Promises or Night Music?
Promises or Night Music?
phantomvegas2
Stand-by Joined: 1/24/08
#1Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/5/10 at 5:36pmWhich would you see? ... after Lansbury and Zeta Jones btw.
#2Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/5/10 at 5:39pmDepends on the replacements I suppose.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
#2Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/5/10 at 6:26pmYup. Definitely depends on who the replacements will be.
#3Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/5/10 at 6:38pmI don't care who the replacements are, this production of A Little Night Music is infinitely better than this production of Promises, Promises. They could get Pamela Anderson and Phyllis Diller as the leads and I would still say Night.
bwayfan7000
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/09
#6Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/5/10 at 7:32pmI think Pamela Anderson and Phyllis Diller would be all the more reason to choose Night Music.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#8Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 12:21am
Lol, Adamgreer. From all accounts I've read/heard it's true. But I would also say that it also depends on what kind of shows the person is into. A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is such a different show from PROMISES, PROMISES, especially with someone like Kristin Chenoweth involved. Even with both being comedies, they are different types of humor.
Still, I must side with the others, my vote goes for NIGHT MUSIC (though I'm in the minority that loved Zeta-Jones and thinks it might be hard to find someone who could bring to the table what she brings to the role).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#9Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 1:17am
I'm gonna dodge gunfire and recommend Promises. It has great performances in Hayes and Finneran (I also liked Chenoweth more than most) and the choreography (sans Turkey Lurkey) is quite good. I had a great time, actually. But it's hip to hate this show, I guess.
Also, you won't have to struggle to see the actors in Promises. I'm still not convinced I saw Zeta-Jones and Lansbury in A Little Night Music as I didn't get the memo that I had to provide my own lighting instruments.
"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"
#10Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 1:23amI'm with you Mildred. "Promises" gets my vote. "Night Music" is supposed to be a comedy too, but Nunn decided against that approach.
#11Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 1:59am
I'm with you both. Go to Promises, Promises. At least all the actors are on the same page, unlike in A Little Night Music, which doesn't know what kind of show it is. And Angela would be the reason to see that show anyway.
~Steven
#12Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 6:54am
"Night Music" is supposed to be a comedy too, but Nunn decided against that approach.
Oh please. The 5 times I have seen it, the audiences were roaring with laughter. Nunn might have missed the humor in the London version, but the Broadway production is very funny.
Promises is an absolute disaster. Hence it not being nominated for Best Revival.
#14Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 8:41am
My audience was so enthusiastic...
Though I remember during the "Wooden Ring" dialogue, I was one of the few people to burst out laughing, which I found strange. (I mean at the intentionally funny/blunt bits, not the 'touching' bits).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Pianist3912
Leading Actor Joined: 7/12/07
#15Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 8:48amI agree than ALNM is very all over the place, between the actors not being in sync and the direction. However, I'd see that over Promises, even if I disagree with how dark/dry the direction is at times.
#16Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 9:20am
Depending on where you're from and how much you see, I would say see Promises...Why? This is the rarer show..and you're unlikely to see this show done again at the Broadway level of orchestra, sets, costumes, lighting, choreography, etc. after this one for a while...
ALNM - while also rare on Bway - is a staple everywhere else... It's kind of idiot-proof. Sorry, but even though I liked this ALNM, the degree of wowness that the talented CZJ and AL bring is subtle and the show itself can be (as it rightly should be) done well in most productions - even at the university-level - no matter who is in the cast.
Liz7
Understudy Joined: 9/1/09
#17Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 9:28amI'd go with Promises. It was pure, delightful entertainment from snappy beginning to wonderful end.
#18Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 11:39am
Ljay, you're right, people laughed. I credit Wheeler and Sondheim for those laughs, though. In my opinion, the direction lacked any kind of comedic flair or lightness of touch. Nunn likes to rim-shot the jokes crafted to be tossed off, and hammer home the pathos that's inherent in the book and lyrics. I though his style worked against the piece.
And if Tony nominations are any difinitive arbiter of what's good, then by all means, bring on a revival of Starmites! :)
#19Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 12:09pm
Having seen both on my recent trip to NY, I would have to say probably Promises over ALNM. Promises just had more pure entertainment, even with it's faults.
ALNM had faults too (the first act seemed to drag a bit, the second act was much better paced), and Nunn did brow beat a lot of things (I didn't like how he made Fredrik bolt up and give an imaginary kiss at the end of "Now/Later/Soon".), and it would have been a lot better production with less heavy handed direction. The main reasons to see it are to see CZJ and Angela.
Xanadu! Can't cry on cue!
#20Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/6/10 at 5:21pm
Promises Promises. Definitely
It does seem hip to bash it but
I had a great time
Dont really know what is with that. But the audience loves it.
My only quip with promises is minor is that twhat makes
""Where can you take a girl so funny" was the out of shape
middle age workers. These guys in this production are all in shape.
Minor quibble.
Little Night Music is a slow show to begin with and Trevor Nunn made it even slower.
The only reason to see Night Music is a star turn by Lansbury. Zeta Jones is okay but doesn't bring anything new to the role.
But my votes is Promises Promises. Lots of fun with good performances by all.
louisamayfoster
Stand-by Joined: 10/28/07
#21Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/7/10 at 1:03amI recently saw both, found both to have slow first acts, but vote for Promises Promises. Sean and Kristen have both been better in other roles, but they are still a delight. I had much better seats for ALNM but still felt detached. Sadly I started counting how many times Ms Jones snorted. I just knew she wasn't perfect.....
#23Promises or Night Music?
Posted: 5/7/10 at 11:36am
She literally snorts. Like a pig or someone whose laugh is a turn-off. It's quite frequent throughout the show, especially in her first few scenes ("The Glamorous Life" included). I was so confused. I asked myself during the show, "Is she actually snorting? Is this an acting choice?" It's absolutely horrible.
~Steven
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