Review - "More Than A Soap Opera" production, June, 2003, Becton Theatre, Teaneck, New Jersey



Date: June 18, 2003
From: Fred Donodeo

Just wanted to thank you for posting the information about "More than a Soap Opera" and let you know how great the production is. We drove up from Virginia last weekend and I've got to say, it was worth every mile. The Garage Theatre Group is a mix of equity actors and talented high school students, and the mix was great. The three leads had wonderful, stong voices, and the staging was really innovative. Great costumes, too. With dozens of actors on stage for some of the numbers, it often seemed like Grease or Rent. Two highlights -- "Nine to Five" was gorgeous and the classroom scene during "Education" had amazing vocals and choreography. "First Time We Fall In Love" was done with a nice comedic slant, also.

In a nice touch, the Q&A after the show was a great way to continue the interaction with the performers and producers. We attended the 8 pm show last Saturday, and even though they had to get ready for another performance at midnight, several of the stars hung out to answer all the questions we had. What dedication!

Anyway, the only sad part was that the show is not quite selling out, it seems. A good 3/4 full, but that's not enough for a production so unique and enjoyable.

It's running through this weekend, and I strongly urge all the Kinks fans in the tri-state area (and beyond) to try to catch this truly singular experience.

Fred