Movin' Out
Last night, we went to see MOVIN' OUT, a dance/musical based on Billy Joel songs, with choreography by Twyla Tharp. I wasn't really sure what to expect - they've been running stupid ads on TV - the type where they interview Real! Live! Audience Members! after a show and everyone raves. Usually, those ads mean a show has tanked, and they're trying desperately to build an audience without spending any money.
I truly enjoyed the production - despite the fact that we were in nosebleed seats. Despite the fact that the very front of the stage was not visible from our seats. Despite the fact that the lighting designer neglected to consider our seats when designing Brechtian-alienation light cues with banks of brilliant lights set on Stun.
The story strings along Billy Joel songs, starting with Brenda and Eddie in "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - set in the early 60's - leading to Eddie and his friends Tony (Anthony from "Movin' Out) and the eponymous James, heading off to Vietnam to fight. I found the Vietnam scenes, and the returning-vet scenes to be truly emotionally affecting. The dance style was primarily Big Musical Dance Number; however, there were some beautiful, delicate ballet-ish pas de deux. Eddie had some *incredible* jump sequences and spin sequences, all conducted (intentionally) without a single straight vertical line for balance.
All in all - a good evening, made better because my expectations weren't sky-high.
There were lots of groups at the theater - large families of adults, groups of college-age-ish friends.
'Tis the Season!
Part of my enjoyment of the show was knowing the music backwards and forwards. I'm not a big music person; I don't know jillions of songs, and what little music knowledge I have stopped in the mid-80's. But I could have sung along with all-but-one of the songs in the show last night. Which albums do you know by heart?
Mindy, humming to herself today
I truly enjoyed the production - despite the fact that we were in nosebleed seats. Despite the fact that the very front of the stage was not visible from our seats. Despite the fact that the lighting designer neglected to consider our seats when designing Brechtian-alienation light cues with banks of brilliant lights set on Stun.
The story strings along Billy Joel songs, starting with Brenda and Eddie in "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - set in the early 60's - leading to Eddie and his friends Tony (Anthony from "Movin' Out) and the eponymous James, heading off to Vietnam to fight. I found the Vietnam scenes, and the returning-vet scenes to be truly emotionally affecting. The dance style was primarily Big Musical Dance Number; however, there were some beautiful, delicate ballet-ish pas de deux. Eddie had some *incredible* jump sequences and spin sequences, all conducted (intentionally) without a single straight vertical line for balance.
All in all - a good evening, made better because my expectations weren't sky-high.
There were lots of groups at the theater - large families of adults, groups of college-age-ish friends.
'Tis the Season!
Part of my enjoyment of the show was knowing the music backwards and forwards. I'm not a big music person; I don't know jillions of songs, and what little music knowledge I have stopped in the mid-80's. But I could have sung along with all-but-one of the songs in the show last night. Which albums do you know by heart?
Mindy, humming to herself today
Oh, I knew the entire album of Man of La Mancha by heart and sang it while tramping around europe, in 1972.
Since then, I listen to such a wide range of things, there is no single album I play straight through.
I find that when it comes to music, I'm either a completist (ie: have to own every single song/album recorded by a particular group), or a greatest hits dabbler (ie: all the usual songs by a group that get radio airplay).
Twyla Tharp