Current mood:

intrigued

Lestat Takes Its Bite
LESTAT - The Musical
December 28, 2005 - Curran Theatre, San Francisco Pre-Broadway Debut
Based on "The Vampire Chronicles" by Anne Rice
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Book by Linda Woolverton

top-bottom, l-r: Carolee Carmello, "Eug, God Bless ♥ always" Allison Fischer,
Drew Sarich, Jim Stanek, "To Eug" Hugh Panaro

Review by Eugene Lovendusky

CAST
Lestat - Hugh Panaro (Phantom [Record-Performer], Side Show)
Gabrielle - Carolee Carmello (Parade [Tony nomination], Urinetown)
Armand - Drew Sarich (Barbarella and Hedwig [Europe]) [Jack Noseworthy departed role]
Louis - Jim Stanek (Funny...Forum)
Nicolas - Roderick Hill
Marius - Michael Genet
Claudia - Allison Fischer
Ensemble/Swings/Standbys - Rachel Coloff, Nikki Renee Daniels, Joseph Dellger, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Chris Peluso, Megan Reinking, Tommar Wilson, Sarah Solie, Will Swenson, Steve Wilson, Amy Sparrow

ACT I
Overture
Part I: Mortal
From the Dead
Nothing Here
In Paris
Part II: The Dark Gift
In Paris (Reprise)
The Thirst
The Thirst (Reprise)
Make Me As You Are
To Live Like This
Part III: The Theatre of the Vampires
The Origin of the Species
Part IV: The Devil's Road
The Crimson Kiss
The Thirst (Reprise)

ACT II
Entr'acte
Part V: The New World
Welcome to the New World
Embrace It
I Want More
Part VI: Eden
I'll Never Have That Chance
Part VII: Reunion
Sail Me Away
To Kill Your Kind
Embrace It (Reprise)
After All This Time
Part VIII: Revelation
From the Dead (Finale)

BroadwayWorld.com Photo Flash: Lestat Pre-Broadway Debut
BroadwayWorld.com Jack Noseworthy Departs/Role Rethought
BroadwayWorld.com Message Board thread/discussion about this review
ABC 7 Local News Video Review Clip

WHAT IS LESTAT?
San Francisco often has the luxury of providing venues for big-budget productions to stretch their wings in front of a non-NYC audience to test the waters and get the chance to rewrite and edit the material before taking it to the Great White Way. Shows like Wicked, La Boheme (Luhrmann), Lennon, and The Mambo Kings have tried their luck at San Francisco, each with their own success (or unsuccessful) story.

This Winter, San Francisco is home to Lestat at the Curran Theatre. With a star-studded creative team and cast, impressive leaps into scenic design, and a generally friendlier audience, Lestat is predicted to be the next Phantom (said by some) provided all goes as planned with San Francisco try-outs. Having just seen the show tonight, I will admit this production was fun and has potential, but should definitely make good use of the time it's here before going to NYC, because there were quite a few things to tweak.

All in all, however, I really enjoyed myself and am glad to experience something so big for the first time (seeing as Wicked regretfully came and went in SF before I was a musical theatre buff). I hope my humble review and slew of photos and information can perk your interest in this up-coming musical.

*The following photos are taken from the PDF brochure from the official musical website*

Bernie Taupin (Lyrics) and Elton John (Music)
It is said that Elton wrote the full score in 2 weeks. This may have proven bitter-sweet. Elton's music is very characteristic and I found myself agreeing with critics that many of the ballads were very "Elton-esque." Additionally, the score for Act II was almost completely different than the score for Act I. I can almost picture Elton telling himself: "Well we've done half the show already, let's whip in some of this and this for the second half!" I can hardly remember any of the tunes from Act I which were all very whimsy, with words that fell on the ear absent-mindedly. Whereas I can hum numbers from Act II which were almost like pop and (at one point) a vampire ho-down! Save, there were very gorgeous ballads in both. The melodies from Act I weren't distinguishable enough to recognize as reprises in Act II. We have a hodge-podge of Elton skills that need to be better melted together for the sake of consistency and continuity.


Derek McLane (Set Design)
Is Broadway taking a new direction? Much like The Woman in White nearly all the scenes were aided by projection onto drop-downs. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. I'm old-fashioned and like to see actual props and set pieces on stage, even if their mediocre cut-outs and flats. Thankfully, McLane blends both modern technology and concrete set pieces together. Nevertheless, there were some scene that were far too stark. Namely "Welcome to the New World" was too bland with nothing to inspire the audience but decorative projections. The giant stone face was reminiscent of the marble head in Dracula. The church scene with the giant crucifix was almost sacreligious! I'm a sucker for simplicity so the sets worked for me most of the time, but I'd still like to see a little more actual pieces sliding in and out on-stage and not so much relying on the projections of landscape. But they really did help establish location and were fun to watch because the transitions were so subtle. I've never head of McLane before but I appreciate his color theme: gold and red. There were also some interesting designs with wood-work, cogs, and windows. I could see a touch of I Am My Own Wife in the Vampire Theatre set.


The 4 creators discuss pre-post-show nearly every evening what works and doesn't work with the current show. Actors and musicians go home every night with pages of notes and revisions.


Susan Hilferty (Costumes)
I beamed when I read Ms.Hilferty, with Tony award winning costumes in Wicked, was lending her design. Her "not-of-this-world" style helped with creating the ancient vampire gowns and 18th century period garb. I back her work with a faith she has a good eye. However, I was not a fan of some of her costume choices. Specifically, New Orleans. Lestat finds himself in America and everyone is wearing black and white. I was not taken in by whatever splendor Lestat was experiencing, because there was no color! (Reminded me vaguely of Evita aristocrats). Hilferty could have produced some glamourous red and gold outfits if she tried, but this silver felt was unimpressive, especially since there were no set pieces either. How can a New World be intriguing with nothing to catch the eye? Carolee had some radiant gowns and some very rapid costume changes! I really liked her flowy tunic during "Crimson Kiss." Allison Fischer had two white tutus (reminiscent of Kristin Chenoweth's Pre-Bway "Popular" gown) that helped create her sympathetic eternal youth. The costumes during "The Origin of the Species" (and all of the Vampire Theatre scenes for that matter) were great! But Hilferty really kept her name high with her tattered vampire clothes during "To Kill Your Kind." All of the ancient vampire gowns (namely Marius and the Father and Mother Vampires) were awesome. There is a "Defying Gravity"-ish scene that concludes Act I with awesome color. Hilferty seemed to scoop up a kerosine flame and put it into a costume!


Dave McKean (Visual Effects)
One word: Over-stimulation. It is said that a vampire has heightened senses and can see more than a mortal. McKean also mentions that when Lestat bites, he can "see" a part of their life as their blood mixes into his. I have not read the novels but I'm sure Anne Rice spins beautiful passages detailing these moments... but something goes wrong when McKean tries to incorporate them on stage. From the beginning, at times I found myself thinking I was having more of a cinematic experience than a theatrical one. When Lestat bites someone, the stage turns dark and we watch a mini-movie of a fast-forward moment of their life. Many of the images are indeterminable and far too flashy. I realize McKean is trying to create the same "vision" Lestat may have as a vampire, but it doesn't work. And to be blunt, it doesn't matter. None of what we see on screen helps a hair with storyline. None. If you were to compile all of the visual mini-movie montages back-to-back, you'd have 5 straight minutes of an acid-trip film that does nothing to progress the storyline. By the third bite, I just didn't care. I say, keep the visuals in, but cut them way way way down... both in quantity and length. Technological advances or not, the stage is for actors, not movies. The fires were cool though. Keep the fires.


Carolee Carmello, Jack Noseworthy, and Hugh Panaro
I remind you that Jack Noseworthy (Armand) left the production last week because the production team wants to take his role in a new direction. Drew Sarich (Armand u/s) is remarkable and those people who have seen both Jack and Drew in the role say Drew is more enjoyable.


All fine performers. Carolee was brilliant, as was Hugh. I'd like to see Jim's characterization established further and I think Michael Genet can work better on voice and projection. Roderick Hill left me slightly unimpressed. Allison Fischer was exceptionally funny in a perfectly depressing manner.

SYNOPSIS
**WARNING: From here on out, I give details on the show with opinions and spoils.**

This is a Maker Tree. Like a Family Tree (by blood line) a Maker Tree details which vampires are created (bitten) by which other Vampires. Marius made Armand and Magnus, who made Lestat, who made the 4 others.



Another production aspect I didn't touch upon was the use of a scrim curtain at the lip of the stage that would hang and have the Part number and title projected on it. Each scene was preluded with a paragraph of Lestat's narration, the script typed onto the screen. I had mentioned before that some parts of the show felt cinematic? Well these parts of the show reminded me that this production relied heavily upon Anne Rice's source material. Literature melding with theatre.

ACT I
Overture
Part I: Mortal
"From the Dead"
We open with Lestat (Hugh Panaro) looking out over a cityscape and realizing that it is his time to chronicle the past. I don't remember the tune, but some of the lyrics to rang in my ear, something along the lines of "In this age when we record everything" or something. I giggled to myself because Bernie speaks of journalers like me and how we find it important in this age to document everything since we have the know-how and the ability. Everyone laughed when Hugh opened the Apple laptop.

"Nothing Here"
We find Lestat as a mortal young man. He has killed a pack of 8 wolves that were terrorizing his French village. However, his father thinks he is a disgrace to the family and regrets him. His mother, Gabrielle (Carolee Carmello), urges Lestat to leave for a better life because she is tired and old and loves him too much to have him stay. This was Carolee's first number and very pretty. I reluctantly say I am not too familiar with Carolee's previous work (give me a break) so I went in knowing she was good but not knowing enough. I was at first not too fond of her vibratto during this song, but I realized that was her voice and I would like it. She proved herself especially later in the Act.

"In Paris"
Lestat visits his friend Nicolas (Roderick Hill) who has returned from Paris because his father is ashamed Nicolas is a violinist instead of studying. Lestat says his father hates him too, so they should both go off to Paris together and live their dreams of being musicians and actors. Now, it's agreed that vampires are very sexual beings. Some argue they have no orientation but simply desire. But had you seen the chemistry of Lestat with Nicolas, and later with Louis, you'll agree Lestat is gay. He's just got to be. "In Paris" is a starry-eyed future gay-lovers hope song. "Let's go off to Paris and do what we want because our family is banishing us anyway. I love you!" It's cute. The book oozes with homo-eroticism.

Part II: The Dark Gift
"In Paris (Reprise)"
These scenes were cool because of the use of shadow puppets. I'm such a sucker for puppets and the "play-within-a-play" type staging. We find Lestat the royal toast of amateur comedian theatres while Nicolas is not so happy being a not-so-successful musician. While Lestat takes his bows every night, he swears he hears someone muttering "Wolf Killer" (which had a great THX surround sound effect). Nicolas is depressed and pushes Lestat away. While Lestat wanders the night, he is attacked and bitten by Magnus.


"The Thirst" and "The Thirst (Reprise"
Magnus tells Lestat that he saw his brawn as he slained those wolves and must have an heir to pass on his ancient vampire blood. Before Lestat has a chance to understand his new life in eternity in a dead body, Magnus thrusts himself into the fire (one of two ways vampires can die, sun the other). Lestat sings his first "soul-searching" solo where he agonizes whether he is evil because he must kill to live. This new blood that courses his veins, the never-ending thirst. There were times during this number it seemed Hugh was walking about stage simply to jump from one lighting cue to the next. I can't remember the tune because the lyrics were heavy and I was distracted as Hugh's shirt billowed further and further open.

"Make Me As You Are"
Lestat learns Gabrielle, his mother, is dying. He returns to her side and she can tell immediately he is no longer mortal. This song was awesome because it was a mother's longing desire to be saved by her son, thrown into the life of the mysterious vampire. Her desperation. Carolee's transformation from weak mortal to revitalized woman was awesome. Just her shrieks and the music. Lestat and Gabrielle walk the night now, two proud hunters. Gabrielle's first victim is hilarious! She literally lunges on a man and drags him away like a cheetah.

To test their skills, Lestat and Gabrielle see if they can walk into a church. The set was great and (thankfully I'm not religious) I wondered if Christians in the audience were offended by the casual tossing of Biblical references and testing the limits of darkness. Cloaked, Armand (Drew Sarich), an ancient vampire, reveals himself and that he is disgusted by Lestat's confidence and stuck-up airs, saying he is a disgrace to his kind and to their Lord Satan. This is the first Lestat has been approached by another vampire and the first time he has heard some of the vampire laws. Learning that Armand holds Nicolas captured, Gabrielle and he go to the Catacombs where more vampires live in silence and rags.


"To Live Like This"
This is when I really started to relate to Lestat as a true anti-hero. For a while I was getting tired of Hugh sort of whining around on-stage singing songs I wasn't interested in. But now that his mother was in the mix and Lestat had an apparent rival, I was getting a little more interested. Lestat is cocky and set in his own ways as a vampire. He can't stand the idea of not living among mortals and doesn't give a damn about the fundamentalist vampire ideals Armand has led his band of vampires to obey. When Lestat reveals there is no curse with a crucifix: "Just a dead man on two sticks" the vampire troupe turn against Armand for "protecting them" from nothing. One ensemble member, Nikki Daniels (token black woman good-singer) was awesome and sassy. The whole scene reminded me closely of Wicked's "What Is This Feeling?"

The coven turn on Armand in the first ensemble number. I love ensemble numbers! But with an ensemble of 8, a few more voices would have made the lyrics more powerful. Also, the company bit was short-lived. Lestat, blinded by his arrogance, does not see the vengeance in Armand's eyes when Lestat offers to give the vampire coven solace in his Theatre and to walk among the mortals above-ground.

Lestat sees that Nicolas is truly unhappy, both because he is not the musician he wanted to be and that his love with Lestat is faltering. Lestat sincerely asks if Nicolas wants the Gift. When he bites him, however, Nicolas does not transform into a vampire. Rather, he goes mad from the change. Armand appears and tells Lestat that not all are meant to be vampires and now Nicolas is doomed, insane. He can only mindlessly play the violin. Armand tells Lestat that all vampires are doomed to madness or the flame if they live the way Lestat is.

Part III: The Theatre of the Vampires
"The Origin of the Species"
This part was cool! The vampire ensemble now put on vampire-themed plays at the theatre, the first being a sort of biography of the vampire race. They give all the details of how vampires were born and what they can and cannot do, straight to the audience: "Tell them the truth so they won't believe it." It was reminiscent of the 10 minute history lesson we get during the first Lord of the Rings movie. There were a lot of masks and flourishing costumes and grew lighting.

Nicolas played the violin (the only thing he can do) and it made me sad. Though his character was not as deeply developed as I liked, it was the first real glimpse into the tragedy of vampire life (aside from the killing). Armand tells Lestat and Gabrielle the only way they may know their "purpose" on the Earth is to ask the great and elusive Marius (Michael Genet), a truly mysterious and unseen ancient vampire, and Armand's maker. Armand has been searching for Marius for centuries and laughs at their impossible quest.

Part IV: The Devil's Road

"The Crimson Kiss"
Gabrielle and Lestat set out to seek Marius across Europe. However Gabrielle grows weary of the pursuit and instead wants to seek solace in the natural world. This was Carolee's shining song. The lyrics were rich and the tune was nice. I've a feeling this is going to be the show's defining melody. It was very belty and Carolee was very emotional and powerful. She says goodbye to her son.

"The Thirst (Reprise)"
Lestat, sad that he has lost his two loves on his quest to understand his being. He has not found Marius and he has no guide. He goes into a deep sleep into the bowels of the Earth. Then, the sky splits in two with a glorious and intense flash of light and color. Looming over Lestat is Marius, robed in brilliant sheets and reverberating with heavy bass music. It looked very much like the traditional staging of The Magic Flute with a giant hole in the middle of the ceiling and a heavenly supernatural being flying through. I think my mouth was hanging agape. Marius shouts "COME!" Lights out!

ACT II
Entr'acte
Part V: The New World
Marius chats with Lestat at a remote location and reveals that even he doesn't know all the answers to the purpose of the vampire. However he tells Lestat that one way to experience enlightenment is to settle down and live out the equivalent of one full human life. This way he can experience love and suffer loss. Marius also tells Lestat how much he regrets Armand and is a crime to their kind. Lestat is advised to start a new life in New Orleans. Michael Genet was witty and wry but he needed to speak up. After all the heres and theres of Act I, Lestat literally says outloud (I presume to remind the audience) what his current motivation is: "Is it really madness or the fire?" because at times the audience seemed lost on what was driving the characters.


"Welcome to the New World"
Lestat finds himself in the hustle of America and seeks to find a new life here. He finds Louis (Jim Stanek) in a bar who is wallowing over the loss of his wife and child. He wants death but doesn't have the courage to kill himself. Lestat gives him the Gift and they become partners. I appreciated how this time Lestat was less impulsive as before and helped the audience understand he is beginning to respect his powers. However, what makes Lestat still a villian is the lack of knowledge he gives his victims as to the life their "volunteering" to enter.

"Embrace It"
Louis falls into depression at the life he must live, ignoring his ever-burning thirst for blood. He finds himself dispicable with the vampire inside him. Forgive me for the interpretation, but this scene reminded me morbidly of someone who was battling HIV but living with the man who gave it to them, at their own will. It's an uncomfortable interpretation, but the character dialogue was so sinister. Lestat had an unwaivering power to persuade Louis to embrace his new life and what runs in his veins. This musical number was somewhat out of place considering the clash of emotions. Lestat was beaming and lounging on a chair while Louis is stumbling and sweaty, denying his existance. Louis tells Lestat he will leave him when he has the strength.

Angry, Lestat goes into the night (bites a person here and there unnecessarily) and finds Claudia (Allison Fischer) an orphan girl. To please Louis, Lestat takes her home and later gives her the Gift. However, as with all vampires, once biten, your body stays in the same stage and age. Therefore, Claudia is now their daughter to be forever 10. There's one line of dialogue that made the house giggle. Claudia, in Louis' arms says: "I've never had a father" and Lestat says: "Now you have two." Aawww! Reflection of the times?


"I Want More"
Best song in the show! The whole house was laughing hysterically. I'm still humming the melody. Minus the lyrics about blood and killing, this song could almost be on the Billboards Top Pop. It was so funny. Claudia is sick of getting dolls and treated like a child and after killing three of her tutors, she has a tantrum saying she wants more than the life she has. She is thirsty to break free. But the song was so funny! Allison has a great voice, Soprano 2, and is very vibrant and fresh. This song was great.

Part VI: Eden
"I'll Never Have That Chance"
30 years later, Lestat and Louis and Claudia are all the same age and same family. We must remember, however, that Claudia is now 40 years old (which is a laugh line later). Alone and sad that she will never had the life of a real woman, never develop, never wed and give birth, she sings her song of sadness. Much like Les Miserable "On My Own," Claudia is a sympathetic character like Eponine, but not fully understood until her solo ballad. The lyrics for this song were good but the melody? Very predictable. Up and down and up and down and I knew what line and note was coming next seconds ahead of time.

Angry at her future, Claudia plots to kill Lestat who refuses to let her and Louis leave and find a new life. She poisons him then slashes his throat. But because a vampire cannot die this way, Louis sets the house on fire. They flee to Europe. Lestat escapes, badly wounded.

Part VII: Reunion

"Sail Me Away"
Lestat is weak and clings to the bow of a ship taking him to Europe. This was Hugh's Act II sentimental ballad. It was very sweet. I can't remember the tune nor the lyrics (other than "Sail me away... going home" or something like that). But the lighting and simple set was nice. We see Lestat in a new way, broken and misguided. The 4 people he has loved have all left him. He returns to the theatre of the vampires and asks Armand for his blood to help him heal. Armand laughs at the proposition, still steaming with rivalry.

"To Kill Your Kind"
Lestat sees that Claudia and Louis have joined the vampire acting troupe and they have been trapped by Armand. Armand seeks vengeance against Lestat. When Armand learns that it was Claudia who tried to kill Lestat, he and the troupe surround her and abuse her. "No greater crime than to kill your kind" they chant as Lestat pleads he holds no mallace to her. Still, they ignore Claudia, Louis, and Lestat's cries and tie her to a chair to burn in the sun. This was cool in a gross way because a curtain came down over the chair and a projection of Claudia's body writhes and burns. The song was kind of cool and pop-ish, minus the awkward rhythmic convulsions by the ensemble.

"Embrace It (Reprise)"
Louis turns on Lestat asking if this is what he wanted! This vampire life just killed their daughter! Thanks a lot, Lestat! The life that Lestat urged Louis to embrace has turned on Lestat.

"After All This Time"
On the rooftop, Armand corners Lestat saying that finally he has accomplished his vengeance for turning his troupe against him. Lestat cannot understand why Armand seeks pleasure in seeing him suffer. Armand sings his victory song, which was a little too up-beat for me but still good. I can't help feeling, however, that because Armand was missing for so much of Act I and the beginning of Act II, the audience has forgotten him and his motivations. This song serves both as a reminder of why his character is important and why he does what he does. Perhaps this is just some of the future redirecting planned for his role.

Just as he is about to leave, Lestat tells Armand that he found Marius and sucked his blood and spent time with him. Armand cannot believe this. Lestat goes on to tell him that Marius called Armand a failure and a regret and despises him. Armand, furious, throws Lestat off the rooftop. All of Lestat's bones break and he is left there to be killed by the morning sun.

Part VIII: Revelation
"From the Dead (Finale)"
Lestat is rescued by Marius and revived. On a remote island, Lestat shares what he has learned during his one human lifetime. He has experienced love and loss and no longer has a dilemma to understand his being. Marius is proud of Lestat and reveals that Enkil and Akasha, the Father and Mother of the Vampires, in an old vault. Lestat kisses Akasha who pulls him to her breast to drink her ancient blood. This was far too over the top for me. It came out of no where so I just rode with it. The set and costumes were very god-like, Egyptian almost, and totally different than anything seen before. If the previous storylines were wild and fantastical, this took the cake. It looked like a scene right out of a comic book. As Lestat drinks, Gabrielle, Nicolas, Armand, Claudia, and Louis appear.

Lestat realizes that he is connected to all vampires by blood and vows to never kill again. He reflects on each of the significant people in his life and they sing the finale. This is when the vampire ho-down comes in. I knew the show was ending and I was still grasping for meaning, but the lyrics of the finale sort of provide a refresher course of what all the action has come to. However, mid-song, the orchestra stops and the chorus sings acappella, in rhythm. Just like at a rock concert when the artists let go of their instruments to start clapping a rhythm to the singing. Then the tamborine kicked in and I started to laugh. Were they serious? I mean it was a toe-tapping song and Lestat has found his purpose and we have a ho-down? Well, I'll just go with it! It is, afterall, a vampire musical. Bows!

LIKES AND DISLIKES
- The book and score are generally weak. Especially Act I. Elton needs to come to SF to hear for himself.
- Act I needs better book writing because too much of the time seemed to be empty banter with not quite defined character motivations.
- There's too much information to cover in 2 novels and 3 hours. Lestat has close to 4 missions and goals, none of which we invest in nor care about. A musical could easily made with one solid storyline instead of so many... Why not "Interview with the Vampire" alone? The story of Lestat with Louis and Claudia is enough.
- Either scrap or greatly shorten the number of visual effects during vampire bites.
- Add a few more ensemble members to help boost vocals.
- Redesign "The New World" costumes or put some interesting set pieces on stage to convince the audience Lestat is in a new intriguing place.
- Give Gabrielle more face time, somehow, in Act II.
- I'd like to see some actual choreography in some ensemble numbers.
- Hugh, Carolee, and Allison were fantastic.
- "I Want More," "The Crimson Kiss," and "To Kill Your Kind" are the best numbers thus far. All the rest are forgetable and not musically challenging.
- I didn't care enough about Nicolas.
- Drew Sarich was superb as Armand and had great stage prescence next to Hugh. I'm going to assume more is going to be written for Armand to better understand his motivations.
- It wasn't quite explained why some people who are bitten die (just to provide blood for the vampires) while some who are bitten become vampires. It alludes to the fact that in order to become a vampire, you must want the bite... but it isn't fully clear enough.
- Magnus was in and out of the show, I almost forgot he was Lestat's Maker.
- All of the Theatre Vampire scenes were awesome. Especially "The Origin of the Species" and the shadow-play.
- I can't remember any of the Act I songs. I just didn't care enough to. Nothing was memorable. It was just a lot of action and story. It was all very music-box sounding and far different than the music of Act II.
- All in all, the show is getting there. It's working itself out. There are still a few bumps in Act I and it ran far too long (3 hours) but I think within a month it will be more smooth. Hugh, Carolee, Drew, and Allison really carry the show and you can tell their working hard to explore their character and deliver the story as understandably as possible.

EUG'S EXPERIENCE

Curran Theatre - San Francisco, CA


Pre-show curtain from Front-Center Mezzanine (Row A, Seat 111)


Lestat 12-28-05 Curtain Call company bow


Eug and Hugh Panaro
Hugh was so nice and friendly. He was holding a stack of papers and explained that he get pages and pages of revisions and notes to memorize before curtain the next day! He's got to do his homework. He appreciated all of the fans because there isn't much stage door action in San Francisco. He took pictures and signed everything patiently. I asked if he was going to get a break and be able to fly quickly to NYC to see the record-breaking performance of The Phantom of the Opera January 9th. Sadly, he's not allowed to. It's understandable given the material changes every night and he is the role... He's working really hard and was very nice and thankful.


Eug, Carolee Carmello, and Heather
Just as we were about to leave, Carolee finally comes out! She too was super friendly because there aren't great groups of people stage dooring yet. Chris was hilarious and had her sign half a dozen CD inserts which was a walk down memory lane for her. She chatted and took pictures and autographs and asked how we liked the show. Her voice is so nice and her songs carry more emotion than the other actors, currently.


Eug and Jim Stanek
This guy was fun! He said: "I love theatre dorks! [Like us] I'm one too! You should see my dressing room is lined with action figures." I asked him what it was like to be with Nathan Lane in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He said it was amazing but to remember he was on-stage with Whoopi and David Alan Grier too! It was all surreal, he said, and was so honored and star-studded.

We also chatted with Allison Fischer, who seemed really thrilled that her songs were so fun for us. Sean told her he could see a Tony nomination for her...(?) She was so small but so bubbly.

I also shook hands with Drew Sarich and told him that he was very admirable and committed to stick in the shoes of Armand as they rewrite it night after night. He looked tired but appreciative. I told him I'd heard a recording of him in Vienna's Barbarella and knew if he was that impressive singing German lyrics, he'd do fine as they switch around his character. He laughed and thanked us sincerely.


Sean and Hugh Panaro


Heather, Carolee Carmello, and Reynaldi


Sean, Carolee Carmello, and Reynaldi

I'm glad to have experienced what could be a generally okay show. Of course, this is its second week and there's much more work to be done. But right now, with a strong cast and creative team, a few more edits to character development and motivation, and a few changes to Act I songs, there's a making of a hit. It was fun to watch, comical, dark, sinister, blasphemous, witty, challenging, spectacle, and young. Lestat can grow and the only way is up. But it needs a lot more work, and this may include a completely new book and revised score.

EDIT: Thank you for everyone who has left detailed constructive comments and opinions of the show. I've had several appreciative people tell me this analysis is excellent and very well-researched. Some have suggested I try to print it and give it to some "Lestat" creative team members. Thanks for the confidence! Please, continue commenting with your own personal thoughts of the show.

YIKES! OFFICIAL REVIEWS:
Variety - Lestat Review
SF Examiner - Bloody Awful
SF Chronicle - Fetch the Garlic and Wooden Stake!
Contra Costa Times - Difficult to Sink Teeth into Unconvincing Lestat
Inside Bay Area - Lestat Bites
San Jose Mercury News - Toothless

• Mini Sitemap:

• Post to Journal
• Downloads

• LJ Gift Shop
• Safety Tips

• Support & FAQs
• Be a Support Volunteer

• Feedback & Contact Us
• Report Abuse

• Site News
• More... (Full Sitemap)