Last night I saw the second cast of "South Pacific" featuring Taryn Judah as Nellie Forbush, Ryan Hurley as Emile Debecque, Ken Taylor as Luther Billis, Zachary Sean Dennis as Joe Cable, Kellsi Heller as Bloody Mary and Roy Goodell as Captain Brackett.
If you haven't seen the show yet, know that no matter which cast you see, it's just as entertaining and fun.
The stage direction, costumes, makeup, singing and comedic timing all gave the show a certain authenticity that made it a pleasure to watch.
Taryn brings a little more southern charm to Nellie, whereas Kristi has a less-noticeable accent with her Nellie. Both actresses bring something unique to the role and both were wonderful.
The dynamic between Judah and Hurley was noticeably different, as well, likely because the two are closer in age than Kristi and Darryl.
There were parts where that similarity worked, their first kiss in the second act, for instance, and then parts where it didn't feel as natural, particularly where the script intentionally points out their significant age difference in the first act.
Dennis' take of Joe Cable was a contrast from Hodne's as well.
Dennis's Cable is a touch softer and more vulnerable after falling for Liat, while Hodne brings a more no-nonsense Cable that still is vulnerable but feels more driven by his orders. It's a very subtle difference that you might only notice when you look for things happening between the words.
The cool thing about the character is that he goes from one to the other from one scene to the next and both actors handled it well.
Taylor's take at Luther Billis was a bit different from Twedt's in that it he brought more of that sly, almost used car salesman approach to Billis. It seemed like I was seeing more of the character and less of the actor, whereas with Twedt it was more of the actor and less of the character.
Taylor's lead part in the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," seemed a tad stronger, whereas I felt Twedt's shining moment was in "Honey Bun."
All singers deserve praise for their deliveries. There were only a few missed notes and slip-ups, which is bound to happen in any live show. The mistakes were few and far between, but there were a few that stood out.
Keep in mind these are minor complaints that don't take away from the extraordinary effort that everyone gave.
When Taryn started into "I'm Going to Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair," she seemed just a tad behind the beat. She found it quickly, though and finished the song with ease.
What's interesting is that Kristi also slipped up at that same point, only in a different way. It makes you wonder if that's something with the music that is difficult or just a coincidence.
It also felt that during "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy," as if Taryn was forcing the delivery, in particular during the lines "Im as Corny as Kansas as August." Subconsciously I tensed up a little while listening to that line.
Similarly, during "This Was Nearly Mine," Hurley would subtly shift his weight back and forth between his feet, which could be seen as nervousness.
His vocal performance was excellent and I never felt as if the song was too big for him, but in terms of stage presence, there were a few small moments where it seemed as if it was.
All and all, I enjoyed the show, even though I've already seen it twice before. I think that speaks to the level of quality in that there wasn't a moment where I felt bored. I laughed at the jokes and applauded just as enthusiastically as I did the first time I saw the show.
It's for those reasons I recommend you see both casts and decide for yourself which characters you liked the best.
There are two shows left on Saturday, one at 2 and another at 7:30. If you missed my first review, check it out here:
Hey Jake, I had to say this: what happened during MY "Wash that Man" was that the music was started at the correct cue line but volume levels weren't brought up. So, when they were raised, it was in the middle of the verse. I was trying to find the best way to cover. :) Ah, the joys of a live show.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input!
ReplyDeleteI could tell that something happened, but wasn't aware of what it was.
Both you and Taryn did a fine job of recovering and getting right back into it. I'd say nearly all of the audience didn't even notice because you both recovered so quickly. ;-)