Reviews:

Shows not currently playing on Broadway.  (In alphabetical order by show.)

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Billy Elliot

Name:  Hannah

Age:14

Where Seen:  West End, London

 Let me start by saying that this is, without a doubt, one of the best musicals ever.   The story focuses on Billy, who is a boy with an amazing talent for dancing. Unfortunately, Billy's talents are not accepted in his Welsh mining community. He is called gay and forbidden to dance. The play also weaves in the story of the miner's strike, Billy's friend who is gay, and Billy's tough but caring dance teacher into the mix. The kids were absolutely amazing- Billy was played by Travis Yates and he was an incredible dancer, and so cute! I wish I could dance like that, and he was only twelve! The sets are really neat- Billy's bedroom rises out of the ground and Michael's room (Billy's friend) pulls out from the side like a drawer. The theatre was small enough to make you feel close to the actors, but big enough to give the singing nice acoustics. I have the soundtrack now- and I love it. Go get it everybody!

I hope that this musical moves to Broadway soon, I'm sure it will be a hit. It is based on the movie of the same name, which is, coincidentally, my favorite movie.
The three original Billy's became the youngest ever actors to win an Oliver (same as our Tony) for Best Actor in a Musical, which I think is really awesome.

Evita

Name:  Hannah

Age:14

Where Seen:  US tour, in New Jersey

    I really loved the story line in general- Eva was obviously a cold, manipulative figure, but at the same time, there was a lot to admire in her. So much so that I cried at her death scene. I also thought that the critical view offered by Che added a lot to the story. I loved the way he was sometimes included in the action, and sometimes above the story like a narrator.
I really loved the staging- I don't know if they do this everywhere, but there was a large screen hanging above the stage where real photos of Evita's life were projected. It made it ten times more real to see pictures of the real person next to her on-stage persona. The resemblance was uncanny.
The music wasn't what you'd call pretty, exactly. It had a slightly dissonant feeling, which I thought really fit the story and Eva's character.
We had the understudy for Eva, Anne Brummel. But let me tell you, she didn't sound like an understudy. She had a beautiful, powerful voice with the most amazing, round vibrato, the perfect mix between belting and singing. She completely embodied Eva, from her racy teenage years to her prime as a selfish but adored first lady to a once shining star dying of cancer. I could easily see how she convinced the populace that she was a goddess and saint.
Keith Byron Kirk as Che was a treat. He had a powerful voice that could be heard above the ensemble, but also sounded great when quiet and sad. He put just the right mix of criticism, wit and sadness into the part.
Philip Hernandez was a fine Peron, with believable acting and a fine voice, although there was nothing that made him stand out from the crowd. Andrew Ragone as Magaldi (the crazy singer who gives Eva her first break) was quite funny, and Heidi Dean, Peron's rejected mistress, had a lovely voice.  I love the song she sings- "Another Suitcase in Another Hall".

Les Miserables

Name:  Hannah

Age:14

Where Seen:  West End, London

Review:  This is an amazing show- it takes place during the French revolution, but its universal truths appeal to people everywhere.  It is one of my absolute favorites.  Here is my review of the principle roles:                                                      

 John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean)- I think I'll do him first as there is a lot to say. I know he was feeling crummy on Sat, but he was still great. Then I went back on Mon, and he was feeling a bit better, and WOW! His voice was stronger and his acting more detailed. Bring Him Home was amazing, as was his interaction with Cosette, his daughter (so sweet!). During the Finale, when he is supposed to be old and dying, it is so believable, that when he comes out to take his bow all healthy and energetic, you do a double take!

Kerry Ellis (Fantine)
She is a great Fantine. An amazingly pure I Dreamed A Dream and an angry and bitter Lovely Ladies, with a touching death scene.

Hayden Tee/Julia Moller (Marius and Cosette)- These two are so adorable together, they just look sooo in love. Hayden has a really nice strong voice, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is great. Julia hits the high notes beautifully, with just the right amount of vibrato.

Shonagh Daly (Eponine)
I like her,but I do have two complaints:
-She is too pretty. This may sound odd, but Eponine isn't supposed to be beautiful. She's supposed to be a grimy neglected beggar. If she was so beautiful, Marius would have looked at her as more than a friend.
-She's a bit too loud when singing with Cosette and Marius- she overpowers them.

Shaun Escoffery (Enjolras)
-Very good. Has a commanding presence and strong voice, which is perfect for the character of a revolutionary leader. His death choked me up both shows I saw.

Barry James/Tracie ?-(Thenardiers)
These two were great- they mixed the humorous and cruel elements of their characters just right, and had amazing chemistry together.

Cornell John (Javert)
-Urg! Why in the world is he principle? He cracked twice on two really important notes, which you just CAN'T mess up! (In Stars and Suicide, if you're wondering) He also does this really weird finger twitch on the barricades that really freaks me out.
In retrospect, he really isn't that bad. He just pales in comparison to the other talent in the show. He got drowned out on Confrontation even when John had a chest infection- I think that sort of speaks for itself.

Kids (Young Cosette and Gavroche)
The Cosette we saw must have been about four- she was a tiny little thing! But she sang so determined and was pretty dead on. The Gavroche was also really tiny. Again, I think it was the same person both nights. Very good on Sat, but was off a tad bit on Mon. Doesn't really bother me though- he's so adorable!

Well, that's about it. I always cry during the Finale- its so sad!  The cast got a standing ovation- they deserve it!

Our Town

Name: Hannah

Age: 14

Where Seen:  Amateur theatre in New Jersey

 I went to an amatuer production of Our Town today. At school, we had read the script and analyzed it for metaphors and symbolism.   Our Town is a play in three acts, about a small town at the turn of the century. There are almost no props, and a stage manager narrates and interacts with the actors and audience. Our teacher called it "deceptively simple" and I think that's very true- it has a very simple story line but is full of symbolism. Anyway, the production was good. It was a very small intimate theatre, which in a way was good as it fit the idea of the play, but in a way was bad because it took away the more professional aspect of the production. They missed out on a few bits of symbolism but other than that it was spot on. A few of the actors annoyed me a little- the actress who played Emily was very squeaky, which bothered me.  And there was one person who was supposed to be dead (In this play, the dead do not care about the living, they are "weaned off the earth) who kept watching the living actors.  I wanted to scream at her, "You're not supposed to care!" 

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Name:  Carly

Age: 14

Where Seen:  Barn Theatre, NJ

    Last night, I saw a terrible play. It's called Picasso at the Lapin Agile. It's based on a book (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) written by Steve Martin, I'm not sure if he also wrote the play or not...but I have to say it was AWFUL! I saw it at the Barn Theatre in Montville. I must say-most of the acting was very good, except for the bartender, who was weak and messed up his lines a little. Other than that, it was VERY well cast. However, I think they were wasting their time performing such a strange show. It was a straight play, with a story of "what if Einstein and Picasso met in a bar".  Then Elvis comes along or something, and then some weirdo named Schemdiman who wants to change the future, but just runs in and starts shouting then leaves so you don't know what the heck just happened-until he just randomly returns later...yea...strange. The best character was the old man who always made funny jokes. He was good-and the best actor in the show. I have to say, there were some VERY funny/clever jokes made in the play, I found myself laughing a lot. But most of the time I was sitting in utter confusion or disgust with this terrible monstrosity. It's also pretty inappropriate, so wow, it doesn't have much going for it does it? It's going to be made into a movie-but I think ill leave that off my list of movies to see!!!!!!