 |
 |
Saved Reviews
|
|
|
|
|
| What to Expect: |
| Acting: |
 |
| Music: |
 |
| Production: |
|
| Story: |
|
|
|
|
| Recommended For: |
|
Anyone: |
 |
|
The Entire Family: |
 |
|
Adults: |
|
|
Tourists: |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
SO GLAD I GOT TO SEE THIS TWICE Review by: Beth M, Jun 22, 2008 |
“SAVED!” or “SAVED” ?
by Beth Mandelbaum
Twice I fell in love with the musical Saved, which ended its run at Playwrights Horizon on June 22nd. It was based on a 2004 film with the same title, except for the intriguing fact that the exclamation point in the movie title has been removed for its more recent incarnation. Both the film and the musical are extremely clever satires on life and love in the Christian Eagle High School, which is ... read more essentially populated with intensely cheery self proclaimed Jesus loving and wildly enthusiastic spreaders of God’s Love. But Saved also shows us real lives with genuine problems.
The basic plot has to do with a student named (both ironically and symbolically) Mary (wonderfully portrayed by the amazingly talented Celia Keenan-Bolger), who suddenly learns from her boy friend Dean (Aaron Tveit, who played Link in Hairspray and who gave a splendid performance in Next To Normal) that he is gay, which, of course, in the context of these Holy Rollers, is a “sin.” And if we can suspend belief from a moment, Jesus actually pays Mary a visit and tells her that she needs to help Dean, but fails to tell her exactly how!
Mary genuinely struggles with what to do and, in part, as a result of some rather unfortunate “misinformation” from her seemingly well–meaning best friend Hilary Faye (played by Mary Farber, who I had the great pleasure of seeing at the Playwrights Horizons’ production two seasons ago of the musical “Floyd and Cleo Under The Western Sky) and other members of the prestigious “Christian Jewels,” that Jesus is also capable of “restoring virginity” when the situation so warrants. So you can probably guess Mary’s choice as to how to help Dean become straight. And the result of her effort, which actually fails to change Dean, become inevitably perceived a “sin” by these extremely and self-righteous denizens of Christian Eagle High.
Mary’s relationship with her extremely self absorbed widowed mother (played by the magnificent Julia Murney, who I was fortunate enough to see as Elphaba the last time I saw Wicked), who is always too busy to listen and even hear what is going on in her daughter’s life, is well explored, as well as Mary’s relationship with Dean and Patrick (Van Hughes, another Hairspray Link), the Pastor’s son, who has returned from doing missionary work in Africa. Upon his return, Patrick becomes a school hero and falls in love with Mary. Other wonderful characters in the show are Cassandra (played with great sarcasm and wit by Morgan Weed) a public school drop out who is aiming for expulsion from Christian Eagle, in search of “freedom;” and Roland (Curtis Holbrook of Xanadu), the disabled, wheelchair confined and adorable brother of Hilary Faye, who makes highly entertaining mischief with Cassandra throughout the show.
One of the beauties of Saved the musical is that it expands and develops the characters, their relationships and their expression of very real feelings, not only through the fine book by John Dempsey, who wrote the Witches of Eastwick, and Rinne Groff, but also through the songs of Michael Friedman, who wrote the music to Gone Missing, with additional lyrics by Rinne Groff. I found the music to be both sophisticated and clever, and also highly accessible.
So let’s consider why the exclamation point in the title of the movie Saved! has been removed in the musical Saved. It has been observed, and I would agree, that this has a great deal to do with the fact that the musical takes a more serious and dramatic approach, though still containing the right amount of needed satire. I greatly appreciated the self-exploration, personal reflection and emotional expression found in the music and to some extent, the book. I feel that this emotional probing added a dimension that the film Saved!, which while hilarious and wonderful in its own essentially satirical approach, wasn’t meant to have (though I tot |
|
|
| Acting: |
|
| Music: |
|
| Production: |
|
| Story: |
|
I saw this show with:
Alone
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
flawed but absolutley enjoyable. Review by: dmosley1, Jun 9, 2008 |
Saw SAVED last week end.Somehow through the jaw droppingly monotonous score...and the trite dialogue and the overlong running time...a truly beautiful story emmerges. The performances are quite good. However, one senses that due to overmicing these youngsters have no clue how to send a performance beyond the first two rows ,,,we were in row three.
The set is quite clever and the costumes very true to the characters...
We loved the ... read more number "Heaven". Patricks number in act one could go. What is accomplished in this long song could easily be accomplished in three well written lines of dialogue,, besides we don't need a whole song he's not that important to us. and a good hard look needs to be taken at that mother/pastor stuff...
ALL OF THAT SAID these are minor things when compared against the beautiful landing that this show makes at the end of act two. Anyone who has ever felt god could not love them for themselves will feel a special connection to the characters in this musical. This is a musical for anyone who ever felt cut off from God's love.
Saved has amazing promise.
|
|
|
My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
|
| Acting: |
|
| Music: |
 |
| Production: |
|
| Story: |
|
I saw this show with:
Business Associate
|
Recommended for:
Anyone
|
|
|
|
|
| 3 |
Saved, not Saved! Review by: swankifiedjello, May 11, 2008 |
| A wonderful and funny show, different than the movie, but not worse. Celia Keenan-Bolger is terrific, touching, and funny; she leads the cast with a lovely voice. Julia Murney is very good in her role, and Morgan Creed as well. As the directors say, they've "dropped the exclaimation point" from the show's title, and in doing so, have toned down some of the more satrical parts of the movie into a more dramatic act. Not to be missed! |
|
|
My recommendation:
must see!
|
| Acting: |
|
| Music: |
|
| Production: |
|
| Story: |
|
I saw this show with:
Family
|
Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Tourists
|
|
|
|
|
|
| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
|
