the awesome/terrifying freedom

jennifer hudson!

holy crap this is awesome. she is brilliant, and a worthy successor to jennifer holliday. plus, adapted and directed by bill condon, this looks to be really really great. there were rumors that jamie foxx was pushing for fantasia, who is also brilliant, but she doesn't have the right voice for effie. hudson has it all, right down to the jennifer holliday crazy eyes.

in other news, 'the woman in white' was atrocious. we left at intermission. the set was expensive looking, with moving walls and all the backdrops done with 3d animated projections. but the big problem was that it looked like all the characters were running around in 'house of the dead' or 'myst' (the original myst from 12 years ago). the whole thing reeked of tired artists desperate for relevance by slapping on a 'new' technology that actually makes the show look like it's firmly rooted in 1993. you could feel the production team patting themselves on the back for coming up with something so innovative, unaware that the average 12 year old has seen more detailed graphics on their xbox.

which is not to say that the set couldn't have been used in better ways - it's a fantastic blank canvas that could suit so many shows - it would be perfect for 'shrek: the musical,' or even 'chess.' but not this.

another problem was the music. i can honestly say that the woman's cell phone ringtone that went off halfway through the first act was the most tuneful thing i heard all night. usually cellphones infuriate me, but this was met with a welcome smile. lloyd webber doesn't actually write music anymore. he throws his hands down on the keys, fixes his determination that whatever noise it happens to make is the 'hook,' and repeats it ad infinitum, hoping to convince his audience that yes, any string of notes can be considered a melody.

can't wait to see the times review.



speaking of atrocities, today is the 27th anniversary of the star wars holiday special. i'm downloading a copy, and cannot wait to experience the horror for myself.

happy life day!