Bright Lights Big City.
I've been waiting for this show since I first heard about it back in January, 1997. My friend told me about it and he spoke highly of the music. From my friends tone, I knew BLBC must be something special -- he doesn't get overly excited about many things.
When I visited my friend's apartment, he would play me snippets of songs from that first reading.
"You have to hear this song!"
Three seconds later:
"No! No! I have to play THIS for you."
Maybe four seconds later:
"Wait!! This is the best song, you must hear this one!"
The songs went by in a blur, but even hearing those small snippets of the songs, I was impressed. I walked out of the apartment later that night sharing my friend’s excitement about this new musical, and humming the refrain (that has been stuck in my head ever since): "Oombah, Oombah, Oombah, Oombah, Oombah, Oombah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah . . ."
The day finally came when I was going to see the show I've been anticipating for so long. I couldn't wait for the show to begin. At the same time, I was afraid that I might have built it up too much in my head. What if this show wasn’t anything that I expected it to be? As soon as the show began, my fears dissolved -- BLBC was everything I anticipated and more.
The show has come together beautifully. Every time I see it, I'm more and more impressed -- the actors, the music and the lighting continue to astound me. (I could write pages upon pages professing my love for the lighting alone, but I'll spare you.) I leave the show feeling elated, with all the songs running through my head.
This web site is my humble tribute to this show. I enjoy BLBC so much that I wanted to do something to show my support. It saddens me that after March 21st, this show could just end -- and that will be it. I simply cannot understand why the critics chose to focus on silly and unwarranted comparisons while overlooking the show's numerous good points. If you haven't seen the show, I encourage you to go and judge for yourself.
Thanks for stopping by,
Michele