I’m really only writing this review because the show actively solicits them, both during and after the show. So here’s my honest feedback:
The good:
- The talent is excellent, hard-working and genuine. The lumberjacks are legit. The sound engineering was particularly well done. Lumberjack Tyler is a gem.
- The facility is new and clean and well-maintained. Aside from the very bright lights that point at the audience, it’s a comfortable place to be.
- The audience interaction level is high. Normally I’m not a big fan of this, but it felt genuine after a while. During intermission, kids can come up to the stage and help the lumberjacks cut. During the show, audience members can earn wood “cookies” that make cute souvenirs. After the show, the cast is waiting to sign goodies and take pics- very nice.
The bad/ugly:
- How could Paula Deen have such poor quality food at her show’s concession stand? It’s gas station food. Super disappointing. How about little boxes of butter cake from the restaurant? Buckets of fried chicken? We would have gladly bought either.
- The show’s script needs some tweaking. The lumberjacking parts felt too short and rushed with not nearly enough lead in- the audience had to figure out what was going to happen quickly before it did. That would be okay if the whole show were fast-paced- it wasn’t. The non-lumberjacking parts were drawn out and slow.
- My real reason for writing this review: the lumberjills- not the actors themselves, but the concept as a whole in the show. They are used as eye candy, and not subtly. Their outfits are distracting, the jokes made with/about them are outdated (cat fights, etc), and when they participate in the lumberjacking, it feels very “look they’re pretty good too!” More pandering than empowering, even those those gals killed it. If more evidence were needed, after the show, while the cast was signing autographs, a man from the audience rushed up and kissed one of the lumberjills. I didn’t see this, but my 8 year old daughter did- and she was horrified. The rest of the crowd was thankfully shocked as well...but this is the atmosphere the show created.
This show has the potential for being a great show that showcases really unique skills...with a few necessary tweaks.