La La Land

La La Land ~ Already garnering awards and attention from critics since its soft release over the holidays, this is not only one of the best films of the year, quite possibly one of the best in quite a while. When I saw this recently with The Bride, we were literally smiling as we watched. When was the last time any of us saw a film that legitimately brought us joy? This is that movie. We laugh when they want us to laugh, and we cry when they want us to cry, and yet, we don't feel manipulated. The feeling is sincere.

First of all, this is not a traditional movie as we know it. La La Land is a throwback to the Hollywood musicals of old, yet taking place today, with now characters and now sensibilities. Emma Stone (who I usually do not like) and Ryan Gosling play an aspiring actress and musician couple in a love story with ups and downs, song and dance, and charmed me almost immediately. John Legend also impresses with an economy of screen time.

The film has a jazz vibe that will make fans and non-fans of the art form love jazz again or for the first time, and you will never hear "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls the same way ever again. The music is so important and so wonderful here. Draped in vibrant color and unassuming three dimensions, should you choose to see it like that, this is a mesmerizing spectacle of sight and sound and emotion. Funny, sad, bittersweet, and uplifting, La La Land is the movie of the year. See it, just see it, highly recommended.

Pete's Dragon 1977

Pete's Dragon ~ Even with my interest in Disney, I doubt I would have seen this one any time soon if it wasn't for the remake in theaters recently. Even when I was a kid, it seemed kinda juvenile and just a bit silly. And that is just based on the images of Elliott the dragon and the television commercials I had seen. As I watch it today it's definitely meant for younger kids.

Based on an unpublished short story, a boy comes to town with his invisible dragon protector while pursued by his evil hillbilly parents. A live action film with only Elliot the dragon animated, presumedly his shadow being state of the art animation for the time, it's no Mary Poppins, despite its trying desperately to be. Elliott is cartoonish, pink and green, and voiced by Charlie Callas, an unfunny comedian best known to me for his silly noises and ruining Sinestro.

The musical antics feel like they might be better set on a stage than a movie, notably the score as well as one song were nominated for Oscars. Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, and especially Shelley Winters are all fun, but seem out of place here. The whole time the movie feels like it's just trying too hard. And I really wanted to like it, I tried, but couldn't get there.

Good for the kids maybe, but not for me.

Gay Purr-ee

Gay Purr-ee ~ At a time when most animated features were made by Disney, this non-Disney entry is largely forgotten. Written by Chuck Jones and his wife, who was moonlighting on his regular gig with Warner Bros., Gay Pur-ee is the rather simple tale of a country cat who comes to the big city, Paris in 1890.

An animated musical, it stars Robert Goulet in his big screen debut and Judy Garland during one of her final comebacks. Uninspired songs, complex fine art inspired backgrounds, and failure to capture the imagination of either adults or children led to its unfortunate sweeping under the rug.

As a kid I remember being bored by it, but even then recognizing the later Chuck Jones style, and that I disliked it. As an adult, I do appreciate the backgrounds a bit more, but they do little to enhance the subpar Jones characters, mannerisms, gimmicks, and inadequate pacing. Red Buttons is annoying here, and the talents of Hermione Gingold are sadly wasted.

Judy Garland had moderate success with "Paris Is A Lonely Town," but truth be told, she could sing the phone book on her worst day and make it sound wonderful. The music here is not good, and none of the songs memorable. As opposed to today, the characters didn't even resemble the actors. Gay Purr-ee is nice to see maybe once, but perhaps otherwise best forgotten.

Rio 2

Rio 2 ~ Other than being very colorful, having some great Brazilian carnivale music, and explaining exactly what was going on in Angry Birds Rio, the first Rio didn't do much for me. If I remember correctly, I may have even dozed off during it. While the sequel has its faults, I think it was a bit better.

This time I think I got some of the subtext, intended or unintended, of Rio. This is a 1930s musical. It's got everything - stars, dance numbers, songs, romance, comedy, chase sequences, action, lots of subplots, and even a bit of action - it's the perfect 1930s musical. You can even see the casting, an all-star cast, fitting into a modern version of that style. The bits by Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae, and Kristen Chenoweth steal the show. On that subtext, I really loved this.

As a movie however, like I said, it's got faults. There are dozens of characters, and at least a half-dozen subplots, not to mention the tiresome preaching about saving the rain forest and how bad man is. There are so many characters I gave up trying to keep track of them about halfway through. The subplots are spaced so far apart I sometimes forgot what was going on. The writers need to watch some HBO to learn quick cutting between scenes.

The kids will probably love it. If I ever get back to Angry Birds Rio, I might like it a bit more, but I probably won't see it again. I will buy the soundtrack though, I can't get enough Janelle Monae. And if you can't either, be warned, she gets about thirty seconds in this flick, as opposed to the soundtrack.

RIP Mickey Rooney

This weekend we lost Mickey Rooney at the grand age of 93. The man was a Golden Age Hollywood legend - an award-winning actor, singer, dancer, comedian, star of stage and screen - like I said, a legend.

I was first introduced to Mr. Rooney by his not small part in the mega comic opus It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Soon I discovered Andy Hardy and the rest. The man was at home on the screen, silver and small, and on the stage. I most recently discovered his performance in Quicksand.

Always entertaining, and someone I thought would always be around, as he was, from the silents to today. We have lost another legend, Mickey Rooney will be missed.

Muppets Most Wanted on The Make Mine Magic Podcast

This week's episode of The Make Mine Magic Podcast is all about the Muppets, and most specifically about the new movie now out on theaters, Muppets Most Wanted.

All in one handy package you get a review of the film, commentary from not only myself, but also The Bride. Find out our thoughts on individual Muppets, the human stars of the film, our favorite Muppets, the various Muppet shows and movies, a whole bunch of other Muppety topics, as well as shout outs to other Disney podcasts, and tips on using Fandango.

Check out this brand new Muppet-centric episode of The Make Mine Magic Podcast here.

Hudson Hawk

Hudson Hawk ~ I have never seen this flick until quite recently. I have never really believed its reputation for being a terrible movie. As someone who loved John Carter, David Hasselhoff's Nick Fury, most recently After Earth, and I even liked Temple of Doom, I thought, hey, how bad could it be?

Reading up a few months back on subgenres of science fiction, I came across the term 'clockpunk' and specifically Hudson Hawk as an example. Clockpunk is posited as steampunk but with its origins more in the Renaissance rather than the Victorian era, along the lines of "Da Vinci's Demons," which I love. So I decided it was time to see the flick. Sadly, this aspect is barely background in the movie.

Bruce Willis plays a just released from prison cat burglar supreme known as the Hudson Hawk who is swept back into business by baddies seeking components of Da Vinci's accidental alchemy device. In this crazy cartoon reality, Willis is David Addison on speed, and unless you're in on the joke from the start, it's hard to catch up. I really want to see if "Moonlighting" holds up after all these years now.

Camp, slapstick, and downright ridiculous, the movie is riddled with bad performances and a plot that barely holds up. James Coburn and his candy bar henchmen are fun though, and I loved heisting to "Swingin' on a Star," but there's little else to recommend here. I think it may really just be as bad as its reputation.

The Little Shop of Horrors

The Little Shop of Horrors ~ Not the brilliant musical of film or stage, I'm talking about the original 1960 movie here. This Roger Corman extravaganza was filmed in two days for a mere $30,000 on the set of A Bucket of Blood, and it shows, but it was done with love, humor, and sincerity.

The tale of the killer plant was thought to be derived from a 1930s short story called "Green Thoughts," but was officially written by screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, who also wrote the aforementioned Bucket as well as Death Race 2000 for Corman. Boy finds plant, tries to impress girl, plant eats everyone - an age old story.

Everyone who remembers this flick probably does because of the great quick sequence by Jack Nicholson as the masochistic dental patient. But it also prominently features one of the best character actors, in my opinion, Dick Miller, as a flower-eating customer.

The underrated movie is badly acted, poorly staged, and looks incredibly cheap, but still it's a brilliant little black comedy combining horror, farce, and Jewish humor. It's worth watching at least once, especially if you love the musical. You'll see where lines and songs come from, and find yourself singing along where the music should be. Try it.

The Great Gatsby 2013

The Great Gatsby ~ Every time I think of this Baz Luhrman flick, I can't help thinking about the "Entourage" fictional version Gatsby. Maybe if I keep thinking that, I can also manifest another fake movie from the show, Aquaman, 'cause that one I really want to see.

At first, I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this new version of Gatsby. I remember vaguely reading it as a teenager, and then being made to read it in college. I remember watching a TV version as an ABC movie of the week back in the seventies and being bored to tears.

The Great Gatsby is a lot of tell vs. show, along with subtext and metaphor that if you don't get, your English teacher or professor will have a seizure. It's also full of unlikable characters. It serves its purpose, like say Catcher in the Rye, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Then there's the problem of the director. Baz Luhrman, for me, is a creator of extremes. I think his Romeo + Juliet is a work of brilliance, yet his critically acclaimed Moulin Rouge! revels in the mud of my bottom five. I hated it. And because of it, I approach any further Luhrman work with contempt, derision, and caution. The Great Gatsby, seemingly in a similar vein to those two previously mentioned films, is definitely no exception.

I did not hate this version of Gatsby, but I didn't love it either. It falls somewhere around my impression of the 1970s one, less than impressed, and bored. The leads are strong and perfect had this been in hands of any other director. Luhrman resorts to camera tricks, fast motion, modern music, and even 3-D trickery, and all any of it does is sour and dilute the classic story. Don't waste your time, unless you're a fan or morbidly curious.

Glee Star Dead at 31

Over the weekend, "Glee" star Cory Monteith was found dead in Vancouver, he was 31. Recently released from rehab, drugs are suspected but unconfirmed.

Acting since he was a child, he rose quickly to stardom on Fox's "Glee" a few years back playing Finn, high school footballer who joins the glee club. The musical comedy drama experienced great success in the first couple seasons, but then fell victim to what does in most high school shows - graduation. Trapped between following popular cast to college and introducing new characters, "Glee" has floundered. Finn recently returned to a bigger role as a co-teacher of the glee club.

The Canadian actor and singer had been in a relationship with "Glee" co-star Lea Michelle for a time before his death. He will be missed.

Vogues of 1938

Vogues of 1938 ~ Regular readers of this blog know I love "Dark Shadows" - the TV series, not last summer's Johnny Depp vehicle. Well, when I saw this movie listed, starring Joan Bennett, DS' Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the Collins family matriarch. I know she had a serious film career before DS, over seventy movies, but I'd never seen any, that I know of, so I had to check this out.

Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 is a lavish color musical that also stars Warren Baxter as the male lead opposite Bennett. She's a socialite who becomes a model after a failed marriage. The sets and costumes are terrific for the time, and the print is crisp and bright.

The movie is clever and snappy, like most from the decade. The story is weak, but plays second to the terrific musical numbers and the visuals so it's okay. The worst part is ...Joan Bennett! She's stiff, fake, and unappealing. Literally everything works on this flick except her. I'm glad she found her home finally in soap operas. Worth seeing, but be forewarned.

The Pineland Players Present Bye Bye Birdie

The Pineland Players present "Bye Bye Birdie" - Book by Michael Stewart, Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams, Originally Produced by Edward Padula

It's the late 1950s and teenagers from across the United States are going crazy for the handsome rock star, Conrad Birdie. Meanwhile, his manager, Albert Peterson, is going into debt and has staked his financial future on Conrad's success. Albert's secretary, Rosie, is increasingly frustrated with the time and money Albert is losing on his project. Disaster strikes when Conrad receives a draft notice to join the military. Thus, Albert attempts to stage a farewell party for Conrad in which he is to kiss one lucky fan on the Ed Sullivan Show before he leaves for the army. Kim MacAfee, from Sweet Apple, Ohio, is the lucky girl chosen to be kissed. But conflict arises when her boyfriend, Hugo Peabody, gets jealous, and Rosie becomes fed-up with Albert's lack of commitment. Eventually, things turn out alright. Kim and Hugo resolve their problems while Albert agrees to leave managing, become an English teacher, and marry Rosie.

The Cast - Albert Peterson: Dave Ferris, Rose Alvarez: Arielle Thomas, Helen: Megan Bandomer, Ursula Merkle: Alanna Campbell, Kim MacAfee: Emily Chant, Mrs. Doris MacAfee: Jennifer Walker, Mr. Harry MacAfee: Michael Post, Randi MacAfee: Abby Chant, Mrs. Mae Peterson: Rachel Ulriksen, Conrad Birdie: Erich Schmal, Hugo Peabody: Dylan Paulson, Reporters: Stephanie Lottes, Tyrone Fuimaono, Mayor: James Hoffman, Mayor’s Wife: Karen Malone, Mrs. Merkle: Cindy Clark, Nancy: Bryce Turkheimer, Gloria Rasputin: Sammi Kristie, Penelope: Julianna Rankel, Mrs. Johnson: Michelle Bartasius, Maude F Charles: Abby Zahn, Alice: Rachel Benassutti, Margie: Mariah Schultz, Harvey Johnson: David Thomas, Sad Girls: Danielle Romanuski, Sarah Stearn

August 10, 11, 17, 18, 2012 at The Neeta School, 44 Neeta Trail, Medford Lakes, NJ

Bye Bye Birdie Tickets Now Available!!!

Show Dates: August 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7:30pm, August 18 at 2:00pm And don't forget about our traditional "Meet the Cast" Ice Cream Social immediately following the August 18th matinee.

The Ticket request line is now open. You can request tickets or get more information by calling the Pineland Players information line at 609-286-3485. Leave a message with your name and phone number, your ticket date(s) and how many, and we will return your call to confirm your request.

Or you can use our on-line ticket request form. Click Here to go to the request form. Complete the form and click the "Submit" button at the bottom. We will confirm your request using the method you specified (phone or email) in the form. (you may also put in a ticket request at Saturday rehearsal; see anyone at the front desk)

BY REQUEST, WE NOW HAVE RESERVED SEATING, SO GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY FOR BEST SEATING AVAILABILITY.

Ticket prices - Adults $12, Children under 12 & Seniors, $10. Group rate, 10 or more tickets, $8. Ice Cream Social, $4.

Tickets will be held at the ticket desk on the night of your show, payable in cash or check payable to "Pineland Players."

Alyas Batman en Robin

Alyas Batman en Robin ~ This film, made in the Philippines in the early 1990s, is hard to describe. On one hand it is the stuff of legend, like Andy Warhol's Batman, or the also Filipino Alyas Batman at Robin from 1963, something few people in the United States have even ever seen. On the other it's just bizarre. Though made in the Philippines it has many of the hallmarks of a Bollywood film - comedy, drama, romance, and people spontaneously breaking into song and dance.

The plot has criminals taking on the identities of their idols - the Penguin, and the Joker, among others - to rob banks. To counteract this, two men, I am unsure if they are brothers or father and son, dress up like Batman and Robin, and have their car souped up to look like the Batmobile. Hilarity, romance, as well as song and dance numbers ensue, as one would expect.

For an unauthorized film using DC Comics characters, some of it looks good, not great, but some is better than that prime time NBC "Challenge of the Superheroes." The costumes are plays on the 1966 TV series rather than the Tim Burton films of the time. Comedian Rene Requiestas as the Joker reminds me of Prince's alter-ego Gemini, and not in a good way.

All in all this is probably worth a look for the curious. If you watch it in the wrong mood, you'll be horrified, but if you watch it with the right attitude, you'll be satisfactorily entertained.

The Lorax

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax ~ I learned to read very early, thanks to my big sister, starting with Dr. Seuss favorites like "Hop on Pop," "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish," "Fox in Socks" and of course the classics like "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham." And although I quickly graduated to comic books, and then real books, I never lost my love of the Doctor (in this case, Seuss, not the guy with the TARDIS).

Though I had never actually read the book I do distinctly remember my first encounter with "The Lorax." The night the animated version premiered on CBS I was allowed to stay up later than usual to watch it. I was interested but not very because I thought that previous TV versions of Seuss' work, excepting the Grinch, we're inferior to the source material. Yes, even at seven, I was nurturing a critical mind.

I had not just a critic's thought process, but I was also pretty hip to propaganda, even if it was positive propaganda. I had seen the Justice League fight pollution and promote ecology in the comics, and it had hit a sour note with me. It's not that I don't believe in the causes, I do, it's just I'm very against being fed a message in lieu of a story or characterization. I saw that hand at work in "The Lorax." The bottom line is I don't mind being educated while I'm entertained - I just don't want to be preached at.

Which brings all the way back to 2012 and the movie Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. The Bride and I saw it in 3D, so we spent far far too much to get in. By my estimation, this would have been fine in just plain 2D. There's still a message here in this expanded tale of the Lorax, but really not enough to annoy me. Trust me, it's still there, but nothing like Lou Dobbs and other conservatives have exclaimed (and did I read right, did they call "The Lorax" a novel?). It is clear, not at all subtle, but not overbearing either.

Instead I got to enjoy the fun relationship between Ted (Zac Effron) and Audrey (Taylor Swift), watching Ted escape the city in interesting ways, and hearing the moral yet endearing story of The Once-ler (Ed Helms) and the appropriately annoying (here at least) Danny DeVito in the title role. There is also the predictable role for Betty White. No offense, honey, I love ya, but it's getting old. There were a few pointless scenes, like the chase at the end with the seed. I almost wanted to yell at the screen, "Give it to Wall-E, he'll keep it safe!"

All in all though, it was good, and non-offensive. Add a fun original soundtrack (no excuses for only two nominees in the Best Song category at next year's Oscars) and you have yourself an entertaining hit movie. I don't have a good record with Seuss properties turned into films (note the Grinch and Horton), but this one's a winner.

Quickies 2-10-2012

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ~ I really liked this a lot. It was clever, and owed more than a lot stylistically to both "Psych" and "The Mentalist" in the way they showed how Holmes' intellect works. Whereas the first movie worked very hard to pull in new and old fans with its new twist on the characters, this sequel played it closer to the source material. Great ending in tribute to the old stories as well. If you're a reader, you'll see it coming a mile away. Loved it, and can't wait for the next one.

Three Inches ~ This SyFy pilot doesn't seem to know what it wants to be, a serious concept or a sitcom filmed like a drama. A teenaged boy discovers that he's telekinetic, but can only move objects a distance of three inches. Superhero antics without costumes that comic book fans will hate. It might as well be "Alphas" meets Mystery Men, but with a hesitant sense of humor. Me, I hope it doesn't become a series, but it's always nice to see Andrea Martin, and she's great here.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ~ Now I slept through a lot of this apparently. That seems to be a problem because to me, it didn't seem like I missed much. Tom Cruise didn't talk much, and it felt like wall-to-wall action. Cruise hanging off the building, which I did see, is do not miss. The problem is that I only really saw an intermittent half-hour of this flick, and it's really almost two and a half hours long. Judge as you see fit.

Jazz Boat ~ Screenwriter Ken Hughes directed this 1960 pseudo gangster musical that was apparently supposed to be Britain's answer to Guys and Dolls. It's all youth gangs in London tussling over girls and money in a confrontation that finally takes place on a riverboat on the Thames, with musical interludes along the way. Much more entertaining than it sounds, we get to see what kind of star Anthony Newley could have been. I liked this a lot, serious guilty pleasure.

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer ~ Okay, I confess, I've never seen the classic 1927 The Jazz Singer before, heck, I've never even seen the 1979 Neil Diamond version. I know, I know, how dare I call myself a film critic and not have seen it. Well, sit still, I'm amending that tonight as I watch it.

I know of the film's importance, in fact I know quite a bit about it, just never sat through the whole thing before. We all know the story, Al Jolson plays Jakie Rabinowitz, the son of a devout Jewish cantor who wants his son to replace him when he retires, all Jakie wants to do is be a song and dance man on stage. It's a touching, time honored story, one that resonates today. The generation gap always works, just ask Neil Diamond.

The film is often noted as being the first talkie, but in reality, only a few sequences feature what was called 'synchronized dialogue.' And despite the name, there's not really all that much dialogue beyond the six songs featured. That said, the musical sequences are amazing, and probably startled and stunned audiences for the better when it was first seen in movie theaters.

The Jazz Singer, despite its reputation is primarily a silent film, with terrific singing episodes, and it's also a damn good flick with dynamic if melodramatic performances. But then again, silents operated on the melodrama principle, so no points off. This is a great film, not really what I expected, but still one of the best films of its era. See it if you get a chance. The DVD has some wonderful background material.

The Muppets

The Muppets ~ After a summer of sneaky and wonderful previews and preview parodies, the Muppets are finally back. Absent from movie theaters for over a decade, this is a welcome return for those who remember them and grew up with them - and hopefully an introduction for those new to the Muppets.

Writer/producer/star Jason Segel brings us a surprising film filled with nostalgia, heart, and most of all, fun. The plot has Jason and his brother, Walter, a rather annoying new Muppet who steals screen time from the more established and much more entertaining Muppets, 'getting the band back together' so the Muppets can save their old theater from an evil oil tycoon. Yes, it sounds predictable, and is at times, but it is filled with the same magic and fun that made these characters do wonderful over the years on television and in films.

My favorite part of The Muppets, besides the whimsy and adult humor that made the past shows and movies so great, is that it's a self-aware movie musical. That whole wink-wink nudge-nudge attitude disarms and informs the silliness of the convention and makes the flick for me. As much as I love musicals there's always that weird awkwardness of folks spontaneously breaking into song. Here I loved it.

Of course the problem of a big franchise like the Muppets is fitting in everyone's favorite. It's one of the reasons I dislike the bland Walter here. That said, I wanted to see more of Fozzie's tribute cover band, the Muppets' evil counterparts, the Moopets - great fodder there. This is great fun, recommended.

Tangled

Tangled ~ Much like Disney's last animated feature, The Princess and the Frog that re-imagined the fairy tale of "The Frog Prince," Tangled gives "Rapunzel" a new spin. And while very little of the film has the energy or the verve of the preview featuring the music of Pink, it is still very good.

Leads Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, though not most folks' choice of a male lead, hand in terrific performances. Levi, especially proving the magic of animation is about voice work, not appearances. Character actor Donna Murphy rounds out the singing cast as the heavy, with Alan Menken doing the music this time out.

The songs are formula unfortunately and go in all the right places and do everything these types of songs have done for Disney songs for almost two decades. They're almost interchangeable, which again, is not to say they are not good. One tune, "I've Got a Dream," stands out far above the others in its difference above all else. It's an almost Monty Python-ic madcap piece that brings more than a few laughs with it.


All in all, a great entry for Disney' fiftieth animated feature, and their first CGI one without Pixar. We've seen it before, but it's still worth seeing again, ya know? Terrific holiday fare for the kids, and the adults, recommended.

The Rock Tenor

There are times in music where genre cross and mix. When Queen brought opera into rock with “Bohemian Rhapsody” would be one such occasion. When the London Symphony Orchestra performed the songs of Queen later in the 1970s was another. Things like Apocalyptica and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra grew from these hybrids. Sometimes there are actual moments like Jam-Master Jay putting “Toys in the Attic” on the turntable or Jimi Hendrix playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock or Tchaikovsky bringing cannons onto a stage. That’s the kind of passion and creativity that thrives within "The Rock Tenor."

The tagline touts the show, now running at the Wilma Theater until August 23rd, as “All the songs you love, like you’ve never heard them before.” That pretty much describes this intriguing mix of Broadway, classical and rock and roll. And it’s not just mixing genres, we also see and hear songs re-arranged as they’ve never been heard before, regardless of musical type. Know also that this is not your standard Broadway-type stage show, it is more or less a performance or a concert. No plot to follow, just sit back (or stand up, or dance!) and enjoy this melding of musical style.

Lead vocalist Rob Evan is a veteran of the musical stage, appearing in Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors and Dance of the Vampires. His foremost singing credit is probably singing lead for the aforementioned Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He is flanked by a stage of amazing vocalists and musicians including Betsy Goode and Susan Aquila on strings and the subtle but powerful J.D. Valenteen on guitar. The latter’s charisma shines from the background throughout the show.

The mixing of Journey with Sondheim, Daughtry with Les Miz, Bocelli with The Police, and Puccini with Led Zep are brilliant. And had the cast stayed with that type of magic, the show would have been perfect. While I found the unique covers of the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and Leonard Cohen’s “Halleujah” equal to the task, I was just as disappointed with the redos of “Life Is a Highway” and especially “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” By the same token, I thought singer Morgan James’ “Somebody to Love” amazing yet Evan’s Queen tribute a bit over the top. I might put “The Devil Went Down to Philly” in the same category had it not highlighted the mad skillz of Goode and Aquila.

All that said, this is an incredible show that I highly recommend to everyone. The crowd I saw it with was very mixed age-wise, and everyone enjoyed immensely. For young or old, fans of rock or classical, everyone should see “The Rock Tenor.”