Comments on: Too much Shpeel, not enough Banana!

By: bcj.

bcj. — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:20:16 +0000

Now that’s what I’m talking about – such passion! Conviction! Thanks for sharing your opinion, Mike.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:16:05 +0000

Saying that Banana Shpeel is the worst show ever is a understatement. The only thing that prevented me from jumping from the balcony was that it might not have killed me upon impact and I would have been forced to hear 15 more minutes of the show while the ambulance came.

Any good comment about this show has to be posted by friends and family of the show or someone who is blind, and deaf. I wouldn’t buy tickets to this show for my worst enemy.

By: Pinkerton

Pinkerton — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:31:59 +0000

I’m happy you posted this. I’ve been thinking about going to check the show out but I’m very weary of spending the $100+ for anything less than life changing.

By: bcj.

bcj. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:54:24 +0000

Seems like the presence of a story line might just depend on the particular show.

Corteo’s site describes the theme loosely as “The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music, by turns lyrical and playful, carries Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.”

Kooza’s theme is “KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.”

Whereas La Nouba is pretty clear they’re just there to entertain you with circus acts: “The show name La Nouba originates from the French phrase “faire la nouba,” which means to party, to live it up. It is a world where dreams and reality intertwine as the urban and circus worlds meet on stage. Blending acrobatics, dazzling choreography, whimsical characters and live music, La Nouba stimulates our imagination from beginning to end.”

By: bcj.

bcj. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:49:13 +0000

I just spoke with someone last night that had some background knowledge of the evolution of the script. The original plan was to have a love story theme, but that got nixed just recently.

By: Meagan

Meagan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:20:40 +0000

Interesting stuff. I have seen Love (twice), Quidam, O, and Mystere (twice). None of these really have a story line – some motifs perhaps, but nothing strong enough that I would call it a plot. And I think they thrive on NOT having on and letting the audience fill in the gaps. It surprises me that they are going for something for structured here…

By: Katie Baltensperger

Katie Baltensperger — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:36:00 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. I also felt that the show was unbalanced, with the 2nd act markedly stronger than the first. Interestingly, as late as October, they were advertising the following storyline….

“The story centers around a struggling actor named Emmett who meets Shmelky, a cruel producer who enjoys power and control a bit too much. Emmett ends up falling for the beautiful Katie and encounters a variety of characters including the mysterious “Banana Man”.”