Dr Dolittle does little.........

[JIsgren]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 8:20pm

I was going to post my own review, but the review in the Chronicle sums up my feelings...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/theater/3601419.html

We saw the show last Friday and it was worth every penny we paid!! -- We were given the tickets. Tommy was fun to watch, but as Everett says, it was Tommy on stage, not Dr. Dolittle. The story does not hold together and it comes off a aseries of unrelated scenes. Tommy and Dee start off fighting, but suddenly, inexplicitly far madly in love

The set was so-so. Lots of set noise during some quiet parts (whirring behind the curtain as sets were flown and moved.) Best part of the set was the shipwreck.

Sound was poor with severe RF interference during Dee Hoty's first entrance, not to mention a few missed sound cues. (Not that I can throw stones on that one!!!!!)

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 2:13pm

I see it tonight here in Denver. I am told it is 90 minutes plus with no intermission.

[respeck]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 2:22pm

But Tommy Tune is such a great actor. How could this be.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 2:32pm

Did you see Stage Door Charlie/Buskers/Busker Alley? I will give a full review after seeing it. But I am afraid because I got 4 comps instead of my normal 2!

Updated On: 1/31/06 at 02:32 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:01pm

Here is an article that appeared in the Denver Post on Tommy and the show:


http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3441684

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:13pm

Dr. Dolittle is a non-union tour!!!!!!

Tune (speaking about a cast member's mother): "If only I had met you before (your husband), you would be Melody Tune now". Yeah, sure, whatever you say!

[lildogs]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:19pm

How can Tommy and Dee do a non-eq tour? Did they get special permission?

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:30pm

I found the Melody Tune thing funny also. Didn't know it was non-union.
Also interesting. Curtain time for all of the evening shows is 7:00pm and matinees are at 1:00. Going for the kids I'm sure.

Updated On: 1/31/06 at 05:30 PM

[michelle4]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 5:52pm

Dr. Doolittle is NOT, I repeat, NOT a non-equity show. That is incorrect information period.

[zbigner]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 8:01pm

I saw the Sunday matinee in Houston and mostly agree with the negative reviews. I'm a subscriber, and I wouldn't tell other season subscribers to skip the show. If you've never seen Tune on stage, it's worth it just for that. Dee Hoty is wonderful. If you can get a cheap ticket, Tune and Hoty are worth the price of admission.

The show really is a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts. The actors are great, and the sets and costumes are fine. The score is pretty forgetable but not bad. The show just doesn't come together for some reason. Maybe a better story that actually holds together would help. The little kids didn't seem to mind. There is a place for shows that introduce kids to musical theatre. I guess this show fits the bill. I just wish it offered more for the adults.

The show is definitely Equity. I double checked in my Playbill.

Zack

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 10:59pm

I dunno why they even decided to do this show. It's stupid. The score is horrible and the lyrics are sophmoric.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:02am

I atteneded opening night at the Buell Theatre here in Denver last night. I went in with the midset that Denver is only the second stop since the re-tooling of the show. The show started late because of a technical problem. They couldn't get the scrim down. There were technical problems throughout the evening. The worst being a mic. I enjoyed the music but there was just something that didn't click. I hate to say it, but the show looks cheap. Have humans in black jumpsuits as "puppeteers" for the animals really didn't work. Polynesia and the Pig were cute at first but that didn't last. The choreography was pretty repetitive. Even the "what was supposed to be really cute" dance with the Pushmi/Pullyu didn't really take off. (But the audience loved it) Dee Hoty was fine and has a lovely voice. (It was my firt time seeing her live onstage). Mr. Tune was, Mr. Tune. After the Monkey-Monkey Island Dance he is sitting center stage and Chee Chee brings him a drink. Last night he asked if oxygen came with that. (Playing on the "I just did a really big number and I am in the mile high city thing. A lot of performers will reference it here. We actually keep oxygen handy backstage for performers.) The sad thing is that the number is not really high energy enough. If this show is to succeed, it needs A LOT of work. Better scenery and better choreography. And better animals. Right now, I don't think it is worth the price of full admission. Also, at the curtain call, Mr. Tune thanked the audience and said how good it was to be back in Denver, how beautiful the city is and how clean it is. He then said something about calling the New York City commission and telling them to come out here and take notes. (I have been to New York 3 times in the past 2 years. New York is nowhere near as dirty as it used to be. But I will say that Denver is really a pretty clean city.) He then said that they were unable to rehearse before the opening and called all of the technical people onstage. After the show I went out for drinks and bumped into one of the ensemble members, Jonathan Sandler, he told me that they plan to make changes before they open in LA, which is the stop after Denver. I wish them luck. Oh also, Jonathan sang at the bar we were at after the show. Nice voice. I went to his website to check out his music. Not too bad!

Updated On: 2/2/06 at 11:02 AM

[jimnysf]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:08am

This was a bad movie, a flop as I recall. Why did anyone think it would make a good stage musical? I was bored when I saw the film as a kid and I still didn't care for it as an adult.

Trivia: In the opening of the film, "Sweet Charity", a partiallly painted over "Doctor Dolittle" Times Square billboard can be seen. I think it was a full block long.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:18am

I had a week run in Denver uncageg and it is a lovely city. My bf came and we stayed in a lovely hotel and found a couple of top-notch restaurants, and yes, it is VERY hard to breathe there!

Dr. D might not have been a hit, but it racked up some Oscar noms...whatever that means...

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:46am

lildogs....was your run at the Buell? If so, you know that the Gershwin has nothing on the Buell when it comes to being cavernous. The Buell can swallow up a show like Dolittle.

I love Denver. I am from Philadelphia but have lived here for 14 years. Moved here with my ex partner. He left, I stayed. It took me almost a year to get fully acclimated to the altitude and thinner air.

I do have to say that the final number before the finale, "After Today", was kinda fun with the snow and Tommy Tune flying through the air on the back of the green moth/butterfly thing. That sort of "whimsey" should have been prevalent throughout the show.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 12:42pm

I went to Castle Coombe where Dr. Doolittle was filmed. It's a nice little village.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 1:18pm

"This was a bad movie, a flop as I recall. Why did anyone think it would make a good stage musical? I was bored when I saw the film as a kid and I still didn't care for it as an adult." Um? Wasn't it already a succesful musical in London?

kmc

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 2:02pm

jimnysf....The story is cute and it could be a really fun musical. This just isn't the right production. I think Julie Taymor would do wonders with this show.

[moowithme111105]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 3:32pm

I want to see this show really bad, since I know the boy who plays Chee Chee the Chimpanze, Aaron Burr, i've competed in alot of dance competitions with him, he's an amazing tapper.
Updated On: 3/13/06 at 03:32 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 3:42pm

moonwithme11105....don't be angry with me, but after reading how impressed Tune was with him and what he did to get Aaron in the show, I was not as impressed as I was hoping to be! He was great in the show and can definetly dance. I think it also may be the choreography. They could have done so much more to make him shine. And they actually do a bit of a build up to his big moment early on in the show.

[moowithme111105]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 3:45pm

Yeah, he's a good dancer, but he's really stuck up!

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 4:03pm

I am sure after working with Tommy Tune he will be moreso. After the big Monkey dance, Tune broke character a bit and gave Aaron a wink, smile and thumbs up.

Updated On: 2/1/06 at 04:03 PM

[justme2]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:20pm

I plan on making the trip to Sacramento to see this when it comes around. Mainly for Dee Hoty, who in my opinion is one of the most underrated and underused performers today. But also to see Tune back on stage. uncageg...was the choreography up to Tune's earlier works?

(please exclude Best Little Whorehouse goes Public and Buskers from the analysis!!!)

[justme2]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:20pm

double post!

Updated On: 2/1/06 at 05:20 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:40pm

He did not choreograph this show. Patti Colombo did. She's done mostly TV stuff. She did Peter Pan w/Cathy Rigby for the A&E broadcast and the national tour of Seussical.