I saw Ring of Fire last night. It's a well performed country music concert in a Broadway theatre (the Barrymore or Ethel Barrymore depending on how much you know about that theatre) but what it is not, IMHO, is a Broadway musical (even in the Jukebox category). There are some very nice moments and Jarod Emmick is very good as one of the pseudo Johnny Cash figures but it doesn't add up to much. The few snatches of dialogue (maybe two pages total in 2 hours) that try to string the piece together don't add anything to the piece. It doesn't try to tell the story of Johnny Cash. Instead, it uses his music to "tell the story of America". Uhhh, I don't think so. There are three different "Johnny Cash" type performers playing at different periods in the show (Emmick being one of them) and while they are all good they don't have much to do except sing country songs, walk with a swagger and play guitars. Well over half the cast members are making their Broadway debuts in the show. It's being done under an AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists) contract, not an Equity contract (not that it makes much difference, just thought I would mention that for those of you interested).
I liked the first act but I'm not a big fan of hard core country music and I got bored in the second act.
I don't know how this show will be received by the critics or the theatre going audience. At 7:30 when I walked past the TKTS Booth tickets were still available and the performance was not sold out. Even though Country Music seems to be popular in New York I think it's going to be a hard sell for this show. The press keeps talking about a new kind of Broadway musical but I didn't see anything new or inventive or exciting. The stage is bare except for the musical instruments and a screen (thank you Woman in White) which uses projections of rural America and train tracks and honky tonks, etc. Except for the Grand Old Opry sequence the cast looks like they came off the street and walked on stage. That's good, I guess??? I don't know. I didn't know what to expect when I went and I'm still puzzling about what I saw. I got heavily discounted tickets ($30) but if I had paid full price ($101.25 or $86.25, NOTHING less than that unless you get your tickets at TKTS or through TDF or another discount house) I think I would have been a mite upset. Or, maybe I'm wrong. Concert prices have certainly gone up also, so I'm told. I can't remember the last time I was at a concert.
Anyway, that's my take on the next entry in the Jukebox Musical sweepstakes. I'll be surprised if it's a hit but I don't know if it has the potential for any kind of run.
Later, gaters.
