Seeing Shows

I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie last night at BYU. There's a lot that can be said, positive and not so positive, about the show. Before I move on to that, I have other things I want to articulate first.

I went to the show with some of the members of my cast from Rabbit Hole - Paul and Justine. They totally enjoyed the show and watched with a clean slate, no expectations. Just wide eyed and open. I watched them as I watched the show and realized that my training has made me a critic of almost everything I see. I don't know that I can go into something and watch it without asking questions and seeing the choices that were made and wondering why those choices were made and what other choices could have been made and what was strongest and is the world unified and on and on and on. I don't regret my education or gaining a more critical eye and inquiring mind. But sometimes I wish it had an off switch. I wish I could go in to a show and just enjoy it. I mean, I like thinking and talking about and questioning theatre. But I feel jaded almost. Theatre is supposed to be enjoyable right? - but it's hard to enjoy when I'm thinking all the time. (Heh, story of my life.) So basically, I miss my theatre innocence sometimes.

So. Millie.
There were a lot of great choices made - the chorus was fun, Jimmy, Trevor Graden, Muzzie, and Mrs. Meers were fantastic, the set changes were fun, the comdey was enjoyable, and the pit was fantastic! Jimmy and Millie were cute together, which was really fun. I totally got that it was Millie and Jimmy's story and that came through really nicely. Millie had a great voice, but from sitting on the balcony, I had a difficult time hearing her over the pit in the climatic moments. But, overall, I felt that the pacing was slow and commitment was low and urgency was missing. And I wasn't sure what unified the world. The costumes were unified within themselves. The set was unified within itself. The lights were unified within themselves. But I wasn't sure how they all worked together. Some things seemed to be funny for the sake of seeing funny (ex. a lot of stuff with Mrs. Dorothy). But, I honestly think that a lot of things could be fixed by just picking up the pacing. The show didn't seem to be driving anywhere - it just sort of clopped along not hurrying anywhere (which seemed funny for a show that takes place in NYC about being modern). Had he pacing picked up, the urgency would've followed and the commitment would've followed as well because the actors would've known what they were driving to.

Overall, what unified the world? Hmm...maybe the unity would've helped to tighten things too. If people knew how the world all worked together to be unified, it would've found a rhythm and jive instead of feeling disjointed and slow.

I also don't know that it was right for the DeJong space. The set was minimal, the ensemble was small and the whole space wasn't used as perhaps it could've been. I think this version of the show may've been more appropriate for the Pardoe space.

I did enjoy Millie. These are just the quesitons that I had afterwards. What unified the world and what was it driving to and what was the need to get there?

Come See My Senior Show!

Come see Rabbit Hole - my senior project!!  Tickets are $5 (so cheap!) and the show plays four performances in the Margett's theatre at BYU.

Trust me, this is one show you don't want to miss!!