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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Report Card----"On Your Toes"

This was my first experience attending a performance at City Center "Encores!"
They do this about four times a year.
They all run less than a week, so this review is fairly useless.
But it's really more about the "Encores!" experience than the show.
The show, and the experience were both wonderful.
The show is performed with about a forty-five piece orchestra behind them.
Otherwise, there is a semblance of a set. I didn't know going in whether the performers worked with scripts in hand, as they did in that concert version of "South Pacific"
It wouldn't seem likely, as "On Your Toes" is much more of a pure dance show.
And they didn't use scripts.
It is a first-rate Rodgers and Hart show.
Not as meaty as "Pal Joey"
Not as funny as "The Boys From Syracuse"
They are both better shows.
But this one is a dandy in its own way.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

It dazzles you.
A+.

Compelling even?

The story is not that riveting.
B-.

Is it controversial?

No, and it doesn't need to be.
No Grade.

Is it a story worth telling?

The clash between serious and popular dance is pretty interesting.
A.

Is it good storytelling?

Considering how flimsy the story is, it's handled very well.
A.

Is it well written?

Book-wise, pretty good. Music and lyrics, spectacular.
A.

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

For the most part, it is done perfectly. But the part of the lead male dancer cries out for a star.
And there was a huge hole on the stage where there wasn't one.
C.

Is it too long? Too short?

The time flew by.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

It's as believable and engrossing as a cardboard old-fashioned musical can be.
B+.


Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

No, but it doesn't matter.
No Grade.

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

Yes. It has made me think about going to New York more often to see more "Encores!"
A+

Is it funny?

Often.
A.

Was it worth the fifty bucks it cost?

Absolutely.
A+.

Is it impressive ?

Stunning
A+.

Overall grade: A.

"Encores" is a labor of love. And since I can't be in labor, I can only be in love.

Enjoy the Tonys!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays", and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are 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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  4. Abe Burrows... Oh, How He BurrowsJune 13, 2013 at 8:22 PM

    "This was my fist experience attending a performance at City Center "Encores!"

    In Broadway musicals, a fist experience is more commonly called "a private audition."

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."