Tyler's Revival                      Review....continued
Christophier Sieber and Gregg Edelman were great. Very funny. When Cinderella's Prince enters, the "fanfare" is drawn out so he can humorously bound onstage, and find his way center. They worked well off one another, with very nice swift and royal movements....making "Agony" better than ever. The Princes also use the handshake the Wolves used earlier, a nice touch which connects them.
       The second "A Very Nice Prince" was good, with - thanks to the Narrator's new line - Cinderella obviously having to much to drink at the Ball.
       "It Takes Two" was as usual, with Milky-White pushing the Baker into his wife's arms for a kiss at the end. The death of the cow was...different. Nearing this part of the scene, Milky-White staggers about dizzily...before landing on her chest with her legs out.
       The lines of Granny are given to the Witch in the "Second Midnight"...which I thought worked nicely. None who didn't know the show would have noticed, and the metaphore made sense.
      This is perhaps the only negative thing I will say about the revival; Rapunzel's screams where horrible! The original Rapunzel sounded scared...Melissa Dye sounded like she was whining! I was very uspet. The look on "Stay With Me" is different. The With is more motherly in this scene than the original...I'm not sure weather or not I liked it.
        "On the Steps of the Palace" was very nice. I believe Laura Benanti did a wonderful job, though - as a NY Times review said - I don't think the show revolves around her and her prince....I'm not sure where they came up with that. In the end Jack and Little Red join Cinderella, thus changing the music and lyrics. They echo "...and I've learned something too...", filling in the next lyric as their story goes.
      The Mysterious Man looked strange in his costume, sort of like a Walt Disney cartoon Miner...though John McMartin did a good job. Tent Armand Kendalls' Steward also played nicly, he made good use of his expressions and used a very nice...."royal" accent.
       As for the transformation. It was easy to figure out, at least I thought it was. The first Witch, with a hood above her head) you see is not Vanessa Williams, but a stand in (the clump of trees center stage hide the real Witch as she's helped with her beautification). When the Witch brings "Milky" back to life, there are a few offstage ad libs by the Baker and his wife, followed by a gust of smoke. After the (fake) Witch drinks the potion she convulses and runs off upstage behind the trees and into the darkness as Vanessa - whose slender curves are obviously not hidden by the body suit enters from around the trees, goes up into the air. There's a lighting effect, some fog and TA-DA! Vanessa throws down the cape revealing the beautiful Witch, looking more like Ahprodite than a sorceress. The Narrator then discards his Mysterious Man coat, hat, and beard and gives it to the Baker (which, I thought, was weird). When he goes on, character by character, and gets to the Witch; there is "catwalk" music from the orchestra and she struts off as Jack stares at her beauty, beginning to follow her off stage.
       The scene with the Prince at Cinderella's House was funny as usual. And, just as in the original, the blood "trickles" from the shoe. I wish Jennifer Malenke as the Horse had more onstage time (that was a great costume, too)...I was glad that she bowed at the end as one of the Three Pigs.
       Rapunzel, who had now bore twins, now has a funny habit of twirling her hair....a great addition. This scene was done differently. When the Witch arrives and Rapunzel and her Prince don't know who she is, she says: "Boo!" and makes the usual Witch face. When the Witch first asks Rapunzel to go with her, she doesn't hesitate...and begins to walk with her off stage. The Prince anc the Witch then try talking Rapunzel into going with them, there's even a new line Vanessa Williams says about "those two beautiful little babies"...which I thought worked nicely since the revival focused the Witch more on her want of a child. Yet, the Prince wins in the end after many failed attempts by the Witch to put a spell on them. When the Narrator explains how the Witch had lost her power, the end of her snake staff goes limp...going out like a balloon. Frustrated to hands it to the Narrator, saying "take this"...obviously not very happy with him. He watches her exit, and then turns back to the audience - not noticing where the limp staff is in relation to his body. A very funny moment.
       When the blinding of Lucinda and Florinda occurs, everyone onstage goes in slow motion. The Stepsisters then flip their gloves up to their eyes, showing the audience they are smeared with blood.
       The end of Act I was nicly staged, with maypole ribbons coming down from the fly space - which the actors dance with. It just had this "happy" effect on you. The huge trapdoor used previously for "Granny's Book" opens once more and up comes a large beanstalk, a great moment.
        And now for Act II.....
        The show opens as before, only now with Cinderella's book being a castle. Other peices are added (covering up the old) to show the characters have prospered. The Stepmother and the Stepsister (wear gray/black maid costumes with their blind glasses) are with Cinderella. A new bit is added for Lucinda and Florinda when the Stepmother sings "Happy now, happy hence" - they "Ooh" and "Ahh" under her, with swiftly swaing heads. Then the Giant causes the crash, objects fall; the crown ornament over Cinderella's throne, and...another comidic moment: the "O" in "Once Upon A Time" over the Baker's House/Book (after everything becomes silent) falls and swings out of position.
       The Witch's bit in this prologue was good, with Vanessa Williams chasing the bug around the stage and finally stepping on it, bending down, eating it, and savoring it - licking her fingers - until her sexy exit...running her hands over the Baker's chest. Little Red Ridinghood's costume was a little too modern....with a "fishnet" overcoat and what looks to be motorcycle gloves. Well, maybe that's overdoing it on my part...but it certainly is different. And so everyone goes into the woods again, where the lovely leafy curtains are left behind, and the tops of the trees are shown; gnarled and twisted. The woods are darker, and scarier.                Continue.....