"Words will land on me, then abandon me, mangle, untangle me, leave me on the floor." ~u2

I haven't been able to post a lot because I don't have internet in my new apartment, but hopefully by April I'll be online at home and will be able to post more. Right now I'm at Starbucks, and I have recent shows to share about.

Porgy and Bess
The current Broadway version of this opera is quite controversial, but it seems like most people who haven't seen the opera before like this production, and that's true for me. Audra McDonald is a four-time Tony winner, I love her, and I think she's wonderful in this show. Norm Lewis is also very good. They have such beautiful voices, and I loved hearing them sing this score.

Jesus Christ Superstar
I love the music from this show, so that made it very enjoyable. I think the design elements are pretty strong in this production, particularly the sound design. A few of the actors are pretty weak, though. That may be because of the direction. I saw the first preview, and unfortunately a technical aspect of the show didn't work at that performance. They stopped the show three times to try and fix it, and Des McAnuff (the director) came onstage a few times to apologize, but they never got it to work. We got to see "Superstar" performed three times before they finally decided to just move on. That's the kind of song that gets stuck in your head easily, so it was pretty difficult to shake after hearing it live three times in a row.

Carrie
I ushered at this and got a seat in the front row, which was awesome. I love, love, love Carrie. I love the movie, and I really love the musical. In this production, Molly Ranson is fabulous as Carrie. I love what Ben Brantley says about Marin Mazzie (playing Carrie's mother) in his New York Times Review; he writes, "Mazzie at first seems like your average strict but caring mom. But when she sings, in a pure fire-edged soprano, an intensity emerges that shades into something more sinister. And the line between fierce maternal solicitude and obsessive, homicidal madness blurs in ways that take you by surprise." I also liked Christy Altomare as Sue. I thought the show was very moving.

Once
I saw this movie when it opened and fell in love. I have the DVD and watch it often. Obviously I had high expectations going into the Broadway musical that's been adapted from the film. The show didn't disappoint. It's absolutely lovely. I wasn't thrilled that they cut a few songs (particularly "Lies"), but overall I think it's a beautiful show.

Gore Vidal's The Best Man
I'm seeing this show today, so I'll post a review later. The cast includes James Earl Jones, John Larroquette, Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Jefferson Mays, Michael McKean, Angela Lansbury, and Kerry Butler. Seriously. If that's not an ideal, all-star cast, I don't know what is. I'm excited.