Robin and the Seven Hoods

One of the reasons I went to San Diego was to see this show at The Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park (where parking on a summer Saturday night is virtually impossible to find!)

Seeing the words "Broadway Bound" at first seemed to be a promising thought, one speaking well of the show. A while later it seemed more of a reminder to the audience that this is really a good show despite what you are seeing- after all, it is Broadway bound!

The opening was so cloyingly obnoxious, and the cast so anxious to get their gold star for cuteness, that I nearly reached for the air-sickness bag. (The worst scene in the show was an airplane scene.)

There were several bad numbers, several rip-offs of other shows, but, there were three great numbers, and the lead couple was sensational. So how to get rid of the bad stuff before a Broadway run is someone else's problem, but there is promising material there.

The best part of the show, one that had the crowd excited out of their seats, was a dance number by the Seven Hoods. No fey chorus boys, these guys were all muscular and stocky, masculine enough to be believed as hoods. They danced an astonishing number reminiscent of the crapshooters dance in Guys & Dolls, which ranks as my favorite Broadway dance number.

In case you want to know more:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/08/theater-review-robin-and-the-7-hoods-at-the-old-globe.html