Finally back from seeing a musical. This thing has gotten across the board raves (although I've already been told that our own Rob Stevens will be a voice in the wilderness as he did not like it) and that speaks to LA critics really knowing nothing about musical theater, or simply cheerleading. Because I am here to tell you it was terrible in every way. The book can't make up its mind about the tone, you don't care about anyone - I just could not believe it, really. The score for the second act is literally reprises (maybe there's one new song), the lyrics are of the "I wouldn't know a rhyme if it hit me in the face" variety, and the music is all the same four chords over and over again. It's a musical version of the Clint Eastwood film, Bronco Billy, written the film's screenwriter. They have spent, I'm told, $500,000 on this thing that's in a theater with about seventy-five seats. A huge amount of lighting equipment has been brought in, a complete sound package, a five-piece band, seventeen actors (with the understudies), one of LA's most expensive set designers, and on and on. A supposedly up and coming director who's from UCLA and graduated a few years ago - one minute we're supposed to be moved, the next minute it's a farce with a caricature of a hit man/villain - and the leading character, who should be Bronco Billy, is a cypher in this version - he's there but the show doesn't revolve around him - he's always lurking but never really driving.
