A Lovely 110 IN THE SHADE- Page 2

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 7:23am

Raunchy got applause 3 different times - at every break.

[buddharich]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 8:35am

What I loved about Audra's performance is this: the cast album with Inga Swenson is a personal favorite, and Audra successfully captured what Inga did so well - that feeling of loneliness and ache. I was worried that Inga's vocal performance would be too definitive, which is why I'm glad they cast Audra, since she is such an amazing vocalist! Jones & Schmidt are personal favorites of mine; I love all of their shows, even the ones I'm not supposed to love!

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 9:04am

Like CELEBRATION? I'd kill for a revival of that one.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 9:36am

Just for the record, the original production of 110 IN THE SHADE opened in October, 1963 and ran for 330 performances at the Broadhurst but was still able to recoup its investment.It received 3 rave reviews, 1 favorable, 1 mixed and 1 unfavorable review from the NY Times.

I saw it, standing room, and liked it very much, especially "Is It Really Me?" I don't remember being bored by the book. It was enjoyable theatre. The woman that I invited to see it with me was furious that we had standing room tickets. It didn't bother me.

[hellzapoppin2000]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 1:25pm

more histrionics by McDonald? Think I'll pass.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 1:35pm

I think the problem is that it's impossible for her to give a bad performance.

By now, all the greatness blends together.

She's phenominal in the show, heartbreaking, even. But the question is, "when hasn't she been?"

[Princeton78]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 2:34pm

I've never seen Audra live before, and there's just something about her. She had the audience in her hand from the moment she set foot on the stage, and yet she didn't have to metaphorically wink at the audience throughout to get their affection.

Posted: 4/28/07 at 12:50am

How was the choreography? I'm a huge Agnes deMille nut and it's too bad so little of her Broadway choreography has been preserved (Oklahoma movie and the Louise Dream Ballet in Carousel, which was only adapted from hers, being the only examples)--and 110 was her last major Broadway show. Anything similar?

E

[madophelia]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 3:56pm

How was the choreography? I'm a huge Agnes deMille nut...Anything similar?

There wasn't any. Like the set design (and I use that term loosely), everything was spare, except perhaps Audra's overacting. Sorry, but I feel like this is a case of the Emperor's New Clothes.

I'm a huge fan of this musical and was extremely disappointed by this production. Worst Snookie ever! Worst "Little Red Hat" ever! The pacing was like molasses over a low fire. Steve Kazee displayed so little charisma in his first number ("The Rain Song") that I held little hope for him, but he did manage to redeem himself with "Melisande" and "Wonderful Music."

Think I'll put on my cd of the OBC and close my eyes, visualizing the magic of the show, because it didn't occur at Studio 54.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 6:10pm

I love this show - the score is simply beautiful (the best by Schmidt and Jones and they have written lots of great stuff). I saw this new production in an early preview so it may well have become even better by now but I found it something of a mixed bag.

The scenic design was stunning; the overall staging was very good (though not in my opinion in the same class as John Doyle's COMPANY which should get the nod for the Tony); Steve Kazee and Chris Invaar I thought were mediocre vocally and Kazee did not have the charisma that the role of Starbuck begs for; John Cullum was excellent; Audra MacDonald was outstanding; and Bobby Steggert stole the show!

Updated On: 4/28/07 at 06:10 PM

Posted: 4/28/07 at 10:42pm

If you'd seen Inga Swenson in the role, as I did, you wouldn't be talking about Audra's performance. As Lizzie, Swenson was as magnificent as Ebersole is in Grey Gardens.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 10:51pm

The only choreography to speak of is during Raunchy. I didn't like that she sang that entire song with the perfect character acting voice, except for every time she sang the "chyyyyy!" of "raunchy," when she would inexplicably jump into legit and pull me out of the fun I was having.

I found her rather one note until she is with Starbuck. Up until that point, her Lizzie is humorless and hopeless. I didn't blame the men in town for not noticing her. I didn't know why anyone would expect them to.

For me, Ebersole's performance as a whole is the better one.

I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the cast, with special mention to Steve Kazee (Starbuck), Carla Duren (Snookie), and Bobby Steggert (Jimmy).

[D2]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 3:32am

And for the first time ever, I thought Audra was more than one-note. Much more. From her first entrance to her final joyous moments, I saw her develop a character like never before. A different Lizzie than the one KZ created, but one that was equally as compelling and moving.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 9:35am

Um..
Stephanie Lawrence passed away several years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Lawrence

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 10:54am

We see in the weekend after next & and I am looking forward to it

Never saw the original but love the score so it should be a treat.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 11:58am

melody, Sharon has been on Broadway a few times. But yes, it would be great to have her back.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 12:02pm

I could see Lawrence replacing Ziemba in Curtains, provided it lasts long enough to have replacements. She's a bit old for Lizzie, though.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 4/30/07 at 4:31pm

I saw the matinee yesterday, I went in only really listening to part of the score once. So I went in with a clean slate, I had heard various different things from people. Ranging from how boring it was to how amazing it was, of course the people who thought it was amazing were people involved in the production.

I liked the production overall, but was kind of disapointed that there was no big showstopping number. The score was nothing really special, but I think the whole show was carried by Audra(whom I had never seen live beofre yesterday). I must say, she was one of the best performers I have seen live, and know why she has so many Tony's now.

I say go see it for the performances, and stay for the one or two good songs, mainly "Raunchy" which was quite possibly one of the funniest performances of the season.

Oh and please for the love of god, do not be shocked at the end when something happens on stage. Please, please, please, the gasps in the audience kind of ruined the last scene for me.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 4/30/07 at 7:27pm

No big showstopping number?

Okay, granted, I havent seen it, but how could anyone *not* consider "Old Maid" in that light? I cant imagine anyone not making that into the musical high point of the night.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/30/07 at 8:52pm

"Raunchy" and "Old Maid" both stopped the show. And yes, I was at the same performance.

Posted: 4/30/07 at 9:26pm

Odd about the choreography although I knwo there weren't any especially famous DeMill dances in the original either..

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 1:30am

I don't really think that "Old Maid" stopped the show really, it was just okay. "Raunchy" was a cute little song that kind of broke up the seriousness of the whole Lizzie feeling sorry for herself scene. But there was not really one song for me, that stopped the show. Audra was amazing, but I still didn't really think that there was that one song that gave the show that extra something. I'm not saying it was bad, I am just saying it was okay.

Updated On: 5/1/07 at 01:30 AM