A House Is Not A Home

Promises, Promises was delightful, BUT I really really Liked but did not quite LOVE. Here's why:
REASONS TO LOVE:

• CAST: -Kristin Chenoweth need I say more? Krisitin plays Fran Kubelik, a cafeteria worker mixed up with a married man. She falls into depression before she wakes up to find love underneath her nose. Kristin has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. I cried my eyes our during her rendition of A House Is Not A Home. She is truly amazing! When she came on stage there was a round of applause that stopped the show. -Sean Hayes carries the shows as Chuck Baxter, a lonely bachelor trying to move up in the company. He decides to start to lend out his apartment management executives for them to have somewhere to go with their mistresses. I was really taken at his vocal ability. I had never seen him sing before (well besides on Will & Grace), so I was pleasantly surprised. Hayes has comedy in his bones and add much needed comic relief. -Katie Finneran steals the spotlight in act two with her portrayal of Marge MacDougall. Marge is a drunk that Chuck picks up at bar. Their song and dance number had me on the floor laughing. She needs to be nominated for a Tony award.
• Costumes & Makeup: I loved the costumes! They were sooo sixties and they made me want to blow out my hair like Jacki-O and throw on a pencil skirt. I also must admit I have a soft spot for men in suits, so a whole play where all the men where in suits was Heaven.
• The storyline between Chuck and Dr. Dreyfuss. Ventren actor Dick Latessa played Dr. Dreyfuss was Chuck's next store neighbor trying to figure out how why so many girls are coming in and out of the apartment everyday of the week. Dr. Dreyfuss had the best one liners and kept the story light.

REASONS WHY I DIDN'T LOVE IT SO MUCH

• Music: Though I LOVE Burt Bacharach it is not the most upbeat music. So I found myself falling asleep at times. There where too many slow placed songs and not a good balance of tempo to keep the show a float.
• Set: I am so sick and tired of these bare sets with just hints of objects they are meant to represent for period pieces. GIVE ME A REAL SET PLEASE. I would have loved to see more of the sixties look and feel in a more elaborate set. I know more detailed a set is the more money it costs but if it helps the story why not?
• No offense to Hayes and Chenoweth but they are not twenty something year olds so why are they playing ones? I think the both look amazing for their age but I seemed far fetched that they were two young adults trying to make it in corporate America.
• The theme of cheating is not one I would want to sing and dance about too. There is a whole song about how the men are going to pull off cheating on their wife. They pretty much start to lose it at the thought that they can not cheat. Now I might not be the most conservative person out there but I found it kinda offensive that they never got really punished for their actions (ok it was hinted at but still).

Overall I truly enjoyed Promises, Promises I just can not give it a full 10 out of 10. It was like a 8 1/2. If you are a Chenoweth or Hayes fan then, yes it is a must see. But if you are headed to NYC to blown away by a big Broadway production value then go see a WICKED or a Mary Poppins. Now if you are looking to be wowed on all levels (from production value to music to meaning) go see Next to Normal or American Idiot. Promises, Promises just missed the mark for me.

"A House Is Not A Home"-song from Promises, Promises