What to expect when you watch a perfomance by a non-equity tour
So Ramona and I went to watch Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Denver. Apparently the Denver Post gave it one and a half stars and said it felt like a con. The Rocky Mountain News also called it a con job and explained that the quality was less than expected because the equity tour ended before they got to Denver and so we had the non-equity tour. Apparently the new director changed things around, too. Why would you screw with a Tony-nominated show? I don't care if you directed "The Boy From Oz"; you know everyone went to that show because of Hugh Jackman (love Hugh Jackman). The show was also choreographed by the man who choreographed "Grease: You're the One That I Want" and conducted by someone who was the Resident Music Director at the Orange County Shigh School of the Arts. Even High School Musical felt less like a high school musical.
We did not walk out during intermission but we did go for some booze, with the theory it might be funnier if we drank a little. It did help a little bit, but not too much. It couldn't make the singing louder and more powerful and the show, well, more delightful.
On a brighter note, we did find another song to add to Ramona's wedding soundtrack: Love My Legs. This song will join romantic classics such as "Genie in the Bottle."
posted by suzaaku @ 8:19 PM
6 Comments:
"Faith are the toes attached to your feet"?!?! Good lord. That is fantastic. I'm so sorry this show was so terrible! Quick, go see some good theater to make up for it!
I do have to say, though, on behalf of all my theatrical friends, that you shouldn't need Equity actors to make a show great!
On that note, I've heard good things about Macbeth at the Buntport. You should go see that and report about it here! And did you hear that they are reviving Titus Andronicus: The Musical for the holidays? If the Bug skips Santaland Diaries this year, perhaps Titus could take its place.
it's true. nothing against non-equity actors. just that when you pay that much to sit in a seat way up there and you're expecting broadway but getting that...it's a little jarring
Yeah - the non-equity actors at Buntport ROCK. And they also aren't too hard on the pocket book. And also, you can sit in the front row.
Ramona and I saw Macbeth and it was seriously awesome!
Not to be whatever, but I don't think Buntport's strength as a theatre troupe gets DCPA off the hook for presenting this production.
There's a difference, to me, between local theater and the post-Broadway national tours. Some shows have really creative explanations of why they prefer to do non-equity tours (e.g. Rent's desire to find "fresh talent"). I'm not entirely sold, but if the show is good, we can debate the merits of unionization of the creative industries.
But, at least in the instance of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, we are talking about national touring company that chose to do a tour in a way that would minimize expenses and maximize profits. The show might've been charming if ticket prices were $10 and the theater were 10 times smaller. But if I am going to sit in a huge ass theater twenty miles away from the stage, in "cheap seats" that aren't, I feel like the show should either be good or the actors and crew well compensated, or ideally, both.
Ramona, you are so whatever. And also, you have a very good point.
Also, I realized I have NOT seen Buntport's Macbeth. Ramona, Suzaaku and I saw Hamlet. Which is very different I know. I know. I know. Shakespeare and his tragedies!
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