interesting.
