Next to Godot

I saw two shows this week on the great white way.

Next to normal. 

Now I saw this theater piece last year at second stage and I didn't really like it at all. I found it very disjointed, needing a lot of work. Well, the producer, writers, and director did something about it.  They reworked it and produced it out of town last fall in DC. I can't believe the transformation at the Booth Theater. The set is the same along with some costumes. The music is VERY different. Everything flows so much better. No longer that stupid grocery store number (although they talk about the incident). No longer that god awful closing to the first act, Feeling Electic (which was the original titles of the show). Gone also is Brian D'arcy James replaced by J. Robert Spencer who is just fantastic. He captures the stoic nature of the father not yet coming terms with the family loss. Alice Ripley was a thousand times better than I was expecting. I heard she was pitchy which was not so. The show I saw she nailed everything to the wall. My jaw dropped more than once on occasion.  I believed everything she did, especially when interacting with the father. She could easily win the Tony.  The daughter I saw and acted superbly. I particularly enjoyed he interacting with the boyfriend. He was really interesting. A great listener. Overall, I have to say that I wasn't moved to tears, though I know plenty of people who were. I was just sitting there appreciating the work and writing. The book was never too sentimental which could easily have happened. I'm curious just how many shows have been pretty terrible on first outing then get reworked and come back to town a success?  This show did just that.

I'm listening to Billy Elliott. I'm very excited to see this. Kudos to Elton John for writing a real live theatrical score. The music sounds like he actually gives a shit to the theatrical situation.  Based on Lestat and Aida, who new he could do that?

Also saw Waiting For Godot. What a fun play. It's a gift to see Nathan Lane on stage. He really is a remarkable comic. He does this business with a whip and I was in stitches. The relationship between him and Bill Irwin was so developed. You really believed they have spent their lives together waiting for Godot to finally show up. I thought maybe I would be bored by this play about nothing but I was captivated the whole time. Such a comment on the human condition. Just passing time waiting for something, anything to happen. What happens in the meanwhile is just life.  John Goodman was also very funny.  I'd love to see him play Falstaff.  John Glover is someone else I'd love to see in another play.  He embodied the part to a frightening degree. I look forward to seeing this play again in another context. It seems to me it can be done so many ways. I'm glad to see hysterically funny version.

Why can't I stop listening to Shrek, The musical?