I'm sorry Francis is still out; it's been over a week. When I saw the show in late October, he was a co-highlight, his Joe so charismatic and knowable, with those exciting vocals. The last third of the show, when Joe is literally stripped of Norma's influence, he is powerful indeed, and the show veers toward genuine tragedy, which I never felt with the previous staging. Whatever the current status of Francis's voice - laryngitis is a terrible blow - let's hope it's on the mend. He's decidedly a plus in this iteration of the show. To my surprise, he made the show for me. |