Cleopatra Hits the Stage - And Trips.
One of my favorite online theatre review sites, The Fab Marquee, just reviewed Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled put on by the Planet Connections Festival going on right now. Let me start off by saying that the Festival is a wonderful thing, as are all off-off festivals, but this one is special because it focuses on giving back to the community.
However, I literally laughed my ass off at the brilliance of David Stallings' review of this play...a play which quite literally was so bad that I had to bite the back of my hand several times when I went to see it to keep from screaming.
I would review it, but I can't touch the beauty of Mr. Stallings' take on it...so if you would like a review from one of NYC's freshest minds (David Stallings is a playwright who is winning awards left and right, and with good reason) I suggest stopping over to The Fab Marquee and getting a gander for yourself.
posted by Bitchy Actress @ 4:11 PM
4 Comments:
At 3:35 PM,
Anonymous said…
You clearly disliked the show a lot. And while I know you didn't want to give a review, what specific elements of the show 'made you cringe'?
At 3:21 PM,
Bitchy Actress said…
The old adage "show, don't tell" that is handed down to fiction writers also works very well in the world of Theatre. I felt that most of the play was an attempt to throw in as many characters as possible who were unable to connect with one another while at the same time pounding the audience over the head with exposition - both in dialogue and song.
I was also disappointed with what seemed to be a morphing of Cleopatra into what today's Britney Spears fans would want in a woman - and not the woman who ruled an empire and used cunning and, yes, her sexuality, to be as powerful as any man.
The worst part for me, though, is watching actors just "act" - and not "be". That was something that burned my ass to no end.
Thanks for the comment.
At 1:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Here's a more appropriate review.... http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/29395.html
At 12:49 PM,
Bitchy Actress said…
Well, I tend to disagree. But then again, it's just an opinion. I have seen many a rock opera, and have enjoyed several; this, however, fell flat for me although some moments of the score were relatively catchy, kind of like a commercial you can't get out of your head, I really didn't find it "an engaging powerhouse". At all. However, if someone else did, then I'm glad someone enjoyed it. Apparently it was a big hit at the festival...
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