Profile for Up In One

EDSOSLO858 said: "DTLI Consensus:Rollicking pop-rock score? Check. Three charismatic leads with immense vocal prowess? Check.Slick, sleek direction? Check. An improved revival of a famously flawed tuner? Not quite checkmate.

9 mixed (including the NYT), 3 positive, 3 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/chess/"

The mixed reviews on this one need to be qualified. They are listing reviews that essentially are saying this is pretty awful - book, staging - a very stupid and annoying narrator but … the music and the singing are great.  Dunno about you but that’s not mixed. It’s negative with a possible redeeming feature. 

Does anyone remember the national tour of the Broadway version of Chess?

We went down to Delaware, which I think was the first stop of the tour, to see it. We remember it being superior to the Broadway version. Having seen the mishmash of the London version we were rooting for a fix way back then too. It was rewritten again for the tour, but I don't remember who did the book work. It was directed by Des McAnuff with choreography by Peter Anastos and Wayne Cilento. Carolee Carmello was Florence, Stephen Bogardus - Freddie, John Herrera - Anatoly, Barbara Walsh -Svetlana and Ken Ard the Arbiter.

They cut Florence's father and that storyline and came up with another politically motivated ending. Freddie came around to really care for Florence and Anatoly was painted as a womanizer. 

Chess 1990 American Tour

Looks like some major work has been done but is she also suggesting musical productions are sometimes too big to turn around completely? The show needed a lot of focus in Boston. It was trying to do many things and had a protagonist that should have been treated like Tony Soprano but they seem to not want to go that dark - and give the their leading lady the Kristin moment. It was very tuff to cheer on the leading character in her, I Will Survive, down in one, finale number.  But...something very interesting could be done with that number that would have elevated and closed the loop on the productions point of view that is so blatantly laid out by the ghost ensemble members throughout the show, 

Lindsey Ferrentino on Rewriting THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

Yikes!  We were lucky to win the on-line lottery yesterday. Interestingly while waiting for the house to open a security guard took an informal poll asking everyone how early, they got in line for tickets. Not one of the ten people ahead of us or behind us admitted to having to wait.   Either someone else had given them tickets or they used the online lottery.  He jokingly called us cheaters. 

When you see what encores can do with a concert staging you wonder how much time they had to put this together. Adam’s vocals  have the rock edge the music needs but the acting and movement in the clips were awkward. Everyone else seemed geared towards theater performances. Superstar hits best when it leans into rock with all the 60’ 70’s rockstar affectations. 

Love the headline that ticket prices are “more affordable” now factoring in a 25% rise in CPI and saying nothing about incomes not keeping up with CPI. 

 

“Yet because consumer prices have climbed more than 25 percent since 2019, that $1.83 billion five years ago is the equivalent of roughly $2.25 billion today. On a like-for-like, inflation-adjusted basis, Broadway’s box-office haul remains about 16 percent below its last pre-pandemic peak.”
 

Broadway Ticket Prices More Affordable Post-Pandemic Despite Record Breaking 2024/2025 Season

I found this article about Hell’s Kitchen’s sound design, and it sheds light on what Patti LuPone was reacting to. She wasn’t just sensing a show that was “a little louder than usual.” Hell’s Kitchen was purposely designed to sound unlike any other Broadway musical—and it seems the creative team may not have fully considered how that might affect their neighbors.

The article explains how the sound design is breaking boundaries, both musically and sonically, to create an immersive soundscape unlike anything seen—or heard—on Broadway.

“The Broadway setup features a massive surround array including between 230 and 240 speakers, creating a surround sound experience that envelops the audience.”

To put that in perspective: most Broadway musicals use between 60 and 100 speakers total to ensure clarity and balance without overwhelming the space. Hell’s Kitchen uses more than double or triple that, with speakers placed on the sides, in the rear, and even overhead.

“The system includes 12 d&b V-Subs and 4 GSL-Subs, delivering deep, extended bass more typical of arena tours than theater.”

The goal wasn’t just to let the audience hear the music—it was to make them physically feel it. Subwoofers are placed throughout the theater, creating tactile vibrations that are part of the experience.

“The show employs studio-level plug-ins like Seventh Heaven used to emulate concert hall reverb and add immersive depth.”

They were aiming for a high-fidelity recreation of Alicia Keys’ studio sound—live. But here’s the thing: music studios are acoustically controlled fortresses—built with layered insulation, isolated walls, and precision-engineered silence.

Broadway theaters—especially landmark-preserved spaces—are the opposite: aging architecture, thin walls, and shared acoustics. Trying to recreate a studio-grade soundscape in that kind of environment is artistically thrilling… but acoustically volatile.

The article also notes that they significantly ramped up the sound between the Off-Broadway run at the Public and the Broadway production at the Shubert. 

All of this suggests the cast was very aware of the sound design. Kecia being a veteran of Broadway should have known this sound system was a different beast. Unless the actor’s perspective is different than the audience experience. 

This wasn’t a case of Hell’s Kitchen having the volume turned up a little too high and just needing to be lowered because of a cranky old white lady who thinks she owns Broadway. 

I saw the show at The Public and the concert level volume and audiophile clarity was one of the pluses for me. The breaks to book scenes were a let down.  I was hoping they’d turn it into a straight up concert for Bway. My recommendation to friends on this show was to go for the music. I need to go see it again now for the new sound design alone. 

 


The Simmering Sounds of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen”