Opening Night

First of all, this must be the biggest backstage of a theatre in the universe and the loudest that isn't heard in the auditorium. The music arrangements are very good and the actors are enjoying themselves, which is what makes the film a lot of fun. It's a spoof of how it is in the theatre. The stage manager doesn't leave it's place during the performance, no one is that loud during performance, but a lot of stuff happens backstage during performance. The orchestra doesn't stop playing when things go wrong, The entire production makes sure that the audience doesn't realise the backstage fights, problems and faults that happens in front of them. But, again, it's a fun film.

I jumped at this movie because Anne Heche is in it. Unfortunately she's only in it briefly, but that's not a real problem. The real problem is that the story starts as a fun goofy comedy musical and becomes a sentimental love story and the segue is poorly done.

The plot revolves around Nick (Topher Grace) who is the back stage manager for a musical titled One Hit Wonders. The lead singer Brooke (Anne Heche) is knocked out and her understudy Chloe (Alona Tal) must take over and it's opening night with a full house. The rest of the cast is made of 'has-beens', 'hopefulls', 'burn-outs', and 'wanna-bes'. There are some fun musical numbers both on stage and back stage.

We learn that Nick was once a popular singer that gave up singing and he and Chloe are in love. Nick must learn a lesson and take a big step (for him) or he will loose Chloe. In the mean time everything that can go wrong back stage does go wrong and Nick is torn in two directions. Finally he takes his big step to get Chloe back and that moment in this musical comedy is too romantic and sentimental to blend into the previous comedy and screwball humor.

Watch it and judge for yourself!

I love movies and i love music(being a musician myself) but for me it's a case of "Never the twain shall meet". In short I hate people singing in my movies. But this was bloody well done, just the right amount of singing and it made sense. In an era where most "comedies" try to depress the hell out of you for an hour (with a few scattered chuckles thrown in), before the funny and "poignant" ending. This was funny from the start and kept going all the way through. Definitely worth a watch and very entertaining.

The title gives it all away, opening night of a musical show in Broadway. This film is like a short trip down memory lane with all the songs and the familiar players, the star of the show, the big egos , the crazy, frantic scenarios backstage before the curtain rises and what happens in the dressing rooms after the curtain falls. The singing is not a la Rock of Ages, ditzy and over the top, but here it's like the characters are practicing in front of a karaoke machine before going onstage to audition for Simon Cowell. Please lower your expectation bar in order to enjoy the cheesiness and candyness of this film.

Other people are saying this movie fails because it's copying other movies about the behind the scenes of theatres , but this film is so much cleverer than that.

It's wholly based on old 1 hit wonder songs that we all know, the movie is not about taking it serious at all. Some of the songs will take you back to places that some people will remember.

It's no masterpiece of a movie, it's meant to be cheesy but it's still a clever production.

Give it a go.. it's all about having a little bit of fun.