Bonine 1

Stevie Bonine Professor Schrum THEA0806 Theatre Review Review of Eleanor: An American Love Stor ! went to see Eleanor: An American Love Stor on A"ril #th$ %01& at the Palace Theater with a frien'$ (a))ie* The musical was written + ,onathan Bolt$ com"ose' + Thomas Tierne $ an' the l rics were written + ,ohn -orster* The musical was "ro'uce' + the Pitt./reens+ur) Theatre com"an with Ste"hen Schrum as the theatre 'irector$ an' 0hristo"her Bartle as the music 'irector* Eleanor is a+out the stor of Eleanor Roosevelt1s life an' transition from +ein) a sh $ oun) )irl to a "owerful force for social chan)e* !n the ver +e)innin) of the "la $ Eleanor tal2s a+out losin) her father* She reaches out to the "oor to tr to hel" them while ever one aroun' her seems to thin2 that +ein) hel"ful is a +a' thin) for a )irl of her "osition* Slowl $ an' then 3uic2l $ Eleanor warms to the i'ea of -ran2lin Roosevelt as a hus+an'$ 'es"ite +ein) fifth cousins$ an' the )et marrie'* The rest of the musical follows not onl their relationshi"$ +ut also Eleanor1s "ersonal )rowth in times of trou+le* (ovin) in with her mother.in.law "rovi'e' entertainment for the "la $ es"eciall with lines so well 'elivere' + (e) Hu)hes* Eventuall $ -ran2lin falls for another woman aroun' intermission* The rest of the musical shows the sacrifices ma'e + +oth -ran2lin an' Eleanor to sta to)ether* An' in the en'$ Eleanor rises to the to" as she ta2es her hus+an'1s "lace on the "o'ium to 'eliver s"eeches for him when he cannot 'ue to the "olio he suffers towar' the en' of the musical* Louis Howe sa s that the crow's aren1t callin) for -ran2lin$ +ut for Eleanor$ which shows how stron) a woman Eleanor has )rown to +e*

Bonine %

! wante' to )o to see the musical an wa $ +ut since it was for class$ ! 'eci'e' to as2 a frien' to )o with me* (a))ie an' ! were "ointe' to our seats in a 'irection that she inter"rete' as u"$ so we clim+e' the stairs to the +alcon * After arrivin) a+ove$ another woman in'icate' where we were to sit* 4o one else 5oine' us +ecause our seats were actuall meant to +e on the first floor* Because we ha' an uno+structe' view$ it was much easier to see all of the set$ actors$ an' even some of the musicians from where we were sittin)* The set was a little 'istractin)* At first$ ! thou)ht the smo2e stac2 was a li)hthouse* ! never reall "erceive' that the cast was on a shi" e6ce"t for the moments when the +ac2)roun' chan)e' to show the 'ifferent "ictures* ! thou)ht it was a li)hthouse* 0onsi'erin) that "art of the set reall ha' ver little +earin) on the musical itself$ the confusion 'oesn1t seem to +e a "ro+lem* ! un'erstoo' what was )oin) on with the musical an wa * ! 'i'$ however$ have a "ro+lem with how some of the "ieces of furniture were +rou)ht out onto sta)e* ! feel li2e it woul' have +een a lot easier to have four "eo"le lift the +e' into "lace than roll a )iant woo'en +o6 towar' the front$ o"en the loc2$ swin) o"en the 'oors$ "ull out each si'e of the +e'$ shuffle the le)s into "ro"er "lace$ then shut the 'oors* The sta)e crew$ in ver cute sailor costumes$ seeme' slu))ish with their efforts to chan)e the scener aroun'* Sometimes the sta)e crew a""eare' to +e a little confuse' with what the were meant to +e 'oin)* Because the were so slow$ ! "ut a lot of focus on them$ unintentionall $ as ! waite' for them to finish so the rest of the musical coul' continue* !n )eneral$ ! ver much en5o e' the set "ieces$ es"eciall the "ennant fla)s$ +ecause$ while someone thou)ht that chan'eliers woul' have +een more a""ro"riate$ "ennant fla)s were a +i) thin) +ac2 then* !nterestin)l $ "ennant fla)s were also use' as fla)s on shi"s in the (i''le

Bonine &

A)es* The use' to +e calle' 7"ennon1 fla)s* A commissionin) "ennant shows that a shi" is a shi" of war an' is flown until the shi" is 'ecommissione'* ! thin2 this use of set is ver neat* Similarl $ all of the costumes were incre'i+l +eautiful$ es"eciall the 'resses$ an' ! was im"resse' with the attention to time "erio'* As the musical crosse' throu)h twent ears$ the

outfits chan)e' consistentl * 8ne of the 'resses ! notice' 'urin) one of the earliest scenes was "inne' to the +ottom of the hoo"$ a""arentl * 9ithout +ein) tol' at the "ost.mortem$ ! ha' notice' this$ an' ha' +een 'istracte' + it* The +ottom 5ust 'i'n1t loo2 li2e the other 'resses* The uneven len)th cause' me to lin)er in thou)ht on it* ! 'i'n1t even reali:e that the "art with all the )irls in white 'resses was a ;e+utante +all* ! can1t +lame that entirel on the 'ress< ! ha' moments when ! coul'n1t hear what ever one was sa in)* The micro"hones seeme' to +e shift * -rom the "ost.mortem$ ! learne' that the mics were +orrowe' from a non."rofessional an' weren1t the +est 3ualit * This is un'erstan'a+le* But +ecause the micro"hones 'i'n1t wor2 ver well$ there were times when ! coul'n1t hear an one* Es"eciall the farmers* ! ha' no i'ea what the farmers were tr in) to sa * !n the same vein as micro"hones$ the moment Ton 1s micro"hone fell out of his ear onto the "illow was ver entertainin)$ even if it +ro2e the 7ma)ic1 ma2in) the actor a real "erson a)ain for a few secon's* ! foun' the hiccu" to +e ver funn * The li)htin) was ver )oo'$ for the most "art* There were a few moments when a s"otli)ht was meant to +e on an actor an' it wasn1t in the ri)ht s"ot$ so the actor ha' to ste" +ac2 into the li)ht* 8r the li)ht chan)e' after* Accor'in) to the "ost.mortem$ the s"otli)ht "eo"le were "la in) on electronic 'evices$ which coul' have contri+ute' to the miss of cues* The rest of the li)hts$ however$ seeme' to +e run well= ( onl >com"laint?$ so to s"ea2$ was that the li)hts were all the wa u" 'urin) scene chan)es* Because of this$ the cum+ersome sta)e crew @the ones

Bonine A

in uniform chan)in) the scener $ that isB were in "lain view the whole time* ! thin2 if the li)hts ha' even 'imme' a +it more$ the scene chan)es woul'n1t have seeme' so len)th * The "ro5ections on the wall$ however$ withe the "ictures of "laces an' "eo"le were won'erful* 9hether the "ro5ections count as li)htin) or not$ !1m not certain$ +ut the "ro5ections were hel"ful in )ivin) "lace an' time 'etails that we$ as the au'ience$ nee'e' sometimes* The actin)$ overall$ was won'erful* ! was com"letel floore' with how incre'i+le most of the "eo"le were* ,or'an$ in "articular$ 'elivere' a stunnin) "erformance as Eleanor* Ton was won'erful as -ran2lin* (e) roc2e' as Sarah @the mother.in.lawB< she "racticall stole the show at "oints* An' ! was fon' of ,esse1s "erformance as Howe* Even thou)h ! was rootin) for Eleanor an' Howe to )et to)ether towar' the en'$ ! still reall en5o e' all of the "erformances + the cast* There were a few "laces were it seeme' a little un'erwhelmin)$ such as when 0letus came out as the +a' cam"ai)n mana)er* But$ all in all$ ! was most im"resse' that almost ever one )ot to have their moment to shine* ( favorite scene of the whole musical was when Eleanor an' Howe were writin) +ac2 an' forth while -ran2lin was fallin) in love with Luc @4icole 9on)B* The letters were >rea'? while a trio san)$ sen'in) sol'iers off to war @! thin2B$ an' each letter wal2e' the au'ience throu)h the affair* -or me$ this was a +eautiful scene that showcase' the emotion of +oth the sol'iers )oin) off to war an' the 'ee" sa'ness that followe' the affair +etween -ran2lin an' Luc * !n conclusion$ ! felt that the Pitt./reens+ur) Theatre 0om"an 'i' a fantastic 5o+ with their musical Eleanor: An American Love Stor * ! woul' recommen' it to an one$ even thou)h the win'ow to see it has "asse'* ! loo2 forwar' to future "ro'uctions + the )rou" an' am e6tremel )rateful to +e a+le to sa ! saw this one*