REVIEW: “Gigi” at The Mac-Haydn

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, August, 2006 When you say the name Gigi people usually have rapturous responses linked directly to their memories of the 1958 musical film starring Leslie Caron, Hermione Gingold, and Maurice Chevalier. The music is so lovely, the Parisian scenery is so beautiful, Leslie Caron is so charming,…

REVIEW: “Cats” at The Mac-Haydn

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, July, 2006 My little brown cat Mary is the epitome of style over substance. I believe she is constituted thusly:5% Purrs and Meows5% Owl-y Eyes and Pointy Ears15% Structural Necessities (i.e. bones, blood, vital organs, etc.)75% Fluff Andrew Lloyd Webber has constructed his Cats along the same…

REVIEW: “Funny Girl” at The Mac-Haydn

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, July, 2006 Somehow, I had managed to live 49.5 years without paying much attention to Funny Girl. I had never seen the show or the film. I discovered that I wasn’t even that familiar with the score, which was a surprise. So the first question I…

REVIEW: “Fiddler on the Roof” at The Mac-Haydn

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, June, 2006 I was once turned down for a desk job because I was “not ethnic enough.” Anyone with two brain cells can tell that that is a patently ridiculous statement. We are all “ethnic” and ethnicity is not something that can be quantified. In…

REVIEW: “South Pacific” at The Mac-Haydn

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, June, 2006 When I go to see an oft-produced classic like South Pacific I ask myself two questions: Does it effectively tell the story? Does it bring anything new to the story? Some theatrical reimaginings bring so much that is new that the original intent is lost,…

REVIEW: “My Fair Lady” at the Cohoes Music Hall

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, October 2005 My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1914 play Pygmalion and Gabriel Pascal’s 1938 film of the same, is often called the perfect musical. While remaining extremely faithful to its roots, the music and dance seem to spring effortless from the script. In this…

REVIEW: “Brigadoon” at The Mac-Haydn Theatre

Reviewed by Gail M. Burns, August 2005 I have a soft spot in my heart for Brigadoon for two reasons. First, I am married to Robert Burns and therefore required to enjoy all things Scottish, and secondly it was the first musical I ever saw on Broadway. I had just turned six…

%d bloggers like this: