Fwd: A Christmas Carol

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

Here's a review of A Christmas Carol (and some other things) from 
another list:

>>
>>Okay folks, I'm back from the great north country.  The show's great.  
>>Go and see it.  
>>
>>Here's how the trip went:
>>
>>Got into NYC on Friday evening and met some friends for another show, 
SWAN LAKE (the modern retelling with a gay prince), which was very 
creative and interesting.  Funny--I went to London and saw an American 
show, and then I go to NYC to see this British thing.  Anyhow, I'd 
recommend it, too, even for non-dance fans.  It was half-way a comedy 
and half-way quite dramatic.  So now I'm in love with the swan, this 
lovely creature who showed up at the ball dressed all in black leather. 
<grin>  Uh-hem.  Back to the subject at hand.
>>
>>Slept well.  Tried to connect with Kathy and Gill for breakfast, but 
>>when they called, my hotel denied knowing me.  By nine o'clock I'd 
>>decided it was getting late, so went to the theater and sure enough, 
>>caught them going in.  (Great to see you, gals!)  Went to Macy's and 
>>bought Christmas stuff.  Dumped it at the hotel and then got back to 
>thetheater in time for the afternoon show.
>>
>>It's a mob scene.  The place seats 5400 (I asked).  Hmmm.  It's not 
>much figuring to arrive at the fact they're making a lot of money here.  
Say they average maybe $30 a head.  Not bad.  But then they do have some 
overhead.  The set wraps around the front of the theater all the way to 
about three-quarters back.  The very last of it has lighted windows with 
silhouettes, but closer to the stage there are stairs and apparently 
space behind where people can lean out the windows and come out the 
doors.  The house fronts on stage swing open to reveal the interiors.  
Great lighting effects and snow that falls on the audience.  My seat is 
really too close to the front--I'd rather be back a little further--but 
it was impossible to explain that to Ticketmaster when I bought the 
ticket.  I'm close enough to feel the vibration when the dancers jump 
and to catch all the nuances of expression.  
>>
>>So Roger's doing a great job.  I might have a couple of picky little 
>>comments, but on the whole it's outstanding.  Somebody on another list 
complained that he's wearing so much make-up as to be unrecognizable, 
but that's not it--it's the characterization that does it.  His Scrooge 
is something of a caricature--a few stock expressions, very cute and 
entertaining, and he's also very dynamic--he stays on the move (except 
for a couple of spots--the picky comments).  He doesn't do that much 
singing until near the end of the show, but when he does, it gets 
serious.  That was a very interesting comment he made on the Conan show, 
about refusing to sing in the Broadway style.  The difference is really 
obvious here, very noticible since he just mentioned it.  The Broadway 
style is sort of mincing and nasal, and lends a superficial effect (I 
think).  Roger means to get to people, and he does.  The music seems to 
be written in baritone range--pretty low--and he's got a tight lid on 
the volume, so you get a really nice resonance.  Especially great effect 
with Roger singing harmony to the kids chorus, all these sweet, piping 
soprano voices.  There should have been more of that.  
>>
>>They have some entertaining technical problems in this particular 
show. Scrooge's headstone is supposed to rise up out of the stage in 
this grand effect and it won't.  Roger and the ghost just ignore it, and 
Roger continues into the major solo of the show.  Meanwhile, back 
behind him, there's all this thrashing, and the headstone goes up a 
ways, comes back down.  Various arms and hands appear over the edge.  
Finally a tech marches out from backstage, clad all in black, wearing 
headset and utility belt, and takes charge of the thing.  Some guy in 
costume helps out with the cables, and right in the middle of the song 
the thing goes up.  Gets a nice round of applause, which fails to rattle 
Roger (he's missed the whole thing)--he just blinks and goes on.  They 
have a finale and Roger rocks back a little and jacks up the 
volume--it's easy to hear him above the whole cast.  Then for the 
curtain call, the characterization is all gone, and it's easy to see 
Roger, clear as day, through make-up, costume and all.
>>
>>Then I have a choice between the Metropolitan Museum and seeing the 
show again.  Hmmm.  Well, since I was so close, I didn't get a good look 
at the whole thing, so I buy another ticket for the evening and sit in 
the back this time.  I can't see the facial expressions now, but the 
body language still looks great.  I can see all the special effects, and 
the headstone performs dramatically.
>>
>>From the Conan interview, it seemed Roger was a little worried about 
defying the Broadway style convention, but I don't really think he's 
got a problem.  Here's how it goes: there this guy sitting next to me 
this time who's obviously been dragged to the show.  He fidgits and 
squirms, checks his watch, makes a run for popcorn, sighs a lot.  He's 
hardly looked at the stage once.  So then Roger starts that solo, and 
suddenly the guy's paying attention.  All those other singers and 
dancers are just fluff, but Roger's delivering the real thing.  <grin> 
This guy didn't even realize he'd been hooked.
>>
>>I've read in the Newsweek that limited run shows are the coming 
thing--Broadway producers have noticed they can sign big stars for 
short term engagements.  What an idea, huh?
>>
 

>>
>>
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