Post by RockAus on Jan 19, 2004 10:15:03 GMT 11
Firstly, don't you just love when you see a show at the last minute! I had a friend down from Sydney and we just decided at 5:30pm on Friday night, we'd head into see The Full Monty! Love it! We had great seats too considering we bought them at 7pm! Stalls H 3-4.
I had heard this show was very musical theatre, which I didn't think would suit it at all... I suppose it was very MT, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
I felt that at times the show was dragging, surprisingly particularly when Matt Heatherington (Jerry) was carrying the scene. Matt blew me away in Hair, but this time, left me feeling a tad disappointed in his portrayal. He was making it look a little too much like hard work up there. Vocally, he was fantastic, his dancing was great and his acting was good, but he was just lacking the power he needed to have as the lead role. I agree with Julia that perhaps Matt needed to play the role this way or the effect of his character would be lost, but I just found him a bit boring in parts.
I also agree with Julia in relation to the characters Dave, Horse, Jeanette and Malcom. All four of these characters were fantastic, and were played brilliantly. Rodney Dobson (Dave) was the biggest surprise package for me, he played the role SO well. Milton Craig Nealy (Horse) bought the experience you would expect from such a seasoned performer. Val Jellay (Jeanette) was also fantastic, and bought such a charisma on stage when she graced it. David Harris (Malcom) bought tears to my eyes when he sang "You walk with me" with Paul Mercurio. He knew how to make the most out of every scene he was in, and had me believing the character Malcom really existed and wasn't just some guy on-stage acting out a role! (anyone who knows me knows this is VERY important when it comes to me watching shows!)
Paul Mercurio (Ethan) was great in his role, despite his character being less than spectacular. His comedic timing was perfect, his facial expressions when playing a man who couldn't dance were hilarious and then when he sang...man, I was surprised. He wasn't the strongest singer on-stage, but as I'd never heard him sing, I was rather impressed with his lungs!
I was also rather impressed with Michael Vietch (sp?) (Harold) He was cast perfectly as the "I'll do anything to keep my beautiful wife happy, but I won't work beneath what I'm capable of" man who believed he was just a little above the rest of the guys, but in the end comes round to be a team player. It's ridiculously cliche but fits well with the story line.
I feel that Scott Irwin was wasted in the role of Tony Giordano... you have such talent on stage...use him for more than a couple of lines people!?!?!
My favourite character/actor of all in this show was definately Richard O'Brien (Keno). He was hilarious, gorgeous, and a brilliant dancer. He made most of the women in the audience want to run up on stage and put money in his g-string to continue stripping! He bought the audience into a space where they could FEEL a part of the show, and believe they were in a strip-club (not that I've ever been to one, but that's what I felt, it was almost uncomfortable!)
The female performers in this show weren't going to let the men outshine them! Stand out performance was definatley Queenie Van De Zandt (Vicky). She was just ditzy enough, glamourous enough and caring enough in all the right places. During the final scene, Vicky is the character in the audience that really gets people revved up! The rest of the cast are there also, but Queenie doesn't drop her character once, she's looking up on that stage proud as punch of her husband! Absolutely brilliant.
Danielle Barnes and Maryanne McCormack were also fantastic. Maryanne carried the scene, where Georgie is baring her soul about her fears for her husband and relationship to Pam, brilliantly. She struck a chord with so many of the women in the audience and I even heard one woman behind me say to her friend "I know what she means!" It was great! Danielle Barnes is an amazing performer, however, I feel that her acting is at times a little one-dimensional. She played her character like she played "Nicky" in "Oh What A Night", only with better clothes, and older. Vocally though, Danielle is great, and well-cast for this role.
Deone Zanotto was aslo good in her role, however her character wasn't very strong, and was very similar to characters she's been playing recently in "Oh what A Night" and "Footloose". That doesn't take anything away from her ability, but as far as the characters she is constanty given, I fear she's rather type-cast now as the loud, bubbly, ditzy young girl with a Bartuccio smile. She's capable of SO much more (as anyone who saw her in Fame would be able to say).
Laura Fitzgerald left a lot to be desired. Minimum lines given with minimum effort. Could have just been an off night, but when you look people like Scott Irwin and Deone Zanotto who make the most of the little time they have on-stage, I think she could have given more.
Overall, the show is very true to form in comparison to the movie, however if you expect to be hearing great English accents like the movie, you'll be bitterly disappointed as the stage-show is set in Buffalo, USA not England. I doubt anybody would say they were disappointed with the show, but I also don't think it's going to be a 'favourite' of mine, or many of the people I know. It's just a really good fun night out. Very cleverly written and directed, and you're guaranteed to have a good laugh! I'd recommend it to people of all ages!
Now this is far too long, so I'll leave it there!
I had heard this show was very musical theatre, which I didn't think would suit it at all... I suppose it was very MT, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
I felt that at times the show was dragging, surprisingly particularly when Matt Heatherington (Jerry) was carrying the scene. Matt blew me away in Hair, but this time, left me feeling a tad disappointed in his portrayal. He was making it look a little too much like hard work up there. Vocally, he was fantastic, his dancing was great and his acting was good, but he was just lacking the power he needed to have as the lead role. I agree with Julia that perhaps Matt needed to play the role this way or the effect of his character would be lost, but I just found him a bit boring in parts.
I also agree with Julia in relation to the characters Dave, Horse, Jeanette and Malcom. All four of these characters were fantastic, and were played brilliantly. Rodney Dobson (Dave) was the biggest surprise package for me, he played the role SO well. Milton Craig Nealy (Horse) bought the experience you would expect from such a seasoned performer. Val Jellay (Jeanette) was also fantastic, and bought such a charisma on stage when she graced it. David Harris (Malcom) bought tears to my eyes when he sang "You walk with me" with Paul Mercurio. He knew how to make the most out of every scene he was in, and had me believing the character Malcom really existed and wasn't just some guy on-stage acting out a role! (anyone who knows me knows this is VERY important when it comes to me watching shows!)
Paul Mercurio (Ethan) was great in his role, despite his character being less than spectacular. His comedic timing was perfect, his facial expressions when playing a man who couldn't dance were hilarious and then when he sang...man, I was surprised. He wasn't the strongest singer on-stage, but as I'd never heard him sing, I was rather impressed with his lungs!
I was also rather impressed with Michael Vietch (sp?) (Harold) He was cast perfectly as the "I'll do anything to keep my beautiful wife happy, but I won't work beneath what I'm capable of" man who believed he was just a little above the rest of the guys, but in the end comes round to be a team player. It's ridiculously cliche but fits well with the story line.
I feel that Scott Irwin was wasted in the role of Tony Giordano... you have such talent on stage...use him for more than a couple of lines people!?!?!
My favourite character/actor of all in this show was definately Richard O'Brien (Keno). He was hilarious, gorgeous, and a brilliant dancer. He made most of the women in the audience want to run up on stage and put money in his g-string to continue stripping! He bought the audience into a space where they could FEEL a part of the show, and believe they were in a strip-club (not that I've ever been to one, but that's what I felt, it was almost uncomfortable!)
The female performers in this show weren't going to let the men outshine them! Stand out performance was definatley Queenie Van De Zandt (Vicky). She was just ditzy enough, glamourous enough and caring enough in all the right places. During the final scene, Vicky is the character in the audience that really gets people revved up! The rest of the cast are there also, but Queenie doesn't drop her character once, she's looking up on that stage proud as punch of her husband! Absolutely brilliant.
Danielle Barnes and Maryanne McCormack were also fantastic. Maryanne carried the scene, where Georgie is baring her soul about her fears for her husband and relationship to Pam, brilliantly. She struck a chord with so many of the women in the audience and I even heard one woman behind me say to her friend "I know what she means!" It was great! Danielle Barnes is an amazing performer, however, I feel that her acting is at times a little one-dimensional. She played her character like she played "Nicky" in "Oh What A Night", only with better clothes, and older. Vocally though, Danielle is great, and well-cast for this role.
Deone Zanotto was aslo good in her role, however her character wasn't very strong, and was very similar to characters she's been playing recently in "Oh what A Night" and "Footloose". That doesn't take anything away from her ability, but as far as the characters she is constanty given, I fear she's rather type-cast now as the loud, bubbly, ditzy young girl with a Bartuccio smile. She's capable of SO much more (as anyone who saw her in Fame would be able to say).
Laura Fitzgerald left a lot to be desired. Minimum lines given with minimum effort. Could have just been an off night, but when you look people like Scott Irwin and Deone Zanotto who make the most of the little time they have on-stage, I think she could have given more.
Overall, the show is very true to form in comparison to the movie, however if you expect to be hearing great English accents like the movie, you'll be bitterly disappointed as the stage-show is set in Buffalo, USA not England. I doubt anybody would say they were disappointed with the show, but I also don't think it's going to be a 'favourite' of mine, or many of the people I know. It's just a really good fun night out. Very cleverly written and directed, and you're guaranteed to have a good laugh! I'd recommend it to people of all ages!
Now this is far too long, so I'll leave it there!