Step One, Kick, Turn

I have been a Broadway baby as of late. I have seen 3 shows in recent weeks with a fourth to come soon.

First up was Twyla Tharp's interpretation of Bob Dylan's music, "The Times They are A-Changin'". I was a huge fan of her last show, "Movin' Out" featuring the music of Billy Joel. I am a Bob Dylan fan so hoping this show would be more of the same. Sadly, it was not.

Like Movin' Out, there was no dialogue, only dance. The theme of the show was the circus. I have a well documented fear of clowns and mimes, so when a plethora of clowns and mimes come on stage, I am a bit freaked out. But after a couple of songs, I am able to move past the clowns and move on. The story structure was very loose, so after awhile, I just tried to see it as individual choreography for each song. The dancing was fantastic and they cast were truly talented performers, just not enough to maintain a whole show. Some songs (The Times They are A-Changin', Mr. Tambourine Man) worked well in the Broadway style. Others (Maggie's Farm, Masters of War) did not. I guess the paying theatre-goers agreed with me, since the show is closing after only 23 performances.

A couple of days later I was back on the Great White Way to see a play by the Manhattan Theatre Club called Losing Louie. The "stars" were Cousin Larry from "Perfect Strangers" (Mark-Linn Baker) and the Guy Who Played Rory's Teacher In The First Season Of Gilmore Girls (Scott Cohen). It had a Noises Off-kinda feel to it. It involved two brothers coming to terms with their father's death and also flashbacks of the father's life. It was an enjoyable play...which has also closed.

One show that I don't expect to close anytime soon is the revival of the classic musical, A Chorus Line. I loved A Chorus Line and cannot recommend it enough. The cast, the music, the dancing, everything meshed and each number was better than the last. The only downside, is that there is not intermission in the 2 hour show. Squirming in my seat for the last half hour aside, it was well worth it. Stand-out's were Jessica Lee Goldyn's "Val" and Deidre Goodwin's Shiela. The show is so simple, yet does so much. Go see it, watch it and you'll thank me.

Quote of the Day:
"If you don't think it's fun to be able to submit an expense report requesting reimbursement for a golf club made from the sexual organ of a bull, then you frankly don't know what fun is." -Dave Barry