Night of the Theater

Yesterday was a double header in theatrical events. First I saw Juno. Not anything to do with the movie. It's a dark Irish musical where anything that goes wrong does. A boy has lost his arm, a girl gets pregnant out of wedlock, a husband drinks to much and there's a NIGHTMARE Ballet. Which was actually very good for this minimal concert.


The real reason I wanted to see it is because it's a historical musical flop. I would like to clarify and say I don't LOVE flops, I just find them fascinating both historically and as disasters. Juno was not hard to see why it flopped. The score was very fresh for it's time. Rarely does one hear Irish musicals. Juno's Act I number The Song of the Ma was such a sweet and heart breaking number. Unfortunately after a while that Irish sound gets repetitious, but I believe it's because our ears aren't trained to hear the subtle differences.

The big issue it failed was the dark subject matter. They throw in the storyline of the money from a will, but most can see that not even that will end well. Victoria Clark was great. Celia Keenan Bolger was good too, but the music was a little higher than her range seemed comfortable with.

The later that night I got to see The Night of the Iguana at an off-off-Broadway theater. It was phenomenal. A very solid production and I am going to return to this theater again (this was my second Tennessee Williams show with them.) The set was so well done for a place that doesn't have much money. Especially when it started to rain!!! As well as the acting was spot on. I'll admit in the beginning I was nervous about Hannah Jelkes, I never pictured how her lines would sound being delivered in a Nantucket accent. Then it added a whole different level. Here you have this spinster who has lived in the old ways, but is holding on to her past and seems to have all the answers. In this prim and proper voice, but she has these moments of weakness. Truly wonderful show!

My only tiff was putting a giant Iguana tattoo on Maxine Faulk's back. Since the Iguana is the central metaphor of the show and there's the scene with the Iguana. There was no reason to do that with Maxine, because it mixes up the idea a little bit. Yet I got the idea the director was going for. So I forgive him.

Okay, time for some quick lunch and then Sunday in the Park With George.