Review – Carmen Jones – Southbank Centre

Carmen Jones was … well, interesting but just not so great after Drowsy Chaperone the night before. It was real opera, with people doing pretty great singing to the original score’s song, as redone with new hip 1952 era lyric (“We’ll tell you your future/A lover or a moocher” as an example). Carmen herself needed dialect coach as she sounded too English to be an American black, and it messed up her character, who just came off as stuck up. The whole show was confusing, as no matter where it was set, there was no place in America where you can have Latin influence, Spanish architecture, an all-black Army force, and take trains to Chicago. Also, I am unfamiliar with a 50s era Black country club in Chicago. And I was tired, but somehow we made it through.

(This review is for a performance given on July 26th, 2007.)

Advertisement

Review – Drowsy Chaperone (London)

Drowsy Chaperone was a great show, played in a very meta-way with its commenting narrator and self-consciously zany, with great dancing, fun costumes, and silly songs. It was also short (no intermission) and got us home early. I’m a bit sorry I didn’t see it earlier in the run but the cast energy seemed really good and I’m planning on recommending people go see it.

(This review is for a performance on July 25th, 2007.)

Mini-review – Hothouse – National Theatre

The good part of my evening: we went and say Hothouse at the National. The script was great, lots of really fun dialogue that all read really well (none of that “What?” stuff except when I was going, “What was that about a duck?”) and a lot of good performances – well worth our 10 pound day seats.

Unfortunately as I had a crap day that’s all I have to say. Today can be summed up as “Pinter and morons.” I hate it when work makes me feel like drinking. All I had tonight was half a shot of Campari, though, and it was pretty nasty. Night, all.

(This review is for a performance that was seen on July 19th, 2007. It was migrated from another blog.)