Embargoed till Good Vibrations opens on Broadway (2 February 2005)
Great songs, good performers, and a few lines of dialogue does not a Broadway show make, even when it's a veritable feast for the eyes, and a harmonious treat for the ears, with the fabulous music of Brian Wilson, and the youngest, most beautiful cast in Good Vibrations. By intermission I felt that I had sat through a very well-done high school revue of Beach Boys material, that excluded all but the most basic plot and character development...."but it was, fun, fun, fun...".
Half-way through act two there were definite signs of a real story struggling to get out. It was as if the book writer (Richard Dresser) had realised, as he finished writing act two, that there was possibly a story of substance there after all, but no time to (re-)write act one before opening on Broadway. Hey, here's a thought: maybe there is time after all. Otherwise the New York critics will kill the show.
By curtain I realized that I had enjoyed the evening more than I had anticipated during intermission, but I fear the show will sink... er... in the interest of good taste, I'll not mention anything about the forthcoming connection of earthquakes, tidal waves and tsunami to New York theatre critics. (Oh, but I just did!)
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