By any measure, “Broadway Blockbusters,” was a huge success.
Ticket sales? A sold-out house at The Parker. Entertainment value? Two hours (with intermission) flew by. Artistic achievement? Pretty much, but not quite flawless, but so close and on such small elements, that it hardly matters. However, it’s my job as a critic to point out what worked and what didn’t so here goes:
The classics medley that opened the show brought in the right amount of energy and was pretty much perfection. Soloists Richard Fulks, Israel Vinas, and Jeff Goodwin were all up to the task. That was followed by a beautiful rendition of Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ from “Oklahoma.”
Everyone Says Don’t from Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle” was an unfortunate choice. While the chorus was melodically perfect, this song requires perfect enunciation, something difficult to acquire for such a large group, so the lyrics were muddled. However, all was forgiven with a powerful rendition of Make Them Hear You, from “Ragtime.” Soloist Jonathan Casanas lived up to the show’s title as he led the chorus through The Wizard and I from “Wicked.”
At this point a chorus member stepped out and gave us a little bit of theater education, mostly to fill time as Tropical Wave, the chorus’ performance ensemble, prepared for their number. The information was interesting, all about how quick costume changes are done, which led us to believe the next number would have a quick change. It didn’t. I spent the entire number waiting for one, which didn’t allow me to enjoy the rendition of Company from the show of the same name as much as I should have. Tropical Wave followed that up with Sunday from “Sunday in the Park With George” and I thought, “Oh, here’s where the change comes.” It didn’t. The first act ended with Do You Hear the People Sing from “Les Misérables” which suffered from noticeably nervous soloists.
Act two opened with a bang with Broadway-ready soloist Jonathan Sanz leading the chorus through In the Heights, ably abetted by a quartet of dancers who enlivened the activities throughout the night (and providing some yummy eye candy). A smart move bringing on real dancers who could actually accomplish the moves the chorus members had attempted in previous shows. Light, from “Next to Normal,” was probably the least recognizable song, but necessary in these dark times. Our educator came out again before Tropical Waves next bit and talked about something ending with a reference to The Wizard of Oz, which led to…a Burt Bachrach song, A House is Not a Home, beautifully performed.
Gaining momentum, the chorus went into high gear revving up the audience with the amusing Turn It Off, from “The Book of Mormon.” Soloists Etari Harari, Matthew Almeida and Justin Johnson made for adorable Mormon elders and were in fine voice. No One is Alone from “Into the Woods” was hauntingly beautiful. The medley from “Rent,” not one of my favorite shows, was oddly staged and went on far too long, but was more than made up for by the finale, a mash-up of Over the Rainbow and Defying Gravity that had the chorus hitting Elphaba’s signature high note at the end, which brought the audience to their feet for a rousing standing ovation that was well earned.
Photo courtesy of Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida.
