Report Card---"Forbidden Broadway...Alive and Kicking"

If you'll recall, I've had four recent entries about theater I saw in New York.
I had serious reservations about those first four.
At roughly eighty dollars a pop.
The fifth entry restored my faith quite a bit.
And it only cost thirty-five bucks.
It was the great satirical musical revue, "Forbidden Broadway....Alive and Kicking"
There have been many editions of this show over the years.
I saw one many years ago in Detroit.
I loved it.
And until this last trip, I was never in New York when any subsequent version was
available to be seen.
But it was this time.
In the interim, CD's came out of all the previous editions, and I got my hands on all of them.
They were all terrific.

What they do, is skewer, musically, all the current or recent musicals on Broadway.
And they do it brilliantly.
It is hilarious from beginning to end.
If you're in New York, and are at least fairly well-versed on current musicals, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

The concept is great. You are never bored.
A+.

Compelling even?

In it's own way.
A.

Is it controversial?

I'm sure that the stars in the shows being made fun of would not be pleased.
So people would say things like "Can you imagine if Matthew Broderick saw how he was
being portrayed?"
A.

Is it a story worth telling?

It's a revue. No story there or needed.
No Grade.

Is it good storytelling?

See the previous response.
No Grade.

Is it well written?

Extremely
A+.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well staged?

All three. The performers are all extremely appealing.
A+.

Was it too long? Too short?

It could have been a Doubleheader and be fine with me.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Never an issue.
No Grade.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Never, and always.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Just about what a great time I had.
A+.

Is it funny?

Brutally funny.
A+.

Was it worth the thirty-five bucks it cost?

It would have been worth eighty.

Is the play impressive ?

It's not a play, but it sure is impressive.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

It makes me sad that I never saw all those versions that I only heard on CD..

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My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com. And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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