Saturday, June 6, 2009

Happy Days . . . The Musical

Hi All!

Hubby and I just got back from our most recent musical (actually, we just got back from Wal Mart but that was on the way back from the musical so it still counts, right?). This time is was "Happy Days."


Did you even know that it was a musical? I had no clue until it ended up on the schedule for this season. A television show made into a musical. Interesting.
sdgfh
Well. Let me just say that while this musical had its moments such as the superb singing of "The Fonz," Joey Sorge, and "Pinky," Sandra DeNise, the wacky men of the Leopard Lodge with Chachi as the Leopard Cub, and the very amusing plunger parade (how can you go wrong with a plunger parade???), that is pretty much all it had - moments.
sdfgh
In all fairness, I must admit that the good natured "jabs" the musical took at the television show (a reference to Fonzie "jumping the shark" and the half hour format) were amusing but many of the younger people in the crowd no doubt missed the humor in the comments.
sfgh
However, overall, the show left me feeling like it was trying to stretch the concept just a little too far. The premise was a bit weak, the saving of Arnold's from demolition to make a mall parking lot, and was solved a bit simplistically, declaring Arnold's a historical building after attempting to raise enough money to outbid the contractor and failing. After all, why didn't they just declare Arnold's a historic landmark in the beginning and just end it? I know, I know. If they had done that, there wouldn't have been a musical.
sfgh
Frankly, that would have been fine with me. Other than strong performances by Fonzie and Pinky, the rest of the singing (and the songs) were weak and the ensemble numbers felt sparse with the minimal cast. The dancing was okay and the costumes were good replicas of 50s wear while the sets were adequate.
sfgh
I think it would have been better to leave Happy Days in television reruns rather than trying to break into the musical business.
sdfgh
On that note - if you have absolutely nothing better to do - it was "cute" but won't be making the top ten in my or anyone else's book of musical greats any time soon.
sfgh
Trisha
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Voice Update: I am still working the exercises and my voice is rewarding me! Yeah!

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