| Go see it | |
| Last Edit: mikem 11:20 am EDT 04/28/24 | |
| Posted by: mikem 11:18 am EDT 04/28/24 | |
| In reply to: Illinoise (back) on TDF - Delvino 10:32 am EDT 04/28/24 | |
|
|
|
| I saw Illinoise at the Thursday matinee, although it felt a bit like I was the only person in the place who actually paid for their ticket. The box office line (presumably to pick up the comps) was incredibly long, and it seemed like a lot of people weren't seated together but they knew each other. A lot of people coming by to say hi to others. Someone pointed out that, in order to be Tony-eligible, the show has to give the nominating committee a choice of 8 performances to attend before their meeting. Hence the four 2 show-days in a five-day period. I hope their box office picks up dramatically, because I really liked the show. It is extremely well-done and it tugs at your emotions. I think there will be some reluctance to award a dance piece Best Musical by some, though, so it will be interesting to see who things shake out. In any case, I think it's a sure-fire win for choreography and lighting. Ricky Ubeda is outstanding, and I think Daniel Radcliffe better not clear the space on the shelf for the Tony quite yet. I think the creators were very wise to generally have dancers with acting experience in the major roles, because it's not just about the dance. I think part of what appealed to me was the novelty of the piece to me. I don't go to dance pieces in general, and the last performance I saw that was similar was Movin' Out about two decades ago. For those who go to dance pieces, I imagine that this is bigger-budget than many shows, with a full set/lighting/costume changes and live music being performed with 3 singers and a band, but is the general concept unusual? I would imagine that most new dance pieces revolve around a pre-existing piece of music and often with a storyline, but I really don't know. I also felt like the choreography itself seemed unusual and interesting to this non-sophisticate, with what seemed like a lot of contorting of the torso and arms and less leg movement and moving around the stage, although the playing space is fairly small and may have dictated that. There's not a lot of leaping around the stage. But that may be just my impression, as opposed to something that is objectively true. (some spoilers) Gaby Diaz, who plays the girlfriend, is one to watch, and I would be so happy to hear her name on Tuesday morning as a nominee. She has a tricky role in having to appear sympathetic without being overbearing or maudlin, and she negotiates all that incredibly well. Even her simple shrug when she doesn't go off with them is so well done. My few quibbles: the show felt like it could have ended at least twice before it did. After the main story and its ramifications are over, the show keeps going with the ensemble when it doesn't have to until it gets to the final ending. And I found Ben Cook's artificial hair color a bit distracting, and it seemed wrong for the small-town boy he is playing. (Yes, this is an incredibly petty quibble.) I saw some rehearsal photos before the Armory run, and his hair wasn't as uniformly white. (Ricky Ubeda also had a mustache!) |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | Illinoise (back) on TDF - Delvino 10:32 am EDT 04/28/24 |
| Next: | re: My few quibbles: - Dale 11:44 pm EDT 04/28/24 |
| Thread: |
|
Time to render: 0.021254 seconds.