"Alter Boyz" Will Alter Your Mind

NOTE: this post appears out of sequence. I mistakenly put this in my "Poetry" blog (which you should check out at http://ronwritespoetry.blogspot.com/ if you haven't already ANYway, the post and pic are now where they should be. Hope you enjoy the review--even if it IS late

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To fully appreciate a “Catholic” experience one needs to “go to confession” And so, in that spirit, I make this public confession to you: Alter Boyz isn’t something I’d rush out to see. Still, when our friends Chris and Carol Lee Maddy offered us tickets to the Sunday Matinee of the show at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach Robyn and I decided it would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. After all, we’ve always enjoyed everything we’ve seen put on by Musical Theater West and the Carpenter Center is a wonderful venue with few (if any) bad seats.

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Alter Boyz has been running Off-Broadways since 2004 where it was a huge hit. National and International Tours followed but this is the first “Regional” production allowed to be staged. The show chronicles the final stop on the Alter Boyz “Raise the Praise” Tour: local references have been seamlessly inserted into the text to help draw the audience further into the show’s reality. What follows is ninety-minutes of good-natured spoofing of Boy Bands, the Catholic Church and the evangelical movement.

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There isn’t much plot to the show: we are introduced to each of the Alter Boyz, learn a little about how they came together and get to watch as they face the ultimate test that eventually comes to all Boy Bands that make it to stardom. But, then again, this show is a parody and in this case the parody is all about the characters and those characters are drawn to perfection.

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Matthew (played by James Royce Edwards) channels Justin Timerlake as the lead singer for the Alter Boyz: he’s a handsome, kind, charming and dedicated leader. Mark (Danny Calvert) doesn’t obviously represent any character in a boy band (except maybe Lance Bass). He is outrageously flamboyant but eventually confesses near the end of the show that he’s “Catholic” and proud of it. Luke takes a page from A.J. MacLean’s book as the band member just back from treatment for “exhaustion.” Juan (Dan Domenech) riffs on Ricky Martin in his full “Latin Lover” phase. Abraham (Dan Pacheco) is the sensitive outsider (every boy band has one). And, considering he’s Jewish he’s REALLY an outsider here. Former DJ and commercial pitch-man Shadoe Stevens (in a pre-recorded cameo) was perfect as the Voice of G.O.D.

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They pull of their songs in perfect “boy band” style with soaring five-part harmonies and choreography that delightfully treads the thin line between homage and parody. The many songs are completely original (with the possible exception of La Vida Eternal which comes really closely to copying Living La Vida Loca a little too much.) The other tunes are bouncy and a lot of fun to listen to. Yes, they have a great beat and you can dance to them!!! The set is nothing more than a few platforms and ramps with some metal scaffolding--but that is only to be expected considering this is a “concert” after all. The video screens (staples at any rock show with its salt) could have been a bit larger but they offered some cute visual jokes during the show.

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Is the show great? No. There was no surprises in the show but it was a lot of fun and a pleasant way to spend some time. Do you have to appreciate boy bands to enjoy the show? Again, no: if it did you might have a deeper enjoyment of the show but the material is completely accusable to young people and senior citizens. (The whole audience was laughing at the Matinee we saw--and it was packed with oldsters.) Do you have to be a Catholic to enjoy the show? Again, no. This show is just a big, fun spoof. Yes, the music may be a bit loud but its no louder than a lot of things we’ve seen--and that’s no reason NOT to see the show.

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FINAL GRADE A-

"Pirates" Sail into Theaters Again

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Deep See Spiral. I picked it because I will be reviewing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Anyone who saw the movie might well remember that a whirlpool plays a part in the movie. (It’s not all that important to the story but at least it gives me a second connection to image and story.) You will notice the post is rather shorter than usual but I think it covers everything as needed.
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I had very low expectations for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest when it came out five years ago: after all--how good could a movie based on a Disneyland ride (even a fun one like “P. of the C.”) be? Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be an absolute gem! Then there was Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl. It ended up being an over-long and pretty dull movie that was nothing but a setup for the third installment of the movie. So, once it came time to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End I was prepared for the worst--especially when I found out the movie ran almost three hours!
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This review won’t contain a plot synopsis. I’d love to relate what happened but I couldn’t figure out what was going on. There were so many twists and turns that after a while I just got too confused to follow the action so I gave up and let myself get swept along. And believe me--there is action aplenty! All the battle scenes, whether they be with swords or ship-to-ship combat, are shot with verve. Luckily the talky bits are few and far between because they slow the movie way down! (There was one "trippy" scene that didn't add a lot to the movie but they were really cool to look at.)
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All the actors suitably chew the scenery (as required in a truly BIG movie like this one) and, with the possible exception of Orlando Bloom, all of them still seem to be enjoying their roles. (Then again, Orlando gets well-and-truly hosed by the script so it wouldn’t surprise me if he acted slightly annoyed.) As I said, the plot confuses me but it moves along so quickly that you don’t really have time to think about it. There’s a lot to look at and the movie is beautifully shot. I think the movie runs too long (but honestly I can’t think of what should or even could be cut.) As always the effects are first rate The script nicely ties up the loose ends but leaves room for Pirates of the Caribbean Four (and there will be one, I promise you!) This is a fun romp for the whole family--except for the very youngest children--perfect for a summer blockbuster. There are a few dark moments but it's not so horrible that it would spoil the movie.
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FINAL GRADE B-

Third Time NOT the Charm for Latest "Shrek" Outing

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Green Eye. I picked it because it contains a review of Shrek the Third. (I'm even using green text for the review if it weren't obvious enough!) If you can’t figure out the connection please feel free to crawl back under the rock you’ve been hiding under for the last however long . . .
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Sequels always make me worry: often the producers feel the need to pile on new characters, more plot lines, bigger effects and louder soundtracks while neglecting the plots and characters that made the previous movies such a huge success. Shrek was a revelation: Shrek 2 was the rare movie sequel that proved to be better than the first one. And now Shrek the Thrid rolls into the theaters: needless to say I was worried . . .
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Maybe I went in with too-high expectations for this movie: after I saw the first Shrek I wondered how they could make a sequel: I knew making this third installment would be even more difficult--especially considering the proliferation of “fairy tale send-ups” that have shown up recently (Hoodwinked and Happily Never After spring to mind.) Sadly, Shrek the Third falls into the sequel trap and proceeds to chew off its own leg.
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Here’s the plot: Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) longs for the swamps of home and chafes under the responsibility of filling in for King Harold (John Cleese in a brief and all too cheesy bit). After the king “croaks” Shrek is forced to find another butt to fill the throne. He sets off with sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find Artie (a true “star turn” by Justin Timerlake). Meanwhile Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) is reduced to playing himself in a particularly cheesy “Dinner Theater” show (which is one of the best sequences in the whole movie). Charming recruit’s a bunch of fairy tale villains and sidekicks to take over the Kingdom of Far Far Away leaving Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and a squad of other Princess (voiced by a number of female SNL Cast Members AND Larry King) to battle the usurper until Shrek and Artie can arrive to save the day.
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Don’t get me wrong--the movie isn’t bad--but compared to the first two installments it’s just not very good. I laughed so hard at the first two movies that my face literally hurt. I had a few good laughs in this movie too--and quite a number of chuckles--but there just wasn’t the same level of originality. Shrek is now almost “cuddly-wuddly (NOT a good thing for an Ogre) and he and Fiona are trapped in a plot that could have been lifted from an I Love Lucy episode. Adults will enjoy playing “spot the movie reference” (I counted five) and plot won’t go above the heads of any children in the audience--and they’ll enjoy the jokes and action. The animation is even more spectacular than the first to movies and looking at the art almost makes it worth the price of admission.
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FINAL GRADE: C-

Spiderman Weaves his Third Web

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Weird Web. I picked it because I’m reviewing the latest “Spiderman” epic--and it was the only fractal that had a web-like appearance,
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This past weekend Spiderman 3 opened world-wide and took in more than three-hundred twenty million dollars. (I had to write the number out because it was so completely surprising). The movie smashed all previous records--in spite of tepid critical reviews. Robyn and I took in a Sunday Matinee to help the movie take in an estimate 148 million dollars in the United States alone.
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The first and second installments of the “Spiderman” franchise were two of the best (if not the absolute best) super hero movies ever made. Spiderman 3 suffers from a common problem with most super hero movies--bloat. Every super hero sequel has to top the one before--more villains, more FX, more angst, more everything. It must be louder, longer and more brazen than the one that came before. So in this two-hour movie we have to get the backstory for not one but TWO new super villains as well as advance the characters of the Major Players.

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As the movie opens Peter Parker is one happy guy: New York City loves Spiderman and he loves Mary Jane. He’s doing well and even decides its time to pop the question. Of course fate has other plans: first his best friend Harry Osborne decides it’s time to get revenge on Peter for the death of his father. A protoplasmic blob from outer space takes an interest in Peter--giving him a great new look and a not so great new outlook on life. Meanwhile, small time crook Flint Marko escapes from jail and ends up getting transformed into the Sandman. Peter gets a new nemesis in Eddie Haskell wannabe Edward Brock Jr. who snaps pix of Spidey (better than those produced by Peter himself.) Eventually Peter dumps the symbiote and it bonds with Eddie Brock--becoming the Venom.

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Thomas Haden Church underplays Flint Marko--a small time crook who ends up becoming the Sandman. The tale of how he was transformed was pretty standard but his battle scene with Spidey were pretty cool. Topher Grace channels Greg German in his portrayal of Eddie Brock. Spiderman’s dark mirror Venom. Bryce Dallas Howard isn’t given much to work with as Gwen Stacy who crosses paths both with Peter AND Spiderman: she (or her character at least) will be back in future episodes so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with her. Toby Maguire, Kirstin Dunst and James Franco pretty much phone in their performances.

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The movie is beautifully shot and the action sequences are first rate. The plot is, to say the least, obvious and there are no surprises for the movie going public. Still, it’s a fun popcorn movie, a perfect “summer biggie” and surely won’t disappoint most Spiderman fans. Yes, it could have been better but it could easily have been much, much worse! It was a nice beginning to the 2007 “Summer Blockbuster” season.

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FINAL GRADE C+

Would somebody PLEASE turn out "The Light in the Piazza"?

This post begins with the fractal called Spinz 10. I picked it because the show is something of a lemon and it laid a complete egg. If that gives you an idea of what I think of the show (as if the review title didn’t!) then you are probably right.
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I always go into a show planning to enjoy it: sometimes it’s harder than others (Starlight Express was particularly difficult for a number of reasons best not discussed here). But I have to admit, I went into The Light in the Piazza (we saw the Matinee Saturday May 5) with a bit of a troubled heart: what I’d heard of the plot really disturbed me.
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Here’s the story in a nutshell . . . Margaret Johnson is escorting her simply beautiful (and simple) daughter Clara on a tour of Italy. In a certain piazza in Florence they meet (thanks to a wonderful bit of stagecraft) Fabrizio Nacarelli--a handsome young Florentine who falls instantly and madly in love with Clara (as only an Italian man can do--especially in a Broadway show) and Clara is smitten as well. Margaret (who, of course, hasn’t told her daughter that she’s not quite all there) at first tries to thwart the romance but eventually gives in and supports the relationship after Clara throws a complete fit and acts like a brat.. Complications ensue--Signior Nacarelli was unfaithful to his wife and has problems with Clara’s age (she 26, Fabrizio has just turned 20) but eventually the marriage takes place and--the show ends.
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There’s a word--verisimilitude--that often comes into play when watching Broadway Musicals (and summer blockbusters for that matter) in which the audience buys into the reality of the show--at least for a while. The “willing suspension of disbelief” allows them to enjoy the show even when the situation is so completely implausible that it could NEVER happen in the real world. I couldn’t do that with this show: I wanted to, I tried--really I did, but it just didn’t happen
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WARNING!!! The paragraph below contains major plot spoilers! Anyone expecting to see the show should skip it if they want to be surprised.
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Yes, the action takes place in 1953--a simpler time where the realities of mental retardation weren’t so well known but I just couldn’t buy the fact that Margaret failed to disclose Clara’s “condition” to the Nacarellis. (Her reasons--Clara is “blossoming”, Margaret wants to give Clara “hope” and wants someone to “take care” of Clara after her parents are gone just don’t wash with me. I’m sorry--this is simply a recipe for disaster. Margaret in effect "sells" her daughter for $15,000 and that didn't go down well with me at all.
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Maybe I’d have liked the show better if it had been better. The set is pretty, the costumes are pretty, the music is pretty (even though you are forgetting it even as you are listening) and prettily performed. The pit band only had five members but they used different instruments than what you usally hear (violin, harp and cello) that made for a lush, creamy sound.

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Christine Andreas does the best she can with the thankless role of Margaret. Katie Ross Clarke (reprising the role she originated on Broadway) is nothing short of gorgeous and she has a beautiful Soprano voice. David Burnham displays a fine tenor voice and gets to chew the scenery as Fabrizio. The rest of the cast is adequate but leave about as much of an impression as the rest of the show--which is to say not much. Who knows? Maybe this is the “chick flick” of Broadway Shows: as we were walking out I heard several men making negative comments about the plot. (Oddly enough I didn’t hear a lot of positive comments from the distaff side but that’s just me.) All in all The Light in the Piazza isn’t a complete dog but it sure is a puppy.

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FINAL GRADE: D-