PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE first previe- Page 4

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 9:24pm

Oh no. Stagedoor and tell them to read this thread and get it together before I go the Monday after next! Thanks in advance!

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 11:41pm

I was at the show tonight as well and I have to say I agree with the rest of you, it was really terrible. My parents were with me and they compared it to Rags (which they saw in previews), though they said Rags has a much better score which I totally agree with. The biggest problem is that there is really no conflict until late in the second act when the big "revelation" with Nicole Parker's character happens. [spoiler ahead] The end death scene was also seriously the longest death scene I have ever seen onstage, I was sitting there wondering when she was going to die and also why in the world she was singing a 5-minute song about it. [/end spoiler] The score is pretty generic Klezmer-y sounding music, which works in some spots but doesn't work when basically every song (except the ones that aren't orchestrated yet) is orchestrated that way. The lyrics are also embarrassingly bad (the lyric about them "putting the foreskin back on"...seriously?), and the book had some similarly cringe-worthy moments. The whole thing was just so stereotypical and the themes they were trying to explore have been explored a million times over, and much much better and more intelligently than they were here.

Donna Murphy is doing some remarkable physical work with the constant transformations from an old woman to a young one and back again, but other than that her talents are really underused which is a shame. I was really hoping that this would be good because I absolutely adore her, but it's just...not. The rest of the cast was pretty unremarkable because the parts were pretty indistinct. I was wondering afterwards though why on earth Louis Hobson took that doctor role...he has about six lines and the character is totally inconsequential and he doesn't even get to sing at all which is a shame.

Anyway, to sum up, big disappointment all around.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 1:55am

Oy.

This poor poor little show. I wanted to like it, I really did. I'm all for Jewish musicals and exploring those themes since I am a Jew, but like was said before there's not one thing in this show that hasn't been explored a hundred times before and a hundred times better. This was like going to see a show at a community theater that was written by a few locals who thought they could write a show. The music itself while not the worst music ever written, is entirely forgettable and repetitive and the book for the most part is just so damn boring. The entire first act dragged and dragged and dragged and I kept wondering what this show was really about.

I think the idea of turning these peoples story into a musical is a good one, but it needs to be more focused. I think it would have served the story better if it would have been about Raisel just simply recalling her memories of life in Poland before the war, during and afterwards. It just seems so busy in it's current state with not much happening. And that poor supporting cast who has nothing at all to do but come on, say a few lines and walk off the stage. And these are such talented people, too!

I don't see this one doing well financially or critically at all. In fact, I'd be surprised if it lasted it's entire run. It's a show that had a lot of potential but it will no doubt end up being one of the musicals time forgot.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 8:41am

saw it last night. Mostly agree with everyone here... but I THINK IT'S FIXABLE... SPOILER ALERT!!!!

1. the suspension of disbelief from the beginning is that the musical numbers happen when Raisel is telling her stories to her granddaughter - and her daughter won't accept those stories or the characters from them so it feels so wrong when the daughter sings.. Cut her two songs they aren't needed, everything about the songs is explained in the scenes before them. She should only sing at the end when she sees the people in the picture.

2. Restructure the story so that the end of act 1 is Raisel being taken away to the concentration camps. When she's giving her baby away to the nanny the stakes should be higher, NOT "my baby is hungry." It should be "The Nazi's are coming behind us please take the baby we have to run." Then when her husband goes after the nanny to give the doll we should immediately see him get shot. When Raisel runs after his body... she gets caught. End of act 1

3. The "noises" number should happen at the camps.... instead of the number being stopped by the news of her husband's death... it would be stopped by news of Cheyesel's death, which we should witness... we've seen every other character die... why rob us of her death???? The script builds us like we're going to watch every person in the picture die at the hands of the Nazi's... except for Raisel... so why rob us of that?

4. Show us how she survives the holocaust... the play sort of skips that entire part of her life.... and even makes us wonder if she ever went? Where was she those five years the Nanny had her child????? Tell us!!!!

5. Show us the traumatic scene with the Nanny and husband a bit earlier in act 2 so we know that IT IS THE MAIN POINT OF THE SHOW..... don't show us the resolution early.... just that it was a big deal... show us Raisel missing her daughter at the camps, on the streets... etc.

6. The journals??? All the hiding of the journals... what was the point? It was interesting and I thought it was going to be a big part of the plot.... so why wasn't it??? Incorporate it into the story, or cut it.

7. At the beginning Red tells us that Raisel embellishes history, or changes it to fit what she wants... to me that meant that there was going to be a big "stomach hit the floor" reveal about a lie Raisel was telling about the past.... but Raisel only told the truth... so there was no point in mentioning it... it led me down the wrong path and made me feel cheated. Cut that line or add a twist at the end.

8. Show us that Raisel finds out what her husband is doing... the Blue movie scene.... it had me wondering if he was making blue movies... if he wasn't... what was the point of that scene?

9. Need a scene between Rasiel and Red ... I didn't cry at the end because I didn't feel like they'd worked out their differences just by her giving Red the address... does Red ever realize what her mother sacrificed... it left me feeling cold... and I didn't cry... and I sooooooooooooooo wanted to cry....

10. Staging/Choreography ... needs a bit of work... it felt a bit flat, and repetitive...

- Other than that I think the show has potential.. I actually really enjoyed the score. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE, and BREAD AND THEATRE were great songs. I would love to see it turned into a MOVIE with Barbra Streisand playing old Raisel, and Lea Michelle playing young Raisel, but I'd want it to be a lot more dramatic so those girls could get Oscar Noms... know what I mean?


What do you think?

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 8:46am

after thinking about it more.... some more ideas about what I said above SPOILER ALERT!

The journals could be the reason the Nazi's find her... they find the journals and come after her.

Also... maybe it's her baby daddy who finds a way to get her out of the camps....

Also... maybe Raisel shows she's not heartless by showing that she sent pictures and updates to the other parents of Red, for Red's entire life, because she was so thankful to them... it's like Raisel was ungrateful that her daughter was safe. ...

Just some thoughts...

[Katia2]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 9:59am

Agh, nooo. Haven't gotten to see Donna Murphy before and was incredibly excited for this. Can't give up now, pretty much have to see it.
Would you guys say it's worth it to see the preview at all or to just wait to see until the show's fine tuned through more performances?

[queerbec]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 10:16am

SPOILER ALERT: Yes, I was also terribly disappointed by the performance last evening. Although I enjoyed seeing such theater stalwarts as Murphy, Gemignani, Zien, Van Patten, Paul Anthony Stewart (such a tiny part), the great Lewis J. Stadlen and Chris Innvar, all working, I really felt nothing for the characters since they were not delineated very well,including Murphy's. No sense of love between her and Innvar. Their relationship came as a surprise to me--as did Gemignani's "affections" for her as her BFF. No chemistry. Even more dispiriting was all the talk earlier in the play of how Innvar's character never took the time to write or call once he left for Hollywood--that creates a lot of negative feeling towards his character. How are we supposed to react to their emotional reunion? After all, we need some explanation as to why Innvar (Chaim) never tried to get her out before the Ghetto was created or why Raisal decided never to reach out to him once she reached this country.(Another journey that the book never explains either. Any tears or sympathy are not earned by the production.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 12:56pm

Madonna, your changes would turn this already too-long show into an interminable one. And the best songs in the show are Red's, I'd hope they don't cut them.

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 9:51pm

anyone see this show today?
any better?
is ANYONE enjoying it?

[legally_popular]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 10:30pm

I saw the show this afternoon and had lowered my expectations because of this thread. I pretty much agree with what Pippin posted. I enjoyed the second act more than the first, which dragged for me. I wanted to get more involved with the story and get emotional at the end, but the plot is a little too predictable and generic for me to care that much. I want something to move me. I did hear a lot of sniffles from the audience though. The songs were forgettable, even the couple of ballads I enjoyed. I actually preferred the piano playing for the ballads instead of the entire orchestra. Donna Murphy is a genius. I loved Nicole Parker. Chip Zien is severely underused. The show isn’t GREAT obviously, but I wouldn’t call it boring. It could use a lot of work, yet I don’t think it’s a huge mess like people are making it out to be.

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 10:47pm

I saw it tonight and agree that it really isn't all that bad. I didn't mind the design. I didn't find the score terribly boring (though did anyone else leave singing "La Cage aux Folles" after that "Bread and Theatre" reprise?).

Definite work to be done, but it's nowhere near DOA.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 11:12pm

YES!!!!!!!!!
I was going to post last night that walking out of the theatre and all night long I had La Cage in my head!

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 11:20pm

I saw it this afternoon and actually really enjoyed it. Yes, the book has many flaws, but the emotion was there. I also connect very personally to the story... the almost exact same thing happened with my dad & his parents, so it hit home in a way I didn't expect. Donna Murphy was fantastic- definitely getting a Tony nod, and I loved Nicole Parker.

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 11:27pm

SO glad to hear someone say its not DOA..
lets hope it gets better.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 11:40pm

What's the show curtain like?

Are they selling merch yet?

[scott68]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 11:56pm

No curtain, just the deadly-looking frame hanging out over the audience. At intermission a more traditional red curtain came down over the center of the stage, with the sides blocked off by black flats.

I don't have anything to say about it that hasn't already been said. Head-scratcher of a first act, with the second act much more coherent and (frankly) tolerable. I did find it distracting that five full songs in the second act were piano-only, though. That must be because they haven't orchestrated it yet, right? It seemed too haphazard to be a conscious choice.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 12:53am

(though did anyone else leave singing "La Cage aux Folles" after that "Bread and Theatre" reprise?)

Yes! I had it stuck in my head for the rest of the night.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 2:39am

"anyone see this show today?
any better?
is ANYONE enjoying it?"

I did. I think people are judging this show far too harshly, and I think it's ridiculous to decide not to see a show that you already have tickets for based on anyone else's opinion. The show is definitely flawed, and a little too long, but it's absolutely fixable. IMO, it's far from the disaster many are claiming it to be.

I agree with almost everything Madonna has said, and to expound a little on what Michael Bennett said, Yiddish theater plays a large part in this. The complaints that the humor is cliched, or broad, or corny...well, that's Yiddish theater. The "putting the foreskin back on" joke? Very Yiddish theater. When Yossa said the baby didn't have a schmeckle, he was making a joke. Possibly this show has too narrow an audience.

There are some amazing performances on that stage. Sure, it needs tweaking, but they have nearly a month to fix it. I know they can. I hope they will.

[briefrecounter]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 12:40pm

I agree with ghostlight2 - I believe the harsh reactions are unwarranted given that it is in its first week of previews. Sure it needs work, but I personally found the second act emotionally moving, and it could be made powerful by greater Raisel/Red relationship development in the first act. I say, more Red please! (a phrase I usually reserve for cocktail parties). Yes, lose the Dybbuk (although I found it rather amusing, albeit too long), give Red - and the rest of the cast for that matter - more to work with, and tighten the ending. I believe there's great potential here.

One other thought. I think we would all like to encourage more original musical works, however flawed. I'm so tired of safe revivals and musicals based on movies, comic books, TV shows, or dated LP's.

Updated On: 4/4/11 at 12:40 PM

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 1:39pm

So glad to hear some "semi" positive things....
You're right, we should be glad there are some NEW, ORIGINAL musicals

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 4:34pm

I enjoyed the show. It definitely has flaws, but I think it can definitely be improved by opening.

Madonna, I had the same question when I left - how does she survive the concentration camp? That's a big part they skipped over, and probably would be really interesting. Even if they dont want to make the show longer, even an explanation in passing would answer some questions. Although, you asked specifically how she got out of the camp, but as she stated the year as 1946 when she went to get her daughter back, I assumed she was freed when Germany lost the war and all the camps were closed.

I wouldn't want any more than a sentence to explain this, however, because it's not the point of the story. The story is about the family and specifically Raisel's relationship with her daughter, so it makes sense that her story stops when she gives Red away and picks up again when she comes to take her back.

Somebody complained that the Yiddish theater troupe spends all their time making movies. In the opening and for a few scenes, we see them doing live theater in the villages (it's sort of montaged in a musical number), and then Raisel tells her daughter that they wanted to find a way to record and preserve their performances, which is why they turned to film in the 1930s and began making movies.

As I said, the show has flaws and I know that it is just not for everyone, but I don't understand some of the extreme reactions I've read.

Also, as someone else said, this is a musical that belongs in a nonprofit house. Whether it succeeds or not, this is what Roundabout should be doing. This show would never happen under a commercial producer. We should be thankful that Roundabout and other nonprofits are willing to take risks like this, even when they don't pay off.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:27pm

I'm torn as to whether I should bother with this one or not. I've noticed that no one has said anything in particular about Lewis J. Stadlin -- is it a minuscule role or didn't he make any kind of impression one way or the other? I've always liked his work -- in fact, have often found him to be the only redeemable feature of otherwise poor shows. Any comment from those of you have seen it?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:51pm

I thought the show was good, not great but also nowhere near as bad as most people on here are saying it is (they must have made a lot of changes between the first preview and Sunday's matinee). The show does need a lot of work, especially the first act, but all of the performers are doing a wonderful job.

Ed- Stadlen and Zien play comedic actors that play off of each other, and do a great job, though the roles, at least at this point, need a little bit of work. I think Murphy is a lock for a Tony nomination, and I really hope that Rachel Resheff is considered for Featured Actress, she was amazing, easily one of the best performance from a child I have ever seen. The biggest surprise of the show came from the girl playing Young Red, that girl has an amazing voice and sounded great with Murphy, Parker and Reinking.

The BIGGEST problem with the show (at least when I saw it) was the sound mixing. It was disgusting. Everyone's microphones were at completely different levels and it was very hard to understand many lines (both spoken and sung). This got a lot better in the second act, which leads me to believe that a major reason for this problem is the sound from the orchestra. Now, it is not a bad thing that a show has a decent size orchestra, but the sound people have got to figure out the right levels ASAP or many will be very frustrated.

[Broadway Doctor]

Posted: 4/5/11 at 3:56pm

Is Nicole Parker upset over cut song and reduced role?


The People in the Picture

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/5/11 at 6:38pm

Did the design seem to fit the theater? I always wondered if they designed with the American Airlines in mind, and then had to switch it around for Studio 54. Would it have served the material better to be in a more intimate house?