Well. I think spring’s here…well, at least it seems like that of late.
I just went on a walk outside in full summer clothing…complete with my [unfortunately] pink flipflops…although I /was/ wearing my California for most of it. Well…it /is/ spring, not summer.
I kind of don’t have any media to blog about actually. I haven’t done much except for homework in the last few weeks…which is wonderful, cough. Although I did go do something really spectacular when I was on March Break, which was go to New York. I’m not going to write about New York. I’m going to write about the Broadway show I saw when I was in New York =]
CHICAGO
I just want to say, first of all, that Broadway is amazing. When you look at everyone on Broadway, it’s ridiculous. They have to be highly skilled in all aspects of performance, including acting, singing, dancing, and overall presentation. If you really think about it, the people on Broadway are so much more skilled than anyone in Hollywood or in the popular music industry. They deserve the money and fame so much more than those people, but I guess the sad reality is that the general populace doesn’t appreciate them as much. Maybe it’s because it’s harder for us to relate to those highly skilled people than it is for us to look up to and aspire to be something with simpler requirements, like a Hollywood actor. Anyway. So Chicago specifically…
Music — so music can be divided into two sections: the actor’s performance and the original composition. As I already said, the performers are amazing, so that’s vocal included and I’m not going to say anything about that [haha yayyyy strong voices!]. The original composition [that's the music written for the Broadway] is also impressive, and very…just, fun in general. They’re easy to follow along to and sing, but have enough complexity to keep us interested.
Storyline — I haven’t watched the movie version of Chicago but I have heard about it, and I know the full storyline of the movie. Because the Broadway is so more much than telling a complex story, lots of parts of the original story is cut out. The Broadway doesn’t really tell a very satisfying story, because there just isn’t enough time. There are some things that are introduced and not resolved, or some things that are left unexplained. However, on the whole, it’s easy enough to follow and is able to demonstrate the performers’ assorted skills. Besides, you’re not watching the Broadway for mainly a story anyway.
Stage Use — this is the aesthetic set-up, the placement of characters and props. I really liked how they put the orchestra on-stage, so that the conductor was actually interacting with the performers. It was pretty sweet. They also had two ladders: one on each side of the stage; they could be swung out, so it was a pretty neat placement of people as well. I had a very extreme side seat, and I saw everything perfectly, so I guess that’s saying something about the stage directors. The use of props was also very nice, because they just used enough to compliment the story and performers, without overwhelming or confusing the audience. Yay!
On the whoooooole, I really think Broadway is such a spectacle. It’s definitely worth it to go see a show, especially Chicago =]
