Dissed and Dismissed!

and by that I mean the "Broadway comes to Egypt" show.
The title is quite misleading, I initially thought that some genius has finally convinced some Broadway troupe to come perform here for the weekend. So I decided, it's ok to shed out some considerable amount of moolah, since let's face it, my efforts to make it personally to Broadway have been unsuccessful for a few years in a row now.
My first hint was when my friend told me the tickets were for 25 pounds, and that's when I smelled foul play. At first i thought she forgot a zero, and I was happy coz 250 pounds for a Broadway show sounds pretty cheap ( Stomp cost 1000, so did lord of the dance, and Bocelli)
Then it was confirmed to me that it was in fact only 25 pounds.
I wasn't too disappointed with the show, since i had pretty low expectations. And for 25 pounds, i was not going to complain.
But now that i'm reading the Daily News Egypt's review of it, I can't help but be very amused.
In general i'd put my music abilities no better than being able to keep a tune; turns out in the Cairo Opera House keeping a tune - barely keeping it at some points - can get you quite far.
I was planning to stay quiet about this. I'm a part of a local amateur singing group that does Musicals, the operative word here is amateur. So it was a clear case of glass house vs stone scenario, but then again the Opera House claims to be professional so bring on the stones.

Here are some excepts from the review which I found so amusingly true:
"Despite being blessed with a truly remarkable voice, Hany El-Shafei (in the role of Tony) was clearly out of element in here. Donning a white shirt and jeans, El-Shafie looked like an 18th century count plunged by accident into 1950 New York while his intonations were distractingly off in several parts."

Imagine you get the three tenors and ask them to vocally coach the singers to sing 'Anything You Can Do'. Do you think it would really turn out like this? or more like this? Can you really call the second one Broadway?

For those who attended it, why don't you treat yourself to a version of Maria that doesn't sound like it was a song written for Pavarotti (excuse, the glitch with the last Mareeaaah)

"The night’s single most remarkable performance was of the banter-filled “America.” Nesma Mahgoub sang her half of the song with natural mastery, lending her voice the desired lilt and bounce to complement the jabs in the lyrics. All skirts and flounces, heels-clicking and pose-striking, the dancers took to the stage as if the repartee inherent in the song were second nature.

Later, amid “Grease” numbers, a convincing performance of “Sandra Dee” was given by — no surprise, Mahgoub again! — though dressed in dull black, it carried only half the charm of the bouncy skirt and frolicking dance of the earlier “West Side Story” number. "

Funnily (well more like tragically) enough, the two most remarkable performance (yes, they were my favorites too) are by "Nesma Mahgoub" who is the amateur AUC student, not the professional Opera-House-employed singers. Barvo, Opera House!

"With Ibrahim Hany’s looking and dressing up for the boxing ring than as a dreamy Danny, and Maysa Orensa as Sandy smiling through “summer dreams, ripped at the seams” the ever-popular “Summer Nights” was laid to rest, and turned in its grave."

At this song, I was undoubtedly happy: My sister, who is quite stingy when it comes to giving compliments told me that I can do a better job that that. I secretly rejoiced their suckiness, and patted myself on the back for finding someone even more mediocre than I am! That person sings for the Opera House! Oh, the dreams I had forgone!

This is how the journalist chose to end his review:
"Broadway sadly stayed where it was, and you wonder what part of it came to Egypt. “West Side Story” did not carry aptly the heartbreak of divided lives and loves, depriving the songs of their story. And while “Grease” was more successful in conveying the atmosphere of juvenile high-school drama, the achievement was more likely effortless."

The reason I found that tragically amusing i because the Opera House has consistently showed us it's true colors, I mean have you listened to our Orchestra or seen our Ballet group? Why would a musical be any different?