My Journal

ARCHIVES: Flora the Red Menace

*Weds, 5/14/08
Flora the Red Menace - Review:

I finally saw it last night. *swoon* The girl can do no wrong! OMG! Eden was so NOT Elphaba. I loved it! The book and music were cute and interesting, though nothing to write home about, yet the performances were awesome! And Eden, of course, was spectacular.

It was fun to listen in on the little remarks and conversations from the subscribers sitting around me. There was one couple right next to me who started out very cynical... attributing low attendance to people having read the review... not knowing what the show was about and trying to guess (wrongly), etc. I chimed in only once to say that I heard it was a wonderful show, and that kind of alleviated their fears to where they stopped anticipating the worst.

(Must nip negative energy in the bud when you can, I say!) It was a fairly quiet audience. Most people didn't really start reacting vocally to the show until "Charlotte" came on the scene, though the budding romance between "Flora" and "Harry" got some "awww"s. So adorable!

By intermission, though, the folks around me were all, "This is a very good production"... "Wonderful cast," etc. The husband of the couple I mentioned even turned to me to express his delight with the show. So sweet. Then at the end it was all, "SHE's very good." (His wife kept repeating that very phrase all the way out the door behind me. LOL!) ... "Such a beautiful voice."... "She has a wonderful voice, that girl," etc. LOL! I was dying laughing inside at the sudden spread of "Edenism" after "Sing Happy", the final song of the show. Not surprising, of course, but definitely amusing and exciting to witness. Boy, did she nail that last scene to the back wall! First the heart-breaking, devastating tears (you could almost hear everyone's heart break along with her!), and then the powerhouse vocals sending chills up and down the spine... Ah Eden. How she can fill a stage, a theatre, the hearts of an audience... *sigh*

Aside from "Sing Happy", and her many comic moments (OMG! The bed! ROTFDOL! ... and her imitation of Harry's stutter just before that... and the whole bit in the fur coat... and ... oh so many moments of fun-ness. LOL!) I loved "Quiet Thing" and "Dear Love". I died when she hit those gorgeous high notes in "Quiet Thing"? OMG! Breath-taking!! It was a whole new Eden. I loved it! I can't wait to see it again on Sunday so I can better solidify her performance in my memory!

I was second row, dead center, so during curtain call, when I stood up to give Eden her standing O, I believe there were a few people scattered around behind me who stood as well (and not just the handful of youngin's that were there). But the adorable thing was that two people actually managed to stand up in the first row. Both seniors. The one to my right got up just find, but the one to my left struggled and nearly toppled over in the attempt. It was sad and cute all at the same time. He enjoyed Eden so much he tried to burst to his feet with a bit more force than he could manage. How adorable is that?
Cheers!

*Sunday, 5/18/08
Flora the Red Menace - take three:

OH_____MY_____FO-FO-FO-FRACKING______GaaaawwwwwwD!

Tonight was the absolute funniest, heart-wrenching, gorgeous, riffalicious performance EVER! I am so totally thrilled and confident in my choice of shows for tonight. Love Megan Hilty, BUT... I would not have missed this performance of Flora for the world. Eden nailed every moment better than even this afternoon's show. She was seriously flying high tonight and EVERYONE on that stage was having the best time! I was sitting first row towards the left end... OMG! Eden was practically on top of me a few times. Wee!

She was really enjoying Megan Lawrence's performance tonight... smirking and trying not to crack up on several of their face-offs. [Megan was wickedly funny and on top of her game, for sure.] At one point Eden even turned her face away from the audience while she composed herself. She is suppose to hate "Charlotte" after all. Not easy to do when she's cracking up at Megan's shenanigans. LOL!

Eden herself was the funniest I've ever seen her. She hit every bit, one-liner, physical gesture she could create with such aplomb. Wow! One thing she did tonight, but hadn't done in the other two performances I saw, was do this hilarious side reaction of "Oh god! What am I saying?!" after her "bone up" line. Too Funny! Apparently she did it opening night, but hasn't done it since? I'm not sure.

Once again, "Quiet Thing" was so amazingly gorgeous... her high register soaring with such beautiful resonance... She actually made me cry tonight with that song. It was unreal how gorgeous she sounded. Breath-taking. Even now, I think about it and tear up. I loved the Act I closer, "Dear Love" too, but more for the comic Charlotte ranting than the song/vocals, beautiful though they were.

Finally... "Sing Happy"... HOLY CRAP! What more can I say about Eden's performance of this song. She was seriously crying her heart out tonight (having started an entire scene prior), making it doubly difficult to sing the first part of the song, but of course, nobody can sing a broken heart better than Eden. Holy Crap! Naturally, being the last show, she pulled out all the stops and sang the s**t out of it, even including a few riffs she added since I saw it on Tues.

By the end of the song the audience was seriously bursting with love and awe... totally converting to "Edenism" (to quote a friend). The applause and cheers were so long and hard, Eden and the actor playing "Willy" had to hold their poses for an extra minute or so, basking in Eden's awesomeness before continuing the scene.

It was a wonderful crowd, full of more fans, friends and family than at any other performance. We were all eating out of Eden's hands the entire evening, starting with "The Kid Herself". She added a few cute riffs to this adorable number, as well. To see Eden in a brand new role, funny and charming and romantic, a character so full of hope...the whole evening seems like the most wonderful dream to me now. *sigh* Perfection! I just have to think about it and I get emotional.

My friend, Robin, who came with me (her one and only time seeing it) was like "OH MY GOD! She's wonderful!" She too could not stop talking about Eden's vocal quality in "Quiet Thing". Unreal. We stayed and talked with Eden a bit afterwards... expressing our awe at her high register, to which she responded, "I don't get to use that part of my voice very often." And I was like "Well you have to change that!" LOL! Eden is the real deal. The full package. No question. I still experience "Eden haze" every time I see her perform. I think I'm level headed and able to chat with her like anyone else... I even come up with possible topics to chat about... but as soon as I see her perform, everything wipes from my brain except her amazing-ness. In fact, "You're amazing!" is about all that seems to come out of my mouth when I talk to her. Thank goodness for my friend, or tonight it would have been my usual three sentence exchange with Eden.

Eden is just the best at stage door. There was obviously a much bigger crowd tonight, with fans and family and friends there. Many of the other actors were out and about, chatting with people... and getting ready to go to the after party, no doubt. Eden was all dolled up in a long violet dress, her hair down and curly... gorgeous! After chatting with her family for quite a while, she started making the rounds of fans who were all standing about holding their programs at the ready. She, of course, had her silver Sharpie.

A few mothers had brought their young Eden-loving daughters. Eden is so good with the youngin's! Such an inspiration to us all!

When she had a chance she made her way over to us. I told her I would be seeing her in New York. I can't wait to see her "Maureen". She is so going to rock RENT out with a Bang! I wish her all the best in this next adventure.