| A Tale of Two Musicals - The Outsiders vs Illinoise | |
| Posted by: theaterisok 10:40 am EDT 03/24/24 | |
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| Caught two contenders for Best Musical this weekend: "The Outsiders" and "Illinoise." What struck me is how one musical is an embarrassment of riches and the other is a respectable collection of ideas that never coalesce into anything soaring. What they both have in common are choreographers I adore. Justin Peck’s work over the last few years has been such an honor to experience, as a brilliant new artist is unleashed. The Kuperman brothers are just “cool” personified. I know when I see something of theirs I’m going to say, “Cool!” Justin Levine was the mastermind behind the music of “Moulin Rouge.” I can’t recall another show in recent years when I walked out and thought, “Wow, that was just plain cool!” But “cool” is not a musical. A musical, for me, is an experience unlike any other art form. When it works, when all the pieces work together to lift us out of the artifice of the event into something almost spiritual, almost impossible to put into words because it puts me into a synergy with the universe, well, that is the hope every time I walk into a theater. “The Outsiders” is a collection of laden beats adapted for the stage by Justin Levine and Adam Rapp, who also knows from “cool.” But every moment falls flat. There is no communion with the rhythms of the characters. There is no sense that a song is earned, and worse, we are treated like idiots when lyrics have to tell us where we are and what we are supposed to feel. The music, though “cool,” is instantly forgettable and interchanged between characters. The Rumble, the highlight of the experience, is nothing short of cool. But it wears out its welcome when you realize it isn't building to anything. Then it just ends with a thud. “Illinoise” is exactly what you’re hearing, near perfect. It understands the importance of helping us into the world, without having to spell everything out. It has a very clear opening number, and all the elements that make up the foundation of a strong book musical. All without speaking a single word. The music is so perfectly intertwined with the dance, the lighting, the projections. I can't wait for it to move into a Broadway Theater where we can get even closer to the performers. The Armony is just a cavern. Some will argue that without dialogue this isn’t a musical. Tosh! This was a far more fulfilling experience than “The Outsiders.” The kind where my life feels changed. Not since “Hamilton” have I been so moved by the perfect blending of each element of a show by creators who really understand how to tell a story in this very particular form. I'll take craft over cool any day. |
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