I thought the Dead Awakening show on Opening Night was fantastic. Edgy, contemporary, lots of energy, and haunting, as it was meant to be. It had none of the cheesy theme-park song and dance feel of some of the summer shows.
Some of the talent was fantastic, although I feel that the blonde lead's voice fell a little short. I have subsequently seen it 4 times - the horribly watered-down version the following weekend, and the almost-back-to-normal version the following weeks. I find it incredibly rude that people leave during the show, and imagine how the performers must feel too.
By comparison, I saw Torture Chamber twice. I thought it was just terrible the first time, but gave it a second chance. I should not have. The "un-Great" Baldini lacks charisma, plain and simple, and he is even more suggestive in the way that he treats his female assistants than Dead Awakening. (I was asked to come up on stage to assist, and mercifully declined - a wise decision, as it turns out.) I have seen similar freak shows at Chicago's Great America, and was impressed not just by the tricks, but by the performers. Baldini can do the tricks, but just does not measure up as a performer.
