"The Girl" was excellent. Her voice was great and her acting was good. Her "Edging Into Darkness" gave me chills. I particularly liked the Soldier of Fortune who san "Give Us This Day Our Daily Flesh". These were the two parts that took me out of the theater seat and into the fantasy of the musical. They were so many well acted parts. It was such fun to go to the cast party and meet the ordinary folks who looked like your next door neightbors who had acted so well in the play.
The first act was a little slow, but I think it was the material not the directors. The second act picked up pace and was delightful.
On the flight home I was thinking about the play. I think part of the problem is the subject matter. It may not be a requirement, but I sure think it helps to be familiar with Melvile, his works, and his novel, The Confidence Man. There are so many references, jokes and lines that will go right over your head if you have never heard of Melville. There is a hilarious part in the second act, when Melville is on the stage alone and the stage darkens. The doors at the back of the stage are thrown open and you see a figure silhouetted in the doorway lit from behind. Melville says "Who are you?" The figure says, "You can call me Ishmael". He is, of course, the Confidence Man in another disguise. If you have never heard of Melville or Moby Dick. It is just lost on you.
I think most of the references in "A Maiden is Only as Maiden as She Feels" went right over the heads of the audience. We were, of course, laughing all the way through.
Even with the caveats I have given above. I was thrilled to see this musical and to hear Jim's music. Meeting Smeg and Sarah was another high point of the week end. They have a right to be proud of dreaming the dream of bringing the play to Cincinnati and of making the dream into a reality. It was beyond great to have access to the writer of the book and lyrics and to hear all sorts of stories from the past.
I'm sure others from the trip will be adding their own reports etc to the mix.
Wish you all could have been there.
Ann