I’m curious what the folks who are so enamored of “Rumplestiltskin’s Daughter” think about Ms. Haubenstock’s criticism about its coherence. Any contradictory opinions? I think it is a shame “RD” is running such a short time because I’d really like to see it and it may be a squeeze for team T-line to get there in the next couple of weeks.
Though it’s still hard to find the theater reviews in the T-D, theater-related news still sneaks in through other outlets. Almost every lead sentence about the recent Miss American pageant started out similarly to this: “Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund, a 19-year-old aspiring Broadway star, was crowned Miss America 2008…” Haters out there may say theater is dead, but there’s obviously cheerful kids all over the country that are motivated by the Great White Way.
And speaking of cheerful kids, I was lucky enough to catch the exceedingly cute vocal stylings of Deb Clinton’s daughter singing “Popular” from “Wicked” at the Or-Ami talent show last night. She’s clearly following in her talented mom’s footsteps. For those of you who like the old crowd-pleasing musicals, Deb is staging “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” at the JCC at the beginning of April. And in case you’re expecting awkwards teens stumbling through their lines – well, I can’t guarantee there won’t be some of that. But one of the show’s stars, Jessica Story, also sang at the talent show last night and she has as big a voice as you’re likely to hear anywhere on stage here in town. Like in many of the community centers and the many faith communities in Richmond, the JCC has a burgeoning theater program. Big budget theater in Richmond may still be sparse but theater still thrives in nooks and crannies all over town.
2 comments:
I've seen "Rumplestiltskin's Daughter" twice now. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought it was a charming show.
I agree with the coherence problem. The storyline is a bit bland, and the music is relatively unforgetable...although I have found myself humming "Magic Changes" (I think that's the song) in the shower - how sad!
As for Ms. Haubenstock's comment about the music being similar to that of "The Little Mermaid", I definately do NOT agree with that statement - name me someone out there that can't sing or hum "Part Of Your World". THAT is memorable music.
The cast does a great job, the costumes are fun, and it moves along well enough to hold your attention for its 75 minutes. There are a few moments of "Um...what?" But those are few and far between. Seeing Richard Koch in a bright pink wig, a colorful sequined jacket, and gold pumps is worth the price of admission alone!
I didn't really feel a major issue with coherence. I thought the "good guys" were just as enjoyable to watch as the bad, and that Richard Koch's performance in post-buffoon state was one of the highlights of the show and gave the character much needed depthy beyond just being "silly."
I do agree with 2 points in this review.
My daughter and I spent the whole ride home debating over those cardboard cutouts. During the party scene, I thought they were funny. By "Ladies in Waiting" I was over them. I think the problem is that they were intended to be a running joke, but there was not enough commitment to the joke. I say they should have either had a bit more of that (instead of just 2 cutouts in a party scene, for instance - there should have been 1 brought out by each cast member) if they were going in that direction. Either commit fully, or abandon the idea. So yes, I got a little annoyed by that, but not enough to deter from my overall joy at this show.
The "wedding gown" seemed odd, too. I was at first confused that perhaps RD was going to be prime minister AND marry the king. As the mother of a girl, I was thrilled that she didn't want to just be queen and marry the king. And I was a little disappointed that it ended up looking like a wedding anyway.
Still, overall I think the show is a delight, and thought that perhaps the review was a bit harsh.
Stacy
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