(some of) the reviews are in!

Here's some light reading:

offoffonline: review of LOST! How a Certain Celebrity Megahunk Stole My Identity

offoffonline: review of Elephant in the Room!

There are always surprises in store when you go to see a show. In the case of LOST!, I was surprised to discover that I'd already met the writer/performer Josh Halloway through my former job at the Manhattan Theatre Club. At the time, I just knew him as Josh, the guy working on LoveMusik who always walked around looking really stressed out. (Of course, he wasn't the only one who was anxious during that show. Michael Cerveris was the one guy involved who gave off a calm and collected vibe. Tackling Sondheim a few times will do that to you, I guess.)

I rarely spoke to him back then, so I don't feel like I've broken any rules on ethics or integrity. Anyway, if you review with any regularity (as I do), are in charge of contacting the PR people yourself (as I am), and if you're a friendly person (yes!), you tend to get a little chummy with the folks on the other side of the fence. It's never kept me from saying negative things about a show, if I feel that they are deserved; fortunately, the people with whom I've had the most contact are sensible enough to write/direct/rep quality theatrical merchandise.

With regard to the Elephant show, I was genuinely psyched about seeing this. In my college years, I played Daisy in Ionesco's Rhinoceros. (It was one of two straight-up girly love interest roles I played in my lifetime; Hero in Much Ado About Nothing was the other, also in college. What can I say? I was adorable back then.) Being intimately familiar with the original play, I was excited to see an update, and disappointed when it was not the show I thought it would be.

Now, granted, I'd broken the cardinal rule of off-off Broadway criticism, which is coming in with expectations. (ha ha) (no, really, it's not a good idea) But I was swayed by the TONY-winning name attached, and, honestly, just looking forward to a smart show. It was smart, yes, but it didn't do it for me. I can't tell you how upsetting it was when they tacked on lame scenes at the end that were meaningless ... and don't even get me started about God and the comet. (If you've seen the show, you'll understand.) The phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.

I should have another two reviews posted tonight/tomorrow, one of which I have to, um, write before I can expect it to go live on the site. Yeah, I should get that done now.