Brooklynite, any interest?- Page 2

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/3/15 at 11:32pm

Thanks for the info. Grabbed some tix for later this month. Just have to pray to the weather gods!

[Falling]

Posted: 2/4/15 at 12:22pm

I saw this last night. There is some good stuff happening here and some work that still needs to be done.

The music is good (fairly memorable-I recall a few songs still), but some lyrics/melodies are repeated more than I'd like. The ballad (think of it as the "I want" song from Ms. Robinson is very, very good-I can see this becoming a new audition song for the 18-25 set). The idea is very cute and executed with a lot of heart by the extremely talented cast (of particular note are Matt Doyle, Nicolette Robinson, and Grace McLean). The book could use some polishing-it was about two hours last night but could be cut to 1:45 without an intermission I suspect. It just needs a little more fluidity. The beginning sucks you right in-I was drawn in-but there are dead spots that need to be fixed. I think Robinson's character is easily the best developed-and wish there was a little more development of the other heroes/heroines. (The morality aspect is kind of interesting.)

I think this will get better and that it is a fun piece with an exciting, young cast and a catchy score.

[hitormiss]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 7:55pm

Saw the 2/4 performance. Oof. Did not care for this show at all (and I usually like *everything*).

The audience reaction was tepid and many laugh lines received chuckles only from the production team, scattered around the house. The cast did what it could with the material, but the book and especially the score are pretty weak.

Mayer & Hoggett were both on hand taking notes, but this did not seem up to their usual work (especially the choreography). I hate to be so negative, but I can't picture the show working without major cutting/rewriting and lots of work on the pacing.

The one bright spot was Nick Cordero, who struck the right note of ridiculousness for the proceedings.

Why is it so hard to write a decent superhero musical? FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE is the only one I've enjoyed and it barely counts.



Updated On: 2/5/15 at 07:55 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 10:24pm

I would not count Fortress of Solitude as a "superhero musical."

[gstrus2]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 10:56pm

I also saw this last week and was unimpressed and would not recommend.

[wicked1492]

Posted: 2/5/15 at 11:44pm

Some catchy tunes. Talented cast with a duo of gorgeous, CRYSTAL clear voices at the helm (Doyle and Robinson).

None of the cast seemed to agree on what kind of/what show they were in, tonally and energy-wise.

THAT. BOOK. Phew. What a clunker. I think this show could use a huge chop in the first half hour. The exposition and seemingly half-hour introduction of each hero takes far too long, but once the two leads have their first duet, the show seems to hit its stride until each and every book scene brings the show to a grinding halt.

Honestly, I could see this being a sung-thru, 90 minute, intermissionless show that zips along if MAJOR surgery were done. With Mayer steering this ship, you'd think this would be possible, but when the Book, Music and Lyrics all have the same "genius" source, that seems pretty unlikely.

The show just doesn't meld or know what it wants to be. You have Grace McLean and Andrew Call camping their A$$ES off next to their fellow heroes on other end of the spectrum, with the rest of the cast falling somewhere inbetween. Oh and that set is such an eye sore. Rope lights are a main fixture of the set, if that tells you anything...

It just needs a complete, full-fledged vision that the whole team and cast are on board with and I think it could really work. But who knows what will actually end up changing.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 2/6/15 at 7:43am

Hitormiss, I'm glad you mentioned Nick Cordero. He's the primary reason I want to see this show. He was robbed of a featured Tony for BULLETS OVER BROADWAY. Does he get to do any dancing in BROOKLYNITE?

[hitormiss]

Posted: 2/6/15 at 9:10am

There's really isn't much "dancing" and what there is (and the movement in general) does not seem to fit what I've come to expect (and usually enjoy) from Hoggett.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 8:24am

I caught this last night. Had a good time. Here are some scattered thoughts and suggestions:

The show should open with the scene in the Mayor's office where we introduce the superheroes. We can then segue into the shop and introduce Trey. This could be a good contrast between this hyperactive superhero world and Trey's solitary toiling at the shop.

Matt Doyle is pretty gosh-darn gee-golly cute. This is a good role for him. He does need a bit more to work with. His character is a little predictable and one dimensional.

Nick Cordero is spot on. Great lines and great delivery. He steals the show. When he walks on in his black outfit in the second act he reminded me of The Mother F*CKer from Kick-Ass.

Gerard Canonico needs some more specificity in the first act but he's a bright spot of energy in the superhero song at the top of the second act. His thighs are intense throughout.

Grace McClean sadly does not get to show off her unique and strong voice here. In general she looks a bit scattered and needs to find her footing. She's a very strong presence but you wouldn't know it from last night's show.

Technically the show is in search of a visual theme. Ideas are everywhere but they don't seam cohesive. The sets are flimsy and are purposely thrown together in a haphazard way. However Brooklyn these days is all about artists and craftsmen creating solid work. A Brooklynite would construct a floppy set like this. The projections are a bit wasted and could be used more in some integral moments. For example, when the scientists are describing how the planets will align at 6:16 (or something) the projections could have shown us what they were describing. As it is now they're layered on almost as an afterthought.

The audio mix is pretty poor. I'm also not a fan of the "Rent" mics in this show. They always look like they're about to get caught in a cape or streamer. It became distracting for me.

Hoping Mr. Mayer and Mr. Kerman are given the time and resources to work out some of the kinks. For now it looks like a fun regional show or really amazing dinner theater. And sometimes that's just fine!

[peacelovemagic1]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 5:13pm

I actually disagree with the opening, at first preview it opened straight into the superhero introduction, and while that was fun, you didn't understand any of Trey's motivation until much later in the first act. I also agree that the characters feel very one dimensional here, which is a shame because from the hints of backstory we are given, they could all be quite interesting. Also for anyone who has seen the show more recently, what is the current ending? I know for me anyway, the ending felt very lackluster.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 5:25pm

peacelovemagic1, After I wrote my little blurb I wondered whether or not they had swapped those scenes in previous versions. Thanks for letting me know it had been tried.

Currently the show ends with Trey and Co. saving the world by getting into the orb. Suddenly all of these ordinary citizens have superpowers, Trey is still a regular guy and the bad dude is frozen. The final scene is between Trey and Astrolass. The show ends with a kiss.

I wish there was a big song to close everything out with all the citizens of Brooklyn singing about how they will protect their city. Could be great and allow for lots of comedic lyrics as they mention all the things they stand to protect (artisanal lemonade, mustaches, tattoo'd dogs...). The audience was a bit jolted going into the bows because I think we were all waiting for a big finish.

[peacelovemagic1]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 7:02pm

theatregoer3, It seems like the same end then, which is a shame. Hopefully they use the time they still have in previews to make that work a little better, as it does feel very strange to not have an company number of some sort there. Also wondering if they still have those tourists in the final few scenes? Found them very distracting from everything that was happening in the end. Very interesting to hear about all the changes!

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 8:41pm

I found it cute and amiable, if somewhat unfocused. The first act drags and could use tightening and cutting. The second act perks up nicely. It has a sufficient number of clever lines to provide chuckles and laughs, especially those that poke good-natured fun at Brooklyn. The score is pleasant in the main, with a few songs I would be willing to hear again. I particularly liked the song with the four superheroes, including the invisible one, in the second act.

The cast was winning and appealing.

All in all, likable, tongue-in-cheek fare.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/8/15 at 11:09pm

What's his big "I want" song?

[peacelovemagic1]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 3:06am

Science of Flight is the big I Want song, and it's one of the strongest points in the show I think.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 9:25am

That's basically a rave from After Eight.

I saw it over the weekend and loved it. It's very funny, clever, original. The cast is fantastic- Nick Cordero and Andrew Call are very good, Matt Doyle is a great lead. It can be cut down to 90 minutes, but besides that, I truly recommend it. A great afternoon.

[peacelovemagic1]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 12:15am

Very curious if anyone else has seen this yet, I would love to know if any big changes have been made in previews!

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 12:51am

Went tonight, and thought it was a lot of fun. Songs were catchy, costumes were kitschy, and overall, I had a great time!

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 1:34am

Does Matt Doyle wear tights in this? That isn't all I care about but it would be a nice perk!

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 9:38am

Sadly, he does not. Just the usual hipster attire.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 12:53pm

I saw this yesterday and can't really find much to recommend. A lot of my thoughts have already been stated by other posters. The show is overly long and needs to cut out some of the subplots like the love story between El Fuego and the blue girl (still couldn't tell you her character's name) and the amount of scenes with Ann Harada who I usually love.

I found the acting to be very jarring. The veterans of the cast (Matt Doyle, Nick Cordero, Andrew Call) were uniformly very good while the ensemble was atrocious. The lab students were painful to watch. It's like they got the good actors and then left those roles to some low budget acting class. My other main issue was with Gerard Canonico's thighs which were very distracting (NOT in a good way). I would never have put him in that costume.

At the performance I saw there were several set issues and it makes sense seeing as how the pieces look thrown together with hot glue and hope. Don't even get me started on the rope lighting.

This would usually be something right up my alley but I'm hard pressed to find much to recommend.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 8:47pm

Saw the matinee yesterday with my partner and after really liking the Vassar reading, we were underwhelmed by the full production. The cast is solid and some of the music is great, but the book needs serious work. Both of us found the Avenging Angelo character extremely annoying and as he's a major part of the plot, it really hampered our enjoyment. I've noticed some others praising Nick Cordero, but the character itself is grating. Not unlike Bobby Cannavale's Vince on "Will and Grace."

Maybe they'll iron out some of the kinks during the run, but as it stands right now, something we were really looking forward to emerged as something of a disappointment.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 7:42am

What a piece of ****. It was a NYMF show - at best - but with better production values. Can anyone on the stage tell me who the main character was? A totally unfunny book. A score that is completely forgettable and in which one song is indistinguishable from the other. How in the name of God did a show that feels like it was written in a dorm at 3 AM by smarmy college freshmen after a night of bingeing get produced by a NY company?
Please,Vineyard, spare us of any more "hip" musicals.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 12:43am

I saw it tonight and I really enjoyed it. The cast was great, the score was pretty strong. There were a host of lively characters, but trying to service them all did force the book to go a little off-focus, to the point where we kind of stopped caring about, or just forgot about, about Matt Doyle's character. There was enough material and enough puns to keep the audience laughing throughout, but I think a more streamlined version - 90 to 100 minutes without intermission - might've helped.

That said, I do recommend it. It looked great, sounded great, with some smart ideas throughout and it's a real crowd-pleaser.

PS Gerard Canonico's insane bulge and thighs really needed their own program credit. Or just their own show. I mean, dude. Insane.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 7:11am

What is the running time, please? Seeing this tomorrow night.