THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Musical - News & Discussion Thread- Page 11

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 10:32pm

Synecdoche2 said: "bk said: "Answer the rest of his question. I just am baffled by this kind of obsession - do you know people involved?"

He clearly enjoys seeing productions multiple times, and is free to do so. Why are you bullying a stranger?"

Yeah, BalconyClub has done this for TOOTSIE and PARADISE SQUARE's Chicago runs (perhaps others too). The reports of minuscule changes can be fascinating to read. They're the main reason why I keep lurking in this thread.

Updated On: 7/24/22 at 10:32 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 10:49pm

bk said: "BalconyClub said: "Make that 14. Bought a ticket for Sunday night.

Want to see the Andy Sachs role played by Jessie Hooker-Bailey."

Answer the rest of his question. I just am baffled by this kind of obsession - do you know people involved?"

Why are YOU so obsessed with what this person does?

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 11:50pm

The understudy killed it Sunday night.

Brava to Jessie Hooker-Bailey.

I liked her vocal choices - adding a few Mariah high notes to a few runs. I liked her diction - I picked up on lines I couldn’t make out before. I liked the emotion in her spoken voice.

Jessie Hooker-Bailey is one of 2 understudies for the Andy Sachs role. Tiffany Mann is the other.

Swing JoJo Carmichael did Hooker-Bailey’s usual ensemble track tonight. At the ball scene that ends Act 1, Carmichael wore a different gown than what Hooker-Bailey usually wears.

At the ball, Carmichael was beautiful in her off-white Martha Graham-like attire, which replaced Hooker-Bailey’s shimmering green I-stuck-my-finger-in-a-light-socket marvel.

In other news, the length of the awkward scene change that follows IN YOUR TWENTIES has been shortened. When the sailors and women return to the scene, it’s now a quick pose, then the 4 remove the lamppost and bench. This transition had felt like an eternity earlier.

As for the cherry blossoms, they remind me of the grove of cherry trees in Flushing Meadows that bloom each spring near the Queens Museum. But I also don’t equate cherry trees with NYC. In the production, the trees may be a metaphor for Andy’s blossoming writing career. To a new beginning.

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 7:07am

Call_me_jorge said: "bk said: "BalconyClub said: "Make that 14. Bought a ticket for Sunday night.

Want to see the Andy Sachs role played by Jessie Hooker-Bailey."

Answer the rest of his question. I just am baffled by this kind of obsession - do you know people involved?"

Why are YOU so obsessed with what this person does?"

Exactly. How is it any of their business either? I, for one, am grateful for people who attend multiple performances and are kind enough to take the time to add notes of all the changes that happened.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 12:21pm

BalconyClub said: "The understudy killed it Sunday night.

Brava to Jessie Hooker-Bailey.

I liked her vocal choices - adding a few Mariah high notes to a few runs. I liked her diction - I picked up on lines I couldn’t make out before. I liked the emotion in her spoken voice.

Jessie Hooker-Bailey is one of 2 understudies for the Andy Sachs role. Tiffany Mann is the other.

Swing JoJo Carmichael did Hooker-Bailey’s usual ensemble track tonight. At the ball scene that ends Act 1, Carmichael wore a different gown than what Hooker-Bailey usually wears.

At the ball, Carmichael was beautiful in her off-white Martha Graham-like attire, which replaced Hooker-Bailey’s shimmering green I-stuck-my-finger-in-a-light-socket marvel.

In other news, the length of the awkward scene change that follows IN YOUR TWENTIES has been shortened. When the sailors and women return to the scene, it’s now a quick pose, then the 4 remove the lamppost and bench. This transition had felt like an eternity earlier.

As for the cherry blossoms, they remind me of the grove of cherry trees in Flushing Meadows that bloom each spring near the Queens Museum. But I also don’t equate cherry trees with NYC. In the production, the trees may be a metaphor for Andy’s blossoming writing career. To a new beginning.

"

Your explanation sold me lol

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 12:54pm

Answer the rest of his question. I just am baffled by this kind of obsession - do you know people involved?

Imagine judging someone for what they do with their own money and time. Imagine being miserable enough to actually put that into words. Imagine demanding a stranger ANSWER THE REST OF HIS QUESTION. Wild. Mind your business and go touch grass. TSM. 

Balcony Club, I am loving your reports of the little changes and small nuances happening. Keep it up and thank you so much for commenting! 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 2:04pm

Looking forward to seeing this in August! I am making a trip to Chicago for this and Lady Gaga! I have never been to Chicago before, but have always wanted to, and when I saw these two things coincided, I decided to make a little trip. Hopefully COVID doesn't ruin any of my plans...

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 2:10pm

bwayphreak234 said: "Looking forward to seeing this in August! I am making a trip to Chicago for this and Lady Gaga! I have never been to Chicago before, but have always wanted to, and when I saw these two things coincided, I decided to make a little trip. Hopefully COVID doesn't ruin any of my plans..."

Get a slice of pizza on behalf of the rest of us here!

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 3:06pm

bwayphreak234 said: "Looking forward to seeing this in August! I am making a trip to Chicago for this and Lady Gaga! I have never been to Chicago before, but have always wanted to, and when I saw these two things coincided, I decided to make a little trip. Hopefully COVID doesn't ruin any of my plans..."

If you like architecture and your schedule allows, the Chicago Architecture Center does great walking and boat tours to point out some of the significant buildings in the downtown core.

https://www.architecture.org/

[pethian]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 3:17pm

And if you go to the Art Institute of Chicago, you can see Seurat's 'Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.'

Updated On: 7/25/22 at 03:17 PM

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 4:30pm

Now that it's been pointed out, the fact that the Runway office background has the wrong view of Manhattan really annoys me. especially knowing it's probably not going to change. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 6:36pm

BalconyClub said: "As for the cherry blossoms, they remind me of the grove of cherry trees in Flushing Meadows that bloom each spring near the Queens Museum. But I also don’t equate cherry trees with NYC. In the production, the trees may be a metaphor for Andy’s blossoming writing career. To a new beginning."

I associate them with particular neighborhoods but apparently they're all over. Still, they seem like an odd symbol for New York unless the seasons match up perfectly.

https://tree-map.nycgovparks.org/tree-map/species/92410

 

[bk]

Posted: 7/26/22 at 5:13am

Sutton Ross said: "Answer the rest of his question. I just am baffled by this kind of obsession - do you know people involved?

Imagine judging someone for what they do with their own money and time. Imagine being miserable enough to actually put that into words. Imagine demanding a stranger ANSWER THE REST OF HIS QUESTION. Wild. Mind your business and go touch grass. TSM.

Balcony Club, I am loving your reports of the little changes and small nuances happening. Keep it up and thank you so much for commenting!

"

You're nothing if not predictable. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 7/26/22 at 8:00am

bk said: "You're nothing if not predictable."

Take the L, bud. Take the L. 

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 7/26/22 at 7:08pm

Is there an "opening" night? When can we expect reviews.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 7/26/22 at 7:45pm

Lola Getz2 said: "Is there an "opening" night? When can we expect reviews."

Opening night is August 7th. I’ll be seeing the final two previews on the 6th.

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 7/26/22 at 7:51pm

Thank you for your reply. I hope to catch it when I am in Chicago next month

Enjoy!

[Marlothom]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 12:21am

Saw this again tonight and to their credit they've made some changes that improve the show - particularly in Act 1 - though for reasons we have discussed, they can't change/cut any of the songs yet.  Understudy, Jessie Hooker Bailey was on for Andy Sachs and I enjoyed her more than Taylor Iman Jones, who I saw at the first preview.  Particularly her singing had more "wow" moments.   

A few changes - in the preview, Andy went from getting the call that she got the job, immediately to her first day at Runway, to then having drinks with her friends and singing about "first jobs we put up with". Now she goes from getting the call, to the scene at the bar, to her first full day at Runway.  It works better, but they need to change the dialogue because her friends are asking her all sorts of questions that she wouldn't have answers to - since her only experience at the place has been the interview.  

They are adding more context to Andy's relationship with her boyfriend by removing the two other friends/roommates from Act 1 scenes.  More specifically, the scene where the four of them are watching a movie, is now just Andy and BF, and the dialogue makes it known that they are celebrating their 4 yr. anniversary.   This makes it more of an issue when she has to walk out of him to take a call from work.  

It seemed to me that the Megan Masako Hailey, who plays Emily, is using a deeper voice and is overall more cutting in her scenes.  I recall her having a mousy/squeaky tone at first preview.  This a) makes her easier to understand b) works better as she "softens" up during the show.  That said, they still need to flesh this character out. Act 1 ends with Andy telling Emily she is not going to Paris but no one cares.  In the movie, Emily Blunt had a dozen zingers and moments that made you root for her - one song and a few lines do not accomplish this for our pal Megan.  As a result, there is no suspense at the end of Act 1. 

They've thankfully removed the mime from the Act 2 song where inexplicably, the character of Christian, who is a writer, breaks into a stylized hip hop/ La La Land dance break with Andy before sleeping with her.  The gay sailors and the "two women in gowns" are still there.  

A few key things they need to fix (outside of songs which need to wait till Elton gets here).   

The opening sequence is still puzzling.  You hear the sounds of stilettos clicking and then the curtain rises a bit to reveal bare legs and red heels ( a little 42nd St).  Then it rises fully and you see the ensemble in flesh color body suits/dance belts stomping around and they break into some sort of hip hop/lock choreography.  It gives you the sense you are about to see a highly stylized show - when in fact, you are going to see a fairly straight forward retelling of the movie.  They have added some of the heel clicking to the transitions in Act 1 but it still doesn't make sense. 

The show is sandwiched between Andy saying she wants to write something important and ultimately writing "The Devil Wears Prada the book".  This needs more development, something that let's us know she's absorbing everything, keeping track, anything,  Tonight, when she's interviewing for the local newspaper at the end, the interviewer tells her "hey you should write a book about that experience!"   

The fashion needs to be elevated.  The song "Dress You Way Up" is a fashion show, a la Strongest Suit, or the Bob Mackie moment in the Cher Show.  However, all the dresses are white (!).  They look like they are in peplum or not finished.  COLOR! Details, will create the "WOW" moment this number desperately needs.  No one clapped for any of the dresses.  

The title song at the end of Act 1 is still difficult to understand because the ensemble sings most of it, though I realized tonight they try to rhyme "nada" with "Prada".  They need to give this song to Beth - she is terribly underutilized - parroting lines from the movie and only one great moment at then end.  

The ending is very wonky.  In the movie, Andy quits because she senses she is going to be Miranda's assistant forever - and she hates herself for what's she become.  Here, after "the great betrayal",  Miranda tells Andy "start thinking about what's next", meaning, she's on her way up! Ready for the next move - it doesn't make sense for her to quit now! 

 

Updated On: 7/28/22 at 12:21 AM

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 1:32am

Hello twelve. Hello thirteen. Good-bye mime.

Understudy Jessie Hooker-Bailey played Andy Sachs again tonight. The Ensemble included swings JoJo Carmichael, Madison Fendley, and Chris Jarosz. Fendley and Jarosz are dance captains, too.

The opening number had been bathed in red light in week one, but deep blues and purples have been added to start week 2. We also get a glimpse of the Ball overhead lighting at the tail end of the opener.

The pool hall server advances the story with his new line, “Who’s picking up the check?”  Andy cheerfully agrees. Last week, the server lamented that he missed his dog back home.

Andy’s dialogue with boyfriend Nate is deeper, which meant cuts to Lauren’s and Kayla’s words. The script erased Lauren’s line about “patriarchy”, and Kayla’s line about “death to mice.”  The brief steel wool dialogue has been cut. 

In NO PROBLEM, ALL SET, the turntable got a lengthy workout last week, rotating between the Runway offices and the shared apartment. Beth Leavel was dashing into the wings for her quick changes. The new staging has fewer spins. But stuffed goats (why?) have been added as well as a miniature trampoline.

In THE BLUE SWEATER SONG (I have no idea what the actual titles are - no listings in the Playbill), it’s sometimes an ideal mix of orchestra, Miranda, and the ensemble retorts. May there be less volume from the pit, please. We want to hear Miranda and the ensemble.

Sidebar: thank you to whoever scolded “Put the phone away” to the annoying high balcony patron.

At the top of Act 2 last week, Emily’s hospital bed had been positioned near stage markers 8-10-12, but tonight, the attending nurse pushed the bed onto the stage from the wings and landed on zero. Late in BON VOYAGE, the Ensemble now enters the dance break through the modesty curtains instead of the wings. Kodak-framed hospital photos have been added above the scene.

Andy’s arrival in Paris was striking, too. It’s just her on the stage with the Eiffel Tower -  minus the visual noise of the red umbrellas and the mime.

The brief musical interlude peek-a-boo from behind the green hedge has been cut.
 

Updated On: 7/28/22 at 01:32 AM

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 1:46am

I’m aware that major changes can’t be made at this point but changing lighting from red to blue really feels like a waste of focus and a lateral change. Also, the opening sounds really confusing. Is this a greek chorus, of sorts? 

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 2:54am

Bill Snibson said “... the opening sounds really confusing. Is this a greek chorus, of sorts?"

The opening is odd. It’s 14-15 dancers in body suits. Maybe it’s Hell. Spending an eternity in high heels is Hell.

 

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 3:05am

Bill Snibson said: "I’m aware that major changes can’t be made at this point but changing lighting from red to blue really feels like a waste of focus and a lateral change. Also, the opening sounds really confusing. Is this a greek chorus, of sorts?"

Major changes CAN and should be made at this point. It doesn't sound like this show will get more than "meh" without a major overhaul. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 10:04am

blaxx said: "Bill Snibson said: "I’m aware that major changes can’t be made at this point but changing lighting from red to blue really feels like a waste of focus and a lateral change. Also, the opening sounds really confusing. Is this a greek chorus, of sorts?"

Major changes CAN and should be made at this point. It doesn't sound like this show will get more than "meh" without a major overhaul."

It sounds to me like the show definitely needs some major restructuring and overhauling. I’m just saying that during an out of town or preview period the time constraints are such that its really difficult to incorporate that level of change, if that makes sense. 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 10:19am

pethian said: "And if you go to the Art Institute of Chicago, you can see Seurat's 'Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.'"

 

I am planning to see "Sunday..." on a trip in September. Pit stop on the way out west, as long as numbers don't rise before I book next week.

 

[Marlothom]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 11:32am

One particular issue that will need to be addressed with either recasting or rewriting is the role of Herb (?), the CEO of the media company that gives Miranda a hard time/tried to replace her.  In the musical, the character is written as "finally inheriting the company from daddy" and Christian Thompson is following him around in order to write a profile about it. 

The actor playing Herb is a very mature (and talented actor) old enough to be Andy's grandfather.  I suspect this might be why they added a wig on him since first preview, but he still looks very mature.  It would make a lot more sense of Herb was spoiled brat (a la Daniel Meade in Ugly Betty),  undeserving of the title, and coming in with drastic changes to the magazine and caring very little about Miranda's legacy.  Otherwise, if he is finally getting the company, how old was his father 100? 

As an aside, I just noticed that the actor playing Christian Thompson is also named Christian Thompson - I thought it was a typo in the program.   That must have been a funny audition process! 

Updated On: 7/28/22 at 11:32 AM