[Theater] Waitress (Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group) Review

We had actually watched the local staging of Waitress during its opening weekend thanks to an ARC promo but I guess things got way busier than expected since I somehow forgot to write about the experience. And given recent plans to cut down on my Geeky Guide blogging time I guess it's a good thing that I've been able to squeeze this review in.

It's interesting how this musical has gained such a strong following since its release given it's based on a movie that may not be all that well-known even for a movie junkie like me. But stranger things have happened - just look at the likes of Hairspray, which was also based on a rather obscure cult classic film and yet became a Broadway success.

This local production was definitely a lot of fun to watch and made for a lovely evening for me and Tobie. By the time this review comes out the show will be on its closing weekend and I can only hope that enough people got to enjoy the show when they had the chance.

[Theater] Side Show (Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group) Review

Early in the year we end up watching a lot of different plays as part of the regular theater season. Later in the year other groups tend to put on more musicals (or at least that's how it feels like to me) and thus we schedule some shows of interest accordingly.

Side Show was our first musical as part of our personal "musical season" at the tailend of 2018 and our first Atlantis show for the year as well. And this wasn't a musical we had heard much about before but it's hard to resist a "freak show" right? And so we went.

The show was quite surprising in tone and pretty creative in its costumes and make-up in order to give that full freak feel realness. But it was also a little confusing with a lot of different story beats, which felt like a bit of a waste of the excellent talent that they had gathered for the production.

And this is one major cast.

[Theater] Kinky Boots (Atlantis Theatricals Entertainment Group) Review

Ever since I first caught Kinky Boots in a limited cinema engagement, I've totally loved the movie and have repeatedly watched it over the years. Sure, it feels like another small town sob story sort of like The Full Monty or something but it's also a lot more than that - and I'm not just saying that because of the drag queens.

But in many ways I had always felt that the movie would always be something totally under the radar and thus was a cultural novelty that I could treasure and only choose to share with specific people on a limited basis. So I was totally surprised to find out that it had been adapted into a full Broadway musical - and a rather successful one at that. But hey, it worked for Hairspray, right?

[Theater] Fun Home (ATEG)

So we watched Fun Home because Lea Salonga had top billing. While I generally prioritize plays that are familiar, Lea Salonga is a reason to watch a show all by herself at times. And I feel no shame in sharing this method of theater prioritization. She's simply amazing.

So it became an afterthought to consider what the play was about. I saw Tony Award Winning as part of the tagline and that was a good start to things. And then I learned more about the play. And then we saw it.

And then I was blown away.