(no subject)

[skygiants]

So when I was around nine or ten, I spent every night for a period of months unable to fall asleep unless I was listening to the soundtrack of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. (I'm pretty sure this was after my Cats tape melted from overuse.) I don't know why nine-year-old Becca picked How To Succeed in Business, and I don't know what kind of assumptions about the adult world were thusly driven into my subconscious via sixties satire, but I had sort of forgotten all about that period of my life until I went to see the Broadway production last Thursday and got struck with enormously intense feelings of deja vu.

But you guys don't really want to hear about that, you want to hear whether little Dan Radcliffe can sing and dance! Which, I won't lie, is a large part of the reason why we went. (I am quite fond of Dan Radcliffe; he's definitely grown into his acting, and he seems like a sweetheart, and also when he was little he had a really strong resemblance to my little brother, which has lessened with age but not entirely disappeared. This means that a.) I have these weird sort of fuzzy older-sister feelings about him and b.) my brother has spent much of his life very bitter about the accident of birth that prevented him from having a British accent. He could have been Harry Potter, guys!)

Anyway, the answer: Dan Radcliffe is never going to be a great singer, but he can certainly carry a tune well enough to carry a show. And, guys, he actually can dance! During his first big dance number he looked sort of energetically awkward, but it worked for the show - it's during a bit where he's supposed to be completely faking it in order to win the favor of the Big Boss - and I was like "well, okay, good for Dan Radcliffe and the directors, they found a way to work with his talents." But then came the finale of the second act, and I had to reassess my assumptions, because dang. You go, little Dan Radcliffe! Cavort around that stage!

I say 'little' advisedly, by the way, because another thing that actually worked hilariously well for the show was the fact that every other male character was at least a head taller than our star. During all the "imitate the boss" scenes he just looked like an endearingly smug mini-me!

Other things I was impressed by:
- "Coffee Break," which I actually did not remember and am shocked at myself for doing so, because it is clearly the best song in the show. Lyrics: "If I can't take my coffee break, SOMETHING INSIDE ME DIES!" Truer words were never sung. Anyway, they basically choreographed it like a zombie movie, with haggard-faced cubicle minions and secretaries staggering around after the one last cup of coffee, and it was hilarious
- the guy playing Bud Frump, The Boss' Nephew and Our Hero's boot-licking blackmailing rival for corporate power, who took such enormous glee in being thoroughly evil that I found it all sort of endearing. I'm rooting for you, Bud Frump!
- "Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm," which as a song is a large part of the reason I can deal with the genial sixties sexism of the show as a whole ("A Secretary Is Not a Toy," OH DEAR), because - well, really, you know, How To Succeed in Business is kind of an awfully dark show underneath the light candy-coated cheer? If played right, "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" basically points out that the fantasy married life of a sixties working girl is probably going to lead to empty disappointment, and the whole rest of the show points out that the fantasy corporate life of a high-ranking executive is just as superficial and empty, but it's all good, you can just sing a cheery song about the brotherhood of man and pretend everything's working out great! Which is really kind of sharp, for a show that was in fact written in the sixties without the benefit of hindsight. It's a much peppier and more hummable Mad Men. (I don't actually watch Mad Men, but I'm okay with peppier and more hummable.)

Okay, that's enough analysis for the moment.

Things I was less impressed by:
- last summer I saw Promises, Promises, that other satirical sixties musical that recently opened on Broadway, and oh, how unsurprised I was to find that the director was the same guy, because at least 50% of the staging and choreography was ripped straight from that show. I realize it probably saves money to reuse the same costumes, but the fact that they're both set in the sixties doesn't mean they have to be identical!

Comments

[rahkan.livejournal.com]

Man, I want to go back and watch the movie of this again. And this time, I am going to pretend that the main character grows up and becomes Bert Cooper.

[winding_path]

You know, having you on my f-list really is the next best thing to actually living someplace I could occasionally see these sorts of things for myself. Thank you for keeping those of us out in the middle of nowhere in the loop. These reviews always make me smile.

[swankyfunk.livejournal.com]

I really want to see this. I think little Daniel Radcliffe is a very endearing actor. Plus I must admit that I must absolutely meet John Larroquette at the stage door, because I've had a crush on him since he was in "Night Court." Seriously, I was an odd child.

[skygiants]

It is way too easy to pretend! Mad Men might as well be How to Succeed in Business fanfiction.

[skygiants]

Hee! That's always good to hear; I've sort of accidentally ended up seeing so much theater in the past few months or so that I'm always worried I'm boring people with these. <3

[skygiants]

He's just so enthusiastic about everything! And the one time I sort-of met (or at least encountered) him in person, he also came across as really adorable. It does help that he is pocket-sized.

And John Larroquette was also pretty awesome, so no judgment here. :D

[rahkan.livejournal.com]

If Bert Cooper started singing and dancing, it would in no way seem out of place.

[skygiants]

If Mad Men had a musical episode I would be at least 50% more likely to watch the show.

[rahkan.livejournal.com]

Don't watch Mad Men. Being forced to wait a year between ten to twelve episode seasons has reminded me once again why I am glad I am not British.

[wakeupnew]

I want to see this SO BAD, I am actually investigating tickets for May/June. I saw some of the preview clips and was like HOT DAMN DANIEL RADCLIFFE; I am impressed by his dancing!

[skygiants]

That is why one waits and watches the things that are ten years out of date!

Although I guess that course also has its drawbacks . . .

[skygiants]

Oh, definitely do go! It is a highly enjoyable experience. :D (You should maybe talk to Feather if you haven't already; we were vaguely planning on seeing it together when my mom sprung tickets on me.)

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I really hope this comes to the West End at some point.

It sounds like although it's actually from the sixties, it is less problematic, gender-wise, than LND?

[skygiants]

Well, hmm. That is a tricky question! On the one hand it in no way passes the Bechdel test, and the only thing any girl wants out of life is to marry an executive and be a housewife. And the show satirizes that, but it doesn't really . . . do much else?

On the other hand, at least no ladies end up SHOT BY A DEUS EX MACHINA.

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

...I think my mother recently expressed interest in this. I AM GLAD TO KNOW IT IS WARRANTED INTEREST.

[skygiants]

I suspect it would be an enjoyable mother-daughter experience! Uh, since that is how I experienced it, and it was. :D

[ceitfianna]

My high school put this on and I remember how fun and silly it was.

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

I am glad to have this recommendation, even if there is a tragic possibility of being unable to act on it.

[skygiants]

I bet it would be a ton of fun as a high school show. Everyone could put their heart into the despairing shrieks of "NO COFFEE!"

[skygiants]

Well, who knows, the show may be around for a while! (Although also who knows how long Daniel Radcliffe will be in it before launching off to other things.)

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

ONLY TO BE REPLACED BY A ROBOT DOPPLEGANGER.

...I think this is something that can be said about many shows, mind you.

[skygiants]

To be fair I'm not saying How To Succeed in Business wouldn't be HIGHLY ENTERTAINING with a robot doppelganger plot . . .

[moonyazu9.livejournal.com]

Okay, the fact that Dan Radcliffe is in this and CAN DANCE has peaked my interest quite thoroughly. I would love to see this! And now I shall look this up incessantly on Friday. :D

[skygiants]

Really athletically, too! He must be in the best shape of his life right now.

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

There is always hope!

[elle-white.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever heard of this play, but the name intrigues and amuses me. I love you commentary on Dan Radcliffe's performance in this production. It has made my morning!

[skygiants]

Haha, it is basically the story of Some Enterprising Dude (in this case, Daniel Radcliffe) who goes from being a window-washer to the top of the corporate ladder with no credentials except extremely calculating and well-applied charm. In other words it is about as far from Harry Potter as you can get, so a smart career choice, I think!

- speaking of, I forgot to mention his astoundingly convincing American accent! Again, Daniel Radcliffe, WELL PLAYED.

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

...You know you may be reading too much Astro Boy when your initial reaction to the phrase "robot doppelganger" is "TRAGIC BACKSTORY D:"

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

When I was about twelve or thirteen, and first coming into my lifelong insomniac tendencies, I used to fall asleep listening to a semi-bootleg cassette of Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits with a Walkman and uncomfortably bulky headphones which I'd generally paw off my head somewhere around "The Boxer." (What I wouldn't have given for earbuds, back then.)

Daniel Radcliffe is deeply adorable. I'm so jealous you've gotten to see him on stage (and to meet him, too! By all accounts--yours obviously included--he's a sweetheart in person). The Order of the Phoenix made me realize he could seriously act, and the first Deathly Hallows movie reminded me that he can be seriously funny, too. Not that this is an original thought at all, but, one of the eventual (ongoing?) pleasures of the Harry Potter movie franchise is watching the careers of its younger stars unfold--there have been some pretty talented child actors involved who've now basically grown up acting against the creme de la creme of British theater talent. Lucky little puppies.

[obopolsk.livejournal.com]

I am going to see this a week from Friday, and your review has made me even more excited for it!

Another friend of mine saw it last week, too, and he also said it was funny how short Daniel Radcliffe is compared to everyone else.

[skygiants]

Hee, I would just have the cassette tape running on my dresser until it ran out - I always fell asleep halfway through, of course, but that didn't matter. I had books-on-tape for a while, too. I know I spent a few months listening to D'Aulaire's Greek Myths on repeat, which also probably did some weird things to my psyche . . .

Yeah, with each Harry Potter movie he has impressed me more and more! And now that I have seen him perform live I am impressed again. (Hah, well, I didn't meet him exactly - I was a few rows behind him at an event and we were leaving at the same time, so I witnessed some interactions, but no actual conversation or anything.) But yeah, it has been sort of an unusually cheering thing to watch the Potter kids grow up and into their own - especially since they all seem astoundingly well-adjusted with it all.

[skygiants]

Ooh, have fun! Let me know what you think of it after you've seen it. :D

(He is SO LITTLE and it is SO ADORABLE.)

[skygiants]

HAHAHA. In this case, it is more TRAGIC FUTURE STORY. And by 'tragic' I mean 'for Andrew Lloyd Webber's career.'

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

Well, he kind of has only himself to blame. Truly, I am more concerned with robot Christine's well-being than with Andrew Lloyd Webber's.

[kindness_says]

Mine, too!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it led to me and my bestie essentially writing a modern-day version which was surprisingly delightful and if I am ever super-wealthy and/or successful it will be a romcom.

Also, I intend to go see this. (No, seriously. Bestie and I were at an event (okay, Jodi Picoult spoke at her alma mater, shut up; it was fun and she was really amusing and normal and it turns out she student-taught at our high school back in the day!) and I was like PEE ESS NEW YORK DANIEL RADCLIFFE H-TWO-MONEY, IT IS ON.