DISASTER Previews- Page 9

[Patash]

Posted: 2/23/16 at 8:53am

"Seth Rudetsky. He's an entertaining media personality, but he is neither an actor nor a singer. The energy he emits is joyless and spiteful, as if he knows everyone else on stage has more talent that he does, and he's angry about it."

 

Interesting take. I didn't see it that way at all.  I saw a character in the show who was joyless and spiteful, and dull as dirt -- a total nerd with no human warmth.  A character who is angry that no one will listen to him.   I didn't see that as a actor at all.  Big difference.  Offhand I can't think of an actor who could have played such a nerdy scientist any better.

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/23/16 at 9:20am

Dare I ask...What about the stage door?

Posted: 2/23/16 at 11:56am

VernonGersch said: "i really want to see this - also, i hope this won't effect seth's awesome summer series in Provincetown.   just read that the show needs to close in wary July to make room for Motown

IF Seth does Ptrown this summer, he needs to stop with the incessant banter and let his performers sing... They have little more than an hour/ hour 15 to do a  show and Seth needs to have better time management.  SO many people compained to the Art House Staff and producer becuase when  you are paying to see someone like Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, you want THEM and not him.

He does, however, get some great people up in Ptown.

"

 

[YourFabulousFace]

Posted: 2/23/16 at 12:33pm

I must respectfully disagree. I should have written that I didn't find Rudetsky on the same level, tonally or artistically, as any one else on stage. He looked like an amateur who had memorized his lines and was struggling to keep up. It's in the weakness of his singing and his acting, and his subsequent self-consciousness, that I found spite. For a show like this to work, there has to be a sense of blissful chaos supported at fever pitch by the entire company, even if his character is angry or misunderstood or whatever. Roger Bart plays a villainous lech but makes it such silly fun. Whenever Rudetsky appeared on stage, it was like a cloud of death plodded on. It brought everything down. The man is not an actor; he's a musical theatre savant who wishes he were a high-belting diva. Likable as he may be as a radio host or a musical director, he does not belong on a Broadway stage. Having read the recent Times portrait, I'd say no one would agree with more than Ms. Patti LuPone.

Posted: 2/23/16 at 10:22pm

From what I hear, Disaster only came to Broadway because Motown is coming back in September to the Nederlander and they were looking for a show that could quickly jump into the space until then.....even though Disaster was poorly reviewed Seth Rudetsky is popular from his radio show.....all this is is a quick money maker....it costs nothing to produce and is easy to market.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 2/23/16 at 11:03pm

quizking101 said: "Dare I ask...What about the stage door?

 

"

I saw the show and waited at the stage door Saturday night. Everyone came out, signed, and took pictures except for Faith Prince and Kevin Chamberlin. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/23/16 at 11:33pm

I've heard the show's budget is between 6-7 million.  It's not exactly cheap to run either when you consider orchestra, understudies and (goodness) those royalties on the songs.  It's a mystery to me as to where the money came from to do it; I can't imagine the recoupment schedule presented to potential investors would be very viable. My guess it's a vanity project and somebody involved has deep pockets and put in a lot of the funds themselves.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 9:27am

"all this is is a quick money maker"

 

You mean quick money pit? It's not going to MAKE anyone any money. Except the landlords.

[newintown]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 9:33am

True, true - even the "official" raison d'etre - that is, they want visibility to license the show later - seems bogus, as it seems unlikely that this pointless, silly skit would lend itself to being produced by regional, school, and amateur groups in great numbers. This really seems much more like Seth asking for one huge favor from the Broadway community, for whom he is one of the biggest cheerleaders. And why not, bless his heart.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 10:18am

While there is no doubt that this is a passion project for Seth, I don't think the criticisms of this being on Broadway as a 'vanity project' are necessarily fairly aimed directly at him.  I don't think this is a case of the Broadway community rallying around a staunch cheerleader and giving him millions of dollars to play court jester with on a silly project

 

There is more likely someone involved on the producing team with deep pockets, and it is their own personal vanity in having a show seen on Broadway that is fueling this. And I suppose we should say no harm no foul. People have been known to spend millions on weddings and parties, so why not a Broadway musical.

[BeNice]

Posted: 2/24/16 at 10:33pm

Just got home from tonight's preview. I have to say I was not expecting to laugh as much as I did. There really are a lot of good bits and jokes in there. I just wish they had more preview time to trim, trim, trim. Unfortunately, the show wears it's welcome a lot of the time which is really too bad because when it's funny, it's glorious. There were truly moments I've never laughed harder in a theatre. 

Like everyone else has noted, Jennifer Simmard is incredible, but the entire cast was so game.

Updated On: 2/24/16 at 10:33 PM

[Doody Fisher]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 8:33am

QueenAlice said: "I've heard the show's budget is between 6-7 million.  It's not exactly cheap to run either when you consider orchestra, understudies and (goodness) those royalties on the songs.  It's a mystery to me as to where the money came from to do it; I can't imagine the recoupment schedule presented to potential investors would be very viable. My guess it's a vanity project and somebody involved has deep pockets and put in a lot of the funds themselves.

 

"

Seth's husband is one of the producers and / or investors. i  think that says.. a lot

 

[newintown]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 9:34am

Does Rudetsky's spouse, James Wesley, have family money? I don't see any significantly (financially) successful projects in his career as an actor or writer.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 12:38pm

I do see a licensing future for this at the high school level. Large ensemble cast comedy with minimum set requirements and recognizable songs? Licensing companies love to push jukebox shows because they can charge more and justify it as covering the cost of the individual song licenses. Those factors will get it produced throughout the country for years. It might not be the top money maker, but enough schools wind up in the "we don't have one kid to carry the show, what'll we do?" scenario to make this kind of show viable every school year.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 1:03pm

I don't honestly see why this show would be popular at the high school level. The songs are a very specific 1970s variety: I think Charles Isherwood called them "songs you hated even when they were on the radio" -- unlike Xanadu, I think the show banks on the audience remembering how awful these songs were and groaning as they show up in the show-- that's at least what I think they are going for. Most of the songs would be pretty unfamiliar to contemporary high school students.  Also, the humor of the piece is so crass and crude, I can't imagine many parents going for it-- but maybe they are planning on doing a school edition.

 

 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 1:08pm

It really doesn't have that large a cast though. They have 11 people listed as main characters. And 2 people listed as swings, 1 as dance captain, and 5 ensemble. Assuming the swings only go on when someone is out, that's 17 people. Then again, that might be a lot for some schools. Mine always did more though. 

[vitamins]

Posted: 2/25/16 at 3:44pm

They're being economical with their ensemble in a way that a school probably wouldn't. Each of the small roles that the ensemble plays could be a different kid, bringing the chorus up sizably. 

[trentsketch]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 8:39am

Yeah, most schools would cast every single ensemble role as a different actor, plus have non-speaking ensemble for crowd scenes. The style of music lends itself to bigger choreography numbers, as well.

It doesn't matter if the kids don't like the music, being able to say it features songs people might recognize in advertising would help. I mean, the first question I get about any show I music direct for a school is "What songs would I know?" Good or not, full song or significantly truncated, people know "Knock on Wood," "I Am Woman," and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours."

The concept makes a good sound bite, too, which also helps with marketing. A send up of all the 1970s disaster movies featuring the hits of the 70s. You teach the students variations on that to tell all their family and friends and the word starts to get out there. 

[newintown]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 8:54am

I doubt that even the most optimistically estimated number of high school productions would yield more than a few thousand dollars annually for any royalty holders.

[phan24]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 9:51am

According to Seth's FB, the cast will be performing in NBC's today show between 10-11am today, I'll be tuning in!

PSA: For people with no access to a TV, the NBC App streams the live broadcast as long as you sign in with your TV provider info.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 10:15am

Anyone else catching the Today show invasion?

Have to say the random moments from the show seem to be coming off rather nicely.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 10:18am

Think it was a really smart decision on their part to do the random numbers---- it's actually very funny ! 

( only problem so far was Roger Bart's audio --- sounded like he was under water) 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 12:48pm

Very fun performance. While this show is bad beyond belief, it is still an absolute blast.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 6:20pm

that performance makes me think that it would be the BEST cruise ship show, in a small theatre anyway, I could possibly see.  Bonus points for including Sky High a song I love and thought was only known in the UK.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 6:24pm

Would a cruise ship really want to feature a show with a ship wreck in it? Maybe they could do it upstairs on disco night during an Atlantis cruise.

Updated On: 2/26/16 at 06:24 PM