Profile for UrNotAMachine

Caught the first preview last night and loved it. I found it to be very inventive and moving. I'm not typically someone with a lot of interest in dance, but it definitely kept me engaged and I thought the story was pretty easy to follow. It also probably helps a lot that "Illinois" is one of my favorite albums of all time. I know every note of that album so well from having listened to it so much, and seeing a live band perform it in its entirety was also just a really cool experience on its ...

BroadwayRox3588 said: "They thought she was obligated to give her views on every single political and social issue in 2020/2021, and hate her because she didn't. I know that sounds like something made up, but that's literally why a lot of (especially younger) Gen Zers and Gen Alphas hate her." I (a millennial for the record) am not about to re-litigate that whole debacle (especially because discussions of it were very often deleted from this website). But that's a very disingenuous explanatio...

Caught this show yesterday and I'm sorry to say I'm very mixed on it. I love JRB and I think there are some songs in this show that are fantastic and approaching some of his best work. Having said that, there are also some songs that really did not click with me, and I think that had more to do with how some of them were used in the story than the songs themselves. Also, this show is still in previews so I know there are many changes to come, so take all my critiques with a grain of salt and ...

He's right that there seemed to be no room for the show in what's looked back on as one of the busiest Tony seasons. It's hard to have a hit when so many other heavy-hitters are stealing the spotlight. The Tony race was really Evan Hansen vs. Great Comet with Come From Away as a dark horse candidate.But honestly, the show had its faults too. I don't know if it would have really been a juggernaut in a quieter season. It may have taken some Tony's away from The Band's Visit if it waited a year ...

EDSOSLO858 said: "That being said, I would love to see Greta direct a true movie musical." I'd love to see her direct a film of the gender-flipped Company revival. Her husband already considered making a Company movie with Adam Driver before that idea became "Marriage Story"

Just read this script. It was alright. It really condenses a lot of things (as most adaptations of books do) but it had some funny moments. This is most assuredly a stunt script written primarily to to garner attention for the writer-- something becoming more and more common on the Blacklist these days-- but it works well enough and I hope it brings them some notoriety.There's basically a 0% chance that this gets made with all of the parties involved (many of whom have already shown themselve...

I'm personally expecting a very mixed reception. Sondheim pushed the envelope of what musical theatre could be with every show, and that certainly includes this one. Critics, who have often taken decades to adequately asses Sondheim's genius, will be just as baffled about this show as they were during Company's out-of-town tryouts or the cold reception of Assassins' original run.

TheQuibbler said: "I saw this last night and really, really enjoyed it. I agree with the others who say it’s leagues better than the filmed London production. My biggest hang up was with the character of Gussy. She’s simply in it too much for being as uninteresting a character as she is. She’s a broadly painted femme fatale with not much going on and she just takes up too much real estate in the book. I’d rather have more time with Beth. Any time we’re with the main trio is when the show trul...

Broadway Flash said: "My friend in the pit is under the impression that it's an open ended run. Do you think they will replace Groban and Ashford?"Unless they can find a name big enough to replace Groban and boost ticket sales, the show is likely much too costly to run without a huge star attached. (otherwise, I would have loved to see someone like Josh Henry or Raul Esparza take on the role)

I think Toni Collette would be a perfect Sally

Not a stage role, but I've been saying for a while she could make a perfect Phyllis if that planned Follies film ever goes into production. (with Toni Colette as my first choice for Sally)

Saw this on Broadway and then on tour (while visiting a friend in Philadelphia) and loved it both times. I don't think I've ever had such a visceral, emotional reaction to a piece of theatre before. It ranks up there with my favorite productions I've ever seen.But having said that, even in a blue northeast city like Philly, audiences were not having it. The crowd was mostly made up of elderly people who were probably just excited to see a safe re-staging of their favorite feel-good musical. I...

Musicaldudepeter said: "What are people thinking the design and staging will be for this production? Will it be naturalistic or abstract? What is Kail's style normally?"The set is being designed by the brilliant Mimi Lien, who is probably most famous for designing the set for Great Comet. I wouldn't be surprised if the show's design fell more on the metaphorical/immersive side of the spectrum than the realistic/representational side.As for Tommy Kail, I'm not really sure what he'll end up doi...

Sara904 said: "Do you think he will be nominated for the Tony if the musical tranfers next year? Or he isn't good enough to impress?”I think he definitely has a chance. It really depends who he’s up against and how good the overall reviews turn out to be. I thought he should have been nominated for How To Succeed, though. So you’re guess is as good as mine…

Caught the show last night and LOVED it. I've seen the pro-shot of Friedman's 2013 production, so there weren't too many "surprises" in store, other than a brilliant cast all around. Groff is probably the best Frank I've ever seen-- in no small part due to the fact that he's so likable in real life that you can't help but care about Frank even when he's being an asshole in the show's first half. Lindsay Mendez is a fantastic Mary, her "Now You Know" was a definite highlight of the evening. I ...

I was lucky enough to refresh the tickets page at exactly the right time around midnight last night and snagged a ticket for Saturday's performance!

Man, I have to say I'm very relieved this film is dead in the water. The film adaptation that exists is nearly perfect (and even more-so when you watch the Director's cut/original ending) and the casting rumors inspired zero confidence in me that the filmmakers understand the property beyond a superficial level.

I think what stings the most about this show closing is that this show felt to me like a production that could have broken through to the mainstream in a way that Sondheim revivals very seldom (never) do. "Company" may have the stigma of being a somewhat confusing/cynical show, but I really think this revival had an energy to it, and a sense of scale and, most of all, a sense of fun that many Sondheim detractors say is generally missing from his shows. It really bums me out that it never caug...

Synecdoche2 said: The tragedy of this production is that in 10 years people will see that it ran less time than the Doyle revival and got a pan in the New York Times and they will assume it was a mediocre or unsuccessful production. I hope those of us who love this production won't give up spreading the good word about it years down the line. I certainly won't!" The good news is that this revival is actually set out to beat the Doyle revival in number of performances by 52 (according to wikip...

ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure said: "How does Phillipa do with the comedy so far? Denee was a lovely Cinderella, but she wasn't very funny."I thought she played it fairly straight, but I guess I never thought Cinderella was a very funny role anyway. Her voice is obviously beautiful, though.