Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner

[aradia22]

I had the chance to sit down and watch that Secret Garden video. Hmn... not so sure now. I love Tam Mutu. And I love Josh Young. But I think maybe the show would work better if they switched roles? Also, their voices are not quite distinct enough but also not blending. It's just ever so slightly off. Is the show really written for two tenors? I expected someone to take the lower part. But I would still totally give it a chance. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 hours ago, Babalu said:

That's Rory O'Malley, right? I've also heard he's a gem both in real life and in Hamilton. I'm a little jealous of you because I don't know if I'll ever get to see it again!

 

7 hours ago, JustaPerson said:

I saw Rory O'Malley in NY. JGroff left a few days before I saw it which I was heartbroken by, but I knew Rory O'Malley would be good. And he was!

 

Yes, I get to see Rory O'Malley and I'm so excited! Although I feel like I should point out that there haven't been any BAD King Georges. I could gush about any of them.

Andrew Rannells' run while Jonathan Groff was filming Looking was pretty brief, but he still had some good stories about his time with Hamilton!

 

[aradia22]

I got my Brigadoon ticket! I'm seeing the NY Pops Friday, so I had to go with Thursday. I was going to do Saturday but I'd rather be fresh for Brigadoon vs. the Pops, plus I got a little closer to the center by going on Thursday. More than I like to pay to sit that far up but I didn't want to chance it by waiting for discounts. In spite of the waiting room, there were still plenty of tickets, at least in the balcony, which was mostly unsold for the two performances I checked. 

Speaking of waiting on discounts, I'm still waiting on a code or TDF for The Golden Apple. They're not selling amazing but they're taking their time about doling those tickets out. The Goldstar price is basically the City Center price unless those are the front center balcony seats. It's OK... I can wait.

[aradia22]

God damn it. I missed Romeo and Juliet. Oh, well. At least we have the rest of the schedule finally.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/great-performances-met-season-eleven/6472/

[aradia22]

Quote

Baz Bamigboye of The Daily Mail has reported that Academy Award winning actor, Cate Blanchett, has signed on to play the role of Margo Channing in a stage adaptation of the classic film All About Eve.

The adaptation, which will be directed by Tony Award winner, Ivo van Hove is expected to arrive on the West End in 2018. 

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Its-Gonna-Be-a-Bumpy-Night-Cate-Blanchett-to-Star-in-Ivo-van-Hove-Stage-Adaptation-of-ALL-ABOUT-EVE-20170427

[aradia22]

What? Yes, I actually wrote a review. After the show closed. Eh, working on it. http://vintagesnarker.blogspot.com/2017/04/picnic-review.html

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Philippa Soo talks about Hamilton and meeting Julie Andrews:

[aradia22]

Quote

Classic Stage Company has announced that its new production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures, directed and designed by Tony Award winner John Doyle, which opens Thursday, May 4 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) will extend its limited engagement through Sunday, June 18 due to popular demand.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/PACIFIC-OVERTURES-Featuring-George-Takei-Extends-at-Classic-Stage-20170428

Word of mouth has been mixed about the staging (sparseness, lack of sets/props, cuts to the material, modern dress) and relatively positive on the performances. There aren't a ton of seats in that theater but still, credit to them for being mostly sold out or close to sold out. I still haven't listened to the original album or watched the professionally taped version. I feel like I can work myself up to get excited about a show but I'm trying to be good and just save money.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Director Michael Greif, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Laura Dreyfuss Discuss Broadway Musical "Dear Evan Hansen"

[ebk57]

Tonight, I'm going to see a new program at the Kennedy Center called Profiles in Creativity.  Some guy is interviewing Rita Moreno.  I'm looking forward to it.

My sister is going to see Alan Cumming in another theatre at the KC, but since I saw that concert on PBS... and hey, it's Rita Moreno!

[ratgirlagogo]

1 hour ago, ebk57 said:

Some guy

You make it sound so riveting!:)

[ebk57]

4 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

You make it sound so riveting!:)

Ha! It was David Rubenstein, the chairman of the KC. And then I read that he's the founder of the Carlyle Group and I had to stop reading. 

Rita is fabulous. Mr. Rubenstein needs to brush up on his interviewing skillzzzzz 

[aradia22]

Tony nominations!

Best Musical... Great Comet and Dear Evan Hansen are no surprise. I am terrible at predicting things but good for Come From Away and Groundhog Day.

Best Play... No surprises (A Doll's House Part 2, Oslo, Indecent, Sweat)

Best Revival of a Musical... I'm shaky on what was this year and what was last year but Miss Saigon is the one that seemed to nab the final spot. (Falsettos, Hello Dolly!, Miss Saigon)

Best Revival of a Play... I don't know if anything got snubbed but The Little Foxes is the only one I'm going to be seeing. (Jitney, The Little Foxes, Present Laughter, Six Degrees of Separation) 

Best Actress in a Musical... Hooray for Denee! I'll be rooting for her. Surprised Eva got in there as Lea was so iconic and Eva has been compared unfavorably with her. (Denee Benton, Natasha Pierre, Christine Ebersole, War Paint, Patti LuPone, War Paint, Bette Midler, Hello Dolly!, Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical... I didn't love Christian in Falsettos. Josh was good for a non-actor but I'm not sure if it was extraordinary. It seems like it's between Andy Karl and Ben Platt. (Christian Borle, Falsettos, Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!, Andy Karl, Groundhog Day, Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen)

[aradia22]

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical... LOTS of love for Falsettos. I thought the supporting actors were stronger than Borle but it still didn't connect with me. (Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!/Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen/Andrew Rannells, Falsettos/Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812/Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical... Ah, yes! Stephanie for Falsettos. Now, that's a nomination that feels deserved. I wanted her to get a nomination right after she finished performing "I'm Breaking Down." Consensus is this is going to Rachel Bay Jones but I wish there had been some more love for the ladies of Great Comet. All the love for Hello Dolly in the acting nominations seems to basically guarantee the Revival win. (Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!/Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos/Jenn Colella, Come From Away/Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen/Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia)

Best Score... Same as Best Musical. Again, good for Come From Away. (Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Groundhog Day, Tim Minchin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy)

Best Book of a Musical... Same as Best Musical. I've never really paid attention. Does a show ever get nominated for score and musical but not book or some other combination or does a nomination in Best Musical automatically come with the other two categories? (Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson, Groundhog Day, Danny Rubin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy)

Best Direction of a Musical... I haven't seen the others but I'm pulling for Rachel Chavkin. I've enjoyed most of the shows I've seen under her direction and I think she deserves the recognition for real creativity and intelligent direction. (Christopher Ashley, Come From Away/Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812/Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen/Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day/Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!)

Best Choreography... Pleasantly surprised that someone remembered Holiday Inn. I don't have a favorite here. It's not like a Dames at Sea, Shuffle Along situation where I thought DAMN, that's some choreography. (Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand/Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day/Kelly Devine, Come From Away/Denis Jones, Holiday Inn/Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812)

Best Orchestrations... So a little love for Bandstand. (Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand/Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!/Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen/Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812)

Best Costume Design in a Musical... Haha, is it wrong that these are all the shows I want to see? (Linda Cho, Anastasia/Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!/Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812/Catherine Zuber, War Paint)

Best Costume Design of a Play... I'm thinking Greenwood takes this. (Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes/Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter/Toni-Leslie James, August Wilson’s Jitney/David Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2)

Best Scenic Design in a Musical (Rob Howell, Groundhog Day/David Korins, War Paint/Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812/Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical... I think Great Comet can be a bit much. Again, no favorite for me here. (Howell Binkley, Come From Away/Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!/Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812/Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Full list of Tony nominees

Awwww, James Earl Jones is getting the Lifetime Achievement Award! 

[tvchick]

I noticed in the Tony Awards forum that there was quite a bit of appreciation for Jake Gyllenhaal's singing.  In case anyone hasn't seen it, here's a link to JG doing "Finishing the Hat" from rehearsals for Sunday in the Park with George. 

Finishing the Hat

[Rinaldo]

Yes, that's a great video -- I think I posted it a few weeks back, but that's long in the past and it's always good to have renewed attention brought to it. It's "from rehearsals" in the sense that it was made during the rehearsal period, before previews started, but it's clearly (and openly) a specially staged and edited music video for publicity purposes. And it worked -- it's what convinced me to see the show.

It's very good news that a cast recording will be made, as the production richly deserves one. There's room for it on the market, too -- the original cast recording, though it preserves the stars' fine performances, is meddled with in bothersome ways, and the British recording of the previous revival uses a dismally reduced orchestral reduction.

[JustaPerson]

I think I was one to post it actually haha. But it's such a great video! Sometimes I look it up to listen to his rendition. I wished I could have seen the show (I did have a chance to, but I got tickets to Dear Evan Hansen instead) so I'm excited for the cast recording! I'm not that familiar with the show aside from Move on and Finishing the Hat so I look forward to discovering it.

Edited May 3, 2017 by JustaPerson

[Silver Raven]

aw, that little dance in "Sincerely, Me" from Dear Evan Hansen should have gotten some choreo love.  :)

Edited May 3, 2017 by Silver Raven

[aradia22]

So The Golden Apple is finally on TDF but they want $51 (counting fees). I paid $37 (counting fees) for The New Yorkers and they put me in the balcony. So I assume The Golden Apple seats they have are better (in a lower tier) because they couldn't possibly be charging more than City Center is for seats, right? But then, those front row center balcony seats are priced at $70 or something and I'm not paying $51 just to sit a few rows closer but still in the balcony. This is not selling that well. I do not know what game they're playing.

[aradia22]

I paid $51 (with fees) to see Great Comet again with Dave Malloy through TDF. But a Gold Club offer just popped up. You still have to book through Telecharge, but it's $37 for Rear Mezzanine and so with the Gold Club fee and the telecharge fees, it still works out to around $50. A) I hope my TDF ticket isn't in the rear mezzanine. And B) I wasn't worried about this show without Josh Groban but now I'm a little worried. I hope this isn't an Audra McDonald Shuffle Along situation where they oversold the appeal of Josh Groban and now no one wants to see it without him. I thought he was good but Pierre isn't a big part of the show until the end and there's plenty to enjoy about the show without him. 

Edited May 3, 2017 by aradia22

[Scott]

On May 2, 2017 at 6:22 PM, Rinaldo said:

It's very good news that a cast recording will be made

I had missed this news...very exciting!  

 

ETA: We have our first post-Tony nomination casualty:  http://www.playbill.com/article/amelie-starring-phillipa-soo-sets-broadway-closing-date

Edited May 5, 2017 by Scott

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, Scott said:

We have our first post-Tony nomination casualty:  http://www.playbill.com/article/amelie-starring-phillipa-soo-sets-broadway-closing-date

I'm not surprised. I saw the Berkeley Rep production with Samantha Barks and the LA version with Phillipa Soo. After seeing the Berkeley show, I had hoped that they would make some major adjustments, but unfortunately the LA version was pretty identical so I'm assuming the Broadway version is essentially the same. It was over a year between when I saw the two shows, but the new songs weren't noticeable (because they sounded the same as the other songs) and added nothing to the show.

The biggest problem for me is that in order for a musical to succeed, the songs must be memorable and in this show most of the songs (with the exception of the genre songs like the faux Elton John song) sounded way too similar. I was really disappointed because I love the original movie and both Sam Barks and Pippa Soo have lovely voices. I really wanted to like this show but it was just meh. I can't imagine how much more disappointing an experience it would be for someone who hadn't seen the movie.

ETA: This is the cast performing two songs last week on Today. If you didn't know they were two songs, it would be easy to think that it was just one song. That's what I mean about the sameness of the songs.

Edited May 5, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[aradia22]

Quote

The Public Theater announced additional casting today for the 2017 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, beginning Tuesday, May 23 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park [...]

The complete cast of Julius Caesar will feature Tina Benko (Calpurnia); Teagle F. Bougere (Casca); Yusef Bulos (Cinna the Poet); Eisa Davis (Decius Brutus); Robert Gilbert (Octavius); Gregg Henry (Caesar); Edward James Hyland (Lepidus, Popilius); Nikki M. James (Portia); Christopher Livingston (Titinis, Cinna); Elizabeth Marvel (Antony); Chris Myers (Flavius, Messala, Ligarius); Marjan Neshat (Metullus Cimber); Corey Stoll (Marcus Brutus); John Douglas Thompson (Caius Cassius); and Natalie Woolams-Torres (Marullus). The non-equity company will include Isabel Arraiza (Publius Clitus); Erick Betancourt; Mayaa Boateng (Soothsayer); Motell Foster (Trebonius); Dash King; Tyler La Marr (Lucillius); Gideon McCarty; Nick Selting (Lucius, Strato); Alexander Shaw (Octavius' Servant); Michael Thatcher (Cobbler); and Justin Walker White (Pindarus). Yusef Bulos replaces the previously announced Stephen Adly Guirgis who had to depart the production due to writing conflicts.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-JULIUS-CAESAR-in-Rehearsal-at-the-Delacorte-More-Casting-Announced-20170505

[aradia22]

Weirdly, it's the one person I don't know, Mikaela Benett, who really stands out in these rehearsal/press clips.

[Rinaldo]

Yeah, however they set up the sound captured mostly the noisy reverb of a rehearsal hall. But I'm more excited than I can describe, and it's only a week away! After waiting a quarter century!

Here's the preview video from BroadwayWorld. It has bits of interviews and so gives a little more context:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/BWW-TV-Go-Inside-Rehearsal-for-Encores-THE-GOLDEN-APPLE-with-Lindsay-Mendez-Ashley-Brown-More-20170505

Edited May 5, 2017 by Rinaldo

[aradia22]

I appreciate the racially diverse casting for the ladies. Ugh, I really want to see this but I just spent $100 to see Great Comet two times... don't ask. I'm going to try to listen to the albums before they start performances and pray for a discount code. I don't want this to be a Most Happy Fella situation where I regret not paying to go see it. Interesting that they've entrusted this to Michael Berresse. I wonder what the scope will be... sets, costumes, choreography, etc. 

Also, oh my God, Mikaela is still in college. Who feels old?

[Rinaldo]

I'm not letting you off the hook. :) It's one of the great musicals ever, and this is the first time it has shown up in NYC in a professional production since 1954. Do you really want to miss it, and wait another 63 years for the next time?

(I know I'm being a jerk about this, but there's hardly any show I feel more strongly about than this one.)

[aradia22]

Hey, if you want to chip in for my ticket. ;) 

Honestly, though, I don't get what City Center is going for. They seem to have expanded the higher price section in the balcony but there aren't good discounts and I have no idea if I'd still be paying basically full price for those seats off to the side, which... no. It's so far away.

[bosawks]

On 5/2/2017 at 9:22 PM, Rinaldo said:

Yes, that's a great video -- I think I posted it a few weeks back, but that's long in the past and it's always good to have renewed attention brought to it. It's "from rehearsals" in the sense that it was made during the rehearsal period, before previews started, but it's clearly (and openly) a specially staged and edited music video for publicity purposes. And it worked -- it's what convinced me to see the show.

It's very good news that a cast recording will be made, as the production richly deserves one. There's room for it on the market, too -- the original cast recording, though it preserves the stars' fine performances, is meddled with in bothersome ways, and the British recording of the previous revival uses a dismally reduced orchestral reduction.

This is exciting news!

Annaleigh's interpretation of one of my favorite Sondheim lyrics:  

We lose things.
And then we choose things.
And there are Louis's
And there are Georges-
Well, Louis's
And George.

Was just, sigh.....

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Amber Tamblyn talks about her off Broadway debut in "Can You Forgive Her?"

[JustaPerson]

[aradia22]

http://www.npr.org/2017/05/08/527191829/first-listen-hello-dolly-new-broadway-cast-recording

For the many of us who won't be seeing Hello Dolly in person. :D

[JustaPerson]

If only this were real life lol

[Rinaldo]

That reminded me of the Thursday Next novels -- set in an alternate world where literary disputes and discoveries are front-page news and cause for rioting in the streets.

[aradia22]

I started listening to the recent full length recording of The Golden Apple to see if that would sell me on the show. I'm up to Mother Hare's Prophecy and it hasn't happened yet. On the one hand, I would kind of like to hear Ryan Silverman sing these songs... maybe. And from that rehearsal clip, I think Mikaela is perfectly capable of sounding very pretty as Penelope. But... it's no Most Happy Fella. I think it's a combination of it being in English and being semi-operatic but also being musical theatre that is just not working for me. This is reductive and not exactly what I mean but it's not "catchy." It's no toreador song or Queen of the Night aria or anvil chorus. It feels much closer to speech, both in the lyrics and the music, and combined with the language and the blending of musical theater traditions... eh? 

Rinaldo (or anyone else), is there a "Somebody, Somewhere" or "Don't Cry" buried further into the score that might do a better job of selling the show as a whole? 

[Rinaldo]

"Lazy Afternoon" near the end of Act I.

Then jump to Act II where the Odyssey episode structure gives you a series of vaudeville-type songs. 

Penelope's "Windflowers" in Act II.

Edited to add: Or maybe this just-posted video of excerpts from the current production will help.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/BWW-TV-Watch-Highlights-of-Ashley-Brown-Lindsay-Mendez-Ryan-Silverman-More-in-Encores-THE-GOLDEN-APPLE-20170510

Edited a second time to add: Or this one:

Edited May 10, 2017 by Rinaldo

[aradia22]

Remember when they did that Tyler Perry special and everyone said 'they should just do Jesus Christ Superstar'? Well, it's happening. In 2018.

Quote

Set for Easter Sunday (April 1, 2018), NBC will bring to broadcast television "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!," a one-of-a-kind live staging of the iconic 1971 Broadway rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The event will be executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

"As we continue to expand the profile of our live musicals, we are thrilled to be partnering with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to bring a new live staging of the iconic 'Jesus Christ Superstar' to NBC," said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. "Casting has just begun, but we want to fill out this classic show with as many recording artists as possible to give proper voice to what is the original rock opera score."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/NBC-Has-Heaven-On-Its-Mind-JESUS-CHRIST-SUPERSTAR-LIVE-to-Air-on-Easter-Sunday-20170510

[bosawks]

Can we make them see the wisdom of The Secret Garden on Arbor Day....

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 4/21/2017 at 3:37 PM, ebk57 said:

  On 4/10/2017 at 6:40 AM, ebk57 said:

As long as we're posting seasons - the National Theatre in DC actually has a decent one for the first time in about forever:

Mean Girls - the new Tina Fey musical in production this fall
Les Mis
Something Rotten
Waitress
and...if you buy the 5 show package, Hamilton at the Kennedy Center!

Tina Fey talked about the Mean Girls musical very briefly on Fallon. She says they've been in rehearsals for about a month and all the kids are talented mini-Timberlakes. She said the show will open in DC on Halloween (it's scheduled to transfer to Broadway in March 2018). Tickets are on sale now for non-season subscribers!

[Rinaldo]

Initially as a memory aid for myself, I created a Sporcle quiz listing the musicals that have been performed in the 24 seasons of Encores! Feel free to click and try it and leave some feedback, if you like.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am finally going to see Hamilton! I'm so excited because we've had these tickets since last November! But I'm also a little sad because I know this is the one and only time I will see this show. Mr. EB has never listened to any of the soundtrack so I'm interested to see how he likes the show. 

[Silver Raven]

Fox's next live show will be A Christmas Story.  Pasek and Paul will be writing new songs.

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/188603/a-christmas-story-will-be-foxs-next-live-musical-event-pasek-paul-to-pen-new-songs/

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Fox is going to do Rent

[Silver Raven]

I can't imagine how they can do Rent on mainstream TV.

[aradia22]

Saw Amelie tonight. Not a ton to say. The music was pretty unmemorable. I thought the number with the 3 women in the cafe was trying to be something out of Waitress and the sassy way they directed the Elton John character was borderline offensive. Otherwise, the only thing that stood out about the score was Philippa's lovely voice, not that I think it was that challenging for her to sing. She has a lovely bright, clear soprano that can almost be piercing. There were a few shining high notes and a few moments of warmth but I don't think the score gave her room to show what she can do. Similarly, she had some nice moments of acting and she felt fully engaged in the moment and expressive without mugging but there were only a few flickers of real quirkiness. The rest was pretty standard musical theater. Adam Chanler-Berat was pretty bland both in his vocals and performance. Tony Sheldon is completely adorable and a wonderful asset to the show. The ensemble was generally fine. The show suffers from the opening where young Amelie (who doesn't sing that well and is much more child-actor-y than the girls who played Matilda or Sydney Lucas or Sarah Charles Lewis). There's a lot of telling instead of showing and even though some moments with the fish were amusing, it was lot of wackiness instead of quirkiness. Overall, I felt the show had a distinctly American sensibility from the performances to the jokes, just everything. And yet all the text was French. Another problem is they want to sell this romance but they keep the two characters apart for most of the show and don't sell you on what it is that they have in common or that would make them a good couple so when they do come together... eh. Sure, they gesture at it, but it's not enough when the show is structured as it is. It would work better, for instance, if Nino was just a device representing Amelie opening herself up to love. But they wanted us to find him compelling as a character too but they wrote him as just some guy who happened to have a weird hobby. Overall, it was a fine show. The music kind of washed over me, not making a huge impression. It was both that there weren't really stand-alone songs but also that they weren't that interesting melodically or in the orchestrations. They had a harp but at times they made it sound like the strumming of a guitar. In the beginning when you get to the cafe, everyone announces their problems. Then Amelie "sort of" fixes them and then they just go back to being the ensemble. You're not really moved by any of it. And it feels flatter here because when you think about her Princess Diana motivation doesn't feel very altruistic and her "helping" doesn't feel all the significant. 

Spoiler

Lucien is a complete weirdo in the show going on about figs. I didn't get it. She gives his "Fig-aro" a "date" and that's it. She sets up the plumber and the tobacco-ist but they don't seem to end up very happy together. She inspires the writer by spraypainting one of his quotes on a wall which I think inspires him to actually finish a story??? but hell if I know how that ends. He's watching Amelie and Nino and says something like "that's a bestseller" and I don't know if he's going to write their story or if he finished his story but that's the last you hear from him. She takes her dad's gnome away and he sees all the pictures... and then what? The scene ends with him going off with Suzanne but I don't know if they're going on a date or they just exited together. I don't know if he decides to travel or he cares about the gnome anymore. Writing a letter to Gina from her dead husband seemed a little cruel. I could have easily seen her taking the letter the wrong way and pining after him all the more. And even though it went well, it seemed a step too far. The owner of the box plotline is a little rushed and you're not entirely sure who he's reconnecting with on the other end of the phone line. It really feels like she's jerking Nino around in this adaptation more than being too nervous to meet him. Did she help the fragile painter? We don't see that he painted a new piece of his own. He says he does... but he's also hinting about her. And it's a little confusingly worded... I wasn't sure if it was encouragement or an insult though it's what gets her to open the door to Nino.

There were other story problems. In general, I felt like things made sense and the show was well-constructed in that sense. Like, I got its message and I got the connections they wanted me to get about Amelie's heart. But it was clumsy enough that if you give it some thought it seems... unsympathetic. Like Amelie's parents seem kind of awful. And as I said, Amelie's motivations and machinations seem a little suspect.

Spoiler

As I was walking out, I heard someone telling his theater companion that he thought Amelie's mother being killed by the suicidal tourist was nonsensical

As for set and props and costumes... I could see where they were going for some quirkiness with the set. But aside from the static set, things seemed cheap. Thankfully there wasn't too much of the ensemble dancing around for no reason (a hallmark of the Tuck Everlasting/Bright Star season), but there was a bit of it. There were a lot of chairs and doors. And the few other set pieces (like Amelie's childhood home/blackboard) seemed very cheap. I remember just watching that piece in particular sway back and forth on its wires after being touched. The painter's apartment, Nino's job... it felt very mobile... pieces you could take on tour, that the actors could carry on and then sometimes continue to move around (carousel, peep show legs). I did like some of the pieces like the goldfish which was very silly and more of the wackiness but amusing. I could see what they were going for with the costumes. There were certainly some bolder patterns than are usual but they didn't seem to pop. Something like Gregg Barnes' costumes for Something Rotten do more with contrasting/clashing colors. 

I'm not upset that I saw it but if I hadn't seen it, I'd probably be fine. I enjoyed Tuck Everlasting more which could be a genuine crowd pleaser because it was less tied to its source material in tone. Amelie seemed to want to do quirk but also be very American and ended up being mostly bland and inoffensive (but mildly problematic if you think about it).

I want to rewatch the movie because I remember being charmed by it and buying the romance more.  

[aradia22]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Fox is going to do Rent

Well, they did Rocky Horror... for better or for worse. Maybe they'll bring back Chris Columbus ;)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I totally agree with your Amélie review. I thought the main part of the set with the twinkly lights was the most whimsical thing about the whole show. Unfortunately the rest of the show never got anywhere near that level. As I said in my previous post, one of my biggest issues was the music because, duh, it's a musical. If the songs aren't memorable, that's a huge problem for me. Too many of them sounded the same, and not in a leitmotif kind of way. And even if you just picked one of those same sounding songs to listen to on its own, it's nothing special. It's an okay song. It's not ear piercingly terrible, but it's not great. It's just there, like inoffensive background noise. 

I was really surprised at how cheap the puppetry and the legs looked. Then I thought maybe since I was seeing the pre-pre-Broadway version in Berkeley that they were just testing out different options and that they would have something more polished looking in later versions. Nope!

This a minor pet peeve of mine, but I never understand when they change minor details from the original source material. For example, in the movie her fish is named Blubber and the person who jumps off the cathedral is a female tourist from Quebec. In the musical, her fish is named Fluffy and the person who jumps off the cathedral is a man from somewhere else (the man falling was another cheap/cheesy "effect"). These are not a big deal at all, but at the same time, what purpose does it serve to change these things?

It felt like a lot of the plot points from the movie were kept but they were just checking off boxes and speeding to the next thing on the to-do list. They sucked just about every last bit of charm from the movie and from the characters.

If I had seen this for $20 at a community theater group, I'd say it was an okay but forgettable night. But paying regular price to see this play made it disappointing. One of the only good things about either production was that both Phillipa and Samantha have beautiful voices but it felt like they weren't given anything interesting to do with these bland songs. Their talents were wasted instead of showcased.

Phillipa Soo was in the workshops for both Amélie and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 so I wonder if she regrets choosing to do Amélie instead of Natasha for her first post-Hamilton project.

@aradia22, I would definitely recommend watching the movie again to remind yourself of how capable this story is of being sweet and charming.

[aradia22]

Quote

This a minor pet peeve of mine, but I never understand when they change minor details from the original source material. For example, in the movie her fish is named Blubber and the person who jumps off the cathedral is a female tourist from Quebec. In the musical, her fish is named Fluffy and the person who jumps off the cathedral is a man from somewhere else (the man falling was another cheap/cheesy "effect"). These are not a big deal at all, but at the same time, what purpose does it serve to change these things?

[...] If I had seen this for $20 at a community theater group, I'd say it was an okay but forgettable night. But paying regular price to see this play made it disappointing. One of the only good things about either production was that both Phillipa and Samantha have beautiful voices but it felt like they weren't given anything interesting to do with these bland songs. Their talents were wasted instead of showcased.

Phillipa Soo was in the workshops for both Amélie and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 so I wonder if she regrets choosing to do Amélie instead of Natasha for her first post-Hamilton project.

I think the Fluffy thing was one of those more American jokes. Young Amelie didn't work for me very much. She was like an older version of a sassy orphan from Annie. I know it was internal and they were also establishing backstory about her parents and her heart but with as vocal as the character was, it didn't make much sense for her to grow into Philippa's (also not very silent but still more anxious) older Amelie unless growing up without friends really did a number on her socialization. But young Amelie seemed to be coping with it fine. I think the man falling was a weird moment for the audience. It got a laugh (but then Philippa got entrance applause and there seemed to be excited cheers throughout from people who either love her or love the show, the reception was way too good at times) but it wasn't a whole audience kind of laugh. I would guess there are some practicalities behind choosing a man. You only have so many people in the ensemble (it can't really be anyone too significant like Adam or Tony for such a big moment) and that person has to be able to get into costume for their next scene. I think they may have also assumed the audience was more comfortable not seeing a woman violently kill herself... read what you will into having a larger/obese man do so. But also, there's the weird sense of humor in using a balloon man with an I Love Paris shirt.

Your comment reminds me that I was thinking during the show, especially given the cheapness (at least in the look) of the sets and costumes, I would be happy to have seen this in a short off-Broadway run or at NYMF (though it's a little much for NYMF). It felt like a show that needed more work. Now, that's not to denigrate off-Broadway. Amelie is no Hadestown or The Band's Visit. But is it better than Himself & Nora and a bunch of plays I've seen with pretty static sets? Sure. I don't know how you'd downsize the cast any more which is which I'm thinking limited run but it could have been a very pleasant little show off-Broadway. I wonder if it will have a life in schools. Along the Waitress line of thought, I remember thinking there were a few naughty jokes or words here and there that would have to be changed for a junior version, not that it would alter much (besides the sex shop). 

There's a big discussion in the BWW thread on Amelie closing. I think she made the right decision for her. She seems to enjoy originating roles and being part of the creative process. And apparently no one is ripping that Tony out of Bette Midler's hands. I'm also glad I got to see Denee Benton as Natasha. She had a lovely, winsome ingenue quality in the beginning of the show that was really something special. Not that Philippa couldn't have done that, but although she's half Chinese, it's not every day that a dark-skinned actress like Denee gets a chance to play a role like that. 

[Silver Raven]

I was just thinking about how Fox News would criticize any other network for carrying Rent.  I wonder if they'll criticize Fox Broadcasting for doing it.

Will Maureen and Joanne still go to the Clit Club?