"Bullets Over Broadway" Previews- Page 12

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 4:26pm

Something tells me there will be lamenting after the reviews come out on this. Hope I am wrong. We shall see. It will be interesting if Marin is back tonight. No idea why she has been out.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 5:01pm

She's been sick.

Based on very little (I'm seeing the show the day before it opens), my prediction is that the show will receive reviews that range from so-so (e.g. entertaining but nothing special) to all out raves. I doubt that it will be panned, even by Ben. But I reserve the right to change my mind after I actually see it. :)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 6:11pm

Marin was out last SAT

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 6:49pm

Braff is out tonight.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 11:45pm

Braff was out but his understudy Andy Jones was fine. Marin was back and she was fantastic in the role. Marin does not come in till midway of Act 1. Helene Yorke as Olive nearly steals the show and deserves a Tony nod. Another standout was Nick Cordero as Cheech. Pastore/ Ziemba were also good in their limited roles.

Brooks Ashmanskas was great as Warner Purcell. It was like you were watching Chris Christie in a show. The rest of the cast was fine as well

Most of Stroman's choreography was good but one number looked like in had been lifted from the airplane number in Steel Pier. Here the chorus girls dance on top of a train pulling out of Grand Central Station. There is also a solid number with tap dancing gangsters to the tune of Taint Nobody's Business If I Do.

The Irving Berlin Joke was still in and drew mixed reaction. The banana # was in & we enjoyed it. Woody's book is serviceable but not a ton of one liners rather jokes sprinkled here and there. The costumes & sets were first rate. It was very enjoyable but that will not stop some critics from ripping it

We originally has the next to last row of the mezzanine. The usher told us immediately we could move down so we wound up 10 rows closer on the aisle. I think the second balcony was totally closed. This show, as good as it is, will need the notices to survive. I can see Brantley ripping the Hot Dog number done by olive.

We had some amateur critics behind us complaining there were to many songs - hey guys it is a musical. They were also claiming how much better Braff would have been etc etc. My wife said if they continued she would have said something.

That's it. To Motown on Wednesday.

Updated On: 4/1/14 at 11:45 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:37am

After last night (see above) I see why TDF has such good seats. This show really needs good reviews to make it. Woody Allen's name alone will not cut it.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:39am

Jeez, do you still have PTSD from the Rocky reviews? Who sees a show and cares what Brantley will think?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:52am

Tell that to the producers of If.

If people do not read reviews, why do shows crap their pants if Lord Brantley does not give a show his seal of approval?

Unlike many on this board who contemplate suicide if their show gets panned, I just move on to the next show. Hate to burst your bubble.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:55am

I see most shows before the critics go, so they have no sway over whether I like a show. I have an opinion before they write theirs.

I'm questioning why you are now viewing shows through the lens of what Brantley might think about things? "I can see Brantley ripping the Hot Dog number done by olive."

Who cares?

I have no clue why you think anything I am writing has any relation to If/Then.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:58am

This is like beating a dead horse. We will agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 12:18pm

If you're incapable of understanding my point, what other choice is there?

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 3:14pm

Run time these days?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 3:16pm

Started on time which was a shock . It broke @ 10:30

[mamaleh]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 3:47pm

So are all major cast members hale and hearty and present? Or are some still out sick?

[binau]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 4:03pm

"Tell that to the producers of If. "

Given that If/Then is in a better financial situation than BULLETS, they are probably going to be less worried than the Bullets producers if Brantley gives them a pan.

[pandadude]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 4:14pm

I would like to know as well i was planning on rushing tomorrow.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 4:34pm

Just thought I'd mention that we have no idea who will be doing the Times review, Ben or Ish.

Also, didn't someone mention that Brantley might hate the number "I Need a Hot Dog For My Roll"? Why would he, just because it's an overtly heterosexual and very racy number? Many think it's one of the show's highlights.

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 7:03pm

The latest batch of TDF tickets for Bullets says that seating is in the balcony, not in the orchestra or mezzanine. Sometimes when TDF issues a warning like this, the seats end up being better than advertised. But now I'm nervous to buy these tickets. I think the balcony is pretty bad, right?

[StickIt]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 7:21pm

Zach Braff tweeted that he has bronchitis and is sick in bed. So, I imagine he will be out tonight and it doesn't sound like he will be returning soon. Mazzie was on last night.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 7:37pm

Last night, I had $ 49 tickets in the back of the mezzanine. As most of it was empty, we were told to move up & wound up with Row K on the aisle.

They are having problems putting fannies in the seat. Woody Allen's name does not appear to be helping.

Re the Hot Dog #, it was not due to sexuality. I think old Ben would not think this type of song belongs on Broadway and is a leftover from vaudeville. Time will tell when he reviews it.

Updated On: 4/2/14 at 07:37 PM

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 10:09pm

>>>This are having problems putting fannies in the seat.
I was there last night and it was packed. I didn't see an empty seat in the orchestra.
& I loved it. Zach was out but Andy Jones was fantastic. I never read the Playbill until I get home and had no idea until after the show that he was the US.
Nick Cordero was also outstanding! I saw him in Man Of Rock @NYMF

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 10:16pm

You mention the orchestra. Did you see upstairs?

All I told you was 're last night. The balcony was closed and the mezzanine was half empty. It is not on TDF frequently because they are selling tickets @ full price.

Updated On: 4/1/14 at 10:16 PM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/1/14 at 11:51pm

Mac-I purchased TDF for last Tuesday and the site said Balcony seats but I ended up getting Mezz Row J.
The balcony is bad IMHO.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:07am

Did anyone go last night? I heard there was a stop.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:25am

I went last night. There was a stop about 20 minutes in. Lasted about 3 minutes. Nothing big. I guess some set pieces didn't come up in time.

My scattered thoughts:

The show was quite boring and pales in comparison to the movie. The set was nice but distracting. The side balconies were rarely used and I wondered why they were there at all. The transitions were big and flashy, but do people go to the theatre for the scene changes? Doubtful when the rest of the show is so dull.

The acting was stale and the only time things got interesting were when the actors started to closely impersonate their movie counterparts. The actors in the movie are so closely connected to these roles it's hard to imagine anyone else playing them. The moment Karen Ziemba made her entrance I thought, "Oh right! Tracey Ullman was in this movie!"...because it sounded just like a Tracey Ullman role. Woody Allen allows his actors to take liberties with his script thus allowing the actors to make the roles their own. I think this is detrimental in trying to adapt his work to new actors and a new medium.

I did wish that Helen was played by Patti LuPone. I'm certainly no LuPone fanatic but someone with her enormous personality could have taken this role (and maybe even this show) to greater heights by breaking through the Diane Weist mold. I think Mazzie is still getting her sea legs but again...she only shone when impersonating Diane Weist in the "Don't speak..." lines.

I found the hot dog song to be a rare highlight because it was something I didn't remember from the movie (mind you, I haven't seen the movie since I was a kid but it was surprising how much I remembered as I was watching this performance). This was the one point in the evening where the audience seemed to perk up.

Betsy Wolfe was underused which is understandable in an ensemble cast of this size. I think we all wanted more from her as her "Baby" number had some real spark without any flashy lights and props.

In general, wanted this to be better, but it's not. It will be a great piece for regional theater so investors will make their money back eventually should this fail to stay in town. I was in the orchestra section and there were many empty seats.

I think Stroman is good at creating flashy numbers and giving us spectacle, but there's seemingly little thought behind it. It all comes across as homage to the golden days of the Ziegfield Follies. That's great and all, but it would be nice to have a greater driving force. I think that can be said for a lot of what is coming to Broadway these days. Does anyone agree?

P.S. Zach Braff was out but cheers to his understudy, Andy Jones, who gave a smooth and confident performance. I was very impressed by how seamlessly he handled this role. Mr. Braff was not missed.

Updated On: 4/2/14 at 10:25 AM