Cast: Billy Crystal
I'm sure most people know this is Billy Crystal's show by now, but it never hurts to mention it. If you're interested in the rest of the creative team, see IBDb's 700 Sundays page.
Billy Crystal won the Tony award for best special theatrical event and the Drama Desk award for outstanding solo performance for 700 Sundays and he definitely deserved it. 700 Sundays was funny, moving, and really well done. The set was great - the set looks like just a house with windows, but the windows (and blinds in them) are actually being projected and there are three big screens where Billy Crystal shows many of the home movies his father shot throughout his life. Very well done!
I learned a lot about Billy Crystal's life and how the many jazz musicians he met because of his father and uncle (and Commodore Records).
The only thing I'd say about 700 Sundays is that it could have been a little shorter. The first act dragged a bit for me. I think part of this is because I was already very tired before the show started (taking over two hours to get to a show and not having time for dinner will do that to you). However, I wish someone had told me that it was an extraordinarily long one-man show. Most plays and solo performances on Broadway are under 2 1/2 hours. Most musicals are under 3 hours (including intermission). 700 Sundays is 3 hours long including the intermission and that's long for a one-man show.
One of the funniest things in the show was that they announced that Denzel Washington would be playing the roll of Billy Crystal that night. I'm sure he does this in every show, since clearly the only one who can do 700 Sundays is Billy Crystal. However, it was especially funny at our performance, since most of the people there had (like me) bought tickets for a Saturday matinee in January that got cancelled due to illness. Of course, had we seen the show on that date there would have been no hunting with Chaney joke. I like that Billy Crystal keeps the show up to date!
I highly recommend 700 Sundays if you're a Billy Crystal fan (and who isn't), though I'd say to make sure you don't go to see it in the middle of the week if you live pretty far from the theatre. Today is going to be a long day.
Grade: B
Labels: 2006, Billy Crystal, comedy, drama, play
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast (voices): John Goodman (James P. "Sulley" Sullivan), Billy Crystal (Mike Wazowski), Mary Gibbs (Boo/Mary)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Monsters, Inc. page.
I doubt Pixar will ever make a movie I don't love. This story about a company of monsters who scare children for a living is hilarious. When you dive into the world of Monsters, Inc., you find out that the monsters are as afraid of the children (and any human, really) as children are of them. When a child gets caught in the monster world, all kinds of crazy things happen as they try to fix the situation and get Boo home.
As always with Pixar, Monsters, Inc. has amazing animation and a great story.
Grade: A
Labels: 2001, animated, Billy Crystal, comedy, family, fantasy, John Goodman, John Ratzenberger, movie, Pixar
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Billy Crystal (Mitch Robbins), Daniel Stern (Phil Berquist), Bruno Kirby (Ed Furillo), Patricia Wettig (Barbara Robbins)
For complete info, see IMDb's City Slickers page.
I tend not to go for cowboy/western movies, which is probably part of why I like City Slickers so much. It seems to be made as much for people like me, who aren't that into the western genre, as it is for those who love it.
With Billy Crystal's comedy and the rest of the great cast, I thought this was very enjoyable. Very funny throughout and a lot of interesting characters to hold your attention.
Grade: B
Labels: 1991, adventure, Billy Crystal, comedy, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:40 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Cary Elwes (Westley), Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya), Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdinck), Christopher Guest (Count Tyrone Rugen)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Princess Bride page.
I'm a sucker for fairy tales and hilarious fairy tales can't be beaten in my book. There's adventure and storybook love. Very fascinating and fun story. Sure, it's unrealistic, but that's what it's all about. Any story with a giant, a devious count, an evil prince, a beautiful peasant turned princess, and swordplay, and some kissing has my attention!
The cast is wonderful, the soundtrack is perfect, and the story is fabulous! Enjoy the fascinating fairy tale and perfectly happy ending.
Is there anyone around who can't quote lines from this movie? If that isn't a statement, I don't know what is! The Princess Bride was an instant classic and it will stand the test of time, since it's an amazingly well done fairy tale.
Grade: A
Labels: adventure, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, comedy, fantasy, Mandy Patinkin, movie, Robin Wright Penn, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams