Theater Thursday - Odd Day Rain and Carmelina

We were given free tickets to Carmelina for review purposes. Any and all opinions here are our own.

What: Carmelina

Where: York Theater Company
             St. Peter's Church
             619 Lexington Ave.
             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up Due to Subject Matter

When: Through February 3, 2019

Me - Carmelina was an enjoyable show. It was about a woman named Carmelina who had told three different men that they were the father of her daughter. They all were sending her money. When they all came to the island where she lived at the same time, things got complicated. The show was very funny. The songs were nice, but they were not the kind of songs I would listen to again. None of them stuck in my mind either. The show was very similiar to the show, Mamma Mia, although this show came before Mamma Mia. It was also different in a lot of ways. I like Mamma Mia better because I prefer the ABBA songs. However, I still really enjoyed this show.

Mom - Although there are elements of the plot of Carmelina that will seem very familiar to anyone who has seen the show, Mamma Mia, that does not make Carmelina any less of an entertaining show. This show, in fact, came before that one, and was based on the nonmusical movie, Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell. Mamma Mia was the last of the three similar stories produced,  and the similarities are so striking that is is surprising that the writers of that show were never sued for plagarisim nor did they ever admit that the show was at all based on Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell or the show Caremelina although it seems likely that it was. Carmelina's strength is in its plot. The plot makes more sense than Mamma Mia's plot because there is more backstory and thus, the story is explained better and makes more sense. Each show is definitely a product of its time. Donna in Mamma Mia is a much more modern independent woman whereas Carmelina  is clearly living off the charity of  the three possible Dads of her daughter.  Both shows have a lot of humor in their plots which adds to the over all, enjoyability of the shows. Carmelina was chosen because this year the York Theater Company is devoting their  Musicals in Mufti series to the lesser known works of  lyricist, Alan Jay Lerner. However, that is the least interesting thing about the show. While the music is nice,  there aren't any  standout songs and the songs are definitely not up to the standards of Lerner's other work or even the standards of his other work with the composer of the show, Burton Lane. The two also worked together on Finian's Rainbow and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever both of which have better more memorable songs. This is not to say that the show is not worth seeing, however because it is really a very engaging  and amusing show.

For more information or to purchase tickets to Carmelina, visit https://yorktheatre.org/on-stage/musicals-in-mufti
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We were given free tickets to Odd Day Rain for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed are our own.

What - Odd Day Rain

Where: TADA Youth Theater
             15 W. 28th St.
             New York, NY

Who: All ages

When: Through February 24, 2019

Me - Odd Day Rain was an unsual show. It was futuristic. It was about a place where people lived outside, and it never rained so they didn't have enough to drink. They had to reprogram the computer to make it rain more because it only rained once every odd day. It was very different from all the shows I have ever seen at TADA Youth Theater. In fact, it is very different from any show I have ever seen. Although it wasn't the kind of show I would normally want to see, I enjoyed it. I am not usually into futuristic type entertainment. I prefer fantasy. The show was put together nicely, and it was well done. The songs were enjoyable as they generally are, but none of them really stuck in my mind. The acting, singing, and dancing were all up to TADA Youth Theater's usual standards. Altogether, it was a good show, and I would highly recommend it.

Mom - Odd Day Rain is a different kind of show than the usual fare of the TADA Youth Theater troop. In fact, it is not your normal kind of theater fare at all for a kids group. It takes place in a futuristic dystopian world where water is in short supply. However, unlike in most adult fare of this type the tone of the show is still mostly upbeat, and there is still the requiste happening ending. The show is  full of the usual trademark TADA lively songs and dances although some of the songs seems a little more rock and roll than is usual in one of their typical shows. The songs are very enjoyable, however, although not particularly memorable. As in all TADA Youth Theater shows, and indeed most children's show in general, there is a lesson to be learned in this show. Still,  it is nice to see that lesson learned in a less cliched manner than usual. Although this may not be your typical kid's show, it is still lives up to TADA's usual standards of providing great entertainment and the opportunity to see a group of talented kids showing their stuff.

For more information or to purchase tickets to Odd Day Rain, visit www.tadatheater.com/shows/buy-tickets-3


And that's our view. Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits: All Carmelina production photos by Ben Strothmann.