Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Sense & Sensibility World Premiere in Denver

Leave a reply

Wow, it was almost a year ago that I was listening to the music clips on the Sense and Sensibility the Musical website and was drawn into the show… Draw into it enough to want to see the production upon its arrival in Denver.

It has been a year and well… I did end up making that trip to Colorado specifically so I could see this production live. Don’t judge me.

First… the quickies:
– Acting: LOVE
– Vocals: LOVE
– Music / Orchestration: LOVE
– Set Design: LOVE
– Directing: LOVE
– OVERALL: LOVE!!!

I was seriously considering buying another ticket for the matinee production on Sunday but thought better of it.

But where to begin? Well to start the one thing I like is that there isn’t some massive ensemble in addition to the cast, there is a group of five to seven actors/actresses who help move the story along (a la A Little Night Music). Why five to seven? Because not only do they help move the story along, but some of them also play smaller parts in the production when needed:
– Lucy Steele
– Thomas (Dashwoods servant)
– Peter (London servant)
– Miss Grey (Willoughby’s bride)
– John and Fanny Dashwood
And others, but the above are the most “obvious” I would say.

Personally I didn’t notice when each of the above players were in the “ensemble” so to speak until much later in the production… which was a good thing… otherwise I would have to watch the show again just so I could see if I had missed anything.

Since this is my impression / review of the production itself I won’t go into detail about changes from the original novel… that is going to be a post in and of itself. However what I will say is this:

When it comes to the storylines of the Dashwood sisters the stage adaptation is fairly close to the novel (with a few changes here and there). When it comes to where a lot of where particular points of the storyline happens, there are far more changes that a total purist may not be too keen on, but for me being a purist… I find that the changes made were probably the best ones that could have been done.

But again that’s another post for another day.

Continue reading →

Review: VTG’s A Hatful of Rain

Leave a reply
Show: A HATFUL OF RAIN
By: Michael V. Gazzo 		Location: Wheaton Drama
Director: Jeni Dees

Now, let’s be honest, I really wasn’t planning on going to see this show at all… I didn’t have the time (all things considered) and I didn’t want to watch a post-war drama about soldiers living with PTSD and trying to survive. Why? It’s not because I’m heartless… it is because I have seen and read many of those stories from friends who were deployed and their extended circles.

But since a friend of mine wanted to go… I carved out a timeslot in my crazy schedule and went with her.

So… this was an interesting show, tugs at the heartstrings at moments… though in a different way and there are moment that are so comedic that you can’t help but laugh.

However at the core of it all is the young man from war who has been hiding a drug addiction from all those who love him except one.

First the quickie thoughts:
Acting: Like
Staging: Like
OVERALL: Like

So what now? What is there to say?

This story of a young man who was terribly injured in the Korean War provides a look at drug addiction through the eyes of society in 1955, and how it can tear a family apart or bring them together. This emotional drama can be related to soldiers of today with PTSD.

Yeeeeaaaah.
Continue reading →

Review: Profiles Theatre’s The Dream of the Burning Boy

Leave a reply

Yes, another Profile Theatre production, and yes I went to go and see it… why make the trip? Because, first and foremost I am a friend, and as a friend I make sure I support (a select number) my friends in their endeavors…

So since one of my friends happens to be filling in as understudy for one of the leads of Profile Theatre’s current production of The Dream of the Burning Boy… I made sure to squeeze in time in my crazy schedule to make a trip to see him with the original cast (though i suppose I would make the trip to understudy night as well but I digress).

Upon entering the “alley stage” of Profiles Theatre I was struck by the classroom setting and am immediately intrigued by the ambience and environment of a production I am walking in knowing nothing about.

Well considering that this is a matinee show (and as much as it pains me to say it) the pacing felt slow right at the beginning. This isn’t always the fault of the actors or the production team, because I find this to be an issue for professional theatre productions as well as on Broadway… matinee shows just don’t have the same kind of energy as the evening shows. Period.

From the Profiles Theatre website:

Since the sudden death of his favorite student, high-school teacher Larry Morrow has been falling asleep at his desk and dreaming. Steve, the school’s guidance counselor, hangs inspirational posters designed to help everyone “process their emotions” while the student’s sister and friends find little solace in their schoolwork. The Dream of the Burning Boy is a bittersweet story of choices made, opportunities lost, and finding the strength to move on.

That being said…

Continue reading →

Upcoming Reviews and Why Am I Behind in Posting…

Leave a reply

Why yes… I have been quite busy… busy doing a lot of things, seeing shows, going to conventions, listening to audiobooks… here is what is upcoming as soon as I find time to sit down and write them out:
LITERARY REVIEWS:
– Christopher Moore’s A Dirty Job
– The Blind Side and other related audiobooks to Michael Oher’s life
– Veronica Roth’s Divergent
– Kill Shakespeare Graphic Novel Vols 1 & 2

THEATRE REVIEWS:
– Kill Shakespeare: the staged graphic novel
– Priscilla Queen of the Desert: Chicago Tour Stop
– Catch Me if You Can: Chicago Tour Stop
– Big Fish: Pre-Broadway Engagement
– American Idiot: Chicago Tour Stop
– Anything Goes: Chicago Tour Stop
– Village Theatre Guild’s A Hatful of Rain
– Denver Performance Center’s Sense and Sensibility (Musical)

TRIPS:
– Fabletown and Beyond Convention in Rochester, Minnesota
– Disneyland / Disney’s California Adventure (from February)

Yeeeeeaaaaaah, I am a wee busy. Not to mention that I am also in another theatre production (on and off stage work) and have other blogging duties to catch up on….

At least you all will know why I’m a wee slow at the moment. 😉 Hopefully I’ll start picking at that mountain before it becomes too high.

Right.

Fleeting: Miss Saigon Characters (Wish List: Round Two)

Leave a reply

Last month, I started a character breakdown of potential major roles in a possible Miss Saigon adaptation of the musical for film and started with the non-Vietnamese characters and even included “The Engineer” into the round up.

Next up we have the Vietnamese characters which includes Kim, Thuy, and the callgirls from Dreamland… so let’s start with the elephant in the room: Kim.

Oh… and as a fair warning… I am going to be on a major soap box when it comes to Kim. So please just bear with me and humor me while reading this…

KIM
As mentioned in my original Miss Saigon Wish List, I will (personally) only be content with the casting of Kim iff (if and only if):

[…] The future production team of the Miss Saigon film takes a page from the Memoirs of a Geisha film production […] Although there is a lot of hype surrounding Jessica Sanchez and she has the blessing of Lea Salonga it will not work if the characters that are suppose to be Vietnamese natives are speaking near-perfect English.

How is that not appropriate? Well according to Kim herself:

I’m seventeen, and I’m new here today
The village I come from seems so far away

Not only that but when “The Engineer” introduces Kim to the other callgirls he also mentions:

Surprise!
I found this new girl, get her dressed
From the country untouched

She is fresh from the country where (for anyone that has ever been to Việt Nam) chances are high that her English is not only weak, but her accent is very strong. Granted… if EVERYONE in the film was one nationality (like how everyone in Les Miserables was French) I wouldn’t be jumping off the deep end with everybody have to have an accent or weak English… because everyone is from the same cultural background… in this case, we have two very different cultures colliding. What works for the stage isn’t going to work for film from my vantage point.

So what would I consider to be the most appropriate? Looking back at my original post:

A Vietnamese American, perhaps someone along the lines of Jacqueline Nguyen the believed first Vietnamese-American to ever play the role of Kim in Miss Saigon. If a touring production was able to find Jacqueline Nguyen there must be someone comparable or better if the net was tossed wide enough.

There are major Vietnamese communities in Chicago, Orange County (there is after a several block radius also know as “Little Saigon” there), and Texas. Tap into those areas… you’d be surprised with the results. Granted, considering that Memoirs of a Geisha did not cast the lead with a Japanese actress they did have a point as to why:

A director is only interested in casting someone he believes is appropriate for a role. For instance, my character had to go from age 15 to 35; she had to be able to dance, and she had to be able to act, so he needed someone who could do all that. I also think that regardless of whether someone is Japanese or Chinese or Korean, we all would have had to learn what it is to be a geisha, because almost nobody today knows what that means–not even the Japanese actors on the film.

Anyway… I’m getting off my soapbox.

THUY
He eventually becomes part of the Việt Minh, which would mean that his English could be pretty poor. Also he is most likely a Vietnamese national… not only that but according to the lyrics:

KIM
[…] We were promised at thirteen
The woman I’ve become is not the same

THUY
That promise made by your father I will claim when we win
To break a vow of your parents is worse than a sin

KIM
My parents got themselves killed in the week you changed side
If there were promises all of them died when they died

Typically country folk arrange marriages with their neighbors… and taking a similar approach as with Kim above there really isn’t much question as to how Thuy should be cast. Anyway… I am not touching that soap box.

CALLGIRLS: Gigi, Mimi, Yvette, Yvonne
How much do you guys want to bet that the callgirls’ names are no where near what their real names probably are? In any case there is a lot of flexibility that can happen with casting here. Yvette and Yvonne are French in original so they could be closer to “The Engineer” in the sense that they look Eurasian.

They all appear to have been part of Dreamland for quite some time, so their “mastery” of the English language is stronger than that of Kim’s or Thuy’s. However, their accents still need to be rather strong… though one could get away with them having a weaker accent than that of Kim’s and Thuy’s. It might even been their worthwhile to have Yvette and/or Yvonne to have more of a French accent since there were schools throughout Việt Nam where French was the primary language (how do I know this? I have family members whose primary education were in a French primary school… so don’t rail at me. :D).

Then again there isn’t much that we know of the callgirls of Dreamland, except for “The Movie in Their Minds” as it were, this could be rectified in the film with a couple of additional songs, or a reworking of the script / book… but really as long as they stay true to what I mentioned with Kim above and apply it to the callgirls (with a little more flexibility thrown in) it will be ok… for the most part.

So this is round two of the Miss Saigon Character Wish List… which all the main characters / players already mentions what’s left? Well I am sure you guys are curious as to what other parts could be available for the taking? In Miss Saigon Characters (Wish List: Round Three), I will personally take the time to look through the scripts I have on hand and point out cameos that are worth a look-see.

Until then…

Possibilities: After The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Leave a reply

For any and all fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice who were hooked on the online adaptation called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries the next question is now: “What’s next?”

Although the showrunner Bernie Su mentioned that there are a few ideas out there – but won’t say what exactly – it is up to the fans of web series to speculate what could work in a similar format.

If we are looking at specifically Jane Austen’s novels…

Continue reading →

Literary Review: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Leave a reply

This was probably one of the more unique ways of storytelling that I have seen in a very long time. Taking six seemingly independent short stories and tying them together where not only does one influence the next, but they all have common threads and tie-ins with one another… rather fun to see and watch.

Now… I know there is a film out there that was inspired, adapted from the book itself, but I haven’t seen it and I still have yet to decide if I really wanted to… so until then I will focus more on the short stories and what I liked and didn’t like… come to think of it lets my life easier and just do a quick list first:
1: The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing – Meh
2: Letters from Zedelghem – Meh
3: Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery – Love
4: The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish – Like
5: An Orison of Sonmi~451 – Love
6: Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After – Meh

So the second half of the post I would focus on those that I either liked or loved and those that got a “meh” I might go ahead and talk a little about them, but not really… mainly because they were just “meh” to me.

Anyway, the novel opens with a short story that goes into the past and continues until it reaches a particular climax when it then opens the next story in chronological order and stops when that hits the climax and rinse and repeat until the sixth story in the series when it goes uninterrupted until a moment in time when the action has ended and the protagonist (or relation thereof) goes back to the story, film, inspiration that drove some of the action in their particular thread and opens to the climax of the previous story and so on…. confused yet?

Well… let’s look at it from a numeric point of view:

first half of story 1 –>
first half of story 2 –>
first half of story 3 –>
first half of story 4 –>
first half of story 5 –> story 6 –> second half of story 5 –>
second half of story 4 –>
second half of story 3 –>
second half of story 2 –>
second half of story 1

It is like opening a book in the middle and placing another book in it and opening that in the middle and rinse and repeat for up to six books and then just read all six books straight through like that. A little disconcerting to be sure, but fun to me nonetheless.

So now let’s go into the short stories… shall we?
Continue reading →

Literary Review: The BDB An Insider’s Guide by JR Ward

After JR Ward completed the first six books in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series she took a “break” to write “An Insider’s Guide”, this includes not only a few interviews with the Brothers from BDB but also tips and notes as she wrote through the first six novels in the series.

  • Kicks and Giggles
  • The Brothers on the Board
  • Slices of Life from the Board
  • Question and Answer with JR
  • Time Line of the Brotherhood
  • Table of Abbreviations
  • The Old Language
  • The Brothers Interview JR
  • In Memoriam
  • Excerpt from Lover Avenged

    • Father Mine: A Novella of Zsadist and Bella and Nalla
    The novella caught my attention first, well considering it was the first thing in the guide is that really a surprised? For anyone that remembered Lover Awakened, between the end of the primary story and the Epilogue there was a period of time that was skipped. While snippets of this ends up being filled in over the course of the following three books (Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound and Lover Enshrined)… the piece that is missing is the period of time between the birth of Nalla and what happens in the Epilogue of Lover Awakened.

    What this novella does is not only fill in that missing piece of the timeline but ties it all back to what was already written in the epilogue and continuing for a moment thereafter. Although the novella focuses on how Zsadist comes to terms further with his past as a blood slave and how to approach his newborn daughter with that news… there are a few snippets here and there that ties in with a few of the other Brothers in the Brotherhood.

    When I first read / listened to Lover Awakened to the end, I felt that Zsadist had quite a bit story left in his, particularly when it came to his daughter. So I was rather pleased when I read this novella and realized that JR Ward did exactly just that and developed more of Zsadist healing period and confronting the demons when it came to his daughter. Now Lover Awakened made a lot more sense to me.

    Continue reading →

    Fleeting: Modern Adaptations of Old Classics (Jane Austen Edition)

    Leave a reply

    Much like how I did with various Modern Adaptations of Shakespeare’s Classics here is a quick list of various modernizations of Jane Austen’s novels that I have seen and appreciated on some level (so this is by no means a comprehensive list by any stretch of the imagination):
    EMMA
    Clueless

    PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
    Bride and Prejudice
    I Love You Because
    The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

    Now the interesting thing to note is that I actually did a little bit of research about this and realized that out of six of Jane Austen’s novels only two have been modernized and adapted whilst still keeping the intergrity of the primary storyline and the majority of the characters.

    Rather odd if you ask me.

    Granted one of the major modernizations that most everyone would know about but I have yet to have seen would be Bridget Jones’ Diary. Now why haven’t I seen it? Simple, because all the clips and trailers I have found online haven’t lured me enough to have any kind of desire to watch the movie itself. It is simple not my cup of tea from what I have been able to see. Sad isn’t it?

    So since I have already devoted several posts to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries I am not going to touch that particular modern adaptation in this particular post, instead just focusing on the other three…

    Continue reading →

    Literary Review: Lover Reborn (Book 10) by J R Ward

    Probably one of the more tedious novels in the series. Lover Reborn is the culmination of the storyline of Tohrment’s grief over his beloved Wellsie’s death and how he attempts to move on by learning to not just let go, but truly let go.

    Before moving on, let’s look at the ninth cheat sheet about some of the players in this particular novel: Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 9
    – Black Dagger Brotherhood: Tohrment, son of Hharm
    – Hharm
    – Lassiter
    – Muhrder, son of Murhder aka Eliahu Rathboone
    – The Coffins
    – No’One
    – Story of Son

    Two new characters who will both play a significant role in dragging Tohrment out of his stupid includes the Fallen Angel Lassiter and the enigmatic No’One.

    Available Summary:

    Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment is a heartbroken shadow of the vampire leader he once was. Brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel, he fights again with ruthless vengeance- and is unprepared for a new tragedy. Seeing his beloved in dreams—trapped in a cold, desolate netherworld—he turns to the angel to save his former mate, only to despair at the path he himself must take to set her free. As war with the lessers rages, and a new clan of vampires vies for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between an unforgettable past, and a future that he doesn’t know he can live with… but can’t seem to turn away from.

    Continue reading →

    Literary Review: Escape and Triumph by Carolyn Jessop

    Leave a reply

    If there was one major difference between the life of Elissa Wall and that of Carolyn Jessop during their time in the FLDS it is that Carolyn is legitimately college educated and has worked as an educated in both the public school system and within the FLDS community at Alta Academy.

    Elissa did not get that chance of being able to learn all that she could from a public school system, she may have had a few years (if memory serves) but even then she may not have gone further than a high school education.

    Because of that significant difference, Carolyn by virtue of her background was able to discern the differences between her life before Warren Jeffs took over and after. Which is probably another major difference between the two women…. Elissa Wall throughout her life has only known of how life was when Warren Jeffs was in power (for most of it) while Carolyn has known how life in the FLDS was prior to Warren and probably during Rulon’s early years.

    Yes, I know that the above doesn’t make sense, but I am just writing / typing / blogging whatever is coming to mind at this point… so bare(bear?) with me.

    Continue reading →

    Review: Wheaton Drama’s Full Circle

    Leave a reply
    Show: FULL CIRCLE
    By: Erich Maria Remarque
    Adapted By: Peter Stone     		Location: Wheaton Drama
    Director: Sean Ogren
    Assistant Director: Suzanne Ogren

    Disclaimer: Before I begin I should warn you that there might be a bit of bias with this particular production from Wheaton Drama… and not in the sense that you may think. For me war dramas are rather difficult for me to look at (let alone be a part of) with any objectivity due to my own personal and familial connections with war. So bear that in mind as you continue onward with this particular post.

    So why the disclaimer? Simple, because this was not an easy show to watch for me, nor was it an easy show to think about let alone review.

    Other than the above disclaimer what other strikes was there in regards to this show? Well by virtue that I knew a fair number of the cast by either reputation, having worked with them before, or having seen them in other productions I already knew walking in what they could bring to the table.

    Take all that together in consideration and my expectations for this production and for the players in it and they are much higher than the norm for a community theatre production.

    So how did “Full Circle” from the cast and crew at Wheaton Drama fare?
    Acting: Love
    Set Design: Love
    Staging: Love
    Directing: Love
    Overall: Like
    Wait… wuh? Well allow me to explain… eventually.

    This was a very moving, very emotionally charged show. There is a lot going on when it comes to the human condition that will touch (and possibly provoke) the audience in different ways. Because this production is set in the point of view of the citizens / common man who don’t typically see the actual warfare, but are victims of the raids / bombings / etc… it open a window into the lives of these people in ways that media never could.

    These are the people that didn’t ask for war, didn’t ask to hide in bunkers as the sky showers with explosive devices. These are not the people that want to stay inside earlier and earlier everyday because it is too dangerous to walk out on the streets. These are not the people that wanted their lives to be disrupted or asked to live in constant fear and paranoia as to who is a friend / family / foe. But… to even understand any of the above… this is a production that must be seen. Because honestly, nothing I can say would do this production justice, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.

    What really set the stage from the get-go was the director’s (Sean Ogren) intention of making sure that everyone spoke with an (authentic as possible) accent, be it German or Russian… depending on their character. While most everyone did a respectable job, I felt that Lauren Filip – who portrayed the sometimes oblivious, sometimes annoying, and but 100% self-indulgent Grete – was the most authentic.

    Don’t ask me why, seeing as my own accent (Asian or otherwise) do need work… but Lauren’s German accent felt and sounded the most realistic and natural as if she spoke German regularly.

    Another aspect of the production that was above and beyond was the set design and scenic art as done by R J Ogren. He truly knocked it out of the park from the skyline of the near-ruins of Berlin, to the feel of the inside of the apartment.

    But you’re not here to read about the accents/dialects or the set/scenic design… you really want to know about the show don’t you? Well if the above scorecard isn’t enough…

    Continue reading →

    Review: The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn Part Two

    Leave a reply

    Ok… I am going to admit, the main reason that I wanted to see this movie was because of the fight scene. The one scene in the movie that is blatantly not in the book. I know when I read the book (and yes I will admit to reading the book, no shame in that… much) I was supremely disappointed that there was no battle, just one massive chess match. Especially since Alice had a vision that showed that some number of the Cullens (if not just Edward and Bella) and other vampires would not survive the Volturi’s visit in some capacity.

    I wanted to see how that would have played out, who would have survived as well as how and who did in the battle?

    What we know from the books:
    – Jacob and Renesemse survive
    – Bella and Edward die
    – Other members of the Cullens die

    That’s about it… Well not really.

    Later in the novel (towards the end to be exact) Edward mentions his theories as to why and how the Cullens and company survive. His speculation was that Bella defensive shield was enough to throw Aro and the Volturi off to the point that battle was more than evenly match… Edward admitted that the Cullens and company would have sustained heavy losses but so would the Volturi. If there is anything that Aro hated it was losing… in any capacity.

    After watching the film, I finally decided that the best bit of the series was the faux-battle scene that happened. Yes it was just a future that Alice saw as long as Aro continued on his path to destroy the Cullens, but still that was one damn fun battle to watch.

    So what actually happened in the battle?

    Continue reading →

    Literary Review: Lover Unleashed (Book 9) by J R Ward

    Leave a reply

    Ah yes, the ninth book in the series dives further into the vampire lore, in particular Vishous’ background and past when tied to his (unknown to him) twin sister Payne. Much of this information between brother and sister you could find in the Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet (Part 5)
    – Vishous, son of the Bloodletter
    – Payne
    – Dr Manuel Manello
    – Medical quirks
    – The Bloodletter

    One of the things I found myself thinking about this particular novel in the series was various similarities between this particular storyline and that between Vishous and his mate Jane Whitcomb in Book 5: Lover Unbound. In fact I may go so far as to say that a small part of me felt that this was like Lover Unbound only in reverse… but really that similarity is only drawn because the human mate happens to be a well renown doctor in both cases and that the vampire in both instances happen to be the offspring of the Scribe Virgin (the all mighty being of the vampire species).

    However, the similarities (for the most part) end there. Dr Manuel Manello has blood ties much closer to the vampire species than Jane does… though Jane knew who her husband was to be as a child even though she didn’t really understand it much as a child.

    Before I go on though:

    Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

    When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can – and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night – like vampires – he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

    As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide… just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

    Continue reading →

    Reflection: My love/hate relationship with war dramas

    Leave a reply

    I have a love / hate relationship with war dramas. I love them because I could relate to them… I hate them because I could relate to them.

    Confused?

    Well to start, later this week I will be going to see the Opening Night of “Full Circle” out in Wheaton Drama. Typically because of my bias towards war dramas I wouldn’t go, but since so many people I know personally were a part of the production, it would be a shame not to go.

    So as is typically for me I started thinking of how to start my inevitable post of my thoughts of this particular show when it dawned on me…

    I would not be able to create a completely unbiased opinion about a war drama. There is simply no way. It is not possible…

    Why is that?

    Because I am too close. Sure I may be a generation off, but by all respects I am technically too close to the emotions and lasting effects of what a war can do to a family, to a person, to a community that my expections for a war drama on stage (and don’t get me started about films) are crazy.

    Continue reading →