Friday, October 8th, 2010
Peter M/Alex Ko as Billy
Neil as Michael

Saturday, October 9th, 2010 – Matinee
Alex
Gabe
David Larsen as Tony

Saturday, October 9th, 2010 – Evening
Jacob
Neil
David Larsen as Tony

I decided to lump these three shows together, because I did not really get a chance to see much of Peter. He fell ill at the intermission and was replaced by Alex for the second act, though fortunately Peter’s discomfort was very temporary and he was at the stage door and indeed, quite chipper. And it would not really be fair to review this show as I was still too overwhelmed by the workshop in the afternoon. Workshop attendees did give Thommie a rousing burst of applause when he came in from being “detained at the Rose & Crown”.
But one quick note about the show. I though Alex’s Dream Ballet was one of the most synchronized I have seen in a while. It seems to be that as Billy’s get bigger, they tend to synchronize with Older Billy better. It was very nice to watch.
Okay, another quick note. I have had my back and forth with Greg about the crying in the snow scene with Mrs. W., which he has pretty much stopped. And he has also toned down his crying in the “He Could Shine” when he says “I’m sorry.” Well, the mining hall scene has always been emotional for me anyway, but this night when Greg said “I’m sorry”, I found myself crying as well.

Of course, Alex was again on for the Saturday Matinee, with Gabe as Michael. Alex was in fine form, but I hate to report that it looks like he is about to become victim to that incurable childhood illness known as adolescence. They key was lowered for the first time today, and he had to sing his deep into the ground line with the slightly lower melody for the “love these dark dark hills forever” line. And he was a bit off-key in the letter reprise, possibly because it had not been re-keyed yet. But, of course, he still gave a great show.
I love Gabe as Michael, but he really needs to slow done and enunciate the “nutcracker” line. But then, his last name is the same as my mother’s maiden name, so he is prolly a long lost relative. Gotta love the kid, and he is quite funny and talented.
This was my first time seeing David Larsen as Tony! Very nice take on it. Nice mix of emotion, and he doesn’t waste a lot of time pausing between words. Always nice to see someone else play a role.
So, as everyone knows I am as brutally honest as I can be without hurting anyone’s feelings. Especially since I think that 99% of the flaws in the show are direction and not acting. So I can not let this one annoyance last. In the snow scene with Mrs. W., when Greg starts to ask how much it will cost after Mrs. W. tells him about the audition in London, Greg is stumbling intentionally over his words. Unfortunately, I think to someone who has not seen the show 30+ times, it looks like he is flubbing his lines, which he is not.

Speaking of direction, someone seems to be horribly myopic about timing of lines in this show. There are times when the spacing between lines is so long, it looks like someon has forgotten their lines. Such as at the end of the second toilet scene when Billy is holding the audition tape and then he and Mrs. W. are just kind of facing each other. Weird. Other times, the lines are so rushed, they are obviously lines and not thoughts spoken out loud, as in when Billy tells Debbie, “My mam’s dead.” Alex and Jacob do this wonderfully. Dayton and Peter both rush it too much, which I am under the impression is a directorial decision, but it sucks.

Okay, so on to Jacob’s second show.
A bit of housekeeping is in order. Turns out that on Wednesday matinee, when Jacob dropped the chair in Dream Ballet 4 or 5 times, my suspicions were correct: it was the wrong chair. There is a specialy weighted chair that the boys use to spin in Dream Ballet, and if it is not the right one, it falls. On Saturday night Jacob had no problem, and Dream Ballet was as beautiful as always.
Also, Jacob is an amazing actor. I am told that he can cry on cue in almost every show, and I believe it. Both shows I have seen him in he has been wiping his eyes from the first Letter when Mrs. W. is doing her “Sunderland college” line. Saturday evening’s show I was on the aisle and at the end when Billy walked past me, his cheeks were still damp from crying during the Letter Reprise. Just amazing.
I do wish he would enunciate more in his “for fuck’s sake” line, as it has to be heard in order for Mrs. W’s next line to get laughs.

Okay, I have now seen Emily Skinner in 4 shows. For me, it isn’t working yet. BTW, a friend of mine said that when you closed your eyes and just listened to her deliver her lines, it is a better performance.
Sorry for people who may love her, and to be fair, if you only see the show once, which most audience members do you will probably think she is great.
(Please look elsewhere on this page to see a clarification and semi-retraction of these comments,)

Anyway, that’s my review for now.