My husband and I saw this play yesterday and really enjoyed it. Is the book perfect, no but the performances were great, the music was wonderful and the dancing was beautiful.
The creative folks responsible for 'The Beast in the Jungle' ARE risk takers working within their paradigm. An example of this is that within this production they chose to use the 'Apprehension Engine', a hand cranked instrument that went viral last year, to represent the sound of the Beast. There are only two of these instruments in existence and one was delivered to them. They assigned the super talented cellist Harrison Beck the job of figuring out how to approach an atonal instrument where holding a bow in one hand is the only connection to his own instrument of choice. With support from the makers and sheer will, Harrison, under the direction of Peter Hylenski, has fulfilled the producers vision of this instrument countering the orchestra performing the beautiful music of John Kander.
Composer Mark Korven (the Witch) and I are responsible for creating the Apprehension Engine and after years in bands, films and instrument making, we recognize people who are trying to expand their creative worlds. A big shout-out to the Vineyard Theatre as well whose mandate is to provide a venue for artistic growth and facilitated the Engine's debut off Broadway.
Go see the show and decide for yourself!
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Tony Yazbeck is a star. Irina Dvorovenko is a star. Their chemistry in Beast In The Jungle is electric.
Would love to see them together again. Maybe a redo of My One And Only ?
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I guess it is important to some that the interpretation is faithful to the source material. Maybe it is fortunate that I never even heard of this James short story. But, I think I would have enjoyed it even if I had. The changes sound like the made a better story. I loved the book of this show and I loved every aspect of it. It seemed like a fascinating almost proustian examination of a life lived. I saw beautiful imaginative dancing that really moved the narrative forward. John Kander is a national treasure. I didn’t notice till it was over that no one sang. I loved Irina for years and I always imagined she only spoke Ukrainian. Who knew she could act. I go to the theater in Manhattan once or twice a week and I give this my personal prize for the show I loved and was most glad to have seen.
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This is the sort of negative review that really makes me want to see the show. I once attended "The Great White Hope" with "Bent" playwright Martin Sherman, and on the way out he remarked, "It's amazing how anything that bad can be so good." That statement can be supplied to so much of what passes for art.
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GO! I found the piece very moving this past weekend. I found the design, staging, and performances all to be well worth seeing.
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Saw this in a preview and was captivated particularly by Yazbeck and Dvorovenko. Yes the book is not up to the level of the other elements in the show but it was still well worth seeing.
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