Charlotte and I sat on the aisle, Row L center, and the seats were great. I did indeed blubber through most of the second act. A moment occurred in Act Two involving English and Czech that reached down my throat and tore out my heart. I'm sure I didn't miss the moment downtown but it sure caught me by surprise tonight and it was a truly wrenching moment. From that point on I was a total mess. I can't say any more because I don't want to spoil this glorious show for anyone, and I think it's something no one should miss.
The show works beautifully in the space, a concern many had after the intimacy of NYTW, and there's quite a crowd onstage buying beer at the onstage bar before the show and hanging out to watch the cast warm up. I got to speak briefly to Andy Taylor, but I didn't wander up onto the stage. Charlotte went up and checked out the bar's merchandise: beer.
The cast has not changed and they are an amazing ensemble of performers. Kazee and Milioti are not at all like their film counterparts, and I think that's a very smart decision. This show makes it very clear we are not watching an easy transfer of a movie to the stage. The revisions are very smart and theatrical, some things are changed about quite a bit, especially the song placement, and it works really well.
