HERE LIES LOVE - Broadway Previews- Page 12

[yyys]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 10:53am

yes, and were willing to take a big risk.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:05am

yyys said: "I think Circle in the Square Theater might have been a better venue for this and way less money spent on renovations."

People keep saying this, but it's totally not true. I just don't understand how people think it would work. Where is the standing room supposed to go in that case? Is it on stage blocking the view of everyone sitting? 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:20am

It ideally would need a black box space like it had at the Public or something very close to it. Circle in the Square is more flexible than any other Broadway house but only to the extent it can go from in the round to proscenium-thrust. It still would’ve required a good deal of renovation for this- its stage is not terribly wide, the seating risers are built into the space and would need to be adjusted, and there is considerably less audience to earn money from. 

[yyys]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:20am

There won't be any standing room...just seats in a more intimate venue. 

Updated On: 7/9/23 at 11:20 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:21am

yyys said: "There won't be any standing room...just seats in an intimate venue."

Having no standing audience completely defeats the entire conception of the production. 

[yyys]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:26am

They can accomplish that without the "standing room".  I think they kinda failed in the immersive aspect TBH. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 11:35am

yyys said: "They can accomplish that without the "standing room". I think they kinda failed in the immersive aspect TBH."

How did they fail…? 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 12:26pm

Turns out the producers would rather let a couple hundred seats each night go unsold than offer rush into the afternoon. They tried to upsell me to a $59 rear mezzanine price, but it was cheaper at TKTS to sit closer. 

The show itself, especially Arielle, remains great, but the transfer to Broadway is just not working. The mezzanine last night was nearly a third empty, and people were talking, on their phones, and leaving their seats constantly. The experience is so disconnected from the floor, even with the ugly projection panels trying to "immerse" you. For as expensive as it clearly was to build, it comes off cheap to me.

They need to figure out a financial model that lets them only sell the front mezzanine and floor/side floor. Or, they should have done what Great Comet did and work overtime to extend the action of the show into the mezzanine. 

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 12:51pm

jkcohen626 said: "yyys said: "I think Circle in the Square Theater might have been a better venue for this and way less money spent on renovations."

People keep saying this, but it's totally not true. I just don't understand how people think it would work. Where is the standing room supposed to go in that case? Is it on stage blocking the view of everyone sitting?"

Not Broadway, but the shed would have been a good venue for this. They could have also done one of the armories. For Broadway, I think someplace wider with a very shallow mez so maybe the Vivian Beaumont?

[JBM84]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 2:31pm

JasonC3 said: "yyys said: "I think Circle in the Square Theater might have been a better venue for this and way less money spent on renovations."

Well it seems very likely that the creative team and producers would have considered this and concluded otherwise.

"

I think the only way it got to Broadway was a huge discount on the theater. I don't think the production team only made a show that would work if the mezz was totally full.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/9/23 at 4:57pm

JustAnotherNewYorker said: "For Broadway, I think someplace wider with a very shallow mez so maybe the Vivian Beaumont?"

I was surprised they didn't block off at least the back half of the rear mezz and use the full width of the Broadway theatre. It's interesting they intentional made the space seem as narrow and deep as possible. 

I also kind of hate that the design is only partially transformative, you can still see the ceiling and some of the Broadway theatre through the lights and rigging. To me it looks sloppy/cheap.

 

Updated On: 7/9/23 at 04:57 PM

[Voter]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 10:47am

Was anyone else at the Saturday evening show where the actor whacked an audience member? That's ****ing dangerous.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 12:17pm

Anyone else think it's odd that none of the marketing actually explains or contextualizes what the show is actually about?

Like I get the controversy but most of the marketing has been about the experience of the show versus what the show is...

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 12:35pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Anyone else think it's odd that none of the marketing actually explains or contextualizes what the show is actually about?

Like I get the controversy but most of the marketing has been about the experience of the show versus what the show is..."

I wonder how many people are going to the show because they want to learn about Imelda vs experiencing this immersive one of a kind theater? I read up about her so I understood the plot better, but I think I would've loved the experience even if all I took away was some catchy lyrics. 

[ShowBro]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 12:58pm

FANtomFollies said: "I also kind of hate that the design is only partially transformative, you can still see the ceiling and some of the Broadway theatre through the lights and rigging. To me it looks sloppy/cheap."

I agree that the overall transformation looks and feels oddly cheap (especially with some of the ugly projections), but I thought that keeping the Broadway’s ceiling visible through the rigging was actually one of the more interesting choices that paid off. The few times they decided to light the ceiling, it felt like this beautifully haunting atmospheric canopy to the floor. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 5:33pm

For all those who were at the B-roll filming, the official trailer will release on Sunday! 

[3NU]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 6:35pm

bwaylyric said: "No reprise tonight. After the three leads did their bows, I got excited when Arielle got hold of a mic, but all she ended up saying was “Come on, everybody!” End of music. Cue the confetti. In this club setting, this show needs a better send-off. I’d suggest some sort of remix a la Six."

For anyone that's curious, here are what the bows looked like pre- and post-reprise cut:

• July 3 bows (with Here Lies Love reprise)
• July 9 bows (without Here Lies Love reprise)

I can understand the reason for the cuts, but the new send-off is definitely awkward.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 7:22pm

I just don’t get the fact that Timbers wants his audiences to leave on a high despite a mournful (yet hopeful) conclusion. 

Great Comet did it right. This suffers from Moulin Rouge! syndrome.

And to be fair, the curtain call atmosphere was one of my only gripes about this show. 

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 9:01pm

Just announced that Black Eyed Peas member APL.de.ap has joined HLL as producer.  He joins the show’s other celeb producers Lea Salonga, Jo Koy, and H.E.R.  Will Bruno Mars be next?  And what exactly are their contributions to the show?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 9:05pm

I think this is a result of not having a solid music team (would have avoided the union drama), being inflexible about what they can change about the music (mostly everything is prerecorded; the live musicians don’t even play the bulk of the score), and white creatives not understanding the nuance of Filipino politics until bringing on Filipino producers and assistant creative team members and hearing what the Filipino audiences have to say.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/11/23 at 9:45pm

3NU said: "bwaylyric said: "No reprise tonight. After the three leads did their bows, I got excited when Arielle got hold of a mic, but all she ended up saying was “Come on, everybody!” End of music. Cue the confetti. In this club setting, this show needs a better send-off. I’d suggest some sort of remix a la Six."

For anyone that's curious, here are what the bows looked like pre- and post-reprise cut:

• July 3 bows (with Here Lies Love reprise)
• July 9bows (without Here Lies Love reprise)

I can understand the reason for the cuts, but the new send-off is definitely awkward."

Actually no need for the reprise it works -  confetti boom!

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 1:36am

That’s an interesting question. One might think that “big” celeb names attaching themselves to the show means they believe in the show (and the potential profits) and want people to see it! On the other hand, the lead producers might have reached out to them to save the show because it’s bleeding $$$ and could close sooner than expected? I hope it’s not the latter.

[dreytrnr3]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 8:40pm

Highly specific question - is there any drug use in the show?

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 7/12/23 at 9:07pm

dreytrnr3 said: "Highly specific question - is there any drug use in the show?"

Not in the sense of recreational drugs but (spoiler below)

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

There's one point where Imelda falls into a depression(?) and is prescribed pills to take (the projections display a standard orange pill bottle with a name on it but I didn't recognize it so I assumed it was antidepressants or some sort of upper), she pulls out the bottle and takes the pills 2 more times in the show, though it's generally glossed over each time and you could easily miss it. 

 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/13/23 at 1:47am

Arielle Jacobs plays Imelda, and Jaygee Macapugay is the alternate. Is there a regular schedule for when Arielle is on, and when Jaygee is on? I'd like to catch both. Thanks!

Updated On: 7/13/23 at 01:47 AM