I saw these two musicals coming in for short runs and I got really excited. I've heard great things about Jason Robert Brown and I actually hadn't seen any of his shows, and Jonathan Larson is just rent-tastic. So I went to go check these puppies out.
The Last 5 Years is a two man show, telling the story of five years of a relationship, with one telling the story forwards and the other backwards. Even though you've basically got a back and forth set of loveyish songs sung one at a time, the show never got slow, and the music always stayed interesting. It was very well performed by Julie Atherton and Paul Spicer, and I was really impressed by the simple but moving and well-sung and acted show. That being said, I was pretty excited to see Tick Tick Boom!
Unfortunately, my expectations may have been a bit high. The show itself was good enough, a little like "Rent" light, with very reminiscent songs and lyrics and basically a similar premise of artsy guy trying to make it big with the requisite terminal diseases. Most of the music was nice (even though there were some kind of cheesy gimmicky songs), and it would have been a fine show if the lead guy didn't bring it down so much. Now I feel bad saying this, since I looked him up afterwards and he seems to have quite an illustrious West End career (Paul Keating, I believe). But geez! Cringeworthy flatness all around, with a shaky voice that just didn't work so well. I mean, he sounded pretty good in some songs, and sung quite well with the other two on stage, but there were just so many notes that he didn't .. quite.. get.. there. And my ear's not all that good. Cringe. And cringe again. And then the other thing that annoys me is when actors just aren't believable. I'll be honest, he looked the part, an attractive, artsy New Yorker, but I think as the play progressed he forgot he was playing a straight guy with a girlfriend. He was kind of Harvey Fiersteinish, and he just got a little too flaming when he was angry and such, or fawning over Stephen Sondheim. Pretty annoying. So not a great voice and a not great acting on his part, but he was supported by two very strong cast members that played his girlfriend and his best friend.
Oh, and come on. Did no New Yorkers see this show before it went up? "Driving down Houston Street." Except he pronounced it "Hooston." Not even "Hueston" like the rest of America, and definitely not "Howston" like any New Yorker knows. "Hooston." Come on. You know you're in London watching something called "Notes from New York" when...
In any case, The Last 5 Years was great, and Tick Tick Boom could have been quite a bit better if it weren't for the main guy.
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