THEATRE GOSSIP #558: The “Not a Critic’s Lempicka” Edition

Old thread:

I think Suffs will get more respectful, if not exactly positive, reviews. But won't last the summer.

I saw "Lempicka" when it started at La Jolla Playhouse/San Diego in 2022. I loved it! It is a brilliant show!!

Same for 'The Outsiders," another great show that started in San Diego.

Every new musical this season has been crap. That's why I'm looking forward to Illinoise.

It’s crap just like the others.

Will Stereophonic win the Best Score Tony?

We can't just let this get dumped ignominiously at the end of the last thread...

They did "Follies" in Vegas and couldn't find a part for Pia Zadora? Shameful!

R8, Carlotta. I should have gone to an acting school.

It’s unfortunate that SUNSET BLVD. and Guys & Dolls in the West End, not to mention Operation Mincemeat, blow away all of the current offerings on Broadway. That is also besides excellent revivals of shows that also began in London (Merrily and Cabaret), now on Broadway, despite there being a hugely disparate and much more adept available talent pool in USA to do musicals.

We get a Brit invasion every so often, r10.

Well R10, isn’t it fortunate that they’re there? NYC hasn’t been the English-speaking theatre capitol of the world for quite a while.

Vanessa Kirby was a good Yelena in Jamie Lloyd’s Uncle Vanya at the Almeida several years back, opposite Tobias Menzies in a very sexy pair of jeans.

It's art, not Manifest Destiny.

Am I only one who has mistakenly thought of Lypsinka every time I’ve seen the title Lempicka? I just be slightly dyslexic. Given that, these reviews have been very disappointing for me.

Is the walking and talking thing in Sunset Blvd really such a big deal? Maybe it’s a generational thing, like the kids get excited about it because they haven’t seen anything. But it seems like some irony that Jamie Lloyd is being feted for ripping off Ivo von Hove while Ivo gets pasted in the West End (probably deservedly so). It’s like Tom Francis should walk by the Gielgud where Opening Night will play for a few more weeks, with its leading lady crawling around on the sidewalk outside the theatre, through his arms up in a vague gesture of cynicism and despair and continue singing in his slightly Eastern European accent.

Also, I don’t find Francis to be particularly attractive. He’s no Montgomery Clift (who is?) or even William Holden. Or John Barrowman. Or even Leo Woodall.

I guess it’s called hype for a reason.

I saw SB in London twice. I love it but, you are right R16, it is not a big deal. If someone does not know the trick by the time they enter the theatre, it is fun but that's about it.

Heard a rumor that the dread Diane (1776) Paulus will be directing yet another Romeo & Juliet on Broadway with Kit O'Connor and some huge young female star.

Oh, Rachel Zegler. Not so huge.

And directed by the equally dreaded Sam Gold, not Diane Paulus.

My apologies.

I walked by the Lempicka Red Carpet on Sunday. They didn't look like they were having much fun.

[quote]and some huge young female star.

Lizzo?

I think the thing about the walk in Sunset is a little bit what could go wrong? It's just part of the whole, which ignores all the conventions. Is it radical at this point? No. But it is kind of energizing. I love Sunset Blvd. I know many here don't. I thought it was a very successful transposition of the film and I liked the lyrics, the big numbers and turban fest. But stripped down and treated in this way... I don't know, something just gels. It may be a one off.

In retrospect, the original staging and costuming and sets seem cumbersome. The new version is imperfect. The walk and sing is an example. It doesn't really add anything to the telling of the story, just to the staging of the show. Max seems a little lost in the story. Scherzinger twerks etc from time to time yet somehow her crazy performance commands your attention and respect. What a set of fucking pipes.

Overall, for me, the Lloyd approach doesn't quite settle in what time period it's supposed to be. It is not perfect and yet, for me, the thing really worked and I went in expecting to hate it. I think it will probably be a fairly critical success on Broadway but theater queens will hate it, because ALW, the original UK cast foursome and it's so successful so far nobody on this side of the Atlantic can bear not to tear it down. There is no arguing it's not an imaginative success story, now it's down to personal taste or bias. As I said, it is not perfect but overall it's a great night at the theatre, for close to, what, seven or eight hundred for two great seats?

Also agree Francis is not handsome, but he's got a kind of star quality that holds you. There's a real swagger to his performance that works. His Joe gets Hollywood but it doesn't seem to bother him, except to the extent he can't make it work. The character is one stop before embittered. He's just really pissed off that he gets it but can't control it despite the knowledge.

When it comes to New York go with an open mind and I'd bet you'll have a great night.

[quote]Overall, for me, the Lloyd approach doesn't quite settle in what time period it's supposed to be.

Doesn't quite??? Based on the photos and videos I've seen, the time period is meant to be a non-issue in this production -- which some of us think is ridiculous, given the plot of the show.

[quote]I think it will probably be a fairly critical success on Broadway but theater queens will hate it, because ALW, the original UK cast foursome and it's so successful so far nobody on this side of the Atlantic can bear not to tear it down.

Or maybe, JUST MAYBE, they'll tear it down because they honestly think the production doesn't work, and/or because they think the show itself is of fourth-rate quality, as I do.

R24, have you seen it?

No, R25, I haven't seen this production, but I think it's fair to say, judging by the photos and videos I've seen, that the action is no longer set around 1950. And if that's true, it would make hash of the story because of the former-silent-film-star angle.

I did see it, R26. It's still set in 1950. The staging strays from time to time, but the story remains as ever. She once danced on a table.

I stand in awe of your comfort with your closed mind.

What about the costuming, R27, which has nothing to do with 1950?

And what does dancing on a table have to do with anything?

R23 you call that swagger? Is that Brit swagger? Edward Everett Horton showed more swagger…

I think Sunset Boulevard is a pretty shit musical, but I have to admit I'm intrigued by Bloody Norma.

Don't try to argue with the contrarian troll, he just wants to cunt around and fight.

[quote] Based on the photos and videos I've seen

[quote] I haven't seen this production, but I think it's fair to say, judging by the photos and videos I've seen

I'm not judging the overall quality of the production, because I haven't seen it, but the photos and videos obviously give a very clear picture of the costuming. If that costuming has nothing to do with 1950, what does it mean to say the action of the show is still set in 1950? And if you don't think that's a contradiction, that's fine, but I would hope you can understand why some people would feel that way and be bothered by it. I think it's reasonable for people to disagree on a point like this.

[quote]Based on the photos and videos I've seen, the time period is meant to be a non-issue in this production -- which some of us think is ridiculous,

You and who else, r24?

[quote]Edward Everett Horton showed more swagger…

And a bigger dick!

R30, do you refer to the I haven't seen it but it's crap poster? I find this thread, where I rarely venture, has no shortage of contrarian trolls. (And when I say contrarian I mean something much unkinder.)

[quote]NYC hasn’t been the English-speaking theatre capitol of the world for quite a while.

Oh, dear.

I saw THE WIZ Saturday night, and it's clearly the most fun show of the season. I had a great time. The voices are incredible, Ruffin's book is smart and funny and the Beyonce choreographer's dances are great. The audience loved it. Nice to see a good old fashioned crowd pleaser after sitting through Suffs and Lempicka and Outsiders.

I really don't get why people think it's such an almost wholly crap piece of work when the book and lyrics hew so closely to the original film, which is so roundly held in high regard. But anyway, contrary and that the dreaded ALW scored it probably has a lot to do with it.

Norma could have been thrown away in any decade for her success having peaked and age moving in. The story is about a woman produced and discarded by the dream factory and the effect of the loss and in this strong but not perfect production, all the sequins go. Everything about the stripped down version focuses on the themes of the piece.

[quote]NYC hasn’t been the English-speaking theatre capitol of the world for quite a while.

Then how come the West End is so cheap in every sense of the word?

Flesh that out, R39, or are fridge magnets and bumper stickers the extent of your debating skills?

Me and your mother, R33 :-)

[quote]I really don't get why people think it's such an almost wholly crap piece of work when the book and lyrics hew so closely to the original film, which is so roundly held in high regard.

Because some of us think most of the score is lousy, with only two or three songs at most excepted. Just a matter of opinion.

Will Glenn Close be matinee Norma?

I could have sworn there was an article last week saying that the London Tom Holland production of Romeo & Juliet was moving to Broadway. Has that now been canceled?

[quote]I really don't get why people think it's such an almost wholly crap piece of work when the book and lyrics hew so closely to the original film

That was part of the problem.

R39, it was the use of " capitol," instead of " capital."

I have a sneaking suspicion that matinee Norma will be someone very underwhelming. Competent but underwhelming.

Someone like Kerri Butler or Alice Ripley.

Romeo & Juliet is in the public domain so there's no legal reason why there couldn't be dozens of productions in NY next season.

I am so over Broadway and London star fucker Shakespeare.

I've been reading Shakespeare lately. I'm constantly amazed by the beauty of his poetry and the precision and intention of his dialogue. It's a depressing state of affairs when you need Spider-Man to sell tickets to a Shakespeare play.

Yeah R46, I was thinking of the Capitol Records logo and thought I had the right spelling. It was like 5AM.

I think the British get excited whenever they do something musical. Not sure Sunset BLVD will crossover. It really only had a limited run in the West End, don’t know why.

Personally, I just think the “people costumed in black underwear” has been done. It’s great the leading lady has some buzz but there seems to be a lot of dissonance between her sultry good looks and appealing figure and the actual character. Maybe that’s what the production resolves. Or not. Sometimes these cheeky British directors just do shit for the sake of doing it. In a distinctly more misogynist culture like the U.S., it’s hard to know how much sympathy American audiences will have for Scherzinger’s Norma.

I'm going to get majorly flamed here, but I've always detested the gays obsession with both "Sunset" (musical and film) and "Grey Gardens" (musical and film). Somehow they get assumed as a parts of our culture, and they've always been some pretty nasty exercises in misogyny -- making cruel fun of vulnerable women. The original Broadway "Sunset" was this diva slog that only succeeded because there was literally nothing else new on Broadway. I'm sure this revival will work because all the queens have spun themselves into a frenzy again.

R45, what's the alternative? Do you propose messing with something so well known? Serious question. To me that always seems like a recipe for disaster. David Selznick, when he was developing Gone with the Wind, toyed with a happy ending but thought better of it. His line: Don't fuck with a classic. The better known the source material - particularly when the source material is widely respected - would seem folly to fuck with, wouldn't it?

Sometimes I wonder who fucks certain posters on this thread.

R53, I completely agree with you about the GREY GARDENS film, but not about the musical and not about SUNSET BLVD. in any form. I think the leading female characters are very complex and fascinating, but the GREY GARDENS film was objectionable because those were the actual people held up to the audience almost as side-show exhibits.

[quote]and they've always been some pretty nasty exercises in misogyny -- making cruel fun of vulnerable women.

[quote]The better known the source material - particularly when the source material is widely respected - would seem folly to fuck with, wouldn't it?

You're fucking with it by adding songs, r54.

By that measure, musical theater would be a pretty quiet place.

Not my point, r59.

I imagine you're familiar with pointless.

You imagine a lot of things, r61.

Grey Gardens does not make fun of its subjects, it simply presents them as they were. Little Edie is both tragic and aspirational, she's an odd duck but her ability to still have her own style in such a dismal situation is inspiring. Gay men love it because both Edies are outsiders in certain ways, and that is a point of connection. The campy parodies of Grey Gardens come from a place of love, not mockery.

R62, you sulk fat. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it because you'll eat that too.

[quote] are fridge magnets and bumper stickers the extent of your debating skills?

Ah, there's the rub. We're not here to debate.

Grey Gardens is a brilliant musical because it has “Around the World” which is one of the most lovely ballads

R53, I don’t think you understand Grey Gardens. It’s about the beauty of their relationship.

I don’t rate the musical. I don’t think the creators understood the source material either. It was just a run through of all of Little Edie’s best lines in the film. The HBO film is good though.

If you want a good laugh, just watch Ms. Mojo's list of greatest Broadway singers of all time. Of course, other than the bottom few, they are all women.

Lempicka, before reviews, had an average ticket price of $43.68 last week. Mother Play had a higher gross. This is not looking good.

I bid $43.69!

It can be yours, if The Price is Right!

There is absolutely no reason for a person to see Lempicka

(Although the avg ticket price might have been SO low because they papered a lot to fill critics' performances)

Huey Lewis average ticket price $38.63

[quote]By that measure, musical theater would be a pretty quiet place.

Hell, it's already quite a petty place.

Well if you think your pronouncements prompt anything but scoffs, R65, let me be the 3,747,495th to tell ya.

The Sunset Boulevard video trick is really neat in performance, but if you have the money to pay for the technology required it’s not as if it’s difficult to pull off or particularly sophisticated.

When I saw it, I couldn’t quite work out why people were applauding when Joe finally appears inside the theatre. Applause for good quality video cables? Strong WiFi?

If you ever had weak WiFi, you'd be applauding too.

They should cast "Lempicka" entirely with people from the Witness Protection Program.

It’s going to be really funny in about 16 years when Encores does Lempicka directed by Billy Porter and all of you change your tune, braggin’ about how you loved the original Broadway production.

We see you aunties.

Anybody who uses the term "aunties" should be stung by bees.

As Bees In Honey Drown?

Peri Gilpin never got to do a performance did she, r81?

Not my issue.

Crew friend told me JLo singing “A Visit” was shot yesterday on a hospital set for Kiss of the Spider Woman out at the soundstages in Kearney, NJ. And today “Only in the Movies” was being shot, also on the hospital set. “Gimme Love” shoots next week on a dive bar set.

Who's doing costumes?

R84 when will Shoot Me Now be shot, and on which shitshow soundstage?

Will there be a new song written for Kiss of the Spider Woman for Oscar consideration?

[quote]There is absolutely no reason for a person to see Lempicka

Maybe if someone has a family member in the cast?

Who will write it, r82? John Kander, with help from Pasek and Paul?

CHICAGO Oscar winner Colleen Atwood is designing costumes for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.

I hear on opening day of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Rita Moreno is going to host a pay per view seance and let Chita Rivera speak her opinions about the movie.

R82 IOBDB says Gilpin was headlining BEES when it closed, having followed JSC's replacement Kristine Nielsen.

Ebay has a Playbill for sale with Gilpin in it. Playbill.com says she started on May 26, 1998 and was announced to stay till July, but then it closed June 7, so Gilpin did two full weeks of performances. Wonder if they put up the closing notice on Gilpin's opening night to give everyone two weeks' notice?

Also in looking up the show, the original production put The Drama Department on the map. 'Memba them? They were the thing for quite a while. What caused them to cease to exist? June Moon, As Thousands Cheer, Rope, The Torch-Bearers...they did some good work.

Gilpin apparently did BEES again for Sheldon Epps on the west coast.

My friend did wardrobe on June Moon so I got to see it.

[quote]Who will write it, [R82]? John Kander, with help from Pasek and Paul?

Ahem.

‘The Wiz’, ‘Cabaret’ Among Week’s Top-Earning Newcomers – Broadway Box Office:

r23 sounds suspiciously like a certain bald ex-pat navel-gazing grifter on a delusional “pilgrimage.”

Lempicka's publicists are attempting to be witty and using a line from Green's review as a quote, contrasting it with what seems to be a good review from Ben Brantley when he reviewed it six years ago at Williamstown

Problem being, that review (which I'll link to in the next post) doesn't actually call it a stirring blockbuster. It does refer to the music as stirring. But the only use of the word 'blockbuster' in that review is about Evita and Les Mis.

And the Brantley review

Thanks, Lin at r94, but didn't you have sufficient after New York, New York?

Must we continue to torture Lempicka? Haven't they been through enough?

Insisting that people come and see your shitty musical just because you wrote it or you are in it really is the definition of clueless grifter.

R96, that really does sound like him/Bav. I was seeing some of his favorite keywords peppered throughout that post too. And we know he saw the show at least five times while it was in London and purposely walked near the “outside the theater” filming in order to “be” in the show. He mentioned that he was personally responsible for its continued success because he was a fan.

[QUOTE] I don’t rate the musical. I don’t think the creators understood the source material either. It was just a run through of all of Little Edie’s best lines in the film. The HBO film is good though.

A deceased family member of mine appears as a character in the HBO version of Grey Gardens (unbeknownst to the entire family, we are sort of wrapped up in that whole saga) and, I can tell you, it’s a very well-researched tele-film based on what was shown and matching it to the habits of this person.

'Seabiscuit' musical when?

Oh, my R103! You can’t say that and not tell us who you’re related to!

Agreed, R50. Shakespeare doesn't need star actors: what he needs is an interesting director who (a) makes sure the actors know exactly what they're saying, because otherwise the audience won't, and (b) can bring out ideas in the play we haven't seen or thought of before. A Shakespeare with a star turn by a great director, whether it's Sam Mendes or a young relative unknown, is heaven.

Sadly, what audiences often get is the reverse: a star actor or two in the hands of a pedestrian director. They come out saying they've had a great time, but they haven't.

[quote]'Seabiscuit' musical when?

Pending SJP's availability.

I just got an email ticket offer from Telecharge with this headline: "LEMPICKA is a "stirring, epic blockbuster" (NYT)

Nice use of a pull quote since the NYT review was a pan.

Stereophonic for Best Score!

Lempicka isn’t a disaster. I thought the NYT review was very fair. I hated the fact the show changed so many truths about her life into pap. Why even call it Lempicka when it’s such a fantasy.

I hear ya.

Me too.

I just read a blurb about a musical version of Crazy Rich Asians, which will be directed by John M. Chu.

R113. Ruthie Ann Miles would be perfect in the mother role Michelle Yeoh played in the film. It's a great part.

Brantley's "It will all end in tears, of course" now takes on new meaning.

R103 is it George Gould Strong?

Not in 20 years did we get along!

Brantley's "review" of the show during development was generous, as it should be, but he also identified problem areas that don't appear to have been addressed by Lempicka's creators.

[QUOTE] Oh, my [R103]! You can’t say that and not tell us who you’re related to!

His name was Julius “Cap” Krug and he was Little Edie’s married lover. He was played by Daniel Baldwin in the HBO film and his character gives her a fur coat at the Barbizon Hotel in one scene. Little Edie is wearing that same fur coat in the poster for the original documentary.

Michael Sucsy, who wrote and directed the HBO film, had access to Little Edie’s private diaries which is how he found out about the Cap/Edie affair. Nobody (alive) in our family knew about it until the movie came out in 2009. Sucsy reached out to one of my uncles during his research period but I didn’t hear anything about that.

In the original documentary, there’s a brief scene where Big Edie and Little Edie are talking about Cap. They refer to him as “the married man.”

Eden Espinosa was out at today’s matinee and the house count was 600.

The HBO Grey Gardens < Grey Gardens Musical < Grey Gardens Documentary

Here Lies Love has to be the worst produced show in history. If it was opening this month it would be a front runner for many of the Tonys.

The American musical is dead.

I agree r122

R122

What? AGAIN?

Thank you, R103/R118! I was being slightly cheeky my earlier reply, so thank you for taking the time to reply - and in such generous detail.

How wild it must have been for you and your family to have not known anything until the HBO film was made.

R118 Great story, how very cool.

Lil Edie liked 'em... well fed.

There should be a big gay online meeting place where theater queens can react to reviews in real time.

[quote]I just read a blurb about a musical version of Crazy Rich Asians, which will be directed by John M. Chu.

Not directed. "Overseen" by Jon M. Chu.

Just what Broadway needa: Another flop musical based on a popular movie.

DLer attending the recent Las Vegas FOLLIES...

[quote]Me too.

Us three and four.

Eddie Mekka and Kitty Carlisle in “Where’s Charley?”

This afternoon at Lempicka.

[quote]This afternoon at Lempicka.

I was expecting a photo of empty seats.

r133 I think he means well but he could have done this AFTER the show at bows. Beforehand is....odd.

He loves attention

How did Schele Williams happen? Two major musical directing credits in one season? Any remarkable achievements? Give me Danya Taymor anytime, nepotism or not

Well, it sounded like he was just troubleshooting as the understudy was under rehearsed and he likely had not seen her perform the role in its entirety. He was just warming the audience up and that's perfectly excusable at a depressing Wednesday matinee after those reviews.

[quote] How did Schele Williams happen? Two major musical directing credits in one season?

Take a guess.

Schele Williams can’t even spell her fucking name correctly.

Oh good, the racist creepers are back.

They were always here…lurking. Now they “come out, come out wherever you are…”

R141 R142 Oh, just, fuck off.

Perhaps the racebaiting trolls could tell us which white directors are being so heinously ignored because "woke."

They should also develop some taste and come back to us when they know how to write.

The Wiz review by Maya Phillips in the NY Times refers to “the beloved Motown film adaptation.”

Beloved? Really?

Really, r145. Not everyone bought the adjustment of having Dorothy be a grown schoolteacher (to accommodate for Miss Ross’s age). But there was general approval for the physical look of the film.

Predictions for Suffs reviews?

Ruff

Apropos of nothing, Instagram has started to put bootleg clips of Aaron and Sutton in my suggested reels feed.

I’ve not seen them live and I’d refrained from listening to the audio clips that did the rounds when they both started, but on video I’m struck by how underpowered and dramatically unfocused they both seem to be. The final scene feels as if it contains as much drama and consequence as being told your pie order will be a few minutes late.

I saw last Saturday's matinee of FOLLIES in Las Vegas. I'm one of those fanatics who's seen many productions, and I was looking forward to seeing what this group might have done, given the location in a casino theater and the announced cast, including Andrea McArdle as Hattie, Ted Chapin as Dimitri Weisman, and several retired Las Vegas showgirls. Overall, my expectations were low.

Well, while not high on anyone's list of past productions, this attempt was not a disaster. It felt more like a good amateur production with an interesting concept. The real downfalls of this production were a director who couldn't carry through on his concept and lousy actors, although it would take an Olivier to make this trite dialogue work meaningfully, e.g., "Oh Ben, if you don't kiss me... I'll just die!"

The show began positively with a prerecorded comedian, Rich Little, doing an assortment of characters to introduce the show and get us into a nostalgic mood. I thought he was dead, so seeing this was a positive first step. He was hilarious.

Then, we launched into the overture. The 30+ orchestra was fantastic, and just hearing the score played by this group of music professionals was worth the trip.

There was no set. It looked like an ENCORES production, with the orchestra on stage, a short staircase in the middle, and a platform behind the orchestra where some of the ghosts could move.

There was a chorus of 25 or so Weisman Girls, which was also fantastic. However, the director had no idea how to use them, so many just walked on, smiled, and walked off. And some couldn't walk at all. But to see them descend the (short) staircase in Beautiful Girls (sans sashes with their Follies year) was a sight to behold. Had this been directed/choreographed well, it would have been amazing!

The four leads were vocally pleasing, especially the actor who played Ben. The Phyllis could sing and dance and excelled in Lucy & Jesse. But, alas, none of them could act, and as I mentioned, that dialogue is deadly. Ted Chapin should have been a no-show – he was terrible. Andrea McArdle's Broadway Baby was flat. She has a big voice still, but no personality. She was no Hattie.

Interestingly, they did Ah! Paree! As a Can-Can, and it sort of worked. I credit the actress who played Solange because she got all the lyrics out without a hiccup.

The Bolero number with Vincent and Vanessa worked well because the old pros who performed it knew how to deliver.

Carlotta was a performer known in Vegas for imitating Judy Garland, and that's exactly how she did the number. Again, that concept might have worked, but unfortunately, her idea of a Judy tribute was screaming half of her song. Another disappointment.

The Young Buddy, Sally, Ben, and Phyllis were okay but, again, couldn't handle that dialogue. They were better in Loveland.

They stuck an intermission in after Mirror, Mirror. That didn't work either. The number was good, however, with many of the old broads joining in and doing their best. But there were not enough ghosts to mirror the gals, and so the concept fell flat.

Frederica Von Stade sang One Last Kiss and was just okay. This was another number that was staged so poorly that it missed the mark. And again, the costumes were dreadful.

Loveland was staged well, especially Lucy and Jesse, and the four main actors sang and danced well. The actor playing Buddy was talented but with a gay edge. It's what I imagine Harvey Evans must have been like when he played the older Ben in later productions.

The costumes were terrible, especially knowing that Bob Mackie-type Las Vegas costumes must have been available. If anyone ever saw JUBILEE in Vegas, you know what I mean.

My favorites were TOO MANY MORNINGS, LUCY & JESSIE, and I'M SO GLAD I CAME. Sung and danced beautifully.

The audience was filled with cast friends and old male couples—er, us! There was lots of discussion about what worked and what didn't, and many, including myself, sang along with a few of the numbers.

Again, hearing the score played by a great orchestra and a few flashes of inspiration made for a pleasant afternoon. And the concept of Follies being a reunion of old Vegas showgirls and performers might have worked had the director been able to deliver.

I'm sorry about my stream-of-consciousness review. I'm on a five-week trip across 14 time zones, so I'm a bit jet-lagged.

Interesting that Jesse Green passed on reviewing The Wiz and they give it to Maya Philip to pan.

[quote]Maya Phillips, The New York Times: Now “The Wiz” returns to Broadway in a revival directed by Schele Williams and an updated book by Amber Ruffin, with the aim of creating a take “through the Blackest of Black lenses.” This new production, which opened at the Marquis Theater on Tuesday, showcases creative visuals and some standout performances, but stops short of bringing modern Blackness to Broadway.

Uh, okay........................

What is " Modern Blackness" on Broadway? Serious questions; not looking for " clever" racist comments.

The Live TV presentation of The Wiz from a few years ago was really lovely and beautifully performed with a standout Stephanie Mills as Aunt Em. I actually didn't mind an older Dorothy in the movie but it was just too slow and grim with too many closeups in the musical numbers.

A revival of Oliver! is returning to the West End. Will they eventually send it to Broadway? Directed by Matthew Bourne and “fully reconceived.”

Will the cameras follow Nancy as she walks around the block singing "Its a Fine Life?"

Sheridan Smith IS Fagin!

Saw Suffs last night. While it will certainly appeal to some people, my opinion is that this will be Hillary's first and last time as a Broadway producer. There's at least thirty songs that pretty much say the same thing and none of them are particularly memorable. Even Lempicka is less woke and annoying.

Billy Porter *IS* Nancy!

[quote]The Live TV presentation of The Wiz from a few years ago was really lovely and beautifully performed with a standout Stephanie Mills as Aunt Em. I actually didn't mind an older Dorothy in the movie but it was just too slow and grim with too many closeups in the musical numbers.

This mini-review of yours seems like a total contradiction between your two sentences. Personally, I agree more with your second sentence.

No white critic could criticize a black show for not the right kind of blackness.

[quote] Not everyone bought the adjustment of having Dorothy be a grown schoolteacher (to accommodate for Miss Ross’s age). But there was general approval for the physical look of the film.

While it's true that there was general approval for the physical look of THE WIZ on screen (thanks to Tony Walton and others), I have a pretty clear memory that there was general disapproval of the film as a whole because, aside from Ross being miscast and also her largely bad acting, the film was terribly bloated and badly directed by Sidney Lumet.

Couldn't the NYT critic have just said dated or old fashioned? Modern blackness sounds so weird.

As I recall, Ms. Kael said that Diana Ross's casting as Dorothy was a result of a her "whim of iron."

[quote]R49 I am so over Broadway and London star fucker Shakespeare.

I remember when he started, Bill was so aggressive about stunt casting, shoving cross dressing boys down everyone’s throats in a lot of roles.

It really turned a lot of us off, and I personally stopped following his career.

My memory of the film of THE WIZ was Diana Ross and Michael Jackson being on the verge of tears with every line they delivered. And despite talented Tony Walton's efforts, I thought the film had a super-dreary look.

From the NYT review of THE WIZ:

[quote]Here, Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis, in her Broadway debut) is a city girl who’s moved to Kansas to live with her Aunt Em (Melody A. Betts, who later doubles as the deliciously brass-throated witch Evillene).

Wait....what??? Having Auntie Em and Evilene played by the same performer is a terrible idea.

The Times review of The Wiz seems to have a thesis—“stops short of bringing modern Blackness to Broadway”—but never develops it nor even explain what it means.

Billy Boy, thanks so much for the review.

'Modern Blackness' demands clever racist comments. Like Black Lives Matter.

Maya Phillips review of THE WIZ is one of the most pretentious things I've read this year. Unreadable and unhelpful.

STOMP IT OUT.

I can’t believe everything will have opened within the next week. Such a busy season churning out a lot of uninspiring, calculated, mediocrity with song and dance.

[quote]Not everyone bought the adjustment of having Dorothy be a grown schoolteacher (to accommodate for Miss Ross’s age). But there was general approval for the physical look of the film.

The movie of The Wiz was a huge critical and financial failure. I don't think anyone (other than Miss Ross and Berry Gordy and maybe Michael Jackson) thought it was a good idea to cast a 33-year-old actress to play Dorothy. The original director John Badham quit the movie because of that casting choice. Replacement director Sidney Lumet slowed the pacing of the movie down to a crawl, the choreography looked like a traffic jam, the new songs by Ashford and Simpson brought the movie to a screeching halt, the lighting was often dim and murky, and Miss Ross had noticeable pit stains during the "Everybody Rejoice" number. Like John Huston's Annie (another miserable musical) I think the movie is remembered fondly by kids who grew up watching it on TV. That doesn't mean it's any good, though.

R174 nails it.

(r174) I agree. Also, many of the numbers go on needlessly too long and Ross overacted terribly (probably thought she was getting another nomination). Loved Tony Walton's work though.

Maya Philip‘s review of The Wiz was racist.

[quote]A revival of Oliver! is returning to the West End. Will they eventually send it to Broadway? Directed by Matthew Bourne and “fully reconceived.”

Catherine Zeta-Jones IS The Artful Dodger!

R151 - Thank you for taking the time for the thoughtful review - it was ALMOST - not quite like being there. Billy Boy - I know you are for lack of a better word legend here - I have been following these threads for years now. I remember that a year or two ago there was a small production of Follies in - was it San Francisco? But what I remember is that someone or their partner travels far and wide for any - significant production of Follies. Is it you?

[quote]although it would take an Olivier to make this trite dialogue work meaningfully, e.g., "Oh Ben, if you don't kiss me... I'll just die!"

Dorothy made the line work.

[quote]I'M SO GLAD I CAME.

Don't look at me.

If you don't kiss me Ben, I think I'm going to die.

R173: One by one they will close over the next several weeks. Certainly the non-tourist and non-family friendly shows will be gone by the summer.

R174, the movie is really, really beloved in the black community.

Poor Andrea McArdle. You know things are bad when you are getting shit reviews for a Las Vegas production of Follies and you already are like the 6th lead.

I read the dozen or so comments here about Maya Phillips’ review of “The Wiz” in the New York Times before I read her review.

Now that I have, I’ll say that I’m shocked by how belligerent and defensive it is, and how she goes out of her way to be racially divisive.

Perhaps it wasn’t her job as a critic to point out how important various versions of “The Wiz” have become to black audiences, and how that perspective may temper how white and black audiences receive any version of it. But the aggressive way she announces herself from her first line about never liking “The Wizard of Oz,” to her dismissal of previous Times’ theater critics’ mostly low opinions of “The Wiz” as if they must now be disqualified because they were white and middle-aged is crazy and offensive.

She seemed to feel this version was some sort of Broadway compromise, which leeched some of the ‘black’ out of what should have been a ‘blacker’ production. But without furnishing a frame of reference, her comments seem arbitrary and calculated to keep older white gay dudes like me away. Mission accomplished.

The readers comments on this one should be interesting.

Maybe the Wiz movie couldn't have gotten greenlit without a star like Diana Ross.

[quote] It's what I imagine Harvey Evans must have been like when he played the older Ben in later productions.

Harvey never played Ben. He was a real dancer and always played older Buddy. Usually someone like Ed Evanko would play Ben in the productions Harvey did.

R183 has it right. Which speaks to the dearth of family entertainment for black people. But I think black viewers mostly like it because Michael Jackson is in it.

I kind of cringe a bit at all the Times’ readers questioning this on the site. The film was, of course, a huge flop but it is a holiday classic for black audiences.

R187. I think you mean Father Ed Evanko

[quote]The Wiz review by Maya Phillips in the NY Times refers to “the beloved Motown film adaptation.”

The movie bombed and was perceived as a bomb. And uber-weepy Diana Ross was insufferable throughout.

Yes, thanks for the informative review, Billy Boy. "Overall, my expectations were low" was how I approached a community theater production of "Follies" last year, and it too had some outstanding work amid the wreckage...

Not sure I would have enjoyed the audience singalong in the Vegas "Follies.:

For any credible reviewer, let alone one writing for the NY Times, to refer to the film of THE WIZ as "beloved" and leave it at that without any further comment or context is incredibly unprofessional because it's written from a personal perspective rather than a professional critical one.

Though Billy Boy's review of the Vegas FOLLIES seems very thorough and well written despite a couple of minor errors, he didn't mention that apparently the cut song "All Things Bright and Beautiful" was added back to the score and placed at the very end of the show, according to a friend of mine who saw the production. Sounds like a huge mistake.

R193–no it’s just a perspective about which you are ignorant.

There are many flops beloved by large numbers of folks—not too hard to grasp.

I find some irony in a thread with multitudes of posters going on about the glories of flops like Merrily …and now they are parsing “beloved.”

I saw it!

"Lempicka, The New Broadway Musical" is brilliant. Go see it. You will loved it!

Did anyone ever see Bombay Dreams, either in London or New York? Was it a good show?

We did not

For that matter, R182, it seems like a blatant tourist-friendly show, The Heart of Rock and Roll, isn't catching on.

In nearly every Times review of hers I’ve read, if Maya Phillips doesn’t see some version of herself onstage then she grumps about it. Every show needs to be at least partly about her and her experiences. Imagine Clive Barnes panning For Colored Girls… because he couldn’t relate.

Alas, poor Evanko, I knew him well.

He died six years ago!

The Times and Post were mixed for SUFFS but there are lots of raves elsewhere.

Duncan & Evanko

The back of the cover...

R198, I did see "Bombay Dreams" on Broadway. From what I remember, it was a beautifully designed show with some really wonderful choreography sequences.

[quote]It’s just a perspective about which you are ignorant. There are many flops beloved by large numbers of folks—not too hard to grasp.

No, it's you who do not have a firm grasp on reality. To refer to THE WIZ as "beloved" with no further comment, given the film's initial critical reception and failure at the box office, is just wrong, especially from a professional reviewer. She could have far more accurately described THE WIZ as "a film that has come to be beloved by many people even though it initially received largely negative reviews and was a commercial failure."

Do you have to put effort into being that tedious, or does it just come naturally?

R308. You’re wrong. You’ve got issues. Stop.

It’s a not a movie review—the reference works because it is factually correct as written.

Go be a pest on a movie thread.

R208^

"Evanko!" could work as a reverse "The Sound of Music" musical. Or it could be the new "Lempicka."

I saw Bombay Dreams in London with a largely Anglo-Indian audience who were thrilled to see themselves and their culture represented on stage. The show was a visual spectacle with some great production numbers. The music was nothing special and I remember nothing at all about the plot.

This was a rather moving interview

[quote]The revival of the beloved musical reflects the full “cultural impact that Blackness has had on fashion, music and dance,” director Schele Williams said.

I saw the show and I got no cultural impact, just a revival of an older show with great voices, but a lack of heart that the original had.... and choreography more suited for a contemporary dance recital than a joyous Broadway musical.

Well, I loved it , because it's ...you know why I loved it.

Thank you for posting that interview with Sara. The rumor i heard was she spent five years in prison for stealing $5,000 so it was great to hear the real story. I had no idea she was dealing with addictions. Now she needs a Tony to make her return a total triumph.

Deadline has spoken

99 comments and counting on the NY Times review of THE WIZ. Can't remember a review ever getting this many comments.

I feel like some of the Suffs reviews are a little too generous for political reasons. The Times and The Post are more accurate. It’s an okay show but needs another pass/fresh eyes. Any Hamilton comparisons are ludicrous.

I saw both the West End and Broadway productions of Bombay Dreams. It eas a total mess both times. The plot line, having something to do with gangsters in the Bollywood industry, was terrible. The male lead in the West End production was charismatic and hot as hell but couldn’t sing (his voice often cracked) and in the Broadway production the male lead could sing but wasn’t charismatic or hot at all, I do love ‘The Journey Home,” though. Beautiful song. They fucked with the orchestration of that song for Broadway which pissed me off because I loved the underscoring string portion in the latter part of it.

MUFFS

SUCKS

Forgive my ignorance but when did Broadway start doing red carpets before the opening night performance? That seems really annoying and wasteful for the actors to get in street glam and then have to change into costume/makeup, then back again for the party.

What right-thinking producer would put their cast through a red carpet gauntlet BEFORE a performance. The actors have enough on their minds without having to deal with media whores.

I loved The WIZ. Thought they somehow made it fresh and classic. Voices were insanely great. And as much as the original production was inspiring, it was always an amiable mess. The first act was an hour and 25 minutes, the second act 35 minutes. It was a structural mess, but the music and dancing was great. There was also basically no set. The NY Mag writer got what's really going on.

Suffs is simply a boring undergraduate lecture.

I haven't seen "Stereophonic" yet. Does it have a chance at Best Score?

No.

That Sara Gettelfinger interview was really interesting, but does she ever name the drug that she says caused all her problems with gambling? I didn't watch the entire interview, but I don't think she ever mentioned the name of the drug, and I can't figure out why she avoided doing so, since she says it's a matter of public record that the drug can have that awful side effect. And it seems like it would have been a great public service to name the drug so others can avoid it, assuming it's still being prescribed to anyone.

[quote]Catherine Zeta-Jones IS The Artful Dodger!

Catherine Zeta-Jones IS Olivia! Casting creativity that will breathe new life into this West End [italic]and[/italic] Broadway classic revived!

Does Abilify make you want to gamble?

Patient case reports after Abilify was approved suggest that a gambling addiction has occurred in some people. This may result in intense urges to gamble and the inability to control these urges. In most people this effect appears to be reversible upon dose reduction or discontinuation of the medicine. Dec 2, 2023

also

Drugs called dopamine agonists have a rare side effect that may result in compulsive behaviors, including gambling, in some people.

If she received a settlement r232 part of that settlement may be to not publicly name the drug. Happens all of the time.

^ r230

Okay, maybe that's the reason, R233. But if so, I think it's awful that people can't name a drug that has such potentially damaging side effects, to protect others from using it or at least make them aware of what might happen.

(1) Director "fixing" [italic] Cabaret [/italic]

[quote] “We needed something to serve as a bridge between the outside world and the performance of ‘Cabaret,’ so we came up with this idea of a prologue,” says Rebecca Frecknall, the show’s director. “We needed to do something to make this space feel alive from the moment that the audience crossed the threshold into it.”

Did it need your help, Rebecca?

(2) Director "fixing" [italic] The Wiz [/italic] and [/italic] The Wizard of Oz [/italic] (movie and book) by removing Toto

[quote] “When we think of a dog, [we] think about a companion — someone that allows you to feel safe,” says WIlliams. “I just wanted it to be more dangerous. I wanted her to have nothing and have to seek out friendships.”

If it ain't broke...

^^ fools.

[quote] Did anyone ever see Bombay Dreams, either in London or New York? Was it a good show?

Yes. No.

Plotz a little.

So, Schele has two flops this season. And Amber Ruffin has proven she's the POC Harvey Fierstein of book writers.

[quote]I haven't seen "Stereophonic" yet. Does it have a chance at Best Score?

It's a lovely play and they're lovely songs, but. It is a play with songs.

Not sure how this beats out the book musicals.

It's happened before.

Oh dear

PR BS

FOLLIES!!!!

[Quote] The concert will feature a rotating assortment of singers instead of performers assigned to particular roles. In lieu of book scenes, there will be stories about the creation of the original production woven in. Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations will be played by a 30-piece orchestra, with original cast member Mary Jane Houdina restaging the original Michael Bennett choreography.

[quote]....with original cast member Mary Jane Houdina restaging the original Michael Bennett choreography.

For how much of the show? For which number or numbers, and with what dancers?

[quote] And Amber Ruffin has proven she's the POC Harvey Fierstein of book writers.

She had maybe 2 lines that made it into Some Like It Hot. One wonders how much of The Wiz is her own work.

And you know this how, R248?

[quote]The male lead in the West End production was charismatic and hot as hell but couldn’t sing (his voice often cracked)

Was that tv actor Raza Jaffrey, now known for MI-5, Smash, Code Black, Lost in Space?

Suffs red carpet! Nearly everyone looks awful, but the Platt-Galvins easily win the Worst Dressed prize.

Follies at Carnegie Hall tickets are surprisingly affordable. But they are going quick.

I assume Christine Ebersole is going to do "I'm Still Here" again (yawn) and Jennifer Holliday will be doing "Who's That Woman" since no white woman is allowed to tackle that song now. I wonder if Len Cariou is going to be Weissman.

I don't wonder if you're an asshole, r253.

^^Oops, sorry. My mistake. Christine Baranski did I'm Still Here (badly) at Encores, not Christine Ebersole.

Got my tickets!

THAT WOMAN IS,,,,,, MAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHEEE

I got my ticket as I too am a Follies Queen

I hope Christine Ebersole does Losing My Mind

I am an original production Follies queen. I have never seen it since it played at the Winter Garden and I never will in any form. I go to the park in my wheelchair and tell the little children that I saw Follies with the original cast and thy never will and I tell them how I pity them.

The irony, r259, is that you missed the whole point of the show. Enjoy pitying the children, because they surely pity you.

R260 is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

R261, there is someone on here who repeatedly boasts that he has only seen the original and will never see another version.

[quote]there is someone on here who repeatedly boasts that he has only seen the original and will never see another version.

It's not me, but I sort of know how that goes. I saw the Cherry Jones version of The Heiress (I know, not the original) but I feel that I never have to see another production. That production was near perfect and why ruin a good memory?

Well, the thing about the original FOLLIES Broadway production, of course, is that it starred actors who actually experienced the show biz life they were all singing and dancing about in real time. You can't top that. I saw the original twice and wish I'd seen it 10 more times. Nothing has ever come close.

The NT Follies was excellent.

I saw the RSC's Macbeth with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench directed by Trevor Nunn in a tiny black-box space at Stratford-upon-Avon (1976?). It was so incredibly good that I've never seen another stage production of Macbeth since (I have seen a couple TV productions, though). So I know where the Follies and Heiress posters are coming from.

Best thing I've ever seen, hands down, r265.

Did you 2 NT Follies fans see the original Broadway production?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

The disjointed, scratchy video clips of the original are about as meta Follies as you can get.

^ I prefer the bare-assed Lady MacBeth ^

Follies at Carnegie is apparently already sold out.

[quote]Follies at Carnegie is apparently already sold out.

Did anyone under 70 buy a ticket?

Nope— it was an all cash crowd

Although the conventional wisdom is that J Hudson will sing Who's That Woman? I would prefer to hear her take on either Broadway Baby or I'm Still Here.

Well, there goes this thread. Bajour.

R275 it’s Jennifer Holliday not Jennifer Hudson

[quote]It's not me, but I sort of know how that goes. I saw the Cherry Jones version of The Heiress (I know, not the original) but I feel that I never have to see another production. That production was near perfect and why ruin a good memory?

You must be kicking yourself for missing the definitive Catherine Sloper from Suzanne Somers at the Mr. Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre.

Regarding the Carnegie Hall Follies: “This unique concert series features a different lineup of performers for each song, rather than a role portrayed by one actor for the entire evening.  Additionally, in lieu of the musical’s book scenes, backstage stories and anecdotes from the creation of the original production are woven between songs.”

[quote]Follies at Carnegie is apparently already sold out.

The balcony just went on sale and about half the tickets there are left, if anyone is still wanting to purchase some.

R280, Thanks for the tip. Got my balcony ticket!

Just the tip…

Said every theater bottom, ever.

[quote]You must be kicking yourself for missing the definitive Catherine Sloper from Suzanne Somers at the Mr. Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre.

I boycotted when I heard they had offered Joyce DeWitt the role of the aunt…and she accepted it.

Speaking of Joyce Dewitt…has she done any theatre since she played David Duke in the musical version of Charlottesville?

How much did they hate Elaine Stritch?

She missed the opening note on her signature song and in the video release they didn’t bother covering it.

Re FOLLIES, any ideas who will be who? Guess that each song will be sung by different performers? Don't see an obvious choice for Broadway Baby. . No old broads, unless Zienba, Carmello, or Walsh have graduated to veteran status.

They should have hired Bebe Neuwirth to do Broadway Baby.

I was so satisfied with the original production of Getting The Band Back Together that I never need to see it again.

I was so satisfied with the original production of Moose Murders that I made sure there would never be a revival.

Oy vey! Jason Alexander in Fiddler on the Roof. I guess he can’t be any worse than Harvey Fierstein.

I guess he might be quite good.

Seriously? Jason Alexander is far too superficial and ingratiating. He doesn’t have a core, which is why he has not succeeded in roles that require one. He couldn’t pull off Buzz, so how is he going to pull off Tevye? Of course, it’s LA, so they won’t care.

Isn't LaMirada the West Coast Papermill?

Zzzz. Where he plays it is not the concern. Could he pull it off—yes he could. Will he pull it off—let’s see.

[quote]I guess he might be quite good.

You’ll be able to see the jokes coming on Mars.

“If I Were A Rich Man” will lose all subtlety and be played for laughs. I can hear exactly how he’s going to sing “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I were a wealthy man?”

I am under 50 and bought a ticket to see Follies... quite spontaneous... not usually like me

[quote]I am under 50 and bought a ticket to see Follies... quite spontaneous... not usually like me

Whoa there, Bucky. Slow steps. Admitting you’re under 50 and interested in Follies means you’ll have every caftan-clad eldergay wanting to regale you with tales of opening night, the only night Yvonne de Carlo danced the full “Who’s That Woman?”

Is there any bootleg of Ivo's Opening Night?

R296 is gonna regret that post …for eternity!

[quote] You’ll be able to see the jokes coming on Mars.

So basically he’s remaining true to Zero Mostel’s original performance

The original was 👀 from Neptune…times change

It is rumored that at the Follies opening night curtain call, Ethel Shutta took off her corsage and flung it into the audience. There are 17 eldergays in Wilton Manors that say they caught that corsage and if you’d like to come over for a glass of Martini & Rossi, they will show it to you.

Is Riunite on ice no longer served by caftan-waiters?

[quote]… times change

R301, I’m curious what you thought of the Fish Oklahoma and the all-female 1776

Gen Z…this is what passed for wine, until the mid/late 70s… don’t bother Boomers ever again, as we have suffed so much already.

Didn't Jason Alexander win a Tony for JEROME ROBBINS ON BROADWAY, performing some of Tevye's numbers?

Just sayin'

[quote]Isn't LaMirada the West Coast Papermill?

La Mirada shows are produced by McCoy-Rigby (Cathy Rigby and her husband.) I've seen a number of things there over the years and they've all been decent or better. It's a beautiful theater -- and (this is important for California) they have FREE PARKING!

Lonny Price and Jason Alexander deserve each other.

[Quote] Lonny Price and Jason Alexander deserve each other.

They’re Old Friends

Kudos, r309.

Lonny Price made a pass at me once. Sensibly, I demurred.

Lonny Price hit me in the head with a fondue pot.

[quote]Director "fixing" The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz (movie and book) by removing Toto

= Director making life easier for self.

A dog on stage is not necessary …I’m good without

Oh God, once again the thread falls to Follies. I. Give. Up.

Maybe I shouldn't admit this since R296 was warned, but I'm under forty-five and I just bought my Follies ticket, too. (I don't really care about the lure of the original production... I just love the Sondheim score)

"lore" (that should be)

[quote]R269 Polanski's Macbeth film 'reeks' of Tate murder

Tuesday Weld was offered that film, but didn’t want to do a nude sleepwalking scene - which was part of Polanski’s vision.

[quote] Lonny Price made a pass at me once. Sensibly, I demurred.

You weren’t interested in sleeping your way to the middle?

R279, They did that at Funny Girl in Concert years ago, a different “Fanny” for each scene/song.

Did anyone see Lonny in Durante. It played at the Shubert in LA and there were often less than a dozen people in the audience.

[quote]It played at the Shubert in LA and there were often less than a dozen people in the audience.

Los Angeles has no Shubert Theatre! That was a stupid lie, easy to expose, not worthy of you!

^It did from 1972-2002.

R323 = Gertrude Slojinski

The Schubert was in Century City…I saw Evita there, and Beatlemania!

Stupid auto correct : Shubert

Closed in 2002.

[quote]They did that at Funny Girl in Concert years ago, a different “Fanny” for each scene/song.

That was an Actors' Fund concert, but the Transport Group has also presented other concert versions of musicals with the songs for each character split up among several performers. "Promises, Promises" is an example. So this "Follies" is not "unique" in that sense.

Also, has anyone noticed that this company doesn't have a season of shows like they used to? Instead, pretty much all they do now are these starry concert musicals, I guess because they know for sure they'll sell tickets, and "benefits" for a company that barely exists anymore.

THR reviews "Stereophonic":

NYT:

I just realized that David Adjmi wrote the play “3C” which is a fucked up version of “Three’s Company” and is very original and audacious. Loved it. I’m even more interested in seeing Stereophonic now.

[quote]fucked up version of “Three’s Company”

redundant

R322, Century City is Los Angeles. To bring it back to Follies, it's where the Broadway production played. A show about the tearing down of a theater opening up a new theater.

Bless your heart, r333.

R334 you give R332 too much credit. The line works for SF…it’s just plain off to use it for LA.

Some jokes work; that one didn’t land.

Fixed: you give R322 too much credit. The line works for SF…it’s just plain off to use it for LA.

[quote]Fixed: you give R322 too much credit. The line works for SF…it’s just plain off to use it for LA.

Wow. You're like DL's own "Doc" Simon with your brilliant comedic analysis!

Lonny Price and Durante were in SF in 1989 when the Loma Prieta quake hit severely damaging the Golden Gate Theater and that was the end of that show.

R337 is E.Joyce

[quote] I remember that a year or two ago there was a small production of Follies in - was it San Francisco? But what I remember is that someone or their partner travels far and wide for any - significant production of Follies. Is it you?

Yes, it’s my husband, Gary, who has seen about 37 different productions. It happened because of a traumatic experience in the early 70s. He visit NYC and could only see one show. He went to the TKTS Booth and chose the show that had just won the Tony Award for Best Musical: Two Gentleman of Verona. He turned down FOLLIES and has regretted it ever since. That’s why we travel to see the show that has become his obsession.

A veritable Data Lounge tragedy!

I remember reading that Jason Alexander was ABC’s choice for its planned TV remake of Fiddler on the Roof back in 2002 or so.

R340, your huz is a moron.

R340, its too bad that Gary Morton wasn't at TKTS that day to talk your husband out of it.

I would love to see a one-man play "Gary's Follies," a bittersweet and emotional tapestry that follows one fan through his 50 year obsession with the greatest show of all time. With musical interludes.

If that's what he wants to do and doesn't hurt anyone, good for him

I was watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls last night and Lorelai made a Moose Murders joke.

[quote]Lonny Price and Durante were in SF in 1989 when the Loma Prieta quake hit severely damaging the Golden Gate Theater and that was the end of that show.

Wow! God is really a harsh critic!

God hated baseball even more….

We know how he felt about Pompeii.

I remember when the Broadway production of Follies played the Shubert it closed a week early because of low attendance.

I saw several shows at the LA Shubert, the most memorable being the pre-Broadway "Ragtime."

I saw Evita, Ragtime, and Les Miz at the LA Shubert, among others.

We didn’t have a lot of theaters to begin with. The loss of this one was painful.

I saw Dreamgirls there.

All that's missing is Gloria Swanson.

*

I just came from the gym —Chelsea Piers Fitness. There is a huge SUFFS! party/event at pier 60 right now. If you dig senior ladies in hats and white outfits….head over!

And I saw that wonderful revival of The Most Happy Fella with Spiro Malas at LA's Shubert Theatre in the early 1990s on its way to Broadway.

R358, Were you hit on the head by Ethel’s purse?

Are those who went to see Evita in LA talking about the pre Broadway run with Patti and Mandy and the original cast at the Dorothy Chandler or the First National Tour sit down at the Shubert that ran for two years?

Well, since all of the references thus far have been to the Shubert—take a guess.

The first subscription at the Shubert I saw was Angela in Gypsy, Good News with an ancient Alice Faye, A Little Night Music with the magnificent Jean Simmons and Irene with Debbie Reynolds (she worked hard and the show wasn't as bad as its Broadway reputation suggested.) Patsy Kelly got a standing ovation and one of the largest hands ever for her curtain call. When Ruth Warwick made her entrance and turned around, more than a few people went "Phoebe"!

That land was too valuable for a theater and movie theaters. CAA is there now.

[quote]and the show wasn't as bad as its Broadway reputation suggested.

I never heard complaints about the quality of it, r362.

What...the...f..Follies?

Solange played by a man?

Buddy's Blues performed in tighty-whiteys?

Phyllis wearing green for L&J?

R340 "The Road Gary Didn't Take"

(Were you hit on the head by Ethel’s purse?) R359 Oh, Yes! Yes I was! ! Do you Wanna come by my place in Wilton Manors and see it? You bring Spumante?

RAGTIME didn't play The Shubert pre-Broadway. That was the first national.

MOST HAPPY FELLA didn't play the Shubert pre-Broadway. It was a transfer from the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.

r369 Wikipedia begs to differ (as do I.)

[quote]The US premiere was at the Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles in June 1997, starring Marcia Mitzman Gaven, John Dossett, Judy Kaye, Brian Stokes Mitchell and John Rubinstein.[4][5]

r365

[quote]Special authorization from Cameron Mackintosh

Odd credit, does he own the rights for Europe or something? I guess that explains David Charles Abell conducting.

Wikipedia and r370 are right. In fact, the Broadway company opened while the LA one was still running. Drabinsky had grand ambitions.

Oh god

r369, you're quite wrong.

After playing Goodspeed in the spring and getting a rave review from Frank Rich, The Most Happy Fella moved onto LA's Shubert Theatre that summer with a few cast additions and replacements and opened on Broadway at the Booth Theatre (though produced by Lincoln Center) in the fall, getting an even bigger rave from Rich in the Times.

Sadly, the revival was completely overwhelmed by another Frank Loesser revival Guys & Dolls the same season. Nevertheless, Scott Waara (WEHT?) rightfully stole the Best Featured Actor Tony away from all those G&D hoodlums.

[quote]And I saw that wonderful revival of The Most Happy Fella with Spiro Malas at LA's Shubert Theatre in the early 1990s on its way to Broadway.

You mean the two piano version? Not the Shubert. While it was playing Goodspeed, Sophie Schwab got pregnant. The producers decided to do a Los Angeles run with a different Rosabella to give her a break. They booked the Doolittle (aka the Hartford, aka the Montalban). Mary Gordon Murray was the substitute Rosabella and quite lovely. It got raves and was a huge hit, then moved on to N.Y. previews, where Sophie Schwab rejoined it. The Shubert would have swallowed it. The Doolittle was perfect for the more intimate nature of that production.

And the proof in the LA Times - it was the Doolittle.

OMG, the Doolittle!

You're absolutely correct. My sincere apologies.

But Sophie had changed her name to Sophie Hayden by then,

r371

Abell is not announced for this revival.

[quote] Are those who went to see Evita in LA talking about the pre Broadway run with Patti and Mandy and the original cast at the Dorothy Chandler or the First National Tour sit down at the Shubert

Or both. Evita’s tryout at the Chandler was a gigantic hit, far beyond anyone’s expectations. That’s why Hal Prince decided to take the gamble and produce a sit down LA production at the Shubert just a few months after the LA opening. The misfortune for Patti is that Loni Ackerman is a real dancer. She was electric in Buenos Aires, whereas Patti, not a dancer, was defeated by it. Loni got across the board raves, which infuriated Patti.

What the fuck? My bank marked my Follies ticket purchase as possibly fraudulent and canceled the transaction. I totally missed the notification and now the whole damn Carnegie Hall is sold out. This is HOMOPHOBIC, Chase Bank!

[quote]The misfortune for Patti is that Loni Ackerman is a real dancer. She was electric in Buenos Aires, whereas Patti, not a dancer, was defeated by it. Loni got across the board raves, which infuriated Patti.

The problem that I had with Loni was that she was a dancer. Her dancing was too clean, too precise, too well executed. It wasn’t character dancing, it was dancer dancing.

Patti’s dancing still sucked though.

r378 I didn't say he was. I was referring to the video r365 posted, which should've been obvious because I was replying to his post.

So MTI control the rights and Mackintosh demands a prominent credit just because? Well, given his string of flops over the past couple of decades, I guess he's desperate.

Oh...why not?

The problem with Buenos Aires is that it’s a tough sing, and the original Larry Fuller choreography was exciting but complicated. Patti fell on her ass opening night in LA. Valerie Perri and Terri Klausner were both also real dancers. The non-dancing Eva who fared the best with the number was Florence Lacey.

You ain't seen nothin' yet!

[quote]the original Larry Fuller choreography was exciting but complicated.

Oh please! Eva does a few skirt flourishes, then runs offstage while the chorus does the heavy lifting.

Patti LuPone fell on her ass because she was hiding out during rehearsals, in the dressing room smoking and reading Interview Magazine.

She was scared of you, Colm

Raves for Hell’s Kitchen

Was there enough Blackness for Maya Phillips?

[Quote] which infuriated Patti

And you know that how?

So smarties, name the Best Musical nominees now.

Illinoise. Hell’s Kitchen. Suffs. Outsiders. Here Lies Love.

But what about…Lempucka?

Are Broadway openings on Friday and Saturday nights something new?

This year it was necessary because of the last minute crush.

How Broadway’s ‘Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’ Pulls Off Its Audacious, Sensual 75-Minute Prologue:

R395. Ahhhhhh. Thank you!

That costuming at R396 is… something.

What’s so damn audacious?

I'll go out on a limb and say that Days of Wine and Roses will get a nomination for Best Musical. Guettel is greatly admired, the show got surprising raves when it opened on Broadway, and its stars are much beloved. Just a guess.

I think DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES may get a nom before THE OUTSIDERS.

I wouldn't even be surprised if Days of Wine.... even takes home a few of the bigger Tony Awards. Mind, you, I never saw it.

I think both leads from DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES will also be nominated.

Does Bebe Neuwirth have Featured Actress in a Musical Tony already locked up? She is apparently the standout of this production of CABARET.

R380 will never miss another production of FOLLIES again - anywhere!

Having seen Anthony Page’s production of A Doll’s House starring Janet McTeer, I’ve never felt compelled to see another production of the play again.

That really was a great one, R405. Certainly the best I've ever seen.

Days of Wine will not get any nominations except score -- which was atrocious by the way. Because of the composer's bloodline, he'll get a nomination.

Are you not weary of ardent ways?

Tell no more of enchanted days.

R403 I saw Cabaret and I will say Bebe is quite good in this role. Her silent expressions as the reality of her situation hits are what has stuck with me weeks after seeing the production

Cabaret is receiving a full range of reviews, from pans to mixed to raves, with negativity from the more prestigious reviewers. Glad I didn’t spring for the $800 seats.

The merrily producers are doing somersaults tonight.

And especially Jonathan Groff.

The reviews from the publications that matter are brutal.

Will Eddie Redmayne pack up his red wigs and go back to London?

NYT:

Deadline:

Chris Jones

[Quote] But I have to say that selling a dinner “upgrade” to the “Pineapple Room” offends me. That fruit is what Herr Schultz offers to his love, prior to being shipped off to a concentration camp, or so the show strongly implies, given that he is already in the Nazis’ sights. In this show, fruit is a symbol of generosity and love in a world of horrors. It’s not a flavor of costly cocktail nor a high-end status symbol. How gross.

Deadline: "The less said of Ato Blankson-Wood’s energy-sucking Clifford Bradshaw, the better.". Oh dear.

Sara Holdren for New York Magazine/Vulture:

[quote]but as the Emcee, Eddie Redmayne is on his own look-at-me planet. His singing voice never leaves a plugged-up, somewhat Muppet-y place somewhere behind his nose, and his physical palette is all coyly twirling fingers and hunched-up, leering Gollum poses. He’s clearly loving doing a voice, but his diction is a mess. Far too many of the razor-edged lyrics that come out of his mouth are nearly indecipherable.

He invested his own money in the show, which is seemingly the only reason he got cast. Given his weird and off-putting singing in Les Mis, that's not a shock

R418 I searched, but I already knew the Cliff was going to be black.

Are we looking at Bloody Bloody Norma Desmond's future tonight?

Both Eden Espinosa and Amber Iman were out at the Lempicka matinee today.

Who would have thought that THE WIZ and TOMMY would get overall better reviews than CABARET? What a season...

Hell's Kitchen got raves but Cabaret did not. Bizarre.

Haven't they spent like $25 million on Cabaret? So did they have to run many years to recoup that?

From Broadway Journal:

[quote]Cabaret must thrive to survive, requiring a weekly $1.2 million at the box office to pay its bills.

[quote]The average ticket at 110 percent capacity of the August Wilson — i.e. with premium pricing — is projected to be $248. That’s approaching Hamilton in its peak years, when it was charging as much as $849 a ticket. If Cabaret can command that $248 average and sell out — grossing $2.1 million a week — recoupment will take about a year. (Hamilton, which cost half as much as Cabaret and has low running costs, was distributing profits six months after opening night.)

[quote]By selling out with an average ticket of $176 — Sweeney Todd territory — Cabaret‘s recoupment would take closer to two and a half years. With an average ticket of $158 — $1.3 million a week — recoupment would take four and a half years. (Projections in this story are based on recouping $20.9 million, which excludes Cabaret‘s reserves, deposits and advances; and receiving a $3 million state production tax credit, which can take years to get to investors. If the show dips into reserves, recouping may take longer.)

Also worth mentioning Ambassador is both producing it and owns the theatre

If Cabaret makes it past Eddie and Gayle's departure I'm hoping for DL faves Rebel Wilson and Billy Porter as their replacements!

The West End version has shown there's no depths they won't sink to. Cara Delevingne, FFS

Betty-Lynn for matinee Sally.

The Dorthy Chandler here, R360.

[quote] The Dorthy Chandler here,

It's Dorothy. Not "Sweetie," or "Honey" or "Tootsie." D-O-R-O-T-H-Y

They had Jake Shears there. He sold Kinky Boots like mad here so maybe they’ve already lined him up. Eddie didn’t stay long

The total revampment of the August Wilson Theatre for Cabaret as shown on CBS Sunday Morning . . . Do the producers have to “put it back” when Cabaret closes?

Buffy Chandler, to her friends.

Eddie and Gayle will both be cutting back to 7 shows per week starting in June.

Dorthy before coffee

[Quote] . Do the producers have to “put it back” when Cabaret closes?

He lied. Love was in the same situation and I think I heard all of the restoration was in their initial budget. They had to leave the theater the way they found it.

Here lies love that is

Saw Heart of Rock and Roll last night. I give it a month.

Apparently they didn’t give Jesse Green enough potato chips at Cabaret.

The flamer in the shorts at 4:10 is I suspect the company hole.

I really despise turning Cabaret into a premium-priced 1930s Berlin Disneyland-ride for the well-heeled - who, frankly, are probably the same people ignoring the ruse of fascism in our own country. Just do the fucking play.

* rise of fascism

These reviews for Cabaret don’t surprise me in the slightest. The English do not understand core things about American musical theater. Their revivals of musical classics never translate well here. Their weirdly cold, ironic interpretations consistently fail to deliver. And that 75 minute prologue sounds absolutely insufferable.

NYC is Cabareted out.

Wait another 20 years and just revive a faithful adaptation of the Hal Prince production. It will be hailed as outrageously innovative.

Yes, but. The Mendes production was really extraordinary. I think credit goes to Rob Marshall for helping Mendes flesh out the Donmar production, but Mendes still deserves a lot of the credit. And the Hal Prince production hardly set the world on fire when it was revived.

I agree R447. NY has had sufficient. Of both Cabaret and Gypsy. Please find something else to revive.

[quote]He’s clearly loving doing a voice, but his diction is a mess. Far too many of the razor-edged lyrics that come out of his mouth are nearly indecipherable.

Redmayne's doing an impression of Patti!

Except R446, it was the Donmar production directed by Sam Mendes in the early ‘90s that gave Cabaret new life, after Prince’s own 1987 revival staging bottomed out on Broadway (after a long pre-Broadway tour). The Mendes production stretched the material conceptually without breaking it but clearly left little room for it to go further.

I’ve not been a fan of Frecknall’s direction, which seems to see classic material as just a palette for her messy meanderings. A 75-minute prologue to a play seems ridiculous - if you want to be a club owner, open a club. (I’ll bet if the box office doesn’t deliver, the prologue will be the first budget-cutting expenditure to go.)

But the British do get impressed with themselves when it comes to reimagining American musicals, that’s for sure. This Cabaret always seemed pitched to a certain generation - a kind of young, social media engaged theatre-goer that I’m not sure exists in NYC. More engaged with the spectacle and exclusivity of the experience than what’s actually happening on stage. The strange dissonance of the Sunset Blvd. experience - which might confound critics in NYC - though the completely stripped down aesthetic might be the only thing left to do with Cabaret; just have a cast sit around a table and read from their scripts with a small coffee/tea station in the corner. You certainly couldn’t take it any further. But most of what I heard from young theatre-goers about Sunset was how amazing Nicole Scherzinger was, despite not representing anything like the psychosis of Norma Desmond. What she does deliver is the kind of reality show vocal performances - detached from any lyrical interpretation - that younger audiences grew up on from watching Idol shows, etc. I hope she triumphs on Broadway but I think Americans are less likely to sympathise with her Norma; she seems more Roxie Hart to me.

The Bridge Theatre production of Guys and Dolls however is the real deal and I hope they’re taking heed from this Cabaret reception. Guys and Dolls is immersive not invasive. It enhances the material, it doesn’t leave it in tatters. It engages and draws the audience in, with some clever revisions that demonstrate just how timeless. inclusive and enveloping the original material is. And it sounds great.

Has this been discussed?

Why does nothing get this place more excited than bad reviews?

As posted on BWW, the British are puzzled by our response to their lovely production. Americans don’t get the Continental production style, don’t understand the class critique, and are already too far gone into fascism to be shocked by Cabaret. Wow.

Is Eddie Redmayne really a star that draws anyone R437? I know no one gives a shit about the z list chorus girl they got to play Sally, but other than his Oscar in a movie no one really saw or cared about, what claim to fame does Redmayne have for Americans? Les Mis on film? Those c list Harry Potter knock offs? Does anyone in NY really know or care about Eddie Redmayne to carry the show through June?

You are totally right about the London “Guys and Dolls,” R451 — Great fun and the key to it is how wonderfully sung the score is, you clearly hear every terrific lyric. And while we’ve all grown used to a barn-raising “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” for the last 20 years, they really took it a notch higher with the compressed, dynamic, elaborate choreography with ensemble and chairs.

Erm, ALW’s Cinderella was never liked by any critics in any iteration.

[quote]Why does nothing get this place more excited than bad reviews?

Which part of "pointless bitchery" would you like us to explain to you?

I’m a big Cabaret fan and have absolutely interest in this revival. Other than Les Mis, I’ve never seen Redmayne in anything so he is no draw, and I found the Roundabout production to be spectacular. Haven’t needed to see it since.

[quote]Buffy Chandler, to her friends.

BUFF, more frequently.

From her maiden name, and the family department store chain that shared its name.

BUFFS!

R460 no shit where her nickname come from —

Cabaret will never recoup, not after those reviews. And Redmayne is only in the show until August.

Didn't see this coming!

[Quote] Why does nothing get this place more excited than bad reviews?

In this case, I think it is because of the outrageous prices they’re charging for the show and the “experience“ they came in hot and arrogant.

As far as Lempicka and Suffs are concerned, I can’t help you. But I must admit to feeling a little pleasure at having the wind knocked out of Cabaret’s sails (and sales) a bit.

I wonder if they will find the need to start offering the show without the pre-show as an option , at a lower price. It really does sound like the pre-show is only an excuse to force more concession sales

[quote]which infuriated Patti. And you know that how?

Because she wrote about it in her book

Money makes the world go round…A mark, a yen, a buck or a pound…

[quote].....which infuriated Patti. And you know that how?

[quote]Because she wrote about it in her book

In the process of trashing a great many of the people she had worked with throughout her career.

[quote]In the process of trashing a great many of the people she had worked with throughout her career.

And zero mention of Mr. Gunton.

^^^ Yes. There's that moment in EVITA when the tap-dancing soldiers shout "Bitch!!!" in reference to Eva Peron, and I've always thought the word also applies very well to Patti :-)

"The English do not understand core things about American musical theater. Their revivals of musical classics never translate well here." I'd largely agree with you, R446, but for National Theatre's production of Carousel at Lincoln Center. And the Mendes Cabaret. And a lot of the Trevor Nunn Oklahoma! And apparently the Bridge Theatre's Guys and Dolls. Will no one think of us and bring it over?

Speaking of the National, there are four versions of Constellations streaming on National Theatre At Home, all with different couples in the two-actor cast. I watched the one with DL semi-fave Russell Tovey. I might watch the one with Zoe Wanamaker and Peter Capaldi.

Good starring Tennant has been released on the BBC, so is available at the usual sites.

R467, I was not amused.

She also trashed me after I replaced you, R472.

The BroadwayWorld review roundups are very helpful in presenting excerpts from and links to all the major reviews, but I have to say, their classifications of which reviews are positive, mixed, or negative are highly debatable.

Ditto "did they like it"

Here's where they explain their criteria.

[quote] In order for a review to be deemed a “Thumbs Up” (aka “They Loved It”), approximately 70% of the review has to be considered favorable, positive or (if the critics are feeling extra) ecstatic.

r471 any suggestions for sites? Would love to see that.

That Carousel, Oklahoma, and Cabaret were all very mixed bags, and most certainly where the casting was concerned, with a couple of bright spots like Audra, Alan, and Miranda Richardson. Yes, I know a lot of people liked the Mendes Cabaret, and it ran forever and now seems to miserably be the template by which all Cabarets shall be measured by now forever and ever, amen. Yawn. For me it was a big meh.

A lot of what comes out of NT for me as far as American plays and musicals are concerned, don’t work. The Angels In America didn’t have a clue what the play or the performances were supposed to be, and may as well have been staged on Mars. It certainly wasn’t NYC. I know people here looovveeed the Follies. I found it slow, dull, and terribly miscast, including that execrable and grotesque performance by Imelda Staunton.

My point is, I’ve rarely seen anything successful come from the UK unless it’s English, or European based. They just don’t get Americans or the unique sensibilities that come with American Broadway works. Their sense of irony and disdain is overdeveloped, and that hamstrings nearly everything they do when it comes to the US.

R476 Any download site, or VPN off the BBC site.

Drama League noms out. Nothing for Brian D'Arcy James. Only Kelli nominated for performance. Surprisingly nothing for Michael Grief but Schele Williams getting an honorary directing award. Also nothing for Maleah Joi Moon for Hell's Kitchen.

Oh yeah...Heart of Rock and Roll nom for Best Musical

R477 Carousel with Audra was not a mixed bag. Nor was Mendes’ Cabaret…two of these things were not like the others.

That’s on you, not on the critics or the vast majority of theater-goers.

r479 Well, there were TWELVE nominees, including "Lempicka," so not exactly a huge honor.

[quote] Schele Williams getting an honorary directing award

Gosh, I wonder why.

Drama League is like the Golden Globes: everybody gets a participation trophy.

Is Schiele smelly?

Oops, Schele!

The producer of How to Dance in Ohio is being a pissy little bitch on social media over the Drama League noms

According to a comment in that thread, he started out as an assistant to Hal Prince. Clearly didn't learn much.

A much shorter listf or the Drama League would be what and who weren't nominated.

R477 I think so too. England messes up American subjects in a way I can't explain. I was disappointed by almost everything I've seen except the Hugh Jackman/Trevor Nunn version of Oklahoma.

The James Baldwin play: boring and colorblind casting is not appropriate here. I've read about the real people and was looking forward to it.

Lehman Trilogy: Dull.

Follies: I couldn't stand Imelda after a while. I'd only seen a regional version that was good despite the low budget.

I'm curious about the upcoming transfers of Sunset Blvd. and possibly Operation Mincemeat (a British subject as a musical).

[quote]I was disappointed by almost everything I've seen except the Hugh Jackman/Trevor Nunn version of Oklahoma.

And even that production had some major flaws.

I completely agree with you about the Lehman Trilogy, and I will never understand the acclaim of that production.

Two thing. First, you should never judge a live performance by a recording. I can personally attest that both Follies and Angels felt different in person compared to their NT broadcasts. Second, when you mistakenly refer to a Tony Award winner by her sister’s name, you lose almost all credibility, r477.

Not even her sister, in fact

R490. As do you for getting my name wrong!

As much as I loved The Bridge's Guys & Dolls, and I really loved it, it would not transfer well over here. If any of you saw "Take Back Your Mink" on the televised Bafta Awards you'll know exactly what I mean. It's a joyous production, great fun, but there's lots of misapprehension, some willful some not, of Runyonland, which many here would find unacceptable.

You’re right. It is on me R480. Because I have taste.

How to Dance in Ohio was lame as fuck. The producers were so busy patting themselves on the back for “neurodivergent representation on Broadway,” they forget to tell the creative team to rewrite their long, dull, earnest show.

r481but 12 nominees and nothing for Days of Wine and Roses for musical but Heart of Rock and Roll?

Going to see Follies in the balcony… is the balcony any good or did I waste my money?

[quote]First, you should never judge a live performance by a recording. I can personally attest that both Follies and Angels felt different in person compared to their NT broadcasts.

While I think we would all agree that watching a video of a show is not completely equal to attending a live performance, it's also very possible that someone would strongly disagree you about those productions not for that reason but primarily because their taste is different from yours. I for one thing it's very reasonable to judge the QUALITY of a production and its various elements by a pro-shot video, even if, again, the experience is not exactly the same as experiencing the show live.

Not that anyone seems to be responding, but I meant the televised Olivier Awards, not the Baftas re Guys & Dolls.

And I also loved Operation Mincemeat in London but think it would also be a huge mistake to transfer here, though for different reasons. It's simply too British in its subject matter, humor and execution for Americans to appreciate.

For my money, R497, the center balcony at Carnegie Hall is fine, even if you're in the last row. But a lot of the seats on the sides in the balcony are not good because the view of the stage can be very obstructed, depending of course on exactly where your seat is.

R500

Gracias

Just watched that TBYM R493. If that’s representative of what happens in the show, I can’t even imagine what the rest is like. Sloppy dancing, ugly girls, hideous costumes, and the Adelaide. Oh my god. Horrendous. Please just sing the song. One of the hallmarks of a terrible amateur performance is someone who starts trying to fill empty musical space with stupid interjections like “HEY!” and “C’MON.” Amateur hour. If this production were moved to Broadway, it would be absolutely savaged.

[quote]Drama League is like the Golden Globes: everybody gets a participation trophy.

Everyone except poor Brian D'Arcy James, apparently.

R496. Welcome to the theatah! To the magic! To the fun

R494 your taste does not an opinion or consensus make, which is why you were goading the thread.

Playing a contrarian with no purpose is not a look that suits you….

[quote]Just watched that TBYM [R493]. If that’s representative of what happens in the show, I can’t even imagine what the rest is like. Sloppy dancing, ugly girls, hideous costumes, and the Adelaide. Oh my god. Horrendous.

R502, I just watched it because I thought you were exaggerating. Oh, Christ it’s even worse than you said.

They make the song a huge production number starring Lizzo. The song is meant to be comic. It literally does not have written into it a huge production number. It begins Act 2 and if that’s the way you begin Act 2, there’s nowhere to go.

Guys & Dolls was not meant to be a mega musical. It’s a brassy, old fashioned musical that doesn’t have to prove itself with huge voices and pyrotechnic gimmick staging.

Guys & Dolls is one of those shows that I will probably never see again because I saw the Lane/Prince production and it was excellent. And watching this clip, I have no interest in this production.

I concur about that Guys & Dolls number. Where's the charm? Where's the fun? Where's the choreography? Did they just not bother because the Adelaide is a fat lummox who can't move and they didn't want the other women showing her up, or is this what passes for choreography these days? And I swear I couldn't understand one fucking word out of the actress' mouth except the line "Take back your mink." If I didn't already know the song, I would have no idea what the number was about based on her performance.

Exactly, and the reactions here prove once again that, generally speaking, the Brits don't know how to do American musical theater, and revivals of American musicals that are often praised to the skies over there are recognized here as completely misguided. This is not to say that we don't have our own awful, misguided, home-grown revivals of classics -- see that Fishy OKLAHOMA!, for example.

Also, where are the minks? Do the Brits think that those ratty white Dynel fake fur stoles are mink?

Please, for the love of (insert name of the Deity of your choice here), where is the pro-shot video of the Lane/Prince Guys and Dolls? We all know it exists. Give it up — we’ll pay for it!

How are we forgetting that Days of Wine and Roses was subpar because of its inauthentic score, and story that was dated 20 years ago. Talk about your "Why" nights at the theater...

Will Suffs and Lempicka post closing this week?

R512: I think they'll wait until the Tony nominations are announced and then reevaluate. Lempicka will definitely close before Suffs.

Is Suffs in danger? The notices were surprisingly positive.

If Suffs stays neutral or declines in revenue each week, it's in trouble. The numbers so far have been ok and the story is both timely and compelling. I can see why as of now it's the frontrunner for Best Musical.

I imagine that Lempicka and The Heart of Rock and Roll would post their closing notices before Suffs.

Hillary Clinton is a producer of Suffs. She’ll call in every favor she can to get this turkey to the finish line. She wants to get up on that Tony stage and speechify.

Meanwhile Bill at home in Chappaqua is fuming over how much money they've lost on this dud.

[quote]Meanwhile Bill at home in Chappaqua is fuming over how much money they've lost on this dud.

No, the money’s being funneled through the Clinton Global Initiative. The Clintons haven’t risked a penny. But if the CGI doesn’t pay their protection money, somebody’s gonna call for an audit and it will all be blamed on Chelsea like it was last time.

I don't know how Lempicka stays open past May. I just checked Telecharge and they have a ton of empty seats for this week.

I shouldn't bother, R511, and I realize all too well how most of DL's musical taste ends with Jerry Herman, but . . . how is DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES' score "inauthentic"?

R517, Most in the audience will mistake her for Bonnie Milligan.

Heart of Rock and Roll is getting surprisingly good reviews.

Exactly R507. Why are people talking about this production like it’s the second coming? Bizarre.

Carol Burnett portraying Lady Macbeth as painted in the style of Mucha.

Eddie Redmayne's team is probably furious. Even though he's only in the show for 5 months, they did this so he could get another Tony, and now he's stuck with a pile of bad reviews and slagged off production. Sorry, Eddie. You'll be back to Harry Potter soon.

Carol Burnett was never that attractive.

So "The Heart of Rock N' Roll" got better reviews than "Cabaret."

Carol as Lady Macbeth as painted in the style of Hopper...

Carol and I are just chums. Who happen to bump pussies.

Paraphrasing the words of Wendy Wasserstein, "If you aim for a 6, and get a 6, everyone's happy. When you aim for a 10 and you get a six, you've failed."

I'm surprised they didn't go after a big name for Sally. Or did they. Gayle Rankin may be perfectly marvelous in the role but having a bigger name would certainly have helped at the box office. Bebe will probably be their only Tony win.

[quote]When you aim for a 10 and you get a six, you've failed.

r532 Eddie probably didn't want anyone competing for attention

[quote]How are we forgetting that Days of Wine and Roses was subpar because of its inauthentic score, and story that was dated 20 years ago. Talk about your "Why" nights at the theater...

Although I strongly disliked the score, I'm not sure what you mean by "inauthentic." Nor do i understand how the story is "dated." It's fine to criticize shows if you know what you're talking about and can explain what you mean.

[quote]R467 In the process of trashing a great many of the people she had worked with throughout her career.

As is her right.

I think the posters who felt put off by Days of Wine and Roses would have an aneurysm if they listened to Schoenberg.

The Heart of Rock and Roll got some very good reviews. If it connects with an audience looking for 80s nostalgia it’ll do great. right now it and Hell’s Kitchen are the clear winners. Cabaret is the big disappointment.

So which are the 5 nominees gonna be?

Any early word on Gatsby? (I'm seeing it tonight via $45 lottery.)

Gatsby is going to be a disastrous flop.

R541, It could still earn Tony nominations.

Who is Bebe’s competition for Featured Actress in a Musical?

543 didn’t we find out Lindsay Mendez is supporting for Merrily? I think she is going to be competitive.

If she wasn’t out all the time, she might win

R536, I don't know why you're playing devil's advocate for Patti LuPone. It's highly unusual -- or, at least, USED to be highly unusual -- for people to trash others they have worked with and known in their memoirs, and even more unusual in this case because PL trashed a whole lot of people. So much so that a list of the people about whom she wrote nice things in her book would be much, much shorter than a list of the people she trashed.

Lindsay is ordinary. And a truant.

And she doesn’t sing the score particularly well.

I really liked Lindsay, but this was my first Merrily exposure.

Why on earth did they think another CABARET revival could support a huge financial risk? Just based on its success in London?

The reviews, including the NYT, were uniformly positive. But that was in 2021, right after the pandemic, so no one was at their most critical. I love the show, but this production seems to have tried so hard they missed some really fundamental interpretative themes. Like, is a Nazi really going to befriend a black American? Like, is a show about complicity through economic challenges going to work if the production charges top dollar and is constantly trying to upsell you? Like, were cabaret performers able to blend in with the Nazis?

An interpretation shouldn’t be locked down forever. But these choices seem like they are just ignoring the show’s very clear meaning.

[quote]Is a Nazi really going to befriend a black American?

Don't you know you're supposed to completely suspend all knowledge of history and any sense of reality when it comes to color-blind casting -- or color-conscious casting, or alternative casting, or whatever term they want us to use here?

Box office from last week is out. Cabaret dipped over $900k, a lot of which was probably from comping the most expensive seats to critics. Which means they paid almost a million dollars to have their show trashed.

Oh R551, just admit you hate seeing black people on stage. Spare us with your facetious arguments.

UK queen here and I don't understand why some others from here are that shocked by Cabaret getting a more mixed reception. The cultural differences work both ways - Drowsy Chaperone and Spring Awakening both flopped in London, critics didn't go for A Strange Loop, Fun Home got polite notices but made no lasting impression and didn't transfer into the West End (last year's production in Dublin with Killian Donnelly was phenomenal though), and the reception to Hadestown has been more muted than expected. On the flip side there are shows like Enron, The Inheritance, and to an extent even Matilda and Billy Elliot that either flopped or underperformed on Broadway.

What a childish comeback, R553. Especially since you know what you wrote isn't remotely true. A large part of the point of CABARET has to do with the Nazis' hatred, brutalization, and eventual murder of people whom they considered unworthy (or not even people) because of their ethnicity and/or religion. But by all means, you should go and enjoy a production of the show in which a Nazi becomes bosom buddies with a black man.

You're both meeskites. Now shut up.

Even that boring Hitler play Patriots made more money than Lempicka last week.

Color blind casting means you’re blind so color means nothing. Nazis can be played by black men etc. However not so blind that Harriet Tubman can be played by a white person Get it!

[quote]However not so blind that Harriet Tubman can be played by a white person Get it!

If you don't understand the difference, then you're even dumber than you seem.

Carrie: The Musical is finally getting a Dutch production. Included in the video is Joey McNeely who’s very diplomatic about what went wrong with the original production he was in.

Ok, Jeri Blank

So happy Maryann Plunkett scored an Outer Critics nomination!

Me too r562 and Kecia Lewis for HK which many people have said is the only reason to see it.

But isn't Bebe the shoo-in for Best Featured?

Not if she's up against Kecia, R564

Sure, Jan

In this revival of Cabaret, is all of Cliff’s music cut like in the last one?

NYT reviews "Mary Jane":

I hope the play is less boring than that review.

[Quote] In this revival of Cabaret, is all of Cliff’s music cut like in the last one?

Yes. And all the other songs are screamed at top intensity.

In Patriots, Luke Thallon has a hot butt. Sadly, it’s only shown encased in tight slacks.

R565, who is Kecia?

Oh do your homework

"Oh, Mary!" transferring to the Lyceum for 12 weeks this summer. What a shame it's not the Booth.

In this revival of Cabaret, all of Cliff's scenes should have been cut.

Just be glad he doesn't have to sing "Don't Go" R575

Is Alison Pill signing Playbills at VANYA?

She is if Staples delivered her rubber stamp and ink pad.

Cabaret matinee canceled due to cast illness

This revival should just be canceled. Period.

It's always good taste to say how much you don't like something.

Those OCC nominations are whack. I sort of expect the same from Drama Desk, knowing that weirdo crowd.

Someone sick of reading the reviews?

If you have National Theatre At Home, "Grenfell: in the words of the survivors" is beautifully done and absolutely enraging. DLers in New York can go see it at St. Ann's Warehouse through mid-May. Highly recommended.

R581 took a wrong turn at Facebook.

Saw the National Theatre Live broadcast of “The Motive and the Cue” at the Leonard Nimoy/Thalia, thought it was terrific, a very entertaining, well-crafted (and therefore old-fashioned) piece of bravura theater.

Mark Gatiss (pronounced Gay-tiss, as he reminded everyone at the Oliviers) was wonderful, strongly captured Gielgud without doing an outright impersonation and Johnny Flynn was good too, with some of the coarse sensuality and mellifluous bullshit of Burton (and I found him sexy in white jockey briefs).

Assume this will never come to Broadway — too large a cast, too old-fashioned, cast too white (despite two — perhaps anachronistic — exceptions in the supporting roles) and too difficult to cast the leads properly. And yet I think that many theatergoers in NY who aren’t feeling well-served by so much “new” theater would eat it up, as I did.

Eden Espinosa out yet again today. Her voice is completely fucked. I think at this point the understudy is more deserving of the Tony nomination.

Seeing a video of The Motive and the Cue at a campus theater in NJ near me, can't wait. But I don't know why you'd think it won't arrive eventually land on Broadway, even with Gatiss and Flynn? Leopoldstadt had a larger and whiter cast and did very well, with less supposed commercial appeal, r586.

Let's leave poor Eden alone.

Agreed r589 she has been sick - just like half of the cast of Cabaret it seems

When will CHICAGO’S producers break down and give the public what it wants - a guest slot for Lauren Tewes?

[quote]Eden Espinosa out yet again today. Her voice is completely fucked. I think at this point the understudy is more deserving of the Tony nomination.

Sorry to hear but not surprised, based on how she sounded at the performance I attended.

Musical Awards 2024 aired in The Netherlands tonight. The opening number was from an upcoming production of Saturday Nigjt Fever. I think it’s sort of unintentionally hilarious. Did Stephanie grab her crotch during “Staying Alive” in other productions? I want to fuck the guy playing Tony all night long but he seems a bit…wrong for the role? His name’s Buddy Vedder and he’s apparently a hugely popular TV personality. He’s one of the judges on the local edition of The Masked Singer.

Late to the party, but I loved ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. Very moving, and Strong was excellent. Not so crazy about the booze break though.

The talks to bring The Motive and the Cue to Broadway started as soon as it transferred to the West End. The plan was to open towards the end of the year. As far as I know, it’s still going ahead - but I’m also surprised that nothing has officially been announced yet.

I'm curious about what the final round of Tony eligibility decisions will include.

Did anybody else have a terror-filled show choir flashback watching the "Stayin' Alive" video?

r443 He's a former Drag Race contestant, and an understudy for the Emcee. Got to feel sorry for anyone subjected to him taking over.

LEMPICKA!

Don’t cry for me, Miss Lempicka

The truth is your show’s a stinka!