May 25, 2011

Fine summer day before summer. Acquired a copy of The Correspondence of Robert Bridges and W.B. Yeats edited by Finneran, which includes a photograph of Yeats published in 1904, taken during the hour when he must have been the handsomest man in Ireland.

Attended dress rehearsal of Reynolds High’s Phantom of the Opera. Saw the show twice in New York, and I’m not sure but that the Reynolds version was more pleasing. Unlimited resources do make a difference in a production, but not totally the difference people think. Sometimes they leave you thinking, “with so much money, it should have been perfect.” No one expected perfection at Reynolds, so every approach to it was a happy surprise. The voices and the vocal preparation were terrific. The acting was sometimes high-schoolish but in ways that could have been fixed by a decent director in five minutes. Those with good natural instincts did fine, but those who needed a little coaching were left hanging. Uneven in that sense, but touching, and marvelous good fun. Some breathtaking voices. The second act is a disaster, but that’s the composer’s fault. It’s no better on Broadway, and the reasons for its lameness less honestly apparent. Webber writes pretty songs but gets tired of plot after a few promising scenes, and is totally indifferent to character.