Frogs, The review

Frogs, The review

Frogs, The Review - Broadway musical

William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw are competing in their writing talents to be able to be resurrected in the world of the living through Dionysus, who wants to significantly improve the dramatic quality in the world, and because of that goes down for someone outstanding in the world of the dead, to visit Hades (Pluto).

A strange combination of earthiness frogs and talks about the gods, Hades, Zeus and Dionysus, among others. A good British accent, excellent diction, a clear, jerky music – everything is woven so as to deceive the viewer, as they may expect that this will be a concerto in the swamp, among the moss and mosquitoes, where the arguments will be reduced to the mundane things, like in Cats (also animals; also 4 letters in the title). But in fact, everything is far not so. Very interesting and entertaining comedy story that masterfully made by Stephen Sondheim (some might consider that it was the style of Andrew Lloyd Webber).

Invocation And Instructions – very humorous appeal in verse to the public that one should not do during the performance (do not crunch their candy wrappers of sweets, do not spoil the air – its already too few, do not wait to visit the restroom till the middle of the show, especially if you are in the middle of a row, turn off mobiles, no snorting, no asking what just happened, no hooting and many other different don’ts). It is served as a part of the play and also as welcoming remark, very bright and a bit insulting, as if it is an appeal to the uncultured public (in fact it turns out that most of the public is still uncultured, as in the hall for 1000 seats still here and there will be heard, at least, some phone rings during the play). In about the same vein, all other musical numbers – with grandiose music, wonderful costumes, frivolous fitting on body of actors, tailored so believable, that at times it seems that these are really big frogs.

Although the first adaptation was for musical in 1941, costumes of 2004’s Broadway we like much more. Generally, a mixture of this tailless amphibians and serious things like Greek gods, which was originally written by Aristophanes, between 446 and 386 years B.C., is a comedy (of 30 famous works in tragicomedy genre of mentioned writer, only 11 reached our times and this was amongst them). And the way how it is served in the modern theater, worthy of admiration. Stephen does not do a bad job and free interpretation of this comedy of 2400 years old is a proof of that.

Initially, production was made at Yale University, as the final work of a student (he wrote this adaptation of the ancient comedy). Frogs had to swim around the boat, in which were two – of the underworld’s Styx’s River conductor and Dionysus, god of wine and revelry. It turned out funny and Sondheim made history with a very high-profile stars (at the opening) – Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep, although the acoustics of the hall he didn’t like so much that he even compared it with the sound of the urinal.
Last Update:April, 06th 2016

> > > Frogs, The review
Broadway musical soundtrack lyrics. Song lyrics from theatre show/film are property & copyright of their owners, provided for educational purposes