Sunday, March 4, 2007

YOU KNOW IT'S NOT A DOUBT WE'LL BE REALLY MAKIN' OUT: I am a mere 2 minutes and 14 seconds into Danny night on Project Broadway, but just had to run to the computer to gush over my love for this show's production numbers. The ALOTT5MA field trip is going to happen.

Based solely on "Greased Lightning" -- and thus without yet having seen any of the individual Danny performances -- I was surprised at the extent to which Chad faded into the background. It felt like a Derek / Austin final two to me, unless the Slacker Danny fan base (which I have a sneaking suspicion is large) manages to get one of them booted.

Edited to add: Tonight's outcome was really irrelevant, as the Sandy competition has become a one-woman show. Unless Laura blows herself up (or the judges for whatever reason elect to blow her up by giving her a rotten song), it'll be her Maidenform whose quilting is doing the wilting.

As for the guys, this round really cast their strengths and weaknesses into high relief. Austin apparently decided to make himself more fun fun fun by portraying Big Gay Danny. Fortunately, he settled down about halfway through the song, but the damage was done. Derek's vocal weaknesses are what they are, but he's the most obviously Dannyish of the bunch. Chad continues to fade away, and his flaws were further magnified by the transformative wonder that is Max. I found Max's performance to be 100% convincing. (I do wonder, though, whether he can play opposite Laura or alongside a bona fide flock of Broadway T-Birds.) All of a sudden, we don't seem to have a frontrunner.

All of this raises an interesting question: I wonder whether the forthcoming production is the proper theatrical version, or whether they are going to incorporate the songs that were added to the movie ("Hopelessly Devoted" and "Sandy," not to mention "You're the One That I Want") to give John Travolta and Olivia Newton John some more singing to do. If the former, then Derek's lack of a really big voice is less troubling than it might otherwise be.

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