Thursday, April 10, 2014

I need to start writing some theater reviews, because I'm seeing a LOT of shows in the near future and I want to be able to stay caught up. So here are a couple:

1. The Library
I was really excited to see this because it's directed by Steven Soderbergh (the Oscar-winning director of Traffic, Erin Brockovich, and more) and because it stars Chloe Grace Moretz. Chloe Grace Moretz also stars in one of my favorite movies, Let Me In. If you haven't seen Let Me In, go watch it now. Stephen King called it "the best American horror film in the last 20 years," but it is so much more than a horror film. Trust me, even if you're not a fan of the genre, you'll appreciate what a fabulous movie Let Me In is. It breaks my heart (in the best way possible) just thinking about it. It's a beautiful movie. Anyway, Chloe Grace Moretz is lovely in it, and she also stars in other cool movies like Kick-Ass and Hugo. So I was very eager to see her onstage. I was also looking forward to seeing Jennifer Westfeldt. The play is about a school shooting. I had a few issues with the screenplay, but I thought the acting was fabulous. I had a front row seat, so I was able to really enjoy the actors' nuanced performances. I'm so glad I saw this. I met Ms. Moretz after the show and she couldn't have been nicer. (I'm not good at selfies; they always come out blurry.)


2. If/Then
Idina Menzel is the reason to see this. It's a great vehicle for her; the score suits her voice perfectly. I can't get over what an amazing singer she is. This new musical was created by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, the team behind my all-time favorite musical, Next to Normal. This means I originally had high expectations for this show. Unfortunately If/Then doesn't come close to the brilliance of Next to Normal. It's not awful, but it's not as good as it could have been. Idina is fabulous, though. I was glad to see the show with my friend/show buddy Valentina.
Idina didn't stagedoor, so here's an old (bad) photo of me with her. :D





Next week is my spring break (thank goodness), and I'm seeing a TON of shows, so I'll have lots of reviews coming up.

No comments: