Posts with the label new york
Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert | Book Review
Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are."
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Published: 4th June 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing
★★★★★
This book is just a dream. From page one I was completely absorbed in the glorious world Elizabeth Gilbert has brought to life. I was so wrapped up in it all, that I felt like I'd open my front door and be on the bustling streets of 1940s Manhattan... needless to say I could not open said door because #lockdown but what a welcome escape from all the craziness.
In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, thanks to her lacklustre engagement in her studies. Her parents send her to New York to live with her flamboyant aunt Peg, who owns and lives in a crumbling theatre called the Lily Playhouse. It's here that Vivian's life changes as she's introduced to a host of charismatic and larger than life luvvies. Her life changes to a mile-a-minute wild ride that has it's fair share of highs and lows. Without giving too much away, this is a coming of age story and a love story that's a joy to read.
I inhaled this book for a few reasons, firstly because I love theatre and I love New York, so I just wanted more of the sumptuous descriptions of the wildly theatrical life Vivvie was living in the Big Apple. Secondly because of the writing itself; Gilbert gives so much life and energy to her characters that they really feel real. I actually cannot believe I can't google search them and endlessly find information about the stars mentioned. Each character is fantastically defined with differences, attractiveness and flaws that make them both vivid an truthful.
With Mrs Maisel vibes in terms of the humour and boldness of it all, this is a dream for anyone wanting a bit of glamour in their life. If we weren't in lockdown I think I'd now be on the hunt for a whole new wardrobe and copious Gin Fizzes!
What's also miraculous about this book is that it manages to be utterly laugh out loud humourous and lighthearted, whilst also being profound and inspiring. I did find a few times when the story lagged and I certainly think I could have been cut down in length, but I still wolfed it down!
This is a captivating, evocative, entertaining and moving read that I loved and would highly recommend for anyone wanting glamour, theatre and emotion.
Sunday, 20 January 2019
The Prom, Longacre Theatre | Review
The Prom
Longacre Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 11th January 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, The Prom provides pure elation mixed with comedy so expertly that you can't fail to leave with a beaming smile on your face. The uniformly excellent cast excel at bringing their individual storylines to life but never fail to lose the heartwarming core of the show.
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, The Prom provides pure elation mixed with comedy so expertly that you can't fail to leave with a beaming smile on your face. The uniformly excellent cast excel at bringing their individual storylines to life but never fail to lose the heartwarming core of the show.
Creative team Chad Beguelin (book, lyrics), Bob Martin (book) and Matthew Skylar (music) have created a new, fresh musical which pokes fun at everyone equally and tackles issues which are so relevant for a lot of people. What makes it so entertaining is that fact that it's every theatre fans dream (or at least mine); problems are solved with songs and dances as a group of Broadway stars are there to safe the day, fight homophobia and bring love to all.
As the girls banned from going to the school prom together, Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma) and Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa) give warm and youthful performances which make you root for the pair and for their love to flourish. Christopher Sieber as Trent Oliver, Brooks Ashmanskas as Barry Glickman, Beth Leavel as Dee Dee Allen and Angie Schworer as Angie are refreshingly funny and spirited enough to be better and do better for themselves but more importantly, those around them. The fearless four are bold and brilliant, with performances that will be remembered forever and are surely set to be highly recognised in the awards circle. Josh Lamon and Michael Potts also give exceptionally strong and well grounded performances as Sheldon and Mr. Hawkins.
Scott Pask's scenic design is sleek and colourful and feels extremely realistic as it brings small town Indiana to life. Emma's room, full of posters and trinkets looks like a real teen's room ad helps to ground this larger than life piece of theatre. Despite sometimes feeling a little tacky and weirdly placed in time, Ann Roth and Matthew Pachtman's costumes fit well with the vibe of the show.
Scott Pask's scenic design is sleek and colourful and feels extremely realistic as it brings small town Indiana to life. Emma's room, full of posters and trinkets looks like a real teen's room ad helps to ground this larger than life piece of theatre. Despite sometimes feeling a little tacky and weirdly placed in time, Ann Roth and Matthew Pachtman's costumes fit well with the vibe of the show.
It's amazing to see a show on a mainstream Broadway stage that is so important for such a large group of people and really feels like a celebration of everyone that feels remotely 'different'. The Longacre Theatre has become a hub of joy, with every song providing a surplus of equality and elation. The Prom inspires us to thrive to be better and shows how small actions can have a lasting, positive effect on the world. Go see it.
photo credit: Dori Berinstein
photo credit: Dori Berinstein
Sunday, 3 December 2017
Ordinary Days, Drayton Arms Theatre | Review
Ordinary Days
Drayton Arms Theatre
Reviewed on Saturday 2nd December 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Christmas is approaching so spirits are high but as the days get colder we and darker we tend to crave the optimistic escape that theatre provides. Ordinary Days is just what we need- realistic, heartfelt and warm.
I saw a production of the show during my first year of university and was already a fan of the music and story but this production made me love it even more. Adam Gwon's musical tells the story of four people trying to find themselves in New York city. There's a couple: Claire (Natalie Day) and Jason (Taite-Elliot Drew) who are struggling to fill "The Space Between" them since they've moved in together. There's also a cynical graduate called Deb (Nora Perone) who meets aspiring artist, Warren (Neil Cameron) when he finds her notebook full of thesis notes. The Drayton Arms theatre provides a perfect, intimate setting for these character's stories to unfold.
The relatability of this show is really what makes it special. The characters are normal people who we can imagine in our own lives, their struggles are just like ours and the whole thing feels very genuine. The two storylines meet occasionally and highlight how our actions can affect others without us knowing. The hustle and bustle of city life is shown particularly well despite having almost no set and it really makes you think about taking a few more minutes each day to care about people you see on the tube, street or wherever!
Nora Perone as Deb is definitely the stand out performance, eliciting laugh after laugh through her humourous dialogue and hilarious facial expressions. The friendship which grows between her and Warren (played wonderfully by Neil Cameron) is touching to see as they help one another figure out what they want with life. They really bounce off one another and create some 'Beautiful' moments. Natalie Day is vulnerable but strong as Claire with some standout vocal moments such as 'Gotta Get Out' and 'I'll Be Here'. Her partner in crime, Jason, is portrayed fantastically by Taite-Elliot Drew; suitably boyish and genuine he is perfect for the role.
This show is a reminder to cherish the here and now and always remember that we write our own stories as well as having an influence on others. With catchy music and real life humour, there's really not much to dislike!
An intimate, character driven show, Ordinary Days is the ideal way to spend 75 minutes! So get along to the Drayton Arms theatre to fight those winter blues!
photo credit: Natalie Lomako
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