jethrien

So we went to see Company with the New York Philharmonic last night. The Philharmonic and also every star ever. Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, Patti LuPone, Craig Bierko, Jon Cryer from Two and a Half Men, Katie Finneran from Wonderfalls, Christina Hendricks from Mad Men and Firefly, Martha Plimpton from The Goonies, Anika Noni Rose who was Tiana in The Princess & the Frog, and several more people who have been major roles in some of the bigger shows on Broadway in the last couple years. The applause levels were ridiculous, just for people walking onstage.

To be honest, the levels were really problematic (not surprising with the full orchestra behind them, but the microphones levels weren't set properly enough and lyrics got lost in some of the group numbers). And while Stephen Colbert has a very nice tone, his support and phrasing could use a lot of work.

That said, so much fun. It's a really funny show to begin with, and Avery Fisher Hall is now covered in tooth marks--the entire cast went on a scenery-chewing rampage. Everyone basically glowed with "I'm totally onstage with [fill in the blank]! This is so awesome!" And for a cabaret-ish, basically bookless musical comedy, that actually worked. I was particularly amused as the actors treated Paul Gemignani, the conductor, as a giant prop. In "Getting Married Today", Amy (Finneran) tries to stop the wedding by literally stealing his baton out of his hand and breaking it over her knee. As April (Hendricks) explores Robert's (Harris') apartment, she pokes Gemignani in the back as an element of the decor, sending him gently oscillating back and forth. The good-humoredness of the entire production was completely infectious. Under normal circumstances, it would seem a bit over-the-top, really, but this entire thing had the air of two or three of these folks getting drunk at an industry party, and saying "You know what would be awesome...?" "Holy shit, we should totally do this!"