AIDA.....at half price it's a great show!!
Written: May 25 '03 (Updated Jul 02 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Simone as Aida. Terrific! A few great dance #s.
Cons: Lack of continuity. Some weak parts.
The Bottom Line: This show had an excellent company that brought the mediocre music home to the audience with pizazz.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: Aida |
On a whim last night my wife and I went to the TKTS booth in Times Square and decided to see a play. We were in the city to see an art show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We drove into the city and fortunately there was little traffic so we had plenty of time to go to the museum, have dinner, and see a show.
GETTING TICKETS LAST MINUTE
TKTS is a service that sells tickets for Broadway, off Broadway, and other shows and entertainment. You wait in line, cash only, and see which tickets are available for what shows later that day.
We drove up to the area on Broadway between 46th and 47th street. I dropped off my wife, drove around the block three times, and after a total of about forty minutes she got back into the car with tickets. She managed to get seats to Aida at half off the regular price. Our placement in the theatre was in the mezzanine, row H, center. These are usually $100 we paid $50 each. Still a lot of money but hey, this is NYC and we are on Broadway! Other ticket for the show go as high as $170 for front orchestra and $35.00 for upper balcony.
GETTING THERE
The Palace Theatre is in the heart of the theatre district. The address is 1564 Broadway BUT don't let that fool you. It's actually on 7th Ave between 46th and 47th streets. It is fair to say that the theatre is just steps from Broadway. Just across the street from it is the TKTS booth. This is on a sort of island of land between the busy cross streets of where 7th Ave and Broadway intersect. It's called Duffy Square. Look for the statue of a man standing tall and looking down Broadway. That's George M. Cohan with a bit of pigeon poop on his head.
Depending on where you are you can walk to the theatre, take a taxi, or bus or subway. If you happen to come into town at Penn Station just come on out to 7th Ave. and walk uptown 12 blocks. The theatre itself is well marked with a huge marquise.
If you are driving in, which I don't always recommend, there are many lots open for business. We paid $14.00 for parking. That was discounted with a coupon we received when we made our purchase at TKTS. That lot was between 5th and 6th Ave with entrances on either 44th or 45th street. Be prepared to pay as much as $30.00.
THE THEATRE
I suppose the reason it has such a commanding spot is because it is one of the original Grand Theatres in the area. This venue constructed in 1913 was the premiere Vaudeville show place of all Vaudeville show places. Playing here meant you were at the top.
Will Rogers, Fanny Brice, and Jack Benny were among the popular headliners of the time that played this place.
In 1932 it was turned into a movie house and again redone back to a stage theatre in 1951 with Judy Garland opening it in grand style. Just 14 years later it was restored and Had an opening run with the show Sweet Charity starring Gwen Verdon.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis also did a lot of work there.
In the lobby of the Mezzanine area is a showcase with memorabilia from the old vaudeville shows, those who played the place, and programs from some of them.
The theatre, which seats 1740 people, is on three levels. Orchestra, Mezzanine, and Balcony. We had a good view of the show from the center mezzanine. Seats in the balcony are really getting pretty far from the action. I wouldn't take a balcony seat anywhere past the first four or five rows.
We also had a very good view of the theatre. It still has that Vaudeville feel. It is large open theatre with gold trim and chandeliers everywhere. Opulent would be the best single word to describe it.
Just a reminder, as fancy as these places may be, there is only limited space for rest rooms. Ladies expect a line.
The theatre sells souvenirs of the show. You do get a playbill with all pertinent information. Much more detailed programs with pictures were being hawked quietly by the door.
They also offer refreshments before the show and during the intermission of this two hour and forty minute play presented by Disney Theatrical Productions.
Beer, sodas, wine, and cocktails are offered. $5.00 beer, $6.00 wine. Cocktails were $10.00. Some candies are also sold. No drinking or eating in the theatre please.
THE STORY
This is a love story set in ancient Egypt. Radames, played by Adam Pascal, is an Egyptian officer who after first seeing a spunky Aida, who is a Nubian slave, played by Simone, immediately falls in love with her. Known by us but not him at the time is the fact that she is a princess.
Radames is in line to be king if he only marries Amneris, acted by Felicia Finley who he knows from childhood and to whom has been previously betrothed.
Now lets throw in Radames father Zozer, the villain of the story, portrayed by John Hickok, who wants a shot at great power through his sons marriage to the Pharaoh's daughter. He tries to speed things along by slowly poisoning Pharaoh played by Tom Nelis.
As the story unfolds we find out that Amneris who is portrayed as a dumb blond is in love with Radames. Aida falls in love with Radames and he tries to win her over by giving all his worldly possessions to her people who are slaves.
Zozer hears of his son's love for a slave and wants her killed. Zozer and Radames are at odds about his love and the princess wants her people free and the love of Radames. While all this is happening the Pharaoh sets up the marriage between Radames and his daughter.
The wacky minded Amneris suddenly gets the smarts toward the end of the play and it all comes together with a wonderful semi-sweet semi-closing scene.
I won't give too many further details of the play that was adapted from a Verdi opera other than to say I felt all the pieces came together well.
THE SET
Aida won a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. I read about the award after the show, but already agreed it was excellent.
The show opened up with a contemporary scene in a large room of an Egyptian section of a museum. That struck my wife and I as kind of funny in that we had just left the Metropolitan Museum of Art and similar Egyptian rooms less than an hour earlier.
Throughout the show the scene changes were simple yet some were quite dramatic. I liked the way they made use of fabric to set the scenes. In one particular scene three pieces were used as sails billowing in the wind as they were handled by part of the ensemble. Later on there was a scene depicting a large watery area with two people on lines that gave an effective feeling that they were swimming.
COSTUMES
I thought the costuming was excellent. Aida the slave but always a princess was a knockout in the simple yet elegant clothes she wore. Zozer and his crew of evil doers wore some kind of jackets that were form fitting in the body and then flared out going down to the ankles. These black jackets with a shock of a red stripe running through it looked terrific in the dance numbers.
The other period clothing worked very well. There is a time where we are brought to an ill fitting scene of the play where we have a fashion show. All I can think of is that Elton John himself must have helped design these far out costumes, electric lights and all. I can see him trying them on first.
Though the scene didn't belong, in my opinion, it was fun for most of the audience to experience.
SOUND
Everyone was miked. All the sound was through the system. I, being slightly hard of hearing, like that. I was pretty much in the middle of the theatre and I didn't miss a word.
The orchestra was good. The sounds of the different instruments came through but at the same time never drowned out the actors singing or dialog.
There were some effects where loud booming would resonate through out the theatre. It made you feel the sound! I also liked that.
LIGHTING
This was another strong point. Lights were used to make patterns on the floor and backdrops. They were very good. I particular thought the use of spots and multiple back lights on players looked fantastic!
The opening scene in the second half makes use of laser lighting in what I first perceived as a Pyramid. The scene had Amneris, Radames, and Aida. I believe it represent the love triangle between the three characters and the way it had them all trapped in that game of love.
That semi-closing scene used VERY effective lighting.
Aida also won a Tony for Lighting Design. Well deserved!
WORDS AND MUSIC
One of the reasons I wanted to see this show is because I believe that Elton John is a very gifted song writer. I expect a lot from his music.
At the same time Tim Rice has had a very successful run writing the words to so many hit musicals with Andrew Lloyd Webber and with Elton John on their big hit The Lion King.
On both counts of Elton John and Tim Rice, I was disappointed. There wasn't anything particularly strong, to me, throughout the whole play. John tried many different kinds of music, rock, island beat, a gospel feel, and ballads. I felt in places that I was transformed back to songs of Jesus Christ Superstar and one rock number had me thinking they were singing a bad rendition of "Heat Wave". Though the music for the most part was good and entertaining, I never got that "knock you off your feet" feeling from the songs. What I felt about the singing by the actors was different. More on that later.
All that being said by me, this play did receive a Tony award for best original score.
THE ACTORS
The cast of the show showed a lot of excitement and power. I enjoyed the dance scenes. I happened to like the numbers with Zozers crew in their black jackets. They kind of did one dance that was an island rhythm dancing combined with a martial arts routines. It was different and I thought the dancers were very crisp in their moves.
There was a gospel type song done by the slaves of the cast that was terrific too.
Zozer had a look to him that made me think that it was actually "Sting" who took the stage. I happen to like Sting but I dont think he would have done any better than John Hickok did. He had a good strong voice and played with just enough evil in his heart.
Felicia Finley showed quite a bit of range in acting in that she first comes on doing a solid solo that is done straight, set in contemporary times. She then comes on stage later as the Pharaoh's ditsy daughter and has fun doing it. She also showed her range in singing. She was very good.
Adam Pascal playing Radames was on stage a good part of the play. Much revolved around him. His voice was strong and his character believable. And physically looked like the perfect guy for the part.
There was a particular number with just Rademes and his father Zozer with his evil gang the ministers. I thought the choreography in that scene was excellent. I liked the way the ministers at one point use there staffs as an outline of a sort of "boxing ring" in which father and son battle it out.
As good as the cast was Simone was a step better. She was incredible! She has great talent, knows how to use it, and best of all connects with the audience. She actually plays with the audience. She took me right in and my eyes followed her every moment she was on stage. Her solos were show stopping! She certainly shows that she has received talent from her mother Nina Simone.
There were some great scenes with the lovers Radames and Aida. One scene in particular had passion as "Hot" as you could ever get in a play. It was very sexy and sensual without having to resort to all out physical means. The stage, the set, and everything around Adam Pascal and Simone was on fire!!
The semi-closing scene brought tears to many, and to me. The feeling of love between the two doomed lovers rang true.
THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN
The show was a disappointment to me in that I may have been expecting to get blown over by Elton John and Tim Rice songs. I wasn't. There were also many places in the play where one scene didn't blend well with the next. I would continuously find myself out of the play. This was nothing like my favorite of all plays, Le Miserables, that closed just last week.
I do have to say however that the cast was excellent. These are different people than those who opened the show almost three years ago. The opening cast was supposed to be the strong part of the show then. I agree that, right now, it is the cast that brings this show home. The set, the costumes, sound, and lighting were all very good too.
So all in all, I was happy I got to see the play and comforted by the fact I only payed half price.
More NYC reviews by popsrocks
The Empire State Building
Radio City Music Hall A Spectacular place to see a show!
The INTREPID Sea-Air-Space MUSEUM It's a good one!
Museum of Natural History
The Metropolital Museum of ART
TKTS half price tickets to Broadway
Aida, the Broadway Play Great show at half price
Thoroughly Modern Millie A 6 Tony award winner Broadway Play
The Boy From OZ
Central Park
Stardust DinerA great place for before a show in Times Square. Aspiring actors are here.
Sylvia's, a southern soul restaurant in Harlem
Something is Missing A Tribute to the good people and the twin towers that were lost on 9/11 http://www.epinions.com/content_3161628804
Downtown Manhattan reviews by Popsrocks
The Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Castle Clinton National Memorial
Battery Park Home of the temporary 9/11 memorial.
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT
NY WATERWAY Tour NYC by boat.
Federal Hall National Historic SiteDowntown across from Wall Street, our first Capitol Building was there.
Fraunce's Tavern George Washington ate here. You can too!
Jewish Heritage Museum
St Paul's ChapelA living Memorial to 9/11
Greenwich VillageIt's Hip and Happening
Millenium Hilton., directly across from ground zero. They have reopened!A great location to all that is downtown
Recommended:
Yes
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