Grant Gustin = THE FLASH, for 9 seasons, villain on GLEE. Glad to hear he's getting star applause!

Huh. I totally got it from the beginning. I loved every second of it and didn’t feel any of the disconnect you seemed to.

@MatthewHardyMusical

2 ай бұрын

That's great! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Were you familiar with the source material?

@qtp2t7237

2 ай бұрын

@@MatthewHardyMusical I was not.

I felt the same about when Grant first entered and the audio about his parents dying was played. It felt odd to clap at that moment. We love him though!! 😂 I did get what was going on, but I read the book. I actually felt like the music being happy while they were down wasn’t so much them “trying to be happy” but almost to show that the “happy” is fake. For example, when the villain is singing about the lies that happen in the circus, it’s not sad because he’s proud of the fact that he’s selling people lies to pay his workers. It’s more ironic. Like a circus is supposed to be happy, hence the happy music, but behind the scenes, it isn’t all happy. So I felt like the music was genius in that regard. I did feel that some of the scenes with “Older Jacob” could have used a little more on why all of it was so important to him. This was heavy in the book, but shorted a bit on stage. Greg (who played him) was wonderful but it could have been written to clarify a bit more of the story. Glad to have found your channel. Thanks! Look forward to seeing more reviews.

@MatthewHardyMusical

10 күн бұрын

Thanks for chiming in! That's a good take on the music. I come from the school where the lyrics tell us what's on the surface but the music tells us what's really goin on underneath. So if someone is happy, they can sing "I'm so happy!" but the music tells us the truth of what lies beneath the facade. My next review is Once Upon a Mattress which I saw last night!

I am so glad to have found your channel. I am a big theater goer. I really identify with your nuanced reviews and its so helpful to have you put in words what I walk out it. I often appreciate the show, but see its flaws, and forgive them.

@MatthewHardyMusical

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! You get me. Friends often think I disliked a show because I point out the flaws, when the truth is I loved the show and I see how it can be even better. If I absolutely hate a show I won't review it.

I read this book back in 2011 and I'm reading it again now in 2024. I haven'twatch the show but from EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID IS EXACTLY THE SAME THING, SUPER WELL PORTRAYED. The story is exactly like that,it goes from the old version of the lead character to the younger version from chapter to chapter. The girl from thehorse in presented exactly like that in thebook. We only understand who she is as the story goes by.

@MatthewHardyMusical

2 ай бұрын

That's so interesting. I guess they were VERY faithful to the novel. Maybe too faithful?

Completely agree - was bored during the back to back ballads and confused with the old man! Still enjoyed the theatrics of the whole show and the acrobatics are stellar

Remember pop songs of the 1960's like, "Bye, bye love" and "Cecilia" that were uptempo numbers about getting f#cked over in love? It's a formula. No one will listen to the narrative unless it's cloaked in happiness.

@MatthewHardyMusical

2 ай бұрын

I don't remember those songs. I'm very young. :-) Thanks for chiming in!

@madelinebrennan7603

2 ай бұрын

@@MatthewHardyMusical haha! :)