Comments on: The Stephen Schwartz Project

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:04:36 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed the production and didn’t have any of the problems with the production that were experienced by the reviewers above.

By: cheryl

cheryl — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:53:46 +0000

Personally I think that Gary and Steve nailed this one. I would like to add that I found this production to be very confusing visually. When I first walked into the theater I was immediately impressed with how the stage had been significantly expanded for this production and how intriguing those overhead light fixtures were. The set itself looked rather strange and uninviting but I figured that I would feel differently once the show started. Didn’t happen. The costumes were almost all wrong and often unflattering to the actors. The set design- at least colors and manner in which the set was painted didn’t work. I have no idea what the vision for the set was even supposed to be. I would add that the colors of the costumes didn’t work with the set except that there seemed to be little thought given to the colors of costumes in the first place. Then there were those overhead light fixtures that I initially liked- these fixtures didn’t have even the remotest relationship to the set or the mood of the production. I’m totally baffled as to what happened to this production. On a positive note- Felica Curry was and is truly amazing.

By: Steven McKnight

Steven McKnight — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:20:52 +0000

I had a reaction similar to Gary’s. I wonder what the market is for a Stephen Schwartz review designed for people who don’t like the original productions of the music of Stephen Schwartz. If you are like Peter Marks and think that the “Day By Day” needs to be sung in foreign languages because it is “prettily banal,” or just generally think that the music needs new arrangments and every staging trick but the kitchen sink to be entertaining, this is your production. For those of us who think that the simple rhyme scheme of “Day By Day” is the heart of the song, however, and who generally want to hear the music of Stephen Schwartz in all of its (at times semi-cheesy) glory, however, this production is a disappointment.

By: Michael Freiband

Michael Freiband — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:28:21 +0000

This is one of those cases in which the reviewer and I seemed to have had a very different theatre experience. I do not recall any problem with sound volume during the performance I attended. I also had no problem with the song arrangements, though many of the songs were unfamiliar to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the production. I have recommended it others and would enjoy seeing it again.