TBWHM HITS THE STAGE!

TBWHM Play in Poughkeepsi NY review


I just got home from Poughkeepsie and I am headed out to a birthday party but I figured I would take a minute to add my thoughts.I realize that very few people here actually read TBWHM when Pete originally posted it and I wish someone who did was there. (hopefully Patrice read it, I can't remember, I think pkeets did too)I have to say, the music held up. I can see some songs being eliminated, RGLB and Marty Robbins but the rest of them converted well to musical format. It was a true thrill to finally hear It's Not Enough played live. I wish it was by the Who but this was the next best thing.I think the way this works is they put on a general gist of a play, no set to speak of, no costumes and the players reading from notebooks but they did have most of the music in place, they have the idea of a script but if this project were to go forward they would need a real script,more indepth covering a better range of the back story.The actors who played Josh, Gabriel and Leila were very good, awesome singers. They managed to get across the personalities of the characters even if you didn't read the novella, if you did then all of the sudden they became more interesting. The dynamic between them is very interesting. The physical relationship between Josh and Leila and the emotional/cerebral realtionship between Gabriel and Leila came through and the true brotherly realationship between Josh and Gabriel was hard to intrepret correctly, it could almost come across as homosexual. I don't think it is but I think it could be seen that way. For me the jury is still out on the guy who played Ray High, I don't think that guy was big enough (I don't mean in physical size I mean, larger than life).The backing band and musical director were awesome, really great.As for me, I can see this working on Broadway or off Broadway. It could actually be an audience interactive kind of play. I have to admit it took every fiber of my being not to get up on my feet and sing and dance along. I know the performers really dug the fact that several of the people in the audience knew the music and knew it well, we got lots of smiles.It was so nice to see everyone again. Diane and Bob and her daughter and friends. Lisa W too, I knew you'd be there. Brian it was great to see you and a pleasure to meet your wife. George great fun as always, I hope you finally got something to eat, did you stop for a haircut? Mark, you managed to get in the front row once again!!!! I think this is really a great discussion possibility as I think this may be taking up a lot of Pete's time in the near and distant future. Rachel's too as her song I Can Fly from Shine featured prominently in the show.It seems to me there are three themes running through the play, Trilby's Piano. Fragments and In the Ether. All the songs were the ones we are familiar with, a verse was added to RGLB but it was clunky and it didn't work. I imagine that one will end up on the cutting room floor so to speak. They changed Hymie to Simon and sang it "Simey" I figure that will be changed too. I am not sure why they took Hymie out maybe not PC?? Not sure? I really feel it has merit as a show though.