OLD NEWS IS ... STILL NEWS

posted by James Reel

    One of the play openings I attended over the weekend was decidedly unsuccessful. The quality of the acting varied wildly, from quite good to frankly amateurish, and the tone of the production was similarly uneven; the director sometimes mocked his material, but not consistently enough to turn the whole thing into a focused parody. I’ve committed to reviewing this production, but because I have too much else to cram into the forthcoming Tucson Weekly, I’ll have to hold this review for a week. By that time, I suppose most of the actors will have settled more comfortably into their roles, so when my review appears it will no longer reflect what’s actually happening on the stage.
    Theoretically, I should go back for an update this weekend, but I have commitments to something else that conflicts with every performance, and there’s no way I can get out of any of those commitments. (Indeed, I had to give up a gig narrating a piece for saxophone and piano at this Sunday’s Arizona Friends of Chamber Music “Piano and Friends” concert because of pressing duties elsewhere; all the better for you, if you go, because I handed the job to the superb Harold Dixon.) I have no reason to believe that the production will experience a complete improvement over the next few days, but by the time the review hits the street, nearly two weeks after opening night, it won’t be discussing quite the same show that will actually be on the boards. This is the only sort of situation that makes me miss working for a fast-turnaround daily paper.