awakeWierd things:
-->What year is it supposed to be in (revival wise)? It gives a feel of the 1970s, yet the original show is 50 years old. The girls in the show go from pants-->skirt-->pants, and while the change makes sense in Act 2, it doesn't really make sense in Act 1.
-->Some of the lighting is awkward. This show can be done with non-moving lights and spotlights, as it is done in high schools. Don't really see why it has be so flashy.
-->Gina Gershon. Good actress. Bad singer...Is she in the show to be eye candy?
-->The "Sweet Apple, Ohio" bench is too Brechtian for this production. Give the audience some credit.
-->The moving platforms that have people being moved, where the people could be walking...it's like something out of The Jetsons
Good things:
--> The Train that is made so well it gives the illusion of a real train
--> The projections
-->Scene transitions are very smooth and exact
-->Sound is well done
-->Bill Irwin is well done
-->The stage crew does a great job
-->In 3 days, the show has lost 5 minutes to its run time, mostly due to tightening and re-blocking
-->The Ed Sullivan sequences help the new generation to understand at least something about who he was
-->The actor that plays Hugo is very convincing and a surprise
This is kind of like a review, but isn't really. Things are still changing over there. If one wanted to go, I would suggest not paying too much, as it plays as a really expensive high school musical. It is cute, and I know of many theatregoers who like cute things.
