Mask Unmasked

As mentioned in the previous post, here's my take on the musical play "Mask", which I got to see on Saturday.

I'll start out with the restaurant that we went to first. A real class place, although it seemed a little bit small. We shall call it intimate. It is called Maison Akira, and they bill themselves as French dining with a Japanese flair. When I arrived, there was a wine bar set up, and I had a few while sitting with several of my co workers. Appetizers, then onto the food. Really, really good food.

After that, on to the theatre for the play. I had never seen the movie and didn't know the story, which I felt was a better way to go into it. I kind of knew that it was based on a true story, but I didn't know that it happened just up the road (and quite near my old-old place of employment) in Azusa. Turns out one of my fellow fillers grew up there, and had seen Rocky a few times at the store. A show featuring a biker gang, a deformed kid with a great attitude, and his addict mother seems like a strange choice to be made into a musical. Now, what can I say about this??? The actors all sang quite well, as well as acted well. There was a good balance of comedy and tragedy. The story didn't seem to completely blow. I can't put my finger on what the downfall was, but somehow the whole thing did not work. About halfway through the first act, when I found myself more fascinated with the rotating stage than the action, was when I think I realized it wasn't working for me. Funny, my wife wasn't familiar with the movie either. The movie she thought of when I told her was the Jim Carey comedy. Now, that might just make a better musical!!!

When I talked to some of the others who were there today at work, the consensus was pretty much the same among everyone. Interesting, last year's outing the food was perceived as "just OK" and the play as sensational, and this year the roles are reversed.