Come Fly Away Soars Surprisingly

I went into Come Fly Away blind. I had no idea what the show was about, though I thought it sounded like a vaguely religious theme.  Boy, was I happy to be wrong.

The show isn't a true musical in that the actors don't sing songs related to a plot.  Come Fly Away is a dance review, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, and set to the music of Frank Sinatra.  In this regard, it is not a bio-musical a la Jersey Boys because while the interpretive dance tells a story, it does not tell Frank Sinatra's story.

The show runs just over 80 minutes without an intermission. This made me wonder if Playhouse Square hates one act shows because they clearly miss concessions sales. For Missie and I, it was a whirlwind of music and dance, followed by a quick return to Bricco for more cocktails.

For the first few minutes, both of us looked to see who in the onstage orchestra was singing.  Whoever they were, they did a passable imitation of Frank Sinatra.  When I consulted the Playbill, I found that the vocal performance consists of recordings of The Man himself.  Passable, indeed.

As you would expect, the cast of professional dancers was ridiculously attractive. "Huh," I whispered to Missie, "so that's what zero percent body fat looks like." At various parts of the show, bits of clothing were removed, re-engaging my full attention.

All-in-all, Come Fly Away was a pleasant diversion and a worthy part of the Broadway lineup. Was it my favorite show? No. Was it my least favorite? No. It was an enjoyable hour plus. And really, how many of those hours do we get on a routine basis?

Trust Joss to Create Super-heroey Goodness!

I went to see The Avengers 3-D Thursday night at midnight and took Friday off work. After all, I had been waiting to see this movie patiently for several years and anxiously since I auditioned for a background role last year.

And I was not disappointed. Joss Whedon created the perfect super-hero movie. Period. It was funny, action-packed, thrilling, sad and filled with fan-appreciative moments. It featured the best portrayal of the Hulk ever filmed. (And yes, that includes the original TV series.) And finally, the Hulk's facial features actually resemble the actor playing Bruce Banner!

I can't compliment the movie enough. I saw it a second time in 2-D Friday afternoon and only a shortage of funds kept me from seeing it again today.

**Spoilers Below **

My favorite moments, in no particular order:

* The Hulk and Thor defeat one of the gigantic Transformers-like beasts and stand atop it, having a brief moment. Then Hulk punches Thor.

* Iron Man bounces his repulsor rays off Cap's shield to take out some bad guys. Brilliant, unannounced moment.

* Cap is handing out assignments as the invasion begins in earnest. "Hulk," he says to the green behemoth, "Smash." Hulk smiles. Brilliant!

* Loki reminds Hulk that he is a god and he will not be touched by the likes of such a monster. Hulk proceeds to swat the Asgardian back and forth like a rag doll.

I will probably come back with more after my next screening. Oh yes, there will be more!