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Re: My Views on Parade
| Author: |
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DAVEYLOW <daveylow@aol.com> |
| Date: |
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1999/01/09 |
| Forum: |
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rec.arts.theatre.musicals
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>ejpj@webtv.net (Euclid Peltier)
>Pretty much agree with you P-man. Athough
>the theme and subject matter was unusual
>for a musical,, (good libretto for an Opera)
>I thought it was briliant and agree with
>Ken Mandelbaum and John Simon's reviews.
>But why have so many reviewers and RATM
>writers panned it. It was a beaiutiful and
>powerful dramatic musical. I loved it, and
>hope, in spite of the subject matter that it
>will prosper. Ed-Boston
I actually haven't seen that many totally negative reviews--except by the New
York Times critcs.
I found there was a lot to admire in Parade, particularly the performances of
Brent Carver, Carolee Carmello, and Evan Pappas.
But I found the libretto too obvious in making its points, and the show didn't
reach the level of tragedy at the end--I wanted to feel horrified at the end
and I didn't. This certainly wasn't Brent Carver's fault--his performance was
totally truthful. Maybe the libretto needed to be told from someone's point of
view--I thought the reporter was going to stand in for the audience, but that
never really happened.
A few of the musical numbers just didn't work for me--Mary Phagan's mother's
solo, the chain gang song, and Pappas's numbers, though he delivered them so
well. The presentation of the parade at the beginning was brilliant--but when
it was repeated in the second act I thought that diluted the power of the
opening, as if Prince couldn't think of something new. And I was surprised at
how lifeless some of the staging was.
I felt the musical came to life whenever Carver and Carmello appeared--but the
musical wasn't just about them.
David
