Once Upon A Mattress
I have finally gotten around to posting my review of the new 2005 TV version of Once Upon A Mattress.
Carol Burnett, as expected, was wonderful. I could tell she was having a great time playing Queen Aggravain, and she made the character as equally funny as she is awful.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Zooey Deschanel as Lady Larken. I've been a fan of hers ever since the bathroom singing scene in Elf, and I thought her personality and voice shone nicely. I also thought Matthew Morrison was a total cutie! Their chemistry was good.
I have to say though, I was not a big fan of Tracey Ullman's performance as Winnifred. While her acting was entertaining, I found her singing difficult to listen to. While Winnifred's songs are certainly not difficult to sing, they do have pleasant melodies, and I was dissapointed to find that Ullman's singing was so brassy that I couldn't hear the melodies at all.
Denis O'Hare was fine, I wasn't really moved either way, but I think this has to do with the fact that he was playing such a pitiful character that he was much too old for. A guy in his 40s needing the birds & bees talk?
I would have liked to see more of Michael Boatman as the Jester. He was good at what he did but he sure didn't get much to work with. Where was "Very Soft Shoes"?
Performances aside, I was horrified with how this show was cut up and calmed down. Yes, it is based on a fairy tale but it is NOT meant to be a children's musical, and that is what this Disney version was trying to be. They glossed over the racier parts which also means they glossed over quite a bit of the comedy. And it seems they spent their entire budget on Carol Burnett's outfits. Everyone else looked ridiculously plain in comparison.
Perhaps if this show hadn't been produced by Disney it would have been better...
Links to some other views on OUAM:
Peacebang's Review
Under the Lobsterscope's Review
Carol Burnett, as expected, was wonderful. I could tell she was having a great time playing Queen Aggravain, and she made the character as equally funny as she is awful.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Zooey Deschanel as Lady Larken. I've been a fan of hers ever since the bathroom singing scene in Elf, and I thought her personality and voice shone nicely. I also thought Matthew Morrison was a total cutie! Their chemistry was good.
I have to say though, I was not a big fan of Tracey Ullman's performance as Winnifred. While her acting was entertaining, I found her singing difficult to listen to. While Winnifred's songs are certainly not difficult to sing, they do have pleasant melodies, and I was dissapointed to find that Ullman's singing was so brassy that I couldn't hear the melodies at all.
Denis O'Hare was fine, I wasn't really moved either way, but I think this has to do with the fact that he was playing such a pitiful character that he was much too old for. A guy in his 40s needing the birds & bees talk?
I would have liked to see more of Michael Boatman as the Jester. He was good at what he did but he sure didn't get much to work with. Where was "Very Soft Shoes"?
Performances aside, I was horrified with how this show was cut up and calmed down. Yes, it is based on a fairy tale but it is NOT meant to be a children's musical, and that is what this Disney version was trying to be. They glossed over the racier parts which also means they glossed over quite a bit of the comedy. And it seems they spent their entire budget on Carol Burnett's outfits. Everyone else looked ridiculously plain in comparison.
Perhaps if this show hadn't been produced by Disney it would have been better...
Links to some other views on OUAM:
Peacebang's Review
Under the Lobsterscope's Review
posted by musicaltheatreaudition.com at 5:44 PM
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