Julia January 15, 2015 Share January 15, 2015 Sometimes I genuinely do not know what people at Fox are even upset about. O'Reilly didn't enjoy Amy and Tina's performance at the Golden Globes because they just "took Don Rickles and feminized it." Oh, so you mean they did stand up comedy from their own perspectives? How... terrible? No, see, the difference between Joan Rivers (or Phyllis Diller) and Don Rickles was that Joan Rivers' act was constantly deprecating her own attractiveness and desirability. It's OK for women to be acerbic and funny as long as they make it clear that they're being acerbic and funny because they're unattractive and frustrated. Poehler and Fey just inappropriately chose to be beautiful women with self esteem while they were being funny. Link to comment
aradia22 January 16, 2015 Author Share January 16, 2015 Julia, I think you posted this on the wrong thread. Link to comment
Julia January 16, 2015 Share January 16, 2015 Julia, I think you posted this on the wrong thread. Oh dear. I'm sorry. Where should I have posted it? Link to comment
Rinaldo January 16, 2015 Share January 16, 2015 Aradia, it's a response to your own post on this same thread. (For which I confess that when I read it, I wondered what the theater connection was, but no big deal.) Link to comment
aradia22 January 16, 2015 Author Share January 16, 2015 Oh, dear. I meant to post it in the Fox News thread. I wonder how that happened. Sorry, everyone! Link to comment
aradia22 January 16, 2015 Author Share January 16, 2015 OK, I'm going to try to make it up to you by getting back to the Theatre News Roundup. First, here's some footage from the Roundabout Into the Woods. Is it wrong that I'm not that excited about stripped down, quirky productions of most musicals? They have their place but more often than not, I'm going to the theatre looking for spectacle and impressive performances and vocals. If I wanted to see a show on a budget I'd go to the local high school. Collected reviews for Honeymoon in Vegas Some notable voices will be recording the Pasek and Paul version of James and the Giant Peach. Gigi will begin previews on March 19 at the Neil Simon Theatre and officially open on April 8. Hamilton extends off Broadway. It will start previews on January 20 and officially open on February 17 with the closing pushed to April 5. More casting news for Something Rotten. I like Heidi on certain songs but I definitely don't think she can sing everything. I haven't seen Kate Reinders in anything since Good Vibrations. (Yes, I will make shameless Good Vibrations references whenever possible.) Confirmations about the Smash cast reunion for the Actors Fund benefit concert. Good news for those of you who can't make it to NY. Gentleman's Guide is going on tour. This the most I've ever been tempted to see Chicago. Yes, I've never seen the revival. Knowing what I know about her voice, I don't think Jennifer Nettles is a natural fit for Roxie but I'm still very curious. Nevermore began previews on the 14th with the opening set for January 25. If anyone feels like heading to the Drama League for discussions/interviews Danny Burstein, F. Murray Abraham, and Andy Karl are on the schedule with tickets from $10-$35. The instrumental soundtrack version of the Into the Woods movie has been released. 65 piece orchestra. Phantom's response to the James Barbour casting. Hoo boy. Really weak ratings for Looking. I will never understand the pay cable model. Good news, Madison, Wisconsin. You'll be able to get tickets for Violet in June. NYU Steinhardt will be doing a production of A Man of No Importance. If you'll be here sometime from Feb 5-Feb 9, tickets are $20 gen admission and $5 for students and seniors. Monthly Jason Robert Brown concerts Playbill has done a weird roundup of their own highlighting some of the "big stars" in less high profile projects this season Not sure if you can actually see these productions but the Musical Theatre Factory is developing 25 shows. After a reading last week there are rumors swirling about a revival of Kiss of the Spider Woman Oh, by the way, I forgot to say that when I talked to Kate Baldwin after the 92Y concert, she said she wasn't sure if Can Can would be transferring to Broadway. As always, weigh in on anything you want and feel free to bring anything new to the conversation. Broadway.com and Playbill are the easiest sites for me to scour on a regular basis but I'm always interested to hear what you have to say. 1 Link to comment
Rick Kitchen January 16, 2015 Share January 16, 2015 Anna Kendrick tweeted yesterday: You guys, I legit just got a residual check from the B'way show I did when I was twelve. $1.91. Show business does pay off kids. I looked her up on ibdb and that was for "High Society". But my question is, why would you get residuals for a Broadway play? It isn't like it's being re-shown like movies and TV shows are. Link to comment
Rinaldo January 16, 2015 Share January 16, 2015 Just guessing, but I don't think it's "residuals" like you get for reshowings of a commercial or TV episode. It sounds like it may be somebody going over the books for the production, or making the recording thereof, or something like that, and finding that she was owed (or wrongly charged at the time) this amount. So, "residual" in the strict sense of "the remainder, after most of the thing has been dealt with." But as I say, only a guess. By the way, I saw Anna Kendrick during that "child musical performer" stage of her career -- I missed High Society, but saw A Little Night Music at NY City Opera in March 2003. She was the young daughter Fredrika, in a cast that also included Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Claire Bloom, and Marc Kudisch. Link to comment
aradia22 January 16, 2015 Author Share January 16, 2015 But as I say, only a guess. By the way, I saw Anna Kendrick during that "child musical performer" stage of her career -- I missed High Society, but saw A Little Night Music at NY City Opera in March 2003. She was the young daughter Fredrika, in a cast that also included Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Claire Bloom, and Marc Kudisch. It's not a big role but I'm curious. What did you think of her? By the way, I read through a bunch of those Honeymoon in Vegas reviews. I can't tell but I'm worried about the chances for that show at least from those reviews. Link to comment
Rinaldo January 17, 2015 Share January 17, 2015 The Times is very enthusiastic. That's all you need to run, or so used to run the common wisdom. I just bought a ticket for Feb. 7 and I didn't have a lot to choose from. Anna Kendrick's Fredrika? I thought she was excellent. She was sort of the theater wonder kid of the moment, after High Society (Camp must already have been filmed but wasn't released till later in the year). As you say, it's a smallish part and others in the cast drew more attention. Jeremy Irons was wonderful, I thought -- a real star yet self-effacing as part of the ensemble. Juliet Stevenson was marvelous, volatile and brittle, maybe the best Desirée I've seen. Claire Bloom, whom I so wanted to be marvelous and luminous, was musically lost, poor thing -- sometimes four and half measures from where she needed to be. I've seen the show 9 or 10 times (assistant-music-directed one of them). All had their strong and weak points (as does the libretto itself, in my opinion), but that NYCO version was one of the better ones overall. Link to comment
Charlie Baker January 17, 2015 Share January 17, 2015 I wish I could have seen the Irons/Stevenson run at NYCO. I have a soft spot for the PBS telecast with Sally Ann Howes and Regina Resnik. Again not perfect, but enjoyed the best of it tremendously. The score is so wonderful, and I know what you're saying about the libretto, Rinaldo, but for me the good far outweighs the lesser. Link to comment
aradia22 January 18, 2015 Author Share January 18, 2015 The Times is very enthusiastic. That's all you need to run, or so used to run the common wisdom. I just bought a ticket for Feb. 7 and I didn't have a lot to choose from. I might be wrong but didn't they write a positive review of Side Show? Everything I've heard from both the reviews and fans has been mixed so once I listen to the album, I'll try to see it. Unless they announce that it's going to close, On the Town is still first on the agenda. ;) But next week is all about The Merry Widow Live in HD and then Cabaret. We'll see what I have time for after that as I still have to squeeze in some museum visits before the end of January. I think I mentioned this before but the only version of A Little Night Music I've seen was the recent revival with Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury. I know everyone wasn't a fan but I really enjoyed it. Link to comment
aradia22 January 18, 2015 Author Share January 18, 2015 Theatre News Roundup This is not really theatre-related but here's some casting news for Scream Queens. Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough are Sandy and Rizzo in Grease Live. I've seen Grease enough times that this casting makes me feel like for once I don't need to watch the live broadcast. Rumors about The Wiz on the slate of upcoming NBC musicals Motown recoups before closing. It's also planning on coming back in 2016? Fun Home tickets on sale If you regret missing Side Show there will be 54 Below concerts with additional material and the revival cast. Obviously I'm not going to go all the way to the Royal Albert Hall but Ruthie Henshall in Follies as a headline grabbed my attention. If/Then is going dark from January 27-February 1 while Menzel is out. Are ticket sales that bad with her understudy? Has this ever happened before? Stevie Wonder Underground Railroad NBC miniseries/musical NBC development deal with Dolly Parton. After watching yet another terrible Lifetime biopic, I'm ready to see what they can do with the person's involvement. A response to that thing about empowered women in musicals Link to comment
Rick Kitchen January 18, 2015 Share January 18, 2015 John Cameron Mitchell will be taking over the lead role of Hedwig next week after Michael C. Hall leaves the role. Vanessa Hudgens will be the lead in a new production of "Gigi". And Chita Rivera will be starring in "The Visit", with music by Kander and Ebb and book by Terrence McNally. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 January 20, 2015 Author Share January 20, 2015 The theatre news scene is a little quiet today. You can now buy tickets for Something Rotten. Goodspeed plans announced including a Toulouse-Lautrec musical called My Paris with JRB involvement. Christina Bianco play titled Application Pending about kindergarten admissions. Previews begin Jan 26. Official open Feb. 10. It will run through April 19. Tickets are $79 Well, I guess the plot isn't something you hear about every day. New musical. Just a reading. It really is a slow news day. Betsy Wolfe and Adam Kantor 3-night staging of The Last Five Years at A.C.T. in San Francisco. Link to comment
Rick Kitchen January 21, 2015 Share January 21, 2015 Shoshana Bean performing with Superfruit (Mitch and Scott from Pentatonix) 1 Link to comment
aradia22 January 21, 2015 Author Share January 21, 2015 I just listened to the Marvin Gaye album Hello Broadway for the first time. It was interesting. It reminded me a lot of Nat King Cole's style which I was not expecting at all. Anyway, I thought it might be a fun topic to talk about some of your favorite Broadway albums from Broadway and non-Broadway talent. Link to comment
Sharpie66 January 21, 2015 Share January 21, 2015 (edited) The Dennis DeYoung (from Styx) Broadway album is pretty good. I especially like his doo-wop take on "On the Street Where You Live". Edited January 21, 2015 by Sharpie66 Link to comment
Rinaldo January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 All the CDs featuring Philip Chaffin are first-rate. I'll just mention his most recent one, devoted to songs with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Sources ranging from Sweet Charity to Swing Time, in great arrangements by the best arrangers around. This label, PS Classics, was founded by Philip and his partner, Tommy Krasker, to record the scores and songs that nobody else records any more. The list includes stage productions like the Nine and Follies revivals (with On the Town coming soon), new projects like Yank! and Fun Home, and studio cast recordings of gems from the past like Fine and Dandy, Sweet Bye and Bye, and Sweet Little Devil. I can recommend pretty much everything the label has done; they're a quality operation. Link to comment
aradia22 January 22, 2015 Author Share January 22, 2015 (edited) Well, I'm home from The Merry Widow. For $20 it was a nice night out but I think if I'd actually gone to the opera, I'd have been disappointed. The first thing I'll say is that I don't think this one was shot very well. I don't know if it was the Susan Stroman direction throwing them off but anytime they had to do wide shots because the performers were using the whole stage I thought it was mishandled. Either they'd only focus on one person. Or they'd pan back and forth making you dizzy. Or they'd try to do fancy shots from above or below. Or God knows what else. That was the time I missed being in the theater. As for everything else, if I'd been there in person I'd have probably missed a lot of the singing and the dialogue. Either the voices weren't strong enough or they weren't really enunciating. And it'd be a shame to go to an English opera in particular and be constantly looking down at the screen. Not that the lyrics or book were that great. Bear in mind I'm a ignorant newbie when it comes to opera but if I were judging this against any other new Broadway show or movie I would find it lacking. It's hard to separate the music from the performance and the lyrics but I do think I liked the music (I have a thing for waltzes and violins after all) and I'd consider seeing it again in the original language or if the reviews about the performers were amazing. I won't bother critiquing everyone but Kelli was generally radiant, I liked Renee more than I thought I would though I thought she was much stronger from the second act on, and Nathan Gunn was fine. The love interest for Kelli was handsome but I wasn't that thrilled with his singing until the big romantic ballad. Without stronger dialogue or stronger lyrics it just kind of lacked a reason for being. I was impressed with what they did with the set and the William Ivey Long costumes were gorgeous. It also lacked a real sense of fun. It had its moments of humor but it was like the performers were dragging along a resistant show. I don't know if anyone really tries to rework an opera but I wish they would with this one. Oh, and am even more excited to see Kelli in The King and I now. I haven't booked tickets yet but I will find a way to get one even if I have to pay full price. Yup, serious about this. ;) Edited January 22, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
Rinaldo January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 I saw the live showing of The Merry Widow last Saturday. Though I'm definitely a more regular operagoer (and I've written about it, including contributions some books published by the Met Guild, but those were decades ago...), I can't really disagree with anything you said. The Merry Widow is definite light opera or operetta (Viennese musical of 1905) and it needs a light expert touch in its presentation, including the considerable spoken dialogue -- it can really lumber along without practiced actor-singers in that genre. And (this might not seem pertinent to the moviecast, but it does affect how they pace and project it) it really oughtn't be done in a huge space like the Met; it needs an intimate light-opera theater (which we don't have in NYC of course). It's especially tricky because this piece does have its semi-serious moments (a married woman playing dangerously, long-simmering resentment between the widow and the man who long ago rejected her), which have to be played truthfully without weighing the whole thing down. I would rank the performers pretty much the same, and the designs were indeed beautiful. William Ivey Long never lets us down. Actually, this was a reworked version. The overture that allowed the curtain to rise on waltzing couples, and the dancing transition from Act II (garden) to Act III (Maxim's) are not in the score; going by the credits that scrolled so fast at the end, the extra music came from a "Merry Widow Ballet" that John Lanchberry arranged some years back. There was also an extra solo interpolated for Fleming, just before the finale (where it killed the momentum, I thought), from Lehar's late operetta Paganini. I've seen a telecast of the piece, using the same translation, from the Royal Opera in London. I think our supporting people and the designs were stronger, but the two London leads (Dame Felicity Lott and Sir Thomas Allen) really acted in addition to singing well, and it made a huge difference. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 January 22, 2015 Author Share January 22, 2015 Impulse purchases! I got tickets for two Encores Off Center productions... The Wild Party with Sutton Foster and Little Shop of Horrors with Ellen Greene. I'm sure the nosebleed seats won't be that great but I'm still excited. :D Link to comment
aradia22 January 22, 2015 Author Share January 22, 2015 Ah! God damn it! Just checked Roundabout to verify the address and found out the Emma Stone is not going to be performing on the day I have tickets. And obviously all Hiptix tickets for her run are sold out now. What to do... Link to comment
aradia22 January 22, 2015 Author Share January 22, 2015 OK, I'm not going to cheat you out of the Theatre News Roundup just because I'm sulking. Laura Benanti is coming back to Broadway with a She Loves Me revival. Performances will begin Spring 2016. Confirmation of Anne Hathaway in Grounded Performances will begin on April 7 in the Anspacher Theater, where it is set to open officially on April 23 and run through May 17. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 might be transferring to Broadway. This one's just a rumor at this point. Tickets now available for Josephine and I The self-penned solo show will be directed by Phyllida Lloyd and play a five-week limited engagement off-Broadway at the Public’s Joe’s Pub from February 27 through April 5. Opening night is set for March 10. Thank God. We finally have some Live from Lincoln Center dates This spring you’ll be able to spend a quiet night in with Tony winner Billy Porter and current Phantom headliner Norm Lewis—not to mention six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald. They'll all be appearing on PBS in the 40th Anniversary Season of Live from Lincoln Center, with a show celebrating Porter on April 3 and Lewis on April 10. McDonald will host both. The Heart of Robin Hood is extending in Toronto instead of coming to Broadway as scheduled. Andrew Lippa is doing some rewrites for the Encores version of The Wild Party I'm making some changes and people who know it really, really well, will see what changes I've made, but I think people who just think they know it, or know the record, won't even notice. But it's just going to be a much better show Full cast for Somewhere in Time announced Speaking of PS Classics, they will be releasing an album for the new musical MISIA Link to comment
Milburn Stone January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 All the CDs featuring Philip Chaffin are first-rate. I'll just mention his most recent one, devoted to songs with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Sources ranging from Sweet Charity to Swing Time, in great arrangements by the best arrangers around. Just a thank you, Rinaldo, for bringing this disc to my attention. I'm a Chaffin fan, a PS Classics fan, and I agree with every complimentary thing you say about both of them. Looking at the album's contents, I especially appreciate that this survey of Fields' work includes so many songs that are off the beaten path. (Including one or two that are actually unknown to me, which, if you knew me, you'd know was next to impossible.) "I'll Buy You a Star" is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I look forward to hearing the rendition on this disc. Link to comment
Rinaldo January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 You're most welcome, Milburn Stone . "I'll Buy You a Star" is the one here that gets an orchestration by the master, Jonathan Tunick. Link to comment
Milburn Stone January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 You're most welcome, Milburn Stone . "I'll Buy You a Star" is the one here that gets an orchestration by the master, Jonathan Tunick. What can one say to that, other than OMG. Link to comment
aradia22 January 22, 2015 Author Share January 22, 2015 Ugh. Our options are very limited for Cabaret and I don't know what to do at this point. Link to comment
Rinaldo January 22, 2015 Share January 22, 2015 What can one say to that, other than OMG. Just be prepared, in case you were expecting a festival of lush strings: it's a big-band sort of chart (he takes a clarinet solo during the interlude). Link to comment
aradia22 January 23, 2015 Author Share January 23, 2015 Crisis averted. We have tickets to the matinee. She's skipping the evening show. As long as her plans don't change, we should be all good. 2 Link to comment
Milburn Stone January 23, 2015 Share January 23, 2015 Just be prepared, in case you were expecting a festival of lush strings: it's a big-band sort of chart (he takes a clarinet solo during the interlude). When I heard "Tunick" and "I'll Buy You a Star," I was imagining strings, so thanks for the warning! I'm sure he came up with something good. But this is a song (IMO) that should never be taken uptempo. Not because it can't "work" that way, but because it throws away an opportunity for sublimity. I seem to recall Johnny Mathis swung it, which also struck me as a waste. I'll still get the Chaffin album, though. Link to comment
aradia22 January 23, 2015 Author Share January 23, 2015 So I have a day off on Friday. Should I listen to the OBC and NBC recordings of Cabaret or go into it fresh? I've seen bits and pieces of the movie but I only have the vaguest sense of the plot. Is it a story that I should experience for the first time in the theater or is it a richer experience if you have some idea of what to expect going in? Link to comment
aradia22 January 23, 2015 Author Share January 23, 2015 @ebk57 What did you end up thinking of Constellations? Link to comment
aradia22 January 24, 2015 Author Share January 24, 2015 Theatre News Roundup I don't know how many of you have taken my advice to watch the Broadway.com vlogs but here's some exciting news. Jennifer Nettles is going to be doing a vlog as she joins Chicago. I cannot bring myself to care about an Alan Menken/Glenn Slater project after Galavant. (I wrote a recap for weeks 2 and 3 but someone else is taking over on trashtalktv for week 4). Also, Happy Trails might not be the best genre of music for them to tackle after Home on the Range. A Mrs. Doubtfire musical is in the works also with Menken but with David Zippel as his collaborator. I feel more positive about Hercules than any of the Slater/Menken collaborations but they'd have to do something special to make this worthwhile. It just doesn't feel like something that really needs to be adapted to the stage. This is only tangentially theatre-y and usually I filter these stories out but this trailer is really cute. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix with Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski in supporting roles. Tickets are on sale for Gigi. Strictly Ballroom has extended in Melbourne and is exploring global plans. Link to comment
aradia22 January 25, 2015 Author Share January 25, 2015 I am back from seeing Cabaret with Emma Stone. First, as for the experience, we were seated in the rear mezzanine but as the theatre is so open we didn't have any problems seeing anything. I do think that being seated so high up keeps you at a remove, both from the provocativeness of the performance and the darkness of the story line. You get it but it doesn't have quite the same impact. Nonetheless, I'm glad I've finally seen the show. I read the wikipedia summary before but I didn't listen to any of the music (though I knew most of the songs that weren't performed by Schneider or Schultz.) Alan Cumming was electric. He really feels perfectly at home in the part. He knows just how to command the stage and the audience and he's so connected to the character. Also, damn him for being 50 and looking that good. He manages to capture the sense of someone who has done the show so many times (like the Emcee) but without any weariness. It's like the 100th time and also the first (which is it for every new audience). I was just so impressed with him. Emma Stone was great. I feel like this was the perfect ingenue part for her to debut with but I'm not sure she's ready for other parts quite yet. Don't Tell Mama let her hide some technical flaws because she could make it more of a character song and throw her voice out in sharp burst. Not quite staccato but not holding the notes if you know what I mean. I noticed the lack of finesse more on Maybe This Time and Cabaret. She was able to cheat it a bit and excuse it as emotion but it just didn't sound trained. She's got a strong belt but she can't maintain it through a song and that natural rasp in her voice makes her sound strained at times. I thought she made for a good Sally. It wasn't the deepest performance. She played Sally as someone who often has that mask up so I didn't mind the exuberance that might have been overacting in another character. When she did tap into another emotion it was mainly anger. She had a real fire on stage. Her Mein Herr was fantastic. As a dancer she's fine. She stands out from the chorus who are looser and wider with their movements but I think she held her own pretty well and it helps that she has great legs. I get what those reviews meant when they said the older couple ran away with the show. I found Cliff so boring that I wondered if I was watching an abridged version of the story. I already knew Danny Burstein would be fabulous and even my friend noted how great he was. But Linda Emond also did a nice job. Their relationship came across as much more interesting than that of Sally and Cliff. I might try watching the movie to see if my opinion changes. If you've seen the show already, it's not a must see. But if you can get tickets or you just want to see it again, I think it's worth it for Emma Stone's performance. For an actress doing her first musical theatre part it's a respectable showing. Not perfect but nothing to be embarrassed about. Link to comment
Rinaldo January 25, 2015 Share January 25, 2015 I get what those reviews meant when they said the older couple ran away with the show. I found Cliff so boring that I wondered if I was watching an abridged version of the story. I already knew Danny Burstein would be fabulous and even my friend noted how great he was. But Linda Emond also did a nice job. Their relationship came across as much more interesting than that of Sally and Cliff. I might try watching the movie to see if my opinion changes. It's a great movie, but don't see it for that. That subplot isn't in the movie at all (there's a landlady but she doesn't get a story); instead the screen adapters chose a different subplot from the Isherwood original (I believe it's also in the straight play adaptation from the 1950s, which I've never seen). Link to comment
aradia22 January 25, 2015 Author Share January 25, 2015 It's a great movie, but don't see it for that. That subplot isn't in the movie at all (there's a landlady but she doesn't get a story); instead the screen adapters chose a different subplot from the Isherwood original (I believe it's also in the straight play adaptation from the 1950s, which I've never seen). Oh, I meant my opinion of the Cliff/Sally relationship. With Emma having that affected mask up most of the time and the actor playing Cliff being so much of a nonentity there was nothing to really connect to there. There must surely be more pathos in the movie. Isn't there a love triangle subplot? Link to comment
aradia22 January 25, 2015 Author Share January 25, 2015 I was about to skip Theater News today because there wasn't anything that great on Broadway.com or Playbill but I managed to scrounge up a few things by expanding to BroadwayWorld and TheatreMania. I'd check more sites if the layouts weren't such a mess. Lincoln Center Local Screening Schedule. Some highlights: Kristen Chenoweth Dames of Broadway March 7 2:30pm NYPL Bronx, Sweeney Todd (Emma Thompson), The Nance, Kander and Ebb celebration June 8 6:30 pm Queens Public Library Fun little article about possible Mrs. Doubtfire dream casting. Short article on some NY diners. My friend and I popped into the Cosmic Diner after Cabaret. Out of curiosity do you have any favorite spots in the theatre district or do you head elsewhere before/after a show? Looking for more info on the Smash concerts at 54 Below? Fair warning. It's the Hit List half of the show. Link to comment
aradia22 January 25, 2015 Author Share January 25, 2015 Oh, I forgot to add two things about the Cabaret experience. One, there was someone behind me who kept coughing. Loudly. I get that you can't control your health but surely there must be something you can do to deal with that if it's going to happen that often. Second thing, particularly after intermission people brought drinks back to their seats. They were selling water and snacks at the beginning but all the noises got worse after intermission. Not a fan. I do not want to smell or hear the coffee you are slurping next to me while I'm trying to lose myself in the world of the show. Link to comment
Milburn Stone January 25, 2015 Share January 25, 2015 Oh, I forgot to add two things about the Cabaret experience. One, there was someone behind me who kept coughing. Loudly. I get that you can't control your health but surely there must be something you can do to deal with that if it's going to happen that often. Second thing, particularly after intermission people brought drinks back to their seats. They were selling water and snacks at the beginning but all the noises got worse after intermission. Not a fan. I do not want to smell or hear the coffee you are slurping next to me while I'm trying to lose myself in the world of the show. I'm with you all the way on this one. 1. No one chooses to be sick, and sometimes there's a gray area between being sick enough to stay home and not being sick enough to stay home, but persistent coughing means you should have stayed home. And not exposed a few hundred other people in a confined space to your virus. And not ruined the experience of a few hundred other people who've been anticipating a show and probably paid a lot for their tickets. 2. People who can't get through an hour or two of their day without eating or drinking should be boiled in oil. (Unless they have a medical condition, I suppose. I'll cut those people slack.) Are you that addicted to food? Even if so, try to conquer your addiction for the sake of the few hundred other people who came to share a communal experience in the theater. Because that's what theater is. A two-way communication between the actors and the audience. If the audience--the whole audience--doesn't do its part to hold up its end of the communication, the experience doesn't work. 3. Theaters that sell food and drink with the encouragement that these can be consumed in the theater during the performance (and sadly, that's just about all theaters now) ought to be ashamed of themselves. 2 Link to comment
Charlie Baker January 25, 2015 Share January 25, 2015 There has been argument for a great while over just how great a singer Sally should be. It colors the character differently, when you can reflect about the show. Nice conversation style interview with Emma Stone and Eddie Redmayne in the Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/style/emma-stone-and-eddie-redmayne-on-relationships-paparazzi-and-belated-birthday-wishes.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=nytimesarts Link to comment
Rinaldo January 25, 2015 Share January 25, 2015 (edited) There has been argument for a great while over just how great a singer Sally should be. It colors the character differently, when you can reflect about the show. I know where I stand on that point. That it's even argued has always seemed nonsensical to me. Singing, in musical theater (all types, including opera) is a means of expression by which the performer communicates with the audience. When Sally sings, she's telling us who she is and what she feels; that the Sally of the story is supposed to be only a marginal performer is irrelevant to that. (She has both "onstage" and "offstage" songs; should she sing the former badly, and the latter well?) Edited January 25, 2015 by Rinaldo Link to comment
aradia22 January 25, 2015 Author Share January 25, 2015 I know where I stand on that point. That it's even argued has always seemed nonsensical to me. Singing, in musical theater (all types, including opera) is a means of expression by which the performer communicates with the audience. When Sally sings, she's telling us who she is and what she feels; that the Sally of the story is supposed to be only a marginal performer is irrelevant to that. (She has both "onstage" and "offstage" songs; should she sing the former badly, and the latter well?) I think there's some value to the argument. For me, I'm generally on the side of better singers. But I understand how it can be jarring if say someone is playing the part of a struggling artist and they just sound so amazing that it's shocking that everyone keeps turning them away (unless it's for a reason other than their voice). Two kinds of audition scenes that I can think of are the one in Victor/Victoria and the one at the end of Chicago. If those performers came in with either a more impressive song or a more impressive performance it could stretch believability a little. If someone's supposed to be a bad singer or competing against someone else who should be better, I think that should also be reflected in the way they sing the part. As for the onstage/offstage thing I think that's actually a valid way of portraying the character. For instance, let's take Chicago again. I don't mind a Roxie who is amazing at Funny Honey and her other "dream" songs and weak in her audition. I think that does communicate something to the audience. BUT and this is an important caveat, saying a character choice is being made is NOT an excuse for a singer who is just not up to par. Link to comment
bosawks January 25, 2015 Share January 25, 2015 I was lucky enough to see Natasha Richardson, not the best singer, but lord, she just broke your heart. 1 Link to comment
ratgirlagogo January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I was lucky enough to see Natasha Richardson, not the best singer, but lord, she just broke your heart. I almost never go to these kind of shows, but I also saw Natasha Richardson in Cabaret and I agree, she was just harrowing. I have no one to compare her to other than Liza Minelli in the movie but seeing her was a revelation and a reminder of how different casting can change the way you see a character. 1 Link to comment
Rinaldo January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I'm sure she was terrific. I saw her in Closer on Broadway during those same years and she was just a goddess. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 The snow will not stop the Theater News Roundup! Emma Watson for a live-action Beauty and the Beast musical. There was word of her just doing Belle in a live-action adaptation (like the Cinderella coming out in March) but no, apparently we will get to hear her sing. Some other stories also at this link. Producers have acquired the rights to Water for Elephants for a musical but it's just in the early stages. No one is attached, The Roundabout revival of Into the Woods will extend through April 12 Nice little roundup of some things you could watch on Netflix or Hulu Stephen Flaherty is working on a dance piece with Christopher Gattelli called In Your Arms. A Broadway transfer of the animated Anastasia is also being worked on. Fish in the Dark is breaking box office records Made in Dagenham is closing April 11. No word of Broadway transfer or future plans. Link to comment
aradia22 January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 Today's question (Also, suggestions for a cute name for this would be appreciated): When do you feel it's appropriate to clap during a performance? I follow the crowd. If we're applauding every song, fine. Other times I'd rather not interrupt the momentum of the show. But as someone who used to perform, I was taught that endings are important and if you perform properly, the audience will know when you're done. Particularly for the shows that I don't know by heart, I always wait for that downbeat. I'm not a big fan of people applauding early (and drowning out the last few notes) though it's low on my list of theater etiquette pet peeves. What do you all think? Link to comment
Milburn Stone January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 Today's question (Also, suggestions for a cute name for this would be appreciated): When do you feel it's appropriate to clap during a performance? I follow the crowd. If we're applauding every song, fine. Other times I'd rather not interrupt the momentum of the show. But as someone who used to perform, I was taught that endings are important and if you perform properly, the audience will know when you're done. Particularly for the shows that I don't know by heart, I always wait for that downbeat. I'm not a big fan of people applauding early (and drowning out the last few notes) though it's low on my list of theater etiquette pet peeves. What do you all think? Sondheim, in particular, is a master of letting the audience know when applause is wanted and when it isn't--not with a note in the Playbill, but in the way the work itself plays out. Just as a crude rule of thumb, when a number ends on a high and loud note, and there's a pause, applause is right. When a song ends quietly, with a feeling of introspection, and is immediately followed by orchestral underscoring or the resumption of dialogue, applause is not wanted. It used to be the case that in musicals, applause was appropriate after every number and the absence of applause meant a number had "died" onstage. (And would probably be yanked on the road before the show made it to Broadway.) But that time was a good forty years ago. 2 Link to comment
DisneyBoy January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 Thank you for the News Round Ups! Keep em comin! I am very keen to learn more about this Anastasia production. The film has a wonderful score but Rasputin woulld need a bigger part to play and a darker edge. Bartok would have to go. It would be amazing to see Angela L play Marie on stage but I doubt it would happen. Ditto for Bernadette as Sophie. Is this just being developped or has it hit a stage already? . . Thanks for the honest review of Emma Stone in Cabaret. I'd still like to see her but at least I know to keep expectations in check. The official response to the Phantom situation sounds fair enough, but still....I don't know that this was the wisest casting choice. There is an ick factor now compounding the story's previous ick factor Link to comment
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