Review: "Bring It On! The Musical" and "Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas - The Musical"

Two Broadway musicals for the holidays - Yay! Photos courtesy of SHNSF

Jazz up your 2011 holidays with two great musicals! Between the bionic acrobatics of Bring It On! The Musical and the lunatic antics of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The Musical, December's been an exciting time to go out and take some Broadway time off traditional festivities. Here's my review of both.

Bring It On! The Musical

Adrienne Warren and Bring It On Company.
Photo courtesy of SHNSF

If the Black Eyed Peas decided to remake High School Musical with the cast of Legally Blonde and Dreamgirls with some bad-ass attitude, they might end up with Bring It On!, a musical where hip hop dance moves and Olympic flips steal the show.  

On opening night last week, the crowd went wild at the Orpheum Theater and at the end of their two-hour stint, the performers got a well-deserved standing ovation for impossible cheer leading feats.

The musical is not only about cheer leading - it is adapted from a movie called "Bring It On" and on opening night, the audience counted more than a few babes in cheer leading outfits. "Wow, total fan gear" I thought to myself, "Far out!" Only to realize on SHN: Broadway in San Francisco's Facebook page that the babes were the actual cheer leading team of the 49ers, the Raiderettes! So there, it's a cheer leading musical approved and recommended by the real deal.

Hold on a minute, slow down. What if you're not a cheer leading buff? What if you don't watch ESPN ever and don't know your athletic moves?  What if - God forbid - you haven't seen the movie? What if you don't even care about cheer leading? Since that's basically me, I can assure you'll still have a good time. Here is partially why.



The moves, folks, the bionic moves! Bring It On! may not shine by its bright plot or its chart-topping music but the choreography and high-energy performers make it one of the most entertaining musicals I've seen in a long time. Just imagine, as soon as the lights go down, a complex pyramid of flexible humans forming squadron-type figures and two girls who suddenly shoot up in the air like they were blasted from the stage. That's when the gasping begins.

Gregory Haney. Photo courtesy of SHNSF

You'll gasp too. It's impossible not to gasp when a girl does another death-defying leap, flips through mid-air, arches her back vigorously and lands flat on four manly hands. There's a reason the oldest performer is only 24 years old! The rehearsals must have a lot more in common with a strong circus gymnastics routine than a dainty charm school.

This being San Francisco, one of the wildest ovations went to Gregory Haney who plays a tongue-in-cheek bold transgender cheer leader named La Cienega - frankly one of the best characters in the show. As unrealistic as a queer cheer leader sounds, La Cienega gives the musical an edge that spices up the white pop blandness of Taylor High or the perfectly cool hip-hop Jackson High. The two competing schools are just a tad too clichéd and a few underdogs go a long way in adding character. However as I wrote earlier, who cares? You're not going for the Pulitzer-prize winning story. You're going for the sheer fun of an athletic slice of Americana.

Details

• Until Jan. 7, 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco 
• Address: 1192 Market Street (@8th Street)
• Running time: 2:30 with a 20 minute intermission
• Not recommended to kids under age 10 (I have to agree with that)
• Website for tickets:  http://www.shnsf.com/shows/BringItOn

How The Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical

Stefan Karl as The Grinch with Seth Bazacas as Young Max.
Photo courtesy of SHNSF

Who would have thought the Grinch could be such a cool and attractive villain that kids would cheer him on despite his robbing the citizens of Whoville of their rightful Christmas? I've read the Dr. Seuss book many times to my kids and that stinky old Grinch on paper is not a guy you want to meet. Yet when you go see the musical, prepare to be surprised.

After our performance of the Grinch at the Golden Gate Theater, the Grinch showed up in the lobby and all the kids massively rushed to him for hugs, photos, Christmas-stealing advice and more naughty tricks. A razzle-dazzle kind of bad guy, this Grinch works the audience like Aladdin's flashy Genie gives you the Broadway take on serfdom and the result is hundreds of laughing and cheering young kids asking for more. We went with an 8-year old friend of my girls who kept raving about the Grinch after the show was over. Yeah, that's how popular this Grinch is.

Cleverly the inhabitants of Whoville are as insufferably righteous, enthusiastic and sugary, only redeemed by the young Cindy Lou - played by a 9-year old - who is completely adorably cute. Both my girls wanted to be her or wanted to have a Cindy Lou just like her. How she manages not to be scared when confronted with the Grinch, now that beats me. She is a brave little girl.

Beyond brave girls and naughty Grinches, what made the show really unique for the audience was the sets. A combination of hand-drawn black and white flats and full color props, they looked like they were giant pop-ups of the book's pages. In unison, the Whoville costumes were over-the-top pink and red and the Grinch very much green and hairy.

Grinch company final scene. Photo courtesy of SHNSF

By remaining faithful to the book yet adding that Broadway sound and pizzaz, the musical is a hit for all ages. Apart from a toddler who cried when the Grinch appeared, all kids had a whale of a time during the show and even skeptical older kids couldn't help rooting for Cindy Lou, the Grinch and the Grinch's dog.

If you're a Dr. Seuss fan, a fan of shows where the villain is the star or a fan of well-executed Broadway musicals, this one's for you and your family. It only runs for a few more days. Catch it before it's gone!

Details

• Through December 31, 2011 in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre 
• Address: 1 Taylor Street (@Market)
• Running time: 1 hour and 20 minutes with no intermission
• Appropriate for all ages
• Website for tickets:  http://www.shnsf.com/shows/Grinch

Review: TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil

How do they do it? Photo by Cirque du Soleil

After the show, my girls clapped wildly though it was 11pm and way past their bedtime. The smile on their face said everything - what an amazing evening! Totem by Cirque du Soleil opened in San Francisco last week and I took my mom, my 2 girls (6 and 8) and my husband to the premiere. First thing I did when I got home was to Google "Olympians Cirque du Soleil". That's how good the performers are - what they do just doesn't seem humanely possible. Totem is definitely a top notch circus show in that unconventional Cirque du Soleil glam-steampunk-world way. Take the kids!

Crystal Ladies. Photo by Cirque du Soleil

The show
Spectacular. Really. We all had our favorites and ironically they were almost identical! My girls' favorites were the Crystal Ladies and their sparkly material spinning act, as well as the Trapeze Trio and the Unicycles and Bowls. They really enjoyed the clowns too and laughed hard on several occasions.

I'm usually not a clown fan but the sad clown who rowed on a boat to catch some fish and ended up pulling a giant plug emptying the sea - that guy was hilarious. The "Italian" macho skinny guy was very funny too though as a parent, I would have preferred less sexual innuendo in his pantomime.

Hoops Dancer. Photo by Cirque du Soleil 

Us adults were blown away by the Fixed Trapeze Duo (the photo I chose at the top of this post), an act that was both completely novel, funny and poetic. The mini-roller skating rink was also quite stupendous as well as  the Hoops Dancer (my husband's favorite).

In the non-physical category, we were all floored by the magic and beauty of the glow-in-the-dark juggling act with the guy in Victorian scientist costume. Hello Jekyll and Hyde fans! He performed in a human-size beaker and when we thought the bluish balls flying around the clear walls in the dark were a treat, the balls started changing colors. Wow. Can you do that again please? The trailer below will give a brief overview of the prowesses you're about to see.




Sets and Costumes
"Mom, do you think we'll see anything that's happening on the other side?" That was the initial reaction of my 8-year old when we took our seats in front of a giant fabric turtle blocking the whole stage. She breathed a sigh of relief when the canvas was lifted to reveal a jungle gym skeleton structure and squealed at the visual effects on the "marsh/beach" slanted area connecting stage to backstage. The sets definitely gave a more theater feel to the show, something the kids enjoyed.

My favorite. Photo by Cirque du Soleil

The costumes and make-up were beautiful, covering a wide range of ambiances from the Bollywood glitzy to the Native American symbolic, the earthly African savannah or the futuristic Moebius-inspired Russian acrobats. Not a dull moment on stage!



The Story
The show is self-described as "a fascinating journey into the evolution of mankind." If you want to understand how the acts are connected to the storyline, by all means get a program. I didn't and a week after the show, I still have no clue what the possible links could have been. That's fine - not  knowing takes nothing away from the beauty of the show but if you want the deeper meaning, then the program is a must. I doubt the kids will insist on knowing the story. The show is riveting enough without the subtitles.

Just For Moms
Lots of scantily-clad cute hunks on stage. Yay!

Seats

Unicycles and Bowls. Photo by Cirque du Soleil

As much as possible, get seats facing the stage not on the sides. Most of the show group scenes are best seen only for the front audience. If like us you sit on the sides, well, you'll only get a slice of the scene. In terms of high or low, I think higher seats would be better for kids, particularly smaller kids, because a lot of the action takes place in the air.

Roller skates. Photo by Cirque du Soleil

If you sit in the lower section, your children will spend their entire time craning their necks to see what's happening. Whining alert. Best sections: 200, 201, 202. Good sections: 100, 101. Not as good: 103, 104, 203-206.

Food and Drink
Abysmal and expensive. For a show of that quality and price I was expecting better snacks, not your local movie multiplex selection. Just popcorn, pretzels and hot dogs? With prices through the roof and no healthy kid option, I say - eat before and BYO intermission snack!

On the upside, adults can enjoy a cold beer or glass of champagne during the show since drinks are allowed in the tent. It really makes you feel like you're out without the kids. On the downside, when your neighbor accidentally drops his cup of Coke between the seats, you're in for wet sticky socks. Yes, cup holders would be a nice extra touch.

Age Recommendation

The tent. Photo by Frog Mom

Based on the fact that:

• The show is 3 hours long (with 30 minutes intermission)
• The evening show starts at 8pm, the matinees at 1pm, 4pm or 5pm
• The show includes loud music, some pyrotechnics and constant movement

I'd say - this is not for the preschool crowd. But guess what? There were babies in slings as well as a handful of toddlers at the show. What do I know? All I know is that my kids at age 3 would never have been able to sit still a full 2 hours and 30 minutes. 

Bonus Tips

• Skip the $20 parking fee by finding free street parking after 6pm (Tuesday - Saturday) or taking MUNI (T or N lines).
• For emergency potty breaks, head directly to the last rows of porta-potties for shorter or no lines.
• Dress in layers. It might in cozy and heated inside but you're still right by the bay. As soon as you get out, burrrrrrrrrrr.

Address
Big Top, AT&T Park, Parking Lot A
74 Mission Rock St., San Francisco 

Tickets
$55 to $360 online. Get a 20% discount on all seats with this link. You can find discounts at Goldstar too.

Official Website
www.cirquedusoleil.com/totem