Jaystarr's 10/10 Reports on Encores' APPLAUSE & PASSING STRANGE.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 12:38pm

to my fellow Grey Gardeners....

E27

Applause
Encore Series
City Center
2/9 8 pm
2 hours and 30 mins (with 1 intermssion)
Ticket Price : $50.00 for Front Gallery

INTRO:

I really had a great weekend. My first time at City Center Encores .. Ive meet some of my friends here at BWW...and I got to see another new musical, PASSING STRANGE.

We left Boston, Saturday at noon..and we arrived in NYC at exactly 4 pm. I called Miss Pennywise first bec. she had planned to met us a while ago when she learn that were all going to see APPLAUSE at the same time. Well.. its really a BWW night at APPLAUSE that night bec. there were soo many BWW posters that Saturday night... I also made plans with Jeffreydog, a friend here and fellow fANADUs.

So we got to my sisters' place in Queens, freshened up a bit and went to Chan Penn, a Thai restaurant in Midtown. Its good its a Thai food bec. Chris & I were vegetarians for the past five years.. Its a long story... I mentioned how we became vegetarians ...in the now..infamous ..the "DEER THREAD" in the off-topic board but it got deleted. Long story.

So we went to our 'reserved' BWW table at Chan Penn. I saw Without A Trace first..well I knew him bec. I met him when I saw THE LITTLE MERMAID... then n69N (a good friend of mine here too) the charming Calvin and Miss Pennywise...who looks like a younger Christine Ebersole, and that's according to Chris...and its true.. she's pretty.. like Miss Ebersole in person...oh... Mr. Pennywise was also with Miss Pennywise too.

It was fun chatting with BWWer's.. We talked about theater and soo many things...
I met them at 5:30 pm for dinner and we left the restaurant at almost 730 pm...
to walk to City Center together..One good thing about BWWers is they know how to carry a conversation!

Its probably the highlight of my weekend..to meet fellow BWWers and talk.. its soo different when your postings and people are just responding to your post...meeting them in person gives you a better undestanding of the World of BWW.. Sorry to say that before.. I thought theres a lot of mean & "weird" people on the chat board...until I met ALL these guys that I met for the past months which proves me wrong... Yes... there are normal posters here and they are REAL people -just like you and me....and most importantly..they have feelings...and sometimes mean things that was said to them hurt them and upon hearing it... it made me realized that I AM NOT ALONE.

After the show.. I met PalJoey...It was nice to finally met him too (fellow Ella Fitzgerald's fan) I miss fellow fANADUs Jeffrey Dog, my bestfriend here singingbackup ,EugLove and fellow grey-gardeners-bwygal1 bec. the theater was so big. I am sure I will catch with them next time. We went around to the stage door to met Erin Davie... It was raining and my camera was acting up that night... that's why I was not able to take alot of photos.. plus it also escape me bec. I was soo pre-occupied talking to them.

After the show..we went to Brooklyn dinner and jrb_actor & borstalboy met us there.. It was a fun evening and we stayed until the place was ready to kick us out at almost 1:30 am....Its like I went out with co-workers on a Friday night and just hang-out and talked sh*t about work!! lol! I am just kidding, okay?

I really had a great time hanging out with you guys..and for those I miss.. there's always next time... sorry for the long INTRO.. now let's go to APPLAUSE!

Thing(s) I LIKE about the musical

1. Christine Ebersole- I love this woman. She's the REASON why I went to see APPLAUSE. I was not really thrilled with the score. I borrowed it from the libary. I only like two songs..But Alive and Applause. It was great to hear Ebersole sing those songs...even he ones I dont like.. it was a treat!

- She was soo funny..specially when she answered the phone eventhough its still ringing...I did not know it till Miss Pennywise told me after the show.

- It was so nice to see her doing another thing after Grey Gardens.

2. Full Orchestra- nice to see and hear them play.

**********

Okay. Let me start my next topic..by saying.. this was my first time with ENCORES and I discussed with those guys (who seen several Encores' shows ..what was different from other productions) I asked them a lot of questions....

Thing(s) I DID NOT LIKE about the musical

(not in my list) bec. it was not in the show..but since I am retelling my experience that night...I'll include it.. I dont like my seat Front Gallery Row A seat 202 for $50.00 .. I feel like ... I was sitting on a...



I have been to a lot of theaters across US. but City Center takes the cake on being the steepest of them all.. I was so scared to go down my seat.. I thought I might trip and fall down a 10 stories buiding.

My seat has this bar too infront of me... that's blocking the my sight view..Someone here mentioned that he saw Applause in the nose-bleed seats with his oxygen mask... he is not kidding! The altitude was soo high that I literally got light-headed after the show. I should have brought my own oxygen tank. lol!

1. Score- As I said .. I dont care much for the score. Some of the songs are so horrendous like THE BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE ( I feel sorry for Erin for singing this song 3 times) and HURRY BACK.

- one song Backstage Babble even sound like a song from Sesame Street:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC9FtLQJoGM

2. The Book- I felt like its a bit outdated... some of the jokes are campy.. I cant believe I said that... coming from me.. who likes XANADU.. Somehow.. I did not enjoyed some the jokes & dialogues...must be the Thai food I ate..which btw was excellent!

3. The Sets- I talked to the guys about this one.. I knew its ENCORE..but I felt like they should have done better than those sets they used on APPLAUSE.

4. The Direction of Kathleen Marshall- It was explain to me that they only have few weeks or sometimes a week to rehearse an ENCORE show...actually it seems to me that the Actors even memorized their line very well , and they could get away without the black book with a script on their hands... but its not that... I felt like..
FORGIVE ME for saying this.. It was kinda sloppy and not very tight.

***********

5. Actors : I cant believe I did not like some of these actors bec. they are my favorites:

a. Erin Davie- love her in Grey Gardens & A Glorious Ones..I like her innocence and sweetness, but I felt her Eve was missing that "conniving" factor in the character. I did not see that. I said to the guys... that I wished Sarah Gettelfinger played Eve.

b. Mario Cantone- love him in Sex & the City... and the only reason why Chris came along is bec. of him....he did not do much for me in this one.

c. Kate Burton- love her plays at Boston's Huntington ..but she was so flat in this one.

e. Chip Zien and Michael Parks- love them both with beautiful voice but I was not impressed with them at this one.. Chip Zien was so underused...with 1 song.

In Summary:

This is another musical that I wrestled with my decision.. I want to like this soo badly but I can't.... I can certainly like it bec. of Christine Ebersole.. like Pal Joey said after the show...if you dont like it.. just say.. MARGO! but not enough reason for me to overlook things that I did not like.

Its really a combination of my seat, the score, the sets and the whole production which lead me to my decision that I DID NOT LIKE The show... I love Christine...but this show just made me realized how much I miss GREY GARDENS! or probably I am just not an ENCORE kinda-guy!

I am sorry guys....




Score : 2/5 - I DID NOT LIKE IT!



City Center






Production Photos
(from NYTimes)


Additional Production Photos: (from BWW)
https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=24982

The Playbill




















Updated On: 5/14/08 at 12:38 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 12:38pm

E28

Passing Strange
New Musical
Belasco Theater
2/10 3 pm matinee
2 hours and 30 mins (with 1 intermssion)
Tix Price : $37.00 (thru TDF)

INTRO :

Sunday. We woke up at about 10:30 am. I got a terrible headache from staying out late..but it was fun and we had a great time. We left my sister's place in Queens at about 1:00 pm and we got to Times Square at about 1:30 ..took some photos for the WBaF's Marquee Thread on 44st & 45st , head to to one of those Broadway Souvenir Store (I forgot the name) the one that's sandwich between the stage doors of Booth & Shubert at the Shubert Alley to pick up a copy of The Little Mermaid OBCR CD and had lunch at Juniors.

After lunch we went to the "other side" of Broadway...crossed Times Square and arrived at the Belasco Theater ..by that time.. the winds are blowing soo hard and its getting bitterly cold.. its good that they let us in the theater at around 2:33 pm.

We went to up to Mezzanine and I was staring at this bare stage with this marble-ly like platform with four band stands (on each other side) that's half sunk to the ground with a white curtain at the background... It really look bare! though it reminded me of the play I saw at the Public Theater- YELLOW FACE. They are playing blues music which reminded me of Journey's End (they were playing WWI's music before the show) almost a year ago since our last visit to the Belasco...but this time .. There are more lights onstage and the Belasco is not very dark inside... The last few minutes before the show... I was staring at the funny fresco on the ceiling that looks like its an orgy scene...lol! The Tiffannies hanging on the ceiling are very pretty indeed.

I had a feeling that I will be bored at the show...I dont why? just looking at the stage... soo bare...the music they were playing..so melancholy...

Then Stew came out hold his guitar..... and wow! the whole stage just exploded...
Its almost a concert!... The band is VERY LOUD- I repeat .. Its very loud.. If you think you wont like a concert like atmostphere with music blasting almost to your eardrums..this might not be the musical for you ! I can really feel the drums pounding.. the four half sunk band stands was elevated to stage level..suddenly I was tapping my shoes quietly.. then all my worries disappeared.. I knew then from the first beat of the drums, first pluck of the electric guitar....I am going to have a great time!

Things I LIKE about the Musical

1. The Music- Almost all the songs from ACT 1 are a jam-session. I enjoyed every one of it. The gospel songs (Bapstist Fashion Show, Blues Revelation, Sole Brother) ae very energetic. I wish they'd remove the chairs so people can clap their hands and dance the beat. The Amsterdam songs are very funky... The Keys (which is avalaible for a free download on their website) sounded soo good live... specially the last part where it goes..."and its alright!".. Stew pointed his microphone to the audience and everyone was responding to him back..."its alright!" I think after that number I yelled...Wooo! (lol!)

2. The Actors :

Stew was fantastic...very energetic.. you know from the time whe went out and held his guitar.. this is gonna be a mutha f***** show!

Daniel Breaker- beautiful voice, great actor - great potrayal of The Youth. He showed different range of emotions.. at almost of the each ends of the spectrum.

Two standout for me in the ensemble are :

a. Colman Domingo specially in Act 1 as Franklin- very flamboyant..I assume "closeted gay" ..he is hilarious... though I can see that people might see that its enforcing certain type of streotypes..bec. he is kinda over-the top with the role.

b. Chad Goodridge- great dancer, nice voice.. I thought he is very handsome and has a nice body.. he lifted his shirt in the Amsterdam scene as Christophe...who can see his nice abs..

Note: The Two girls are very good too- de'Adre Aziza & Rebecca Naomi Jones though I like the two guys better..its just me! I love all the cast members.

The Mother costume in blue gown at the end was just fabulous.

3. Staging- I love the staging...suprsingly specially after he arrived to Amsterdam.. they moved the whitee curtains to reveal this funky lights of wall... with different colors, flourescent lights... half sunk bands on each sides, the black almost like
Kia- chairs.

4. Lighting- I thought the lighting was one of the strongest part of the whole musical. The way they reflected on the white curtain at the Los Angeles scene was very colorful...evoking that feeling of being in downtown Los Angeles..I really like when they lifted the curtains..while singing ."Welcome to Amsterdam" and they reveal the funky wall of lights...Its nothing I have ever seen... I was ecstatic with joy..I felt like there were some creativity that was put into their to re-imagination his arrival in Amsterdam. I think this is probably one of my favorite part of the entire musical.. I never seen a show that uses too much lights to express different moods and their transitions.

5. The Light Wall designed by Kevin Adams and David Korins- one word-imagination.

6. The Band was something else...finally you felt like the band is an integral part of the whole play.. I mean...almost like a character itself.

7. The Book.. I like it.. I thought it was very original and innovative. Its basically a story of an African-American guy played by Daniel Breaker, just named "Youth". who grew up in Los Angeles and he really wanted to find his true identity..in that quest he left his beloved mother in Los Angles.. traveled to Amsterdam and Berlin only to find out.... I am not going to give the ending, okay?

The dialogues are very funny! though I can see as to why some people will probably be offended by it.. bec. it kinda reinforce "certain" stereotypes.. I looked past it bec. I knew they are on to something else at the end, so It really did not bother me..

Stew's character as the Narrator was brilliantly infused to the book, making side comments and basically telling the story.

I can relate to the main character as a minority who grew up in America. I can see as to why he went to all this different "confused" phases in his life. When I was a teenager...I was "kinda" like him not a 100 percent though...I was searching for a destiny that's mine... I was thinking then... that there's another place and time ...
(for me) and from one of my favorite song in the 80's- "Just an Illusion" by Imagination...and by the tittle of the song suggests.. It's just an illustion! Not Reality.

I know why he went to Europe... He wanted to be appreciated for who he is.. not what people want to see him, but I guess a 20 yr old youth sometimes really does not know what he is looking for.

I N T E R M I S S I O N :

During that 15 mins break... I told Chris..Wow! I think I just saw The BEST MUSICAL this year soo far (after Xanadu, Young Frankestein & The Little Mermaid) I was raving about it....until....

Things I DID NOT about the Musical

1. ACT 2- I thought after I went to the men's room and went back to my seat. I went into some sort of a psychedlic worm hole...and ended up seeing a alternate reality musical of Passing Strange. Act 2 in Berlin was a totally different musical from Act 1. It was darker, abrasive and almost borderline "TORTURE"... My jaw just dropped..why would a musical differ in tone, sound, light, characters & moods soo
drastically... its because this time.. they were in Berlin.. they were playing punk-rock songs ( Forgive me..but I am not a big fan of it...that's probably why? ) the same groovy gospel sounds and RnB infused with Rock and Roll songs in ACT 1 became a noise-polluting sound that I was looking at the lady in the aisle if she would bother to stand up and let me out & escape the show.

- From the songs "May Day" to "The Black One" about 40 mins in the second act ..my headache came back... I was staring at the orgy scenes again at the ceiling..

Finally...on "The Come Down Now"- the mood change.. finally! but by then I fet that the Berlin scene was dragging and it gotten too old for me to rebound back.

The finale song "Love Like That" was good though... everyone was high-spirited again...

In Summary :

I really thought about the musical during our 4 hour drive back to Boston..If I wrote a report after the show.. I probably wont like it bec. of the 1st 40 mins of ACT 2..Then I think and think about it...I guess.. they wanted you to experience the Youth's confusion and his dark phase in Berlin.

Stew talked to the audience about his friend who sells Pretzel and he brilliantly explained the conclusion of the play..which I will not give..you have to see it for yourself! I guess the musical really put me in a roller coater of emotions.. somehow in the last Act .. I was not able to fully recoup.. let me put it in prespective.. its like you got into a fight with your significant other and you just can't snap out of it in 5 mins after the fight.

Now.. Another day..while I was writting.. I came in full realization. I snapped out of my PASSING STRANGE... Yeah... I can conclude now .. that I like the play.. bec. its innovative, original, creative and its just different! not the same old thing...

I guess.. Its BRILLIANT bec. It affected me in so many levels and it made me think after I saw it...and came up with my "real feelings" about the show a day later.



Score : 7/1- I LIKE IT !



Belasco Theater












Production Photos
(from Playbill)













Note : Photos are from the Off-Broadway run at the Public Theater which is exactly the same as the one in the Belasco (incl. costumes)

The Playbill












Next Monday : SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.


Updated On: 5/14/08 at 12:38 PM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 12:42pm

thanks, Jay! i'm seeing Passing Strange this Saturday!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 12:43pm

Stew's headshot is hilarious.

Posted: 2/11/08 at 12:59pm

wow, PASSING STRANGE sounds more interesting than i'd imagined!

thanks, jay*!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 1:09pm

you liked it???

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 1:50pm

Is there anyway to hear the music? It seems so interesting, and I'd love to hear it. I can only see three plays/musicals when I come up, and I'm thinking about this one. It just seems like something so new and different.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 1:56pm

Rentboy86:

Click here:
http://www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com/

1. Click on SEE/HEAR

2. on Right : Choose AUDIO

3. that's where you can download the FREE SONGS

Also they just added the 4th free song - Amsterdam...

Hope that works..If not let me know.. I will e-mail you the songs since its a legal download- I dont think there would be an issue. They are giving it away.. for promotion.

J*


Updated On: 2/11/08 at 01:56 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 1:56pm

Who's Stew and why does he only have one name like Orfeh?

I love his pic.

Who are those people?

Do any of them have any Broadway credits?

Is this show a TONY contender?
I know it's eligible but is it that good?

thanks Jaybird!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:00pm

The first act is definitely infinitely better than act 2. I actually enjoyed act 1 a great deal. It all falls apart in act 2, unfortunately.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:01pm

I have only seen 4 new musicals.. Xanadu, Young Franskenstein, The Little Mermaid & Passing Strange so far..

and to be fair....without biased.. I personally thought it was the best out of the four.
I still have to see A Catered Affair & Cry Baby or TOS (if it open on time...) so I have opinion for now..

oh.. I saw In The Heights on OFF-Broadway... its good too...its soo early right now...

but for me.. I think these threee have good shots for a nominations of Best Musical

Xanadu
In The Heights
Passing Strange

J*
Updated On: 2/11/08 at 02:01 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:06pm

I really like some of the music. Jay, is it an original score? Like Curtain, I'm not familiar with Stew, is it a jukebox using his songs, or is it original? It seems like such an interesting idea. Are the songs sang by the characters, or are they used as a background?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:17pm

Thanks a bunch for the loooovely review, Jay!
Always appreciated, my friend. I love the pics, too!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:41pm

Stew is a subversive underground rocker who, with his musical associate/lifepartner Heidi Rodewald, fronts the subversive underground rock band The Negro Problem.

[theaterfan194]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:43pm

JayStarr was the theater crowded. I bought the cheap seats for tomorrow night's performance and hope to move down to the mezzanine. iwas wondering about this possibility thanks

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 3:21pm

Thanks Yankee.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 4:01pm

theaterfan- When we saw it. it was full..but who knows its Tuesday and Winter...you might get lucky...

J*
Updated On: 2/11/08 at 04:01 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 5:16pm

updated on Applause section (see above) ^^^^

J*

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 5:19pm

Thanks for the recap, Jay, and it was more than a pleasure meeting you. Great photos, especially that exquisitely framed one of you and Chris at "Applause."

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 5:25pm

I was on the fence about Passing Strange, but now I am definitely going to make plans to see it now. Great reviews as always Jay!

EDIT- Jay, have you made it to Rock 'n' Roll yet? Updated On: 2/11/08 at 05:25 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 5:38pm

Calvin- Of course.. It was a good picture.. I wonder who took that picture? such a great photographer! ....thanks to him..

frogs-fan85- No I have not seen Rock N'Roll. I think were supposed to see that together after the strike, but I wasnt feeling good the next day..I am seeing Sunday in the park next weekend..Have you seen it?

J*

[jv92]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 5:58pm

jay-
Good to hear your review! :) Will agree with you on The Best Night of My Life and (to a degree) Hurry Back. Admit it though, Christine made it better. I thought the sets were quite good. The country house set was very imaginative, I thought, for a concert production. And I rather enjoyed Marshall's staging this time around.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 6:21pm

J* I can't describe how much I love your reviews on this board.

I know I bitch about grammar and spelling on this board (it's usually due to laziness on the part of the poster), but your reviews are so personal and elegant they always bring a tear to my eye.

I have not seen PASSING STRANGE yet, but have tickets for the press preview.

Your comments about APPLAUSE were perfectly appropriate. I'm sorry it was your first experience with ENCORES!, as it was not their best effort.

I hope you attend more of them, because the "fun" of it all is the "flying by the seat of your pants" attitude that makes for great theatre.

One never knows what can happen during an ENCORES! performance. Sometimes it's great, sometimes not. But always exciting. It always showcases some of the best talent on the planet.

And, hopefully, next time you should get seats in the rear mezz.
They go for $40 usually and have great views and are not as scary as the gallery seats. (I'm WAY too nervous to sit up there!! LOL)

You are truly one of the GREAT STARS of this board. Unfortunately, I always work weekends, and it will always be difficult to share a theatrical experience with the two of you.

Thanks to your wonderful posts, we can all share in your experiences!

I think we all love you for that.

Always a fan,

Tom.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 6:27pm

Jay, I guess I didn't miss anything by not seeing Applause?

Passing Strange I'm hoping to get to eventually...

[TomMonster]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 6:37pm

Yank, I've told you before, ENCORES! is about the event. Not always the show.

You should never miss one! One never knows...

And to be frank, ENCORES! is ALWAYS about the orchestra. Even mediocre scores sound great when you have a full orchestra.