Now, before you go writing me off, hear me out on this one!
I suppose it's my own fault for seeing it sooo late in the game. I mean, it closed today after a fourteen year Broadway run. However, I don't think a show's quality should suffer just because its imminent demise is mere performances away. I think, buried in what I saw last night, there is a brilliant show. When it first opened, I have no doubt that it was a sparkling, bubbly, beautiful piece of theater. But, as is, it's...well, it's time to put the poor thing out to pasture.
Beauty and the Beast
The good things included the set, the spectacle, the wardrobe character...and that's about it. The Beast was abysmal. Just awful. He did this one thing in the first real interaction between Belle and Beast that was just...unforgivable. Childish and awkward and completely-out-of-character. It was the type of thing that's done superficially and only for a laugh and it was all wrong. From that point on, it was nearly impossible for him to recover, in my eyes. The supporting cast was ok, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts...all serving their purpose without much cause for complaint or praise. Belle was a decent singer, but her speaking voice was oddly hushed and deep and she played the role without much girlishness or spark. It was uninspired, by-the-numbers, "I move here because the director told me to" sort of acting. A disappointment. And the ensemble seemed to have completely checked out. There was no power or energy behind their singing whatsoever. The dancing was decent, but they all seemed over it. I won't even start on Maurice. Eesh. Gaston was...ok.
But then there are the problems I have just with the show. Now, as I've said, I've never seen the show before, so I'm sure I would have appreciated some of this when I was younger and the performance quality was a bit higher, but what a cheesefest. The film is beautiful. It's at once haunting and thrilling and absurd and lovely. It's a nearly perfect film, if you ask me. And it's a cartoon! The problem with the stage show, I think, is that in trying to turn a cartoon into a stage musical, they upped the slapstick, one-liners, and kiddy humor considerably and came away with a product with much less integrity than the source material. It's a shame. I guess it might just be the difference between the mediums. It's hard to be subtle in a show geared towards families, because the audience expects broad comedy and a greater appeal for children's short attention spans. But there are important moments that are lost. And it reaches a level where, as an audience member, you feel talked down to. Bah. It's just a shame. I bet anything I would have loved the show ten years ago, but here, in 2007, it felt, as Lumiere might say, "flabby, fat, and lazy".
I left the theater with a killer headache, although that I can't blame on the show. Lindsay, Ellie, Danny and I went over to Westway Diner and ate and immediately following the meal the headache went into a dangerous migraine-like state. I'm not sure if it actually was one, but it had all the signs. I could stand the light, my eyes hurt, I felt nauseous. It was awful. I had to crawl into bed, down some ibuprofen and water, and rest a hot towel on my head until I fell asleep. The good news is I woke up feeling fine.
I worked today, which was sort of lame and draining. I grabbed a Certified Trainer application when I walked in, because tomorrow's the last day to submit and I'd been considering it...but, as usually happens, by the end of the shift I left wishing I never had to come back. It's just amazing to me that at the start of a shift and I can be in a place where I'm thinking, "Hey, I should try to become a trainer. I could do good things for new trainees," etc. and leave thinking, "Who am I kidding? I hate it here." I've outgrown it. It's tedious and frustrating and sometimes downright infuriating. So...I'm going to hold strong on my convictions to have another job secured by the end of September.
It rained most of the day, so thankfully the humidity broke a bit. It was actually breezy and kind of nice this evening. Ellie and I went to see "The Simpsons Movie", which was fantastic.
The Simpsons Movie
I'll keep my thoughts on this short and sweet, since my eyes are getting tired. I've always enjoyed The Simpsons. I've never been some rabid fan, but it's always good when there's nothing else on and there's such a charm to it. It's something our generation has grown up with. I mean, I can't remember a time when the show wasn't on. It's like an old friend...part of the family. So for those reasons and many others, I really adore the show. The movie doesn't break much new ground, but I was shocked by how funny it really was. The first act is fast and furious...non-stop gags. It slows down a bit, goes for some more poignant moments, and then ramps it back up for the end, which is just great. I was just so charmed by it all.
And really...how can you not love Spider-pig?
So that's all for today. If you'll excuse me, I have some hoof prints to wipe from the ceiling.
::sings softly to himself::
"Spider-pig...Spider-pig...doeswhateveraspiderpigdoes..."
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