Hi! I am Lou Mertens, creative producer of theater experience
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Moulin Rouge Is Exactly What You’re Expecting, And That’s Satisfying
When talking to an usher during intermission, I described the first act of Moulin Rouge as: ‘the creatives basically threw everything at the wall to see what sticks, and almost everything sticks!’ and this was also true for the second act.
Dear Evan Hansen, What’s Wrong with you?
At the beginning of my semester abroad here in New York, I saw Tootsie and in my review of that show I alluded to the show I saw tonight: Dear Evan Hansen. How the writers had to tackle writing for a character that does inexcusably bad things and how they had to resolve them at the end. Now I have to admit, after finally seeing it that I have not been completely fair towards this show. My criticism still mostly stands, but seeing the show did put it into perspective. And I accredit that mostly to the cast that performed tonight and their interpretation of the characters.
Something’s coming, Something good, but it’s not here just yet…
something’s coming, something good, but it’s not here just yet. After seeing many Ivo van Hove productions in Amsterdam I was so excited to see what he would do in New York with one of America’s greatest classic musicals. In this blog I take you aboard my train-of-thought as I try to analyze the third preview of West Side Story.
Jagged Little Pill – Too Much to Swallow
Jagged Little Pill is the newest show to hit the Great White Way (opens December 5th), and it is also one of the many jukebox musicals opening this season. To mix things up for a change this is not a bio-musical about Alanis Morissette, no this show features an original book to accompany the songs from her album. The songs from the titular album are known to be powerballads filled with emotion. So the question I had going into this show was; can Diablo Cody, academy award winning writer of Juno, conjure up a plot to house these songs? And can the show create a healthy balance between he plot and the songs? Or will they overdose?
My Opinion on Sing Street’s second preview
When I heard they were going to be developing Sing Street at the NYTW I immediately set an alarm for the day the tickets would go on sale. I was determined to see how this production-house worked and to see the developmental stages of a new musical. Read this article to see what my opinion was of their second preview.
Tony-winning Version of the Orpheus-Myth Teaches the Importance of Song
Hadestown in exploring the Orpheus myth goes back to the importance of song within theater itself, and by adapting a classic myth the production also explores the Ancient Greek theater itself.
Photos in America: September
In this Blog-series I will share the photos I take during my life here in America. They will mostly be galleries with some context given here or there. This particular post will also feature the last week of August, and then my photos from my activities in September.
Concept-Album-Turned-Musical Has Potential, But Needs a Lot of Work
Using a concept album as the basis for a musical is not a new thing. Jesus Christ Superstar comes to mind as a classic example but also more recent hits like Hadestown and Hamilton started their journey as concept-albums. Funnily enough The Wrong Man shares an orchestrator and a director with that last production. Ross Golan, credited as the bookwriter, lyricist and composer, started writing these songs over 10 years ago and released the concept album just this summer.
‘Bright and Brave – a New Musical’ Surprises in Both Content and Form
During my time here in New York I constantly try to see as much new work as I can. New Musicals, American Premiers or Off-Broadway debuts. It is by sheer coincidence that I stumbled upon this new musical that was written by, as I found out by reading the program, Hofstra University Alumni. But pride for my current university couldn’t put my critical mind at rest.