Patty & Emily discuss a new reading Speakeasy and the Transport Group’s production of Once Upon A Mattress starring Jackie Hoffman. They also talk about recent announcements, including Cabin in the Sky casting and Josh Groban’s Broadway debut. Also, old people are ruining everything.
Patty & Emily
Comedy and Opinions from Two Broadway Fans!
Honestly, I’m so tired of things based on Alice in Wonderland/Lewis Caroll. Tons of things are public domain. I don’t have an inherent problem with non-original (in that it takes inspiration from something else) work but can people at least start taking inspiration from different things?
Speaking of not knowing how long a show is going to be… I saw Dada Woof Papa Hot tonight. (I enjoyed it for what it was. Though I think some of it felt a bit artificial, there were plenty of good moments.) Anyway, I knew going in that it was going to run about an hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. I feel like the ideal is that the you’re so caught up in the show that you don’t notice how long or short the running time is. But sometimes it helps to know how long you should settle yourself in for. But sometimes it doesn’t matter. Doctor Zhivago flew by. Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2 felt a little long. Part 2 more than part 1.
I love Once Upon a Mattress. It’s a great score. The SJP version is the one I usually choose to listen. I feel like the lack of diversity would really bother me in this production. I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. You know they filmed a version of Once Upon a Mattress with Tracey Ullman, Carol Burnett, Matthew Morrison, and Zooey Deschanel, right?
So the Cabin in the Sky casting is amazing. And I have the movie on my DVR but it’s been there for months and I haven’t watched it. Encores is generally pretty reliable but I don’t know if I want to spend that kind of money to sit in the balcony for a show I don’t know. Can they just do Once On This Island? I would buy that ticket in a heartbeat. I have a ticket for Do I Hear A Waltz. I listened to the album a while ago and I want to see it staged.
The idea of Gotta Dance does not appeal to me but the cast and creatives are fantastic. Lillias White gave me a hug once. I may have cried.
I hate the Natasha, Pierre, etc. album but I would like to see it staged because so many people like it.
I had trouble with the tone of Morisseau’s piece. I wanted to be on her side because of the issues she wanted to engage with but from the actual facts of the experience she described, it sounded more like she was bringing her own baggage to an encounter that would have otherwise been unremarkable. I happen to be a very quiet theatregoer. I am fine if it’s a call and response kind of show or more of a fun concert atmosphere but generally I think people who do respond loudly are a bit narcissistic. Don’t “woo” at Idina’s high notes in If/Then. I would like to actually hear them.
I need a clip of “Judith, when are you coming over tomorrow for bagels” so I can play it whenever I need a good laugh. That was amazing. I also love it whenever Patty sings.