Flashback Before the Fourth!

Have you been missing my flashback posts?  No?  Oh well.  Sit back and get ready for another one.  :)  I think I'm seeing a show this weekend, but I'm not sure, plus I probably wouldn't blog about it over the long holiday weekend anyway, so...let's just say I want to make sure you don't forget about me.

I always laugh when I look at past reviews that I wrote during a Wimbledon fortnight. I'm pretty sure no one really cared about what matches were being played, but yet I was still compelled to mention them.  In the interest of continuity, let me just say that as I'm typing this in auto-post form, Wimbledon is currently in a rain delay and I'm waiting for my Roger to begin his second round match under the roof at Centre Court.  Fingers crossed on that one.

Anyway, I thought this flashback would be fun since there is a revival of this particular show coming up next season.  I hope you agree about its worthiness...

7/1/07:  Hi!  Another distracted tennis/review e-mail is coming your way!  I spent the $5 again today so that I would be able to see my Frenchie play later.  Right now, I’m watching the third set tiebreak between Ferrero and Muller.  I’m rooting for Ferrero. He’s hotter.  I’m so analytical.

ANYWAY, I saw Falsettoland last night as part of the National Asian-American Theater Festival.  I was supposed to see another show in the festival a couple of weeks ago, but just didn’t make it.  This production, however, was first-rate.  

I just love Falsettoland, period.  It’s one of my very favorite shows. Brief back story:  I worked on a college production of March of the Falsettos many years ago.  It's one of my favorite college memories.  I worked on a production of In Trousers in grad school and it, too, is one of my favorite grad school memories.  I just love Bill Finn, his music, and the wonderful characters he created.  So when I moved to New York and Falsettoland opened, I had to go with my dear grad school friend who directed that production of In Trousers. Anyway, all of the shows in the Marvin Trilogy, but especially Falsettoland, just move me to no end.  Of course, I’ve seen and heard Falsettoland so many times by now, my crying is almost a Pavlovian response.  I start to well up earlier and earlier.  Pretty soon, I’ll be crying when I pick up my ticket at the box office.

WIMBLEDON UPDATE:  Ferrero just won.  Yes!  I’m changing the feed to the Blake match now.  Oh, oops!  James just won!  Woo hoo!  I got to see match point!  Yay, James!  Ok, now I’ll switch to Berdych/Llodra until Baghdatis comes on.  Frenchie plays a bit later.

Back to the review:  the director, Alan Muraoka (Alan from Sesame Street!) has done a fine job with this production.  There are some different directorial choices that I thought were really interesting and he kept things moving and flowing very well.  The cast is really terrific.  I’m so used to hearing that original cast in my head that I was afraid I’d find it hard to listen to anyone else sing the show.  But they were all really good, so it wasn’t a problem.

photo credit: Bruce Johnson

I’ve decided Francis Jue, who played Mendel, can do no wrong, and he is my new boyfriend.  He is just fabulous.   I’ve been dumb to wait so long to start dating him.  I always love him in whatever show I see him in and I loved him again in this. Manu Narayan, who IS already a boyfriend, maintains his status with a lovely portrayal of Whizzer.  Jason Ma is very good as Marvin - he’s got a beautiful voice and really captures Marvin's tenderness and search for love.

I could quibble a bit:  this Whizzer is played a bit TOO young and callow, Marvin is sometimes a little too earnest and perhaps needs more of a sense of humor about himself, but I’m just really picky, I think, about this show since I know and love it so well.  The production as a whole is really really solid and I highly recommend it.  I look forward to seeing this company tackle other roles in the future.

Nothing tonight!  Woo hoo!  I’ll be able to watch tennis on my tv instead of on my computer!  Friday night:  Old Acquaintance.  Featuring the original Whizzer and one of my long-term boyfriends, Stephen Bogardus.  The theater world gets smaller and smaller…

Oh, and Berdych just took the first set against Llodra.  In case you wondered.