Avatar and Sherlock Holmes Reviewed

I love Christmas Time--because besides summer it's teh only time I get to see movies I'm bound to enjoy.  This year I got to see two, Avatar and Sherlock Holmes.  That's why I picked Double Diamond as the fractal image for today's post: I think you can figure out why without further explanation.
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Christmas Day Robyn and I traveled to the OC to be with friends for Christmas Dinner.  Before we ate we met up with Alison Young and her daugher Eris for an early showing of the latest incarnation of Sherlock Holmes.  Truth in commentary requires that I admit I'm not a huge fan of the "classic" films starring Basil Rathbone as the eponymous lead.  In this case that's probably not a good thing because this ain't your father's "Deerstalker" wearing, Detective.  Yes. he's still a pipe-smoker but the dapper Englishman of yore has been replace by a drug-addled eccentric (like the books but moreso.)  Dr. John Watson has also gotten a makeover--no longer the bumbling fat sidekick he has morphed into a handsome charmer who is almost Holmes' intellectual equal (and not without resources of his own).  
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As a matter-of-fact, the entire "Hommesian" world has gotten a thoroughly modern makeover for this movie.  London is a gritty, dirty place all done in shades of gray and brown.  Holmes is a drug-addled eccentric martial-arts master with a genius that sets him apart from society and makes him barely tolerate (except for a few select individuals that are more-or-less welcomed into his world).  Robert Downey Jr. makes a creditable Sherlock (and I never caught his English accent faltering even once).  Jude Law makes an excellent foil for Downey in his role as Dr. John Watson.  The plot (too complicated to relate in a double review) FX and shooting style are also thoroughly modern but somehow everything worls together for an exciting movie.  It is well worth making the effort to see the movie on a big screen.
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FINAL GRADE: A  
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Writer-Director James Cameron worked for more than a decade to bring Avatar to the big screen.  What he produced was a visual "tour de force" that literally needs to be seen to be believed.  His world is truly alien (if frankly candy-colored) and his alien animals look really cool (even if I'm not sure they could work in anything like a real planet).  The FX and battle scenes are pretty spectacular--and that's where the good things I have to say about the movie pretty much ends.
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The entire plot can be pretty much surmised in one sentance: disaffected hero in the pay of an "evil empire" goes to an unspoiled paradise and has a mystical revelation and leads the natives to preserve their world and way of life.  Yeah, the story is pretty much that simple and its packed with one-dimensional characters that are cliched in the extreme.  I hate to throw terms around like "hackneyed" but that's pretty much what this script is: you can see everything coming from a mile away and even the loud soundtrack can't disguise the loud clockwork grinding as the script clanks along to its inevitable conclusion.  Worse--it takes two hours and forty minutes to get there (and with 25 minutes of previews Avatar is a total :butt-number").  The (mostly unknown) actors do well enough with what they are given to do but I was disturbed by male lead Sam Worthington's "wandering" accent.  (He usually does this very flat American accent but he frequently slips so even an uneducated listener can pick it up.)  Still, the average movie-goer will probably really enjoy Avatar from start to finish.
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Will Avatar make a ton of moeny?  Yes.  Will it, as some commentators claim, change the future of movie-making?  I doubt it.  The 3D FX are nothing short of breathtaking and subtle in their exection.  Are they necessary to enjoy the movie?  No--but the FX raise Avatar from just another movie to the level of "must see".  Was the movie good?  Yes.  Was it $11.75 per ticket (and that was the matinee price!) good?  Not hardly.  All the visual trickery in the world can't mask the fact that Avatar really AIN'T all that.
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FINAL GRADES
     FX: A++
     EVERYTHING ELSE: C 

This Year's Christmas Albums: PART DEUX

Choosging Winter Solstice seems a pretty obvious choice for reviewing  new Christmas Albums--one of which is titled On A Winter's Night.  Does anything more need be said?  No--so on with the review!
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I knew I'd be getting another Christmas Album--since I saw Robyn pick it up at Target.  (I pointed it out to her in fact--but more on that later.)  Still, we were in Sam's Club Wednesday night picking up a few last-minute things we needed to take to a Christmas Eve Party tonight.  While my lady-love was perusing the books (as she is wont to do) I checked out their (limited) music selection.  Like everything else Sting's Christmas Album had been priced to clear.  (We also picked up a really nice Christmas Tree Skirt (for 1/3 the original price)--but that's a story for another post--and not a good one at that).
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I have to be honest--when I heard Sting was doing a Christmas Album I was somewhat less than sanguine.  The "Stingster" just doesn't seem like the type for Holiday joy.  Anyone looking "fa-la-la" or a "holly jolly Christmas" won't find it here--and Father Christmas is conspicuously absent from the fifteen cuts.    On A Winter's  Night is a rather solemn (often downbeat) album yet it still has an austere beauty.  None of the songs are above mid-tempo and there is little (if any) in the way of amplified instruemts.  There are a few jazzy licks here and there and a some contemporary-style arrangements on the songs but most of them are done on period instruemnts--giving the album a soft, inimate quality.  What emerges is a contemplative counterpoint to the glitz and frantic glamour of the season.  Most of the music is traditional English Folk Songs although some are new musical settings of poems.  Sting composed a couple of winter-themed songs for the album.  Will On A Winter's Night go down as one of the "Great" Christmas Albums of all times?  Probably not: it is simply too esoteric to have a broad appeal but it is still makes a fine counterpoint to the often phoney "joy" of the season.  FINAL GRADE: A
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Every few years the Trans-Siberian Orchestra rolls out a new album--each more bombastic and overblown than the last.    You can count on a mix of Carols, well-known classical pieces and original tunes framed around a story you have to read (or maybe see live) to comprehend.  You'll have your fuzzy guitars with amplification "turned up to eleven" and synthesizers backing rock vocalists and there's alos the orchestra and choir to give it some depths.  For fans of their style--Night Castle won't disappoint. 
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For me, I found myself wanting something more.  Night Castle is an ambitious double-disc album with a story I simply couldn't follow.  The "Christmas" elements are kept to a minimum here (I only recognized a few bits from The Nutcracker) but there are some interesting "rocked up" classical pieces (they were born to play Bach's Tocata and Fugue and their take on Carmina Burana was pretty cool too) but I couldn't escape the feeling that I'd heard it all before (maybe on their last three albums?)  Maybe I'm an old grump or maybe the Trans-Siberian boys have just run out of ideas.  I guess we won't know until their next ablum.  FINAL GRADE: C+
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I hope your Christmas got a Final Grade of A+ and your New Year is rated A+++.  Brightest blessings to all my "loyal" readers and everyone who chooses to drop by now and then.
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'nuff said.

I thought I'd pick something rainbow or candy-colored for my review of Xanadu but then I came across this image called Disk-Oh! and thought it would work.  I mean really!  What better for a movie about creating a roller disco than an image like this one?  True, the colors are hardly perfect (they don't go with the show's candy-colored palette) but I still think it makes sense in so many other ways. (You'll see why as I go along.) That being said--on with the review!

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Xanadu has an interesting history: based on the 1947 movie musical Down To Earth (starring Rita Hayworth) and Gene Kelly. It was re-made (as Xanadu) in 1980 (starring Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck and Gene Kelly (who reprised his role from the original). The plot was meandering (at best), the acting was wooden (to be kind) and the costumes were just silly (even by the standards of the day). I can only assume copious amounts of cocaine were consumed during the entire production process. Paradoxically, the movie spawned several hits for Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra that have become "classic" pop ditties. In 2007 Producers got the bright idea to turn it into a live show.
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The staged version of Xanadu has proven to be surprisingly successfiul: they kept most of the music from the movie (the best part of source material) and even the silly plot. The re-write was done thoroughly tongue-in-cheek and the actors were given free reign to camp it up to their hearts desire. They also kept the show short (barely an hour and a half) so the audience never really got to the chance to realize how slight everything really was. The set was kept simple yet effective, the costumes cute (and silly as the looks from the movie) and the effects were minimal yet in keeping with the whole feel of the production. The five-member band doesn't quite manage to duplicate the "ELO" sound but they were plenty effective.
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In the end, what viewers got was the stage musical equivelant of cotton candy-- no substance but none-too-substantial. No audience member is going to walk away from Xanadu with an emotional catharsis or feeling that some great emotional truth has been exposed in a new way. What you get is an hour-an-a-half of pure, unadulterated FUN that is suitable for small kids and grannies alike. It is a safe and pleasing (if very light) entertainment. And really--when you think of it--what's wrong with that?
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'nuff said.

A Christmas Carol Quiz

I chose Which Way to Christmas as today's fractal image mainly because I needed something "holiday" to go with the first-ever quiz I created for my blog. That being said--care to test your knowledge of how well you know your Christmas Music? Take my quiz and see!

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QUESTION ONE: What were the "Three Kings of Orient" doing?

• a) shopping for a luxury car


• b) trying to smoke a rubber cigar


• c) bearing gifts
• d) going out to a Transvestite Bar
• e) trying to clean up a bad spill of tar

QUESTION TWO: Who wrote "The Little Drummer Boy"?

• a) Barbara Mandrill
• b) Harry Simeon
• c) Hairy Simeon
• d) Bobby Bonobo
• e) William Johnson and Lem Drabinski

QUESTION THREE: while we're on the subject of The Little Drummer Boy--what did Mary do when the boy asked to play his drum for the baby Jesus?

• a) said "thanks for offering but no."
• b) sighed
• c) let the kid play
• d) sent the kid away with a strong lecture
• e) nodded

QUESTION FOUR: "the Holly bears a berry..."

• a) that's white as the milk
• b) that's black as the coal
• c) as blood it is red
• d) all of the above
• e) none of the above

QUESTION FIVE: what country does Carol Of The Bells come from?

• a) Ukraine
• b) Lithuania
• c) Latvia
• d) Romania
• e) Ireland

QUESTION SIX: which of these other tunes fits the scansion of O Little Town Of Bethlehem?

• a) The House Of The Rising Sun
• b) Flow Gently Sweet Afton
• c) Amazing Grace (if you sing the verse twice)
• d) all of the above
• e) none of the above

QUESTION SEVEN: what did "Grandma" have on her back?

• a) a heating pad
• b) rug burns
• c) incriminating "Claus" marks
• d) a tattoo
• e) a map to Santa's Workshop

QUESTION EIGHT: what is the most popular hymn tune when singing Good Christian Men Rejoice?

• a) In Dulce Jubilo
• b) "Old Hundred"
• c) O Waly, Waly
• d) Glaustsestershire
• e) none of the above

QUESTION NINE: who first recorded Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree?

• a) Wanda Jackson
• b) Wayne Newton
• c) Brenda Lee
• d Hall and Oats
• e) Elvis Presley
• f) wait-this question isn't fair! Brenda Lee and Wayne Newton are the same person!

QUESTION TEN: what were the "Angels We Have Heard On High" doing?

• a) sending forth a glad refrain
• b) sweetly singing o'er the plain
• c) complaining that their job's a pain
• d) trying to catch the morning train
• e) echoing the joyous strain

QUESTION ELEVEN: According to the song of the same name--Mary Did You Know...

• a) that a stable isn't the ideal place to give birth
• b) that your baby boy would one day walk on water
• c) that Joseph was cheating on you with the chippie next door
• d) that your child will do wondrous things
• e) that this gig was going to be a lot harder than it looked

QUESTION TWELVE: according to the ORIGINAL lyrics of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas--what was wrong with the singer...?

• a) he wasn't very smart
• b) he was a smarmy little twerp
• c) he wasn't coordinated
• d) the other kids didn't like him
• e) all of the above

QUESTION THIRTEEN: what did the "Night Wind" say to the "Little Lamb"? (in Do You Hear What I Hear?"

• a) nothing: wind can't talk
• b) "Do you hear what I hear?"
• c) "Do see what I see?"
• d) "Do you smell what 'the Rock' is cooking?"
• e) nothing. The Night Wind and the Little Lamb haven't been speaking since "the incident."

QUESTION FOURTEEN: what holiday was Jingle Bells composed for?

• a) Thanksgiving
• b) Christmas
• c) Christmas you idiot!
• d) Solstice Day
• e) New Year's Day

QUESTION FIFTEEN: what was Jack Frost doing in The Christmas Song?

• a) "ripping off your clothes"
• b) "nipping at your nose"
• c) "wearing pantyhose"
• d) watching TV Shows
• e) freezing Cousin Rose

QUESTION SIXTEEN: Patapan is...

• a) part of the chorus from Little Drummer Boy
• b) a Spanish carol
• c) a Mexican carol
• d) a carol from the American Southwest
• e) a French country carol

QUESTION SEVENTEEN: what does The Coventry Carol commemorate?

• a) Mary and Joseph's flight into Egypt
• b) the travels of the Three Wise Men
• c) angels telling the shepherds in the fields
• d) King Harod's slaughter of the innocents
• e) the birth of Christ

QUESTION EIGHTEEN: in the ORIGINAL LYRICS of I Wonder As I Wander why did "Jesus the Savior come for to die?"

• a) for four horny people like you and like I
• b) to save lowly people like you and like I
• c) for poor ornrey people like you and like I
• d) just 'cuz the Savior is that kind of guy
• e) the Savior just did it--nobody knows why

QUESTION NINETEEN: In It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas where are the trees located?

• a) in the park and the Grand Hotel
• b) in the Grand Hotel and your Living Room
• c) in the park and the Town Square
• d) in the park, the Grand Hotel and your Living Room
• e) none of the above

QUESTION TWENTY: Silent Night was originally written for

• a) soprano, alto and harpsichord
• b) choir and organ
• c) baritone and tenor sung acapella
• d) baritone and tenor with guitar
• e) baritone and tenor with choral response and guitar

Fill in the blanks of the following lines and name the carols from which they come.

QUESTION TWENTY ONE: "Nellie wants a story book. She__________"

QUESTION TWENTY TWO: "Myrrh is mine, it's _____________ breathes___________"

QUESTION TWENTY THREE: "I've just one wish__________, I wish _____________"

QUESTION TWENTY FOUR: "Want a________________. Me I _____________"

QUESTION TWENTY FIVE: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make_________"

And now scroll down a bit for the answers

ANSWERS

1: c ) 2: b ) 3: c ) 4: d ) 5: b 6: d ) 7: c) 8: a ) 9: b ) 10: b ) 11: b ) 12: a ) 13: c )

14: a ) 15: b ) 16: e ) 17: d ) 18: c ) 19: a ) 20: d ) 21: "thinks dolls are folly. (from Jolly Old Saint Nicholas) 22: bitter perfume/a life of gathering gloom. (from We Three Kings) 23: on this Christmas Eve/I wish I were with you. (from Merry Christmas Darling) 24: "a plane that loops the loop/want a hula hoop" (from the Chipmunks Christmas Song) 25: "the yuletide gay (from Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This Year's Christmas Albums

A post about the holidays requires a holiday-themed fractal. Since I have already used all my "Christmas" fractals I had had to create something new. This one reminds me of of poinsettia blossoms in the snow--thus the name, Holiday Poinsettias. Now on with the review!
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I really like Christmas music: there--I've said it. (Of course I said it about this time last year as well.) You might be shocked or scandalized to know how many Christmas albums I actually OWN. (I'd tell you but, in all honesty, I've lost count.) Every year I promise myself I'm not going to buy anything new: I already have enough and I don't need any more. Of course then I find something by an artist I like or discover somebody new and I end up adding another album to my collection. This year I bought four new albums (above my average of two) and rumor has it "Santa Claus" is going to be leaving a fifth one in my Christmas Stocking. So--since I haven't been to any movies recently (and I feel the need to post) here's a review of this year's crop of Christmas music.
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MANHEIM STEAMROLLER: CHRISTMAS--25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
I've been a fan of Manheim Steamroller since they were a "fringe" group that nobody knew about. I remember the days of having to go to BIG record stores (when we actually HAD such things) to find their albums--and still having to scour the place to find their new music. But times have changed: record stores ("big" or others) have all but vanished and, thanks to main stream radio playing non-stop Christmas music six weeks before the holiday, Manheim Steamroller has become as much a part of Christmas as Santa and Gingerbread. They've made quite a little industry for themselves out of Christmas and Chip Davis, founder and driving force behind the group never passes up an opportunity to squeeze a few more dollars out of the franchise. The 25th Anniversary of the release of their first (and probably best) Christmas Album was an opportunity that could not be passed up.
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The album contains 25 songs on two discs. There are a few new songs (original compositions that are pleasant enough but so forgettable I couldn't tell you what they are without looking them up. The other cuts are old songs nicely arranged for pleasant listening. Davis did an excellent job selecting representative works from his albums and there's only one clunker in the bunch. Their version of The Christmas Song (featuring vocals by Johnny Mathis) is a torturous dirge that all but drowns the listen in the audio equivalent of treacle. I've never been a fan of Mathis' particularly "precious" style of singing and this song shows his instrument isn't what it once was: not even recording trickery can disguise the fact that Johnny Mathis is getting OLD!) Still, for completeists like me, or those who want something nice, this is a good album to have. You can listen to it and enjoy it or put it on as background music for your holiday party and not have the music intrude. FINAL GRADE: A-
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MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: COME DARKNESS, COME LIGHT
Mary Chapin Carpenter is hardly your typical Country artist. Yes, she'll tackle the usual themes but there's a certain charm and, dare I say it? intellectualism that draws the listener in. Yes, she the kind of Country artist for people who don't like Country Music. Her first Christmas Album (released last year) follow her usual path of slightly downbeat songs, simply yet elegantly crafted and melancholy themes. People looking for "fa-la-la-la-la" and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" won't find that here: the traditional songs would probably be unfamiliar to most people. (Since I like Christmas music so much I'm familiar with everything on the album.) The newer songs are contemplative ruminations on the season that tend to suck you in. This isn't Christmas party music: it's music you listen to with close friends and people you love by a fireplace in a darkened room.
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My favorite cuts on the album are the title track, Come Darkness, Come Light--a Christmas Song of deep faith and hope done in the spare elegant manner that Carpenter does so well. Candlelight Carol, written as a choral piece by John Rutter, is stripped down to the bare essentials that allows the beauty of the song to shine through like a lighthouse in the darkness. There is one critical misstep on this album: the final cut, Children Go Where I Send Thee is an old gospel song that follows the pattern of The 12 Days of Christmas. Like the "12 Days" this song goes on and on without really going anywhere (and it meanders on for over eight minutes!). I don't "quite" wants to claw my ears off but I don't want to listen to it either. In an album chock full of elegant little gems this song sticks out like a gigantic lump of coal! FINAL GRADE: A- (It would have been A+ except for the last song.)
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LORENNA McKENNIT: A MIDWINTER NIGHT'S DREAM
Lorenna McKennit gives her New-Age-Celtic-Meets-Middle-Eastern style of arrangements to traditional English and French Carols. Fans of her style will probably enjoy the album: I certainly did. Her musical style isn't for everyone but at least her music has an original sound you won't find elsewhere. Be warned though--this stuff won't appeal to mainstream music fans. Still, I felt a little cheated by this album: several of the songs here were included in other albums (although with new arrangements) and I really think I should have gotten something new for my money. FINAL GRADE: B+ (because she cheated her listeners).
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STRAIGHT NO CHASER: CHRISTMAS CHEERS
Straight No Chaser is definitely a "one trick pony"--but that trick they do VERY well. For those of you who don't know, that "trick" is close harmony singing--unaccompanied by only what they can produce out of their own bodies. Their clever take on The 12 Days Of Christmas was a massive YouTube hit was enough to get them a record contract. Their first album, Holiday Spirits, sold well enough to get them a second Christmas album and the group stayed true to what got them there with Christmas Cheers. There are "clever" songs (The Christmas Can-Can might well be called "12 Days Part Deux" since it shamelessly copies the first hit. The rest of the album is a mix of carols and novelty songs that work pretty well.
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Still, this wouldn't be my blog if I didn't find something to complain about: their version of Jingle Bells is a shameless rip-off of the Barbara Streisand version. (True, a lot of listeners wouldn't notice--but I certainly did.) I hope they gave her Arranger royalties for copying his work. Their version of It's Christmas Time Pretty Baby (which I actually like a lot) features a bad "Elvis as Santa" joke that goes on too long and qualifies as "funny once" (maybe). After that it gets old real fast. Their "one trick" is starting to wear a bit thin and I'm not sure I'll buy a third album from the group. FINAL GRADE: B+
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A FEAST OF SONG: HOLIDAY MUSIC FROM THE MIDDLE AGES. BETH and BARRY HALL.
"Period" music played on "period" instruments isn't for everyone: I happen to like that (in small doses at least). Beth and Barry Hall sing all the parts and play all the instruments (thanks to the wonders of modern technology), The songs are (relatively) accessible but I wouldn't recommend this disc to those who are not fans of Ancient Music. FINAL GRADE: A

Another One Bites The Dust...

I created today's image Tiger In The Tank especially for this post. No, it doesn't particularly look like a tank OR a tiger--but the black-and-orange color scheme is called "Tiger"--although this looks like hot lava. Come to think of it though--that might work for the situation Tiger Woods has gotten himself into as well. So--on with the snark!
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So it seems that another athlete held up as a role model for our children has proven he has feet of clay. The incident happened around 2:30 AM Saturday November 28 but I didn't hear anything about it until two days later. By then rumors were swirling around about Tiger Woods and how he ran into a tree. Some people said his hot blond, Swedish wife Elin rescued him by breaking out the windows of his Escalade with a golf club--but other sources said she'd chased him out of the house WITH a golf club because of an affair. In a rare public-relations blunder the golfer holed up in his home--refusing to talk to police or the press. (Dunno how the press came up with the girl's name but Rachel Ucatel was quick to hire a high-[powered Lawyer and insist she barely knew Tiger.) Only AFTER another Las Vegas "Nightclub Hostess" came forward--with a Voice Mail--did Woods issue a statement admitting "transgressions" and asking for privacy. A week later the story is still going strong.
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Why am I still interested? One word--schadenfreude. (For you who might happen to be uninitiated into the concept "schadenfreude" is a German word meaning "happiness at the Misfortune of others:" it takes quite the people to come up with a concept like that--much less a word for it!) I find it endlessly fascinating why someone in Tiger Woods position--who pretty much has it all--would WANT to risk throwing it all away. Why would he want to live down to every negative stereotype of a black athlete? (What's next? Massive "bling"--maybe an O.J. Simpson after the wife has enough sense to leave him?) Besides--who doesn't love juicy gossip? Since Tiger ain't providing any details we're free to make stuff up!
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I also find it interesting how much "information" Media types feel free to give out: here's some interesting tidbits I've heard. (Whether ANY of it is true I haven't any idea...)

• DID Tiger deposit a million dollars into his wife's personal account so she wouldn't leave with the kids?
• DID the wife demand (and GET) a re-write of the "prenup"--in her favor?
• Are the couple REALLY in "round-the-clock" marriage counseling?

And of course I want all the tawdry details of the sordid affair(s)... Not enough to buy any book or watch the inevitable interview with some TV "Talking Head"--but all the good stuff will be all over the news shows soon enough. God, the very THOUGHT makes me feel dirty! (In a good way though...)

Still, it's sad to see a good guy done in by himself. I can only hope Tiger Woods figures out why he felt the need to trash his family and makes a real effort to repair the damage he's done. We haven't heard the last of the trash from this story (and personally I can't WAIT for the dish!) but if Tiger cleans up his act all will be forgiven and forgotten. But that's a story for later...

'nuff said.

I Think I'm Gettin' Too Old For This Kind Of Show...

Picking Spring Storm as the image for my review of Spring Awakening was a pretty obvious choice. Yes, the colors are a bit bright for a show as dark as this one (but more on that later) but the general "sturm and drang" feelings comes through pretty well I think. So--on with the review!
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To me, the most interesting aspect of Spring Awakening is the backstory: written in 1893 the play was so shocking that it was only allowed one performance--and not performed again until 1917. After a very short run the play mostly faded into obscurity into a musical version was brought to Broadway and won several Tony Awards in 2007. I think Spring Awakening is still running in NYC and I finally saw the first National Tour on Saturday November 28.
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I won't really get into the plot of the show (because there really isn't that much to it) but I will tell you Spring Awakening explores themes of sexual awakening, child abuse, "throwaway children", CYA schools and "shift the blame" parents. All the characters are, in one way or another, flawed--whether through fault of their own or as products of their upbringing. The whole story is soaked in teen angst and melodrama that I've seen a million times before. Still, judging by the reaction of most of the audience maybe I'm the one out-of-step: I DEFINITELY am not the target audience for this show.
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Maybe I was grumpy at the PAC who brought new highs (lows) to Customer DISservice or maybe I couldn't get past the technical problems of the show. (A couple of the leads were badly miked so I found it difficult to understand a lot of what they were saying.) Add that most of the male cast was wearing identical uniforms and I found I couldn't tell the Players without a Score Card (but that's my vision issue and I can't fault the show for that.) The music, partially penned by "one hit wonder" Duncan Sheik (himself the son of "one hit wonder Jonathan Edwards) was serviceable rock anthems that failed to stir my soul.
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In the end I can honestly say I'm glad I saw the show but can't really say I enjoyed it. I'm simply going to have to accept that shows like Spring Awakening are the future of Broadway. Lush, "happily-ever-after" musicals a la Rogers and Hammerstein don't fly with the younger generation and big-budget spectacles like the epics created by Andrew Lloyd Webber simply can't get staged for economic reasons. For the theater to flourish it needs to adapt and change with the times: that means more "cross branding" (the endless Disney musicals and "juke box" spectaculars) or shows that cost less to produce.
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FINAL GRADE: B-