There is a theatre I call home here in central Florida. It is
Theatre Winter Haven and I love it. I've written about it
before, so I won't repeat myself about how much I love them this time. That was were I was last night: at my theatre home.
Turning into the parking lot sends excitement through my limbs and walking up the stairs to the box office puts a bounce in my step, because I know so many of the people who run, work and perform there. I wish I was more eloquent with words to describe how comforting it feels to be in a space that I have spend hours and hours in over the last 5 years creating intangible art for thousands of people. Have you ever seen "
Once" the movie? That film portrays such an accurate picture of what it feels like to create music or theatre or some kind of collaborative art together. It is hard to describe to others who haven't experienced it before, but there is a connection you find with the people you create with that brings a closeness, but not necessarily a knowing of the person. Does any of this make any sense? I guess I am rambling on about nonsense instead of getting to the purpose of the post, which was to describe the show I saw last night!
I went there last night to see the opening of the 42nd season at the
theatre and their first show "
The Full Monty." I had never seen the show and beside hearing a few songs, I didn't know much about it. All I knew was my friend directed it, a lot of my friends were in it, and the men were stripping. I enjoy seeing new shows and experiencing the story that the playwright/composer/lyricist crafted when they created the piece.
This show is not for every audience member. There is language, sexual connotations, and nudity. And to answer your questions, no, you could not see everything, and yes, they did do the Full Monty. That being said, the show is not about the stripping, in spite of what the title implies. It is a means to fill a void in the men who have lost their hope. They had found fulfillment in their jobs as steel workers, but after massive layoffs and no work in a oppressed economy, they felt hopeless, useless and purposeless. Stripping gave them back their self-respect, purpose and drive. The director is an avid story teller and loves the arcs and depths of the human condition. This musical was a great one for her to craft because of the raucous humor pitted against the serious obstacles these men faced. As with all of her work, you can see her heart shining through the piece and holding it all together as the actors and crew honored her vision.
I did not agree with a lot of the ways things were dealt with in the show from a moral stand point, but I did enjoy a lot of the music. My favorite songs were, "Big Black Man," "The Goods," and "Let it Go." A good friend of mine sang a duet entitled "You Walk with Me" that just warmed my heart. It was absolutely beautifully sung and acted. The sets were gorgeous, as all sets are at TWH, and the musicians did a great job. The crew pulled together a great show and some of the kinks of the first weekend will work themselves out as they get more practice.
It was a great evening at the
theatre, which ended with cake and catching up with friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment