Saw the new show, Myrtle, a Melodrama!, tonight at work. Well, I saw most of it. Some elements aren't quite finished/working yet. (I'm looking at YOU, roll drop!) I have to admit, I really liked it! The music is really the strongest point in the show, but I think that's probably okay for a musical. All of the performers had some great moments, and a couple were consistently great throughout the show. Abby really shone; it was fun to see her in a role that really fit her area of expertise.
There were moments that definitely could have been trimmed, edited, or cut completely, but for me the fun moments outweighed them. I've always liked the hokey, stylized, over-the-top comedy of a melodrama, and while the members of the cast handled the style with varying degrees of success, enough of it was there for me to really enjoy myself.
The set looked great. I know what a pain it has been to get it finished and mounted, but it really does look nice. The costumes are GORGEOUS! I really need to find Laurie around work tomorrow to tell her this, but I think they're probably the finest I've seen on our stage in the past four-plus years. (Ooh, that's a fun idea...I can make a list of "favorite designs" to go with my "favorite shows" list!)
We had a small preview audience of about thirty, but it certainly did not feel like such an empty house. I can't wait to see this show with a larger audience (and hope they're as enthusiastic and responsive as the folks we had tonight were). Now, if you don't like things that are, well, melodramatic, then obviously you ought to stay away from this one, and if you're looking for a pure-form melodrama then you might be turned off a bit as well, but if you're willing to let a few thing slide and you're just looking for a few good laughs and some catchy music for a couple of hours, come by and see us!
