JERRY SPRINGER the opera

Last night I took Mr. Adam to go see Jerry Springer the opera in concert at Carnegie Hall. I just want to go on record as saying it was OK. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't wonderful either.

First off, as I stated, this was a concert version of the opera. The main characters were in costume, but there was no set and the orchestra sat on the stage with the actors. That's all well and good. Act I started with an operatic version of the Jerry Springer show, trailor trash & all. Then Act II continues the show with Jerry Springer dying and going to hell in order to host a show with God & Satan sparring. Satan wanted an apology from God. This in a nutshell is the structure of the story. It doesn't really get much deeper than that. But I didn't really expect much more from this extravaganza. Sadly, I must tell you that Mr. Adam slept through ACT II entirely. Did he miss anything? No, not really. Now let's dish:

The cast was hugely talented. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was that Emily Skinner was in the show. I love her. You will know her as one of the twins in the ill-fated, critically acclaimed "Side Show" on Broadway. Love her. Anyway, the whole cast was really good. Except, and here I go, the chorus. Yes they did a lovely Ku Klux Klan tap number, but I would have prefered they work on their diction so I could understand what they were singing. MOST of the time, their words were lost. Seriously, in an opera, the chorus, as a whole, is one main charecter. Totally lost. Now that's not to say it wasn't chock full of talent, it was. They just weren't in unison vocally. As for the least valuable performer I'm going to have to cast my vote on Laura Shoop who played Baby Jane. She had the worst diction singing on that stage. Seriously, if were the director, Jason Moore, I would have re-cast her. I still can't tell you about her story line. I had no idea what she was singing about.

As for the music, I was impressed by the actual score written for the show as it is literally an opera, NOT musical theater. The arrangements were excellent in most cases. My only beef with the show is the lyrics. In some cases, they were clever and moved the story along. Some genuinely funny jokes. But, on the other hand, some of the humor was base and bathroom. Now anyone who knows me, knows I'm no prude, but the joke of "shitting your calvin kleins" is funny once, no one needs a whole aria reguarding this matter. I couldn't even titter at the joke by the end of the number. It was a tired joke to begin with and didn't get any funnier. Now I know you're thinking, "Ryan Charisma that's British humor" - I know what it is, I've seen Benny Hill.

So was the night fun? Yes, any time I get to spend with Mr. Adam is a good time. Besides, my friends Michael & Larry saw the show too and they're fun. And I had my first blogger spotting, I saw Eric from Confessions of a Southernboy. He doesn't know though, I'm not one to barge in on people especially when their with a group of friends. Hey Eric!

Should you see this show? You can't, it's over already. Buy the CD, at least you'll understand the lyrics.