Dreamland Saturday Nights - Wonderful!

I got to go and see Dreamland Saturday Nights at the Varscona last night (Shadow Theatre). I was so glad. It was wonderful. I was so very impressed. What a lovely script and the actors were well cast. I thought a lot about it on the way home. It was so nice to go to a show where you knew right away that you liked it. I have been to so many that I had to think about it for a while before I could figure out what I relaly thought about it. I think that is a bad sign with regards to the shows in question. I find that there is a lot of theatre trying to be "dark and thought provoking" that it misses out on being well done. There is a real snobbery in the theatre community about "fluffier" stuff, you know, musical theatre and comedies. Often these are poo-pooed by the artsie-fartsies. I have a problem with that. I don't see anything wrong with entertaining people. As long as you do it well. This need to be dark and brooding is serverly over-rated. Besides, it is usually done ineffectively, riding on the script or the idea without really doing the work required to be good. I read the review of Oliver from the Citadel and Liz Nichols seems to revel in the extra "darkness" of the production. OMG, Oliver is a dark musical to begin with. If anything it should be lightened up. I know that was the problem with the production I was in --> TOO DARK. I am not sure if I am going to Oliver so it will be hard to check on it, but I just wish people would not necessarily equate darkness with quality.

That being said, I am off to Hello Dolly this afternoon. I know Brian (the director) has commented in his preview articles about it not being a lightness and joy, but I am kind of hoping it is more so than not. I love a good entertaining musical!

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