Critics Corner

Rent

2009-08-30T22:40:00.001-07:00

Rent
Presentation House Theatre
Saturday August 29th 2009

There were moments in this show that were a little much and a bit unnecessary! I think that that's just the way the show is!
The music and staging was very good though, and the guy who played Collins had the most AMAZING voice! I could listen to him forever! Actually whenever the boys sang together it was a beautiful sound! So tight and together.
I had to smile though! The guy playing Roger looked just like Rich and Angel was so like Alex! I don't think either would mind the comparisons!!!

Songs For A New World

2009-08-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Songs For A New World
The Pacific Theatre
Saturday August 22nd 2009

First, can I say that this was the best show that I have seen in YEARS! (With the exception of 'Hamlet' of course! But that's not really a fair comparison I suppose!)

'Songs For A New World' does not have a story, but is more a collection a songs that each stand alone - although musically they are all linked in a way. They are all about that one moment whether big or small that changes your life. Be it committing that crime that puts you in jail, or having a baby or not marrying that person or taking that step off a window ledge.
There are only 4 people in the cast and there was not a weak moment in the whole thing, everyone was spot-on. My favourite number was 'Just One Step', it was done sooooo well. I wish I could do it half as well.

One thing that made me sad was that there were only 20 people in the audience. I really felt for the cast. But for all that, it didn't seem to faze them in the slightest, and to be honest, it was nice in a way, made it feel incredibly intimate.

Suffice it to say, I loved it!

Mary Poppins

2009-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Mary Poppins
New Amsterdam Theatre - New York
Friday 24th July 2009

Yippee! I got to see this show at last! The last few times I have been in London I have tried to get tickets, but it was always sold out and then it ended and I was sad. But not anymore!
I am an English childcare worker, so I have to love Mary Poppins! After all, she is 'Practically Perfect'!
I did have a little trouble hearing all the words - blame it on my being deaf - but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially 'Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious'! Such fun :-) The voices were all great and the kite scene was awfully effective.

And she flew!

The Little Mermaid

2009-08-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Little Mermaid
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre - New York
Thursday July 23rd 2009

My first Broadway musical! Yay!
I remember being very excited when I first hear that this show was in the pipeline, and wondering just how it would be done, You know the whole mermaids tails, and swimming thing.
Well, I can tell you now!
The waves rose and fell depending on whether you were above or below sea level, and the mermaids / mermen all wore Heelies! So cool! I hadn't thought of that! I thought maybe rollerblades or rollerskates, but Heelies are soooooo much better! They even had adapted character shoes for wheels! Wow!
The tails were attached in such a way as to stand upright behind the actors when they were standing and if they lay down they looked just perfect! I am in awe of the brains of these people!!!!
Every actor was brilliant (The Prince was Drew Seeley!!!) but I thought the best of the lot was Flounder. Unbelievable talent :-)

Love

2009-08-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Love - Cirque Du Soleil
The Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas
Thursday July 16th 2009

I have to admit that in the past whenever I have seen movie clips of Cirque Du Soleil shows I have been a little freaked out by all the contortionists, but I decided that I would like to go anyway.
And wow! Am I glad that I did! It was AMAZING! We had front row seats and spent a lot of the time looking at the dancers arms and legs with jealous eyes! Soooooo fit! I guess you would have to be!
There was so much to look at I thought that my eyes would pop right out of my head :-) My favourite part was the most simple, the part when they re-enacted a spoof of the Abbey Road cover art! So funny!
The acrobatics aside (which there are not enough words to describe!) the costumes and sets were something else! They even had The Queen and red telephone boxes! I felt right at home with that and Beatles music washing over me :-) *happy sigh!*

Coldplay

2009-08-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Coldplay
G.M Place
Saturday June 20th 2009

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
FINALLY this day has come! It feels like I have been waiting for this FOREVER!!!!! Maybe because I bought the tickets over 4 months ago!
I bought them as a birthday present for LeAnne and we spent the whole waiting period building each other up about it soooooooo much! It was totally worth it though and they did not disappoint at all :-)
The support acts were Howling Bells, who were great - I really liked their sound - and Snow Patrol! I was very excited to see them and they were great, got the crowd up and dancing!
Then Coldplay came on! They were so great and sounded just as good live, as in the studio :-)
They sang almost their whole album plus their old famous stuff and even.....' I'm A Believer'! And we all know what that song means to me!
I was so happy when they fluttered butterflies down on us at the end! *big, big smiles!*

Les Miserables

2009-08-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Les Miserables
Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
Saturday July 19th 2009

For a very long time I have intended to go see this show. I have known all the music forever and have seen the 10th anniversary concert version, but never the official show, so when i heard that it was going to be performed by a group here, I just knew that I had to go. So I did!
I had a bit of a shock when I arrived at the theatre though. They were almost completely sold out! Huh! That's not supposed to happen! I ended up buying a ticket from a lady who couldn't use hers and even though it was cheaper than at the box office, it was more than I have ever paid for a ticket outside of London!
It turned out it was worth it though :-)
It was a very slick and professional production and Javert was exceptional! As was Val-Jean for that matter. It was great to see it staged in its entirety and it turns out my choreography was pretty close to theirs!!! I must be better at this than I thought!!!

Enchanted April

2009-08-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Enchanted April
The Metro Theatre
Saturday June 13th 2009

I made the decision to go see this play for two reasons. Firstly, the director is a member of the gym and she brought in flyers for us there, and secondly, the characters are all English (except one) and was curious to hear the accents!!! As it turned out, two of the actors were from England anyway! You could tell the difference, it has to be said!
It was good, and nice to see a play for once, rather than my usual musical extravaganzas! It is about two proper London housewives who decide to rent a villa in Italy to escape from their bleak marriages. It was a very sweet story and parts of it are still stuck in my head now - nearly 3 months later. 'Marvellous!'

Die Fledermaus

2009-08-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Die Fledermaus
The Metro Theatre
Saturday June 6th 2009

When I was out about a while ago I passed the Metro Theatre and saw that that night was the last night for 'Die Fledermaus'. So I decided to go there on the way home. As I always say, I would rather go see something on my own, than miss out just because no-one will go with me. As it turned out, I wasn’t on my own. As I was waiting in the lobby for it to start, in walked a girl I work with! So I sat with her. Very random!
Neither of us had been to an opera before, but as soon as they started playing the overture, I realised that I actually knew some of the songs, but had never realised what they were from. Some I had even heard English versions of so even though they sang in German I knew what was going on.
I actually really enjoyed it, and would definitely go to the opera again, although it was strange trying to read the sub-titles and watch the stage at the same time!

Burn The Floor

2009-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Burn The Floor
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Saturday January 10th 2009

Getting to see this show was a bit stressful! First, I nearly bankrupted myself buying all the tickets, then it rained and my hair frizzed, the belt of my white coat got stuck in the car door and subsequently was NOT white for long, then there was a hockey game on that night in the city so we got stuck in traffic and spent AGES looking for for a car park, which when we found one, was far away and I had to run to get to the theatre before curtain up. In high heels. *sigh*

Anyway.......for all that, the show was great! It made me wish I was in a position to dance again. I miss it so much.
It was all so slick and dramatic! Love it!
The bows got a bit 'Eurovision' though!!!!!!!

Guys and Dolls

2008-12-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

Guys And Dolls
The Gateway Theatre
Saturday 13th December 2008

I had the BEST time tonight!
This was the fourth time (aside from being IN it,) that I have seen this show, and it just keeps getting better!
It is just about the perfect musical and it has everything you could want. Great music, great lyrics and a great lib. And so funny too!
The cast was great especially 'Sarah', and her version of 'It I Were A Bell' was the best that I have ever heard it done!
I have to confess that I found myself saying all the lines along with the actors in my head. At least I hope it was just in my head!
Then to top off a perfect evening, it snowed on the way home! :-)

Christmas Concert

2008-12-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas At The Chan Center
The Chan Center For The Performing Arts
Sunday November 30th 2008

This concert was gorgeous!
It consisted of 8 different choirs, making a total of about 200 singers, plus accompaniment by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
It began with the conductor coming on-stage, turning to face the audience and conducting facing that direction. It was only then, that I realized that the people who I had assumed were ushers, (they had been showing people to their seats, to be fair!) were actually one of the choirs! There were about 15 of them (I think!) scattered around the auditorium, and they sounded FAB! The Chan Center was designed and built specifically to be the perfect acoustic venue. And you could tell!
I kept getting goose bumps and tearing up!!!
My favorite songs were all ones that I had never heard before. 'Ukrainian Carol Of The Bells', 'This Baby Boy', 'Jesus Child', and 'When He Comes Again'. Beautiful!
Another nice touch was that almost every song in Act 2, was signed to some extent. Sometimes by every singer - which looked cool!
As in most carol concerts, there was a chance for the audience to join in with a couple of the songs. So there you go! I sang with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra!!!
I also had the best seat in the house! Front row of the balcony, dead center and at eye level with the main bulk of the choirs!
Thanks Rachel! Very impressed!

The Drowsy Chaperone

2008-11-23T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Drowsy Chaperone
The Playhouse Theatre
Saturday November 22nd 2008

This show was very sweet.
I can understand better now, why it didn't do nearly so well during its West End run, as it did while it was playing on Broadway. It is so kitch and cutesy and I think that the British mentality reacts differently to that than the North American one.
Case in point, the Canadians that I was with LOVED it ( as did the rest of the audience judging by their imediate reactions and the comments they made on the way out ), whereas I was left rather luke-warm.
The voices of the majourity of the cast were not especially strong ( with the exception of The Chaperone ), but it was still an enjoyable evening.
I have to say though that 'I Don't Want To Show Off' was done much better by the girl in the Bournemouth Music Festival!
Having said that, the Man In Chair was FABULOUS! Perfect comic timing and he kept the whole thing flowing beautifully.

Hairspray

2008-11-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hairspray
The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts
Saturday November 22nd 2008

This show was soooo much better than I was expecting! Isn't it great when that happens?!
It opened with Tracy in a vertical bed, which was pretty cool, and just got better from there! Even though I was sitting right at the back of the balcony ( I am poor, remember! ) the view was fine, and I could almost imagine that it was the movie cast on stage!
In Act 1, the biggest cheer came on the line, 'Honey, you're beautiful, but I'm afraid that boys just ain't that bright!' , and in Act 2, the actors playing Edna and Wilbur corpsed on stage during their song and the show stopped for a few minutes to accommodate the giggles coming from both the auditorium and the stage!
At the beginning of Act 2, the conductor turned to the audience and got us all clapping along to the overture, which was cute as well.
All in all, it was a great show and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I especially enjoyed 'Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now' ( for obvious reasons! ) and I wish we had done it the correct way, with 3 girls and 3 mothers.
Ah well, you live and learn!