Hello my pretties. How are we all this fine day?
Good? Well it’s just about to get a hell of a load better
with this new stream of information I’m about to throw your way! That’s right
prepare yourselves. Emotionally. Mentally. Physically. And most important of
all, Rock-ally.
At the beginning of the week I was lucky enough to head off
to New York City…I’ll give you all a moment or so to be jealous…
…
…
Right that’s enough time! Now being a teenage Brit there is
plenty to get excited about, from the Statue of Liberty (the geek in me) to
Times Square (the teenager in me) but thing that was the make or break deal for
little ol’ moi was the Broadway show. Okay so you go into a situation with
fairly high expectations so you kinda expect to be let down a tiny bit right? I
mean you’ve placed whatever it is that your heart desires on some high pedestal
almost so high that you can barely see it. That has a lot to live up to am I
right? Well what if I said this particular thing exceeded that pedestal? That’s
right. Blew even me out of the water with it’s sheer epic-ness. Impossible?
Well I’m here to tell you that that is in fact possible!
Back to me for a brief moment…me stealing the lime light
from a review/story? This never happens! (looks briefly away avoiding all eye
contact)…ANYWAYS back here at home I had been waiting…somewhat…patiently for Rock
Of Ages to reappear in the wonderful world of the West End, but when I
was told I was able to choose the Broadway production in which we were going to
see, can you imagine how excited I got when I saw that the show was being
reintroduced in New York? I know bless my little cotton socks!...want to know
something ironic? As soon as I booked these tickets the West End decided that hey we’re going to put Rock of Ages on again
here! I know right! Typical!
I may have been born in the 90’s but my heart definitely got
lost somewhere between the 70’s and 80’s so this production is more than my cup
of tea to say the least.
Okay going slightly on a tangent let’s stop that before I
end up completely off-road. So like I said, this show was a major deal breaker
for me, so no pressure my little acting friends. But like I said, the show was even better
than I could have imagined. If you’ve seen the film…which I’m sure most of you
have, if you haven’t where have you been? Under a rock?!...then forget it.
Personally one of the most favourable things about the stage production is how
different it is from the film. Don’t get me wrong I love the film, but through
changing aspects it made them impossible to compare completely…although won’t
lie I have to say that the stage production outweighs my love for the
film. Pretty much all that is the film
and stage production have in common is the characters, overall outcome, setting
and music. The only major thing that was altered was how the characters get
from A to B, most of the known attributes are there, just individual character
stories take slight detours.
Warning this next section may sound like a list of names and
bullet points thrown together, but there are specific people that I think need
recognition for this production at the Helen
Hayes Theatre, so I apologise for any jolted reading style!
Beowulf Boritt’s
set was remarkable. Throughout the entire production the set stayed almost the
same, with two sections coming out to open the audience to almost a side story
e.g. the men’s room of the Bourbon Room opening into Mother’s office. What’s
more, this set was always under the eye of the audience. A curtain never came
down. The audience are witnesses to everything that goes on and off that stage
from the very beginning to the very end.
All the people behind the stage from directors to costume
designers, their works can not really be faulted. The set and costumes and how
it all flowed together make the play seem appropriately realistic, with the
rock and roll dream-like hazy…or maybe that was just all the hairspray and
smoke of the 80’s…who really knows hmm?
Now for the particular production I went to see, Costantine
Maroulis returned as the protagonist Drew. Honesly there is no one more perfect
for this role. Maroulis manages to add the rock and roll edge whilst still
maintaining a teenage…awkward yet charming…quality about his character. He
manages to let the audience love his character for all his traits, both good
and bad, and ultimately it is his personal journey that they are carried away with.
After all who can resist a struggling musician, with one driven dream and an
awesome taste in music?!
Another character that really had me was Genson Blimline as
Lonny. In the film this is Russell Brand’s character, but again Blimline’s
performance any day! Not only was it his characters role to play both an
included part but also acts as a narrator to help the audience through the
above mentioned haze. What’s more, he managed to keep his humour universal,
there was only one USA specific joke that was soon made clear shortly after, to
me that is both good writing as well as good acting. As soon as you lose an
audience member nine times out of ten they are impossible to get back. One line
that has been stuck in my head, and probably the most iconic for me was
(knowing my luck I’m going to quote this wrong now…ahhh well!):
You think I’m happy
being in a play about poop jokes and Whitesnake songs?
…
HELL YEAH I AM! I LOVE
WHITESNAKE
Still makes me chuckle!
Moving swiftly on as I aware that I am running out of time
to write this! Not that any of you are aware, after all why would you know my
schedules? If you have an answer to that question, it would be much appreciated
if you kept it to yourself…thank you very much!
Last, but certainly by no means least because there are so
many other actors and behind the scenes production people…that I want to
mention but I think this blog would run out of space before I was through…
Anyways, Frankie J. Grande’s performance as Franz had to be
my favourite! How can you not love his character?! He is funny and can sing,
and let’s face it he’s just full out adorable! This type of character I find is
very easy to go wrong with, you can so easily be too extravagant or
too…plain?...with it, but Grande manages to give it the appropriate amount of
flair and colour.
The session musicians. My hat goes off for you. Sure 80’s
rock isn’t no Beetoven, but I’m not sure people realise how much it takes to
perform with all the energy that is necessarily required…after all that era is
made up of 50% music, 20% hairspray, another 20% the look (glitter, make up,
leather and tight clothing) and 10%...well lets keep that 10% as censored okay?
So did this make my trip?
HELL YEAH IT DID!
See what I did there aye? Aye?
Now I’m back in good ol’ Blighty. One thing I’m going to
greatly miss is that production as I could just watch it again and again and
again and again without getting bored and finding it equally as funny!
Next task is to see the West End version, because if I can’t
see the Broadway version again due to a 9 hour flight across seas, then I’ll
have to make do with the next best thing.
If you are playing on visting New York, or live near there,
or have something like £1000 to spare for a trip over I highly recommend this
production! And you know I’m 99% right about this kind of thing…don’t question me
just go with it!
For now,
Rebel Yell
No comments:
Post a Comment