I was in New York a couple of weeks ago for a friend’s wedding. (Yes, another one. I am broker than broke.)
While there, we caught a Broadway show on Broadway. (As opposed to a show Off Broadway a.k.a. Chicago) My first in all my visits. Exciting.
But it wasn’t.
We saw Spelling Bee. I’d heard that it was entertaining, (and I guess it was, if you get your laughs from watching very cliched characters playing very stereotypical roles). It was also the only show we could get discounted tickets for 3 people at the TKT counter.
So, stereotypes. The only black person on stage was the convict-on-parole bouncer.. er.. comforter who is supposed to give the mis-speller an apple juice, a hug (or two if you’re a pyt) and lead them off stage without ‘making a scene’. The Spellers? A nerdy East Asian girl with a perpetual mean (and I mean Mean) scowl on her face cause she’s got all this pressure and expectations, and is constantly misunderstood. A not-do-nerdy, horny Asian guy who gets an erection by just looking at a girl. A country bumpkin who’s a little … er… slow. A forlorn looking hippy little thing with stringy hair whose mother has abandoned her to search for spirituality in India (but still loves her). And a 13 year old conservationist with two fathers.
I guess, if they really wanted to be stereotypical, they would have had an Indian kid in there too. (Or maybe they just couldn’t find a South Asian actor in New York? Ha.)
Or maybe only gay, liberal people can raise ecologically aware children. (That may be a sufficient condition, not a necessary one.)
Anyhow.. apart from all the little things that I found annoying (and since a lot of people were laughing, I’d say that everyone didn’t) it just wasn’t a funny show. Ok, the Jesus part was funny. Have to give it that.
Jesus to Asian girl – “Child, I will not be disappointed if you do not win the Spelling Bee. But I won’t be disappointed if you win it either. Frankly, I just don’t much care about it.
Overall. Just. Not. Funny. Enough. Definitely not worth the $50 a discounted ticket.
Avenue Q, here I come.
BUT, I did get to see Indian Ocean perform at the Supper Club the next day. The last time I saw them was in college in Delhi, ten years ago. I got re-aquainted with their music and bought a CD.
Now, that was totally worth it.
