Bah, humbug!

As I have been out of touch, I don't have that much to say. But I do want to write about something that annoyed me this holiday season--The Grinch.

I love children's musicals, I really do. I saw Seussical multiple times even. But The Grinch disappointed me. I'm sure it's fun for kids, but so is Happy Feet and Happy Feet is a lot less money. It really, really bothers me that a ticket to The Grinch is so expensive because you are paying so much for so little.

The show is 70 minutes long and they didn't even have enough material to make it that long. So they added random plots and repeat some Whoville song. Basically people are paying for maybe 50 minutes tops (and i'm being very generous) of substantial material, which means a person in the orchestra is probably paying about $2 a minute. Again, they may think it is worth it for happy kids, but, please, Happy Feet in IMAX would also cause joy. (Penguins that sing!)

Yet The Grinch is a huge hit--toppling Wicked and other Broadway giants this holiday season. Now I try to wish every show success, so part of me is glad, but, part of me is also annoyed. This is not theater. And I fear people who are first-time theatregoers (which I'm sure many in the Hilton audience are) are going to think this is what Broadway shows are like. I mean, at least there is some vision behind Tarzan (however cloudy a vision that may be); The Grinch is all green spectacle and little else.