Gigi Previews- Page 4

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 8:48am

Just because the "theater was completely full" doesn't mean people paid for their tickets.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 8:54am

Growl, you're a sweet thing.

Well, I've never thought that the stage version of Gigi was anything much more than a watered down imitation of the film. If the movie is champagne, the stage version is affordable prosecco, maybe.

But this new stage version is less prosecco than plain cheap Cold Duck. And a very thin Cold Duck to boot. "Thin" describes the sets, the fabrics used in the costumes (which could pass for budget rentals), the orchestrations (if there's a statue of poor Fritz Loewe, it's weeping real tears), and the performances.

I found this production to be less Gallic, less sophisticated, less fin-de-siecle than an episode of The Big Bang Theory. The entire chorus (all 12 of 'em) have been staged to move as if elegance is a quality achieved by gesticulating like a desperate drag queen playing to the 15th row of a hostile audience.

Poor Dee Hoty seems to be under a similar idea, using her arms like semaphore flags. One might think that Howard McGillan would have developed some effortless panache after so many years, but his is a leaden, overworked, and artificial portrayal. Victoria Clark achieves a quality of underplaying, but so much so, her character seems to want nothing more than to sit down.

But my greatest complaint with the tone of this re-write is personified in the two youthful leads, both very young, very contemporary, and very, very, very American. Gigi here is a smart independent young gal and Gaston is a safe unchallenging lad merely a few years her senior. There's no appreciable age difference, or even much of a gap in sophistication.

There's little here reminiscent of the beautiful film, and absolutely nothing of Colette. But re-making the show like this may be what could make this Gigi succeed financially - appealing to a contemporary teenage feminine mindset sometimes works out. And how many Americans even know the difference between a courtesan and a prostitute nowadays, anyway?

Updated On: 3/24/15 at 08:54 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 10:26am

Just because the "theater was completely full" doesn't mean people paid for their tickets.

No one who posted that the theater was completely full said it did. Stop looking for drama...

[Nick Murphy]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 12:25pm

It's a bore. Nothing remotely Gallic on the stage. Nothing remotely sophisticated. It's just BAD.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 10:59pm

"I found this production to be less Gallic, less sophisticated, less fin-de-siecle than an episode of The Big Bang Theory."

Damn. I mean, DAMN (add the requisite inflection).

"But my greatest complaint with the tone of this re-write is personified in the two youthful leads, both very young, very contemporary, and very, very, very American."

This is what worried me the most after seeing the GMA performance.

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 3/24/15 at 11:26pm

It's just not very good. Wow, it's just not. No one manages to shine here, sadly, because the book and direction are just so leaden. The critics are going to have a field day with this one. Vicky Clark, once again, seems like she's in another show - one where she is the only actress onstage. Howard McGillin manages some sweetness. The less said about Dee Hoty here, the better. And the young leads are just young and contemporary. There's no awareness that there even SHOULD be an elevated sense of style to play this piece.
I guess the fault truly lies with the abysmal direction of Eric Schaeffer. It's non-existent. Or it's just about the worst direction I've ever seen in a Broadway house. No cliche unturned. I've seen better direction in high school productions. I'm not kidding. IMHO.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:49am

I don't know if you were seeing the same show I saw, but I thought Corey Cott was flawless(and he was flawless in Newsies too). Steffanie Leigh's soprano is worth the admission ticket alone. Vanessa Hudgens proves she is not just hot a Hollywood starlet, but a true artist with excellent comedic timing, great acting skills and a beautiful voice. She comes to life on stage. The show overall is the perfect Broadway show. The material and the direction is simply fabulous. Excellent evening at the theatre. This is what all shows should be like. I personally don't enjoy shows like Book of Mormon or Bridge and Tunnel, Brooklyn or Avenue Q. This is Broadway!

[NoName3]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:09am

Chacun à son goût.

[musikman]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 2:47am

Saw the show tonight and I thought it was one of the biggest bores I've ever seen, and this coming from someone who loves good ol' fashioned musicals. There was just no THERE there. Thank Jeebus for Vitoria Clark (mostly wasted here), and Catherine Zuber for designing some of the most glorious costumes I've seen in a while.

Vanessa Hudgens (who is certainly likable and endearing) and Corey Cott sound way too contemporary as singers and actors. Their style clashes completely with the older actors who are in a completely different world.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 6:46am

I don't understand the idea of Gaston being young. Where's the pressure in him settling down and finding a wife if he's in his early 20s? There is no ticking clock pressing on him to stop being a "bachelor."

The only reason he's young is to eliminate the "creepy" factor of him falling for Gigi, whom he's known since she was a little girl.

Plus, how is he "bored" with dating and romance and playing the field when he's only been doing it a short while (unless he started at twelve)?

Updated On: 3/25/15 at 06:46 AM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 7:12am

From raves to pans like *that*

So, mixed reviews here

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 7:59am

I enjoyed many things about Gigi. It is nice to look at, with particularly nice costumes and decent dancing. I enjoyed most of the cast, too. I felt kinda bad for the lone African-American guy in it, saddled with the doubly unfortunate stereotype of servant/prissy confidante to his mistress. And I'm pretty sure Dee Hoty is getting the response she's getting because she actually makes an impression - what kind that is, I won't say. Vanessa Hudgens was also pretty good - I'd like to see her in something else, perhaps something modern and new. She is pretty captivating on stage, not just another movie/TV star trying to legitimize their career with a stab at stage work.

Act One was much better than Act Two, which seemed to never end. It was then that it felt like somehow they were trying to make a full evening out of a rather thin show. Turns out that none of these characters are all that interesting.

I have to say, though, that if you go into Gigi expecting more than 3rd rate My Fair Lady, then you aren't going in knowing much about the Gigi. It is certainly not on par with other Lerner and Loewe shows.

Maybe timing is everything. I saw it the day after I saw It Shoulda Been You. Those of you decrying that Gigi is the worst show you've ever seen need to see THAT. Your opinion might change. Add Gigi to the "meh" pile, and move on.

Updated On: 3/25/15 at 07:59 AM

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 10:19am

^oh man, did I do this in the wrong order? Saw Gigi last night and seeing It Shoulda Been You tonight! :-/

I thought this production was a mixed bag. The visuals were tasteful: costumes, scenic design, and lighting all worked quite nicely and made the sparse furnishings appear much more complex than they actually were. I was far to the side, so it may have been my proximity to the speakers, but the sound was rough. Howard McGillin's mic was noticeably louder than others and had a tinny quality to it that didn't match what you could tell he sounded like unamplified, and the scaled down orchestrations were weak in many parts. One or two strings just can't sound like 4 or 6, no matter how loud you turn them up.

I walked away thinking that Hudgens was fine. It was good performance overall, although without much nuance. Because she played into being the carefree young lady at the beginning so strongly, it was hard to buy how quickly a fancy dress could transform her mannerisms and outlook on life. It never felt like there was much beneath the surface to pull you along with her story arc. This was my first experience with the show, so I don't know if that's her or the piece though.

I left with the overwhelming feeling that Gigi and Gaston had been utterly upstaged over the course of the show - by the much more touching, funny, and nuanced performances of Clark (a treasure), Doty, and McGillin. Their work as supporting characters was much stronger than what Hudgens and Cott brought (and he did an admirable job), that it felt drastically out of balance.

I'd rather just watch Clark and McGillin sing I Remember It Well 10 times and go home.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 1:56pm

"I have to say, though, that if you go into Gigi expecting more than 3rd rate My Fair Lady, then you aren't going in knowing much about the Gigi."

Zing!

I wonder how much they're changing in previews. I also think it's interesting that their lottery is only running through previews.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 4:31pm

What are the chances of a new discount for performances after May 3rd? Wanting to go two weeks later when I'm in the city, but even front mezz tickets are too pricey for me right now. Or any other ticketing options y'all would suggest? I even considered ordering through TodayTix the week before.

[acekatherineplumber2]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 7:03pm

Anyone here who also saw it in DC? What sort of changes have they made?

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/25/15 at 8:42pm

Saw it last night and with the exception of a few things, really enjoyed it.

It could use a bit of tightening up and possibly paced a bit quicker. Some scenes seemed to drag a bi French accents would have been nice, but we got over it. wish the two white gowns that Gigi wore in Act 2 looked more like they came from a store and not homemade. Oh, and really wish they hadn't switched off the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls". Didn't work for me with the two women singing it.

Outside of those few things, well worth seeing. And I loved the sets and choreography.

[Fan123]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 4:24am

Judging only from the film, I could see a young Gaston working, more or less. It might not be an improvement, but it wouldn't necessary fail as a choice. I could see Gaston's jadedness 'before his time' arising because he's becoming dimly aware that the playboy role everybody expects of him is not what he wants, but he can't quite articulate it to himself yet and can't see the possibility of other options. For example, one doesn't need to be along in years to find it difficult to celebrate an ex attempting suicide (even if you take the interpretation that the alleged suicide attempt was itself another fake social ploy).

[gstrus2]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 11:26am

I saw this last night and loved it. I thought Vanessa had a great debut. There was something about her, a certain quality of charm, that I felt was so natural and couldn't be acted. Victoria Clark was also amazing, I love seeing her perform. The costumes were some of the best I've seen on a Broadway stage in so long. I highly recommend it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 12:38pm

You could tell she was enjoying herself up on stage.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:13pm

For those who want to try the on line lottery be aware of the following things

1.It is only during previews
2.They had a total of 3 winners today as my wife entered. It does not look like there will be many tickets available here so the chances of winning will apparently be 2 - slim to none.

Updated On: 3/26/15 at 01:13 PM

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 4:17pm

^ Fascinating that they're limiting the winners so much - the rear Mezz was at least half empty when I went earlier this week.

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 3/26/15 at 6:02pm

I went into this, as many will, with memories of the film and some trepidation.
I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the updating of the story and thought the two leads were the right age and were both charming in their way. Ms Hudgens has 'possibilities' as Aunt Alicia might say and Mr Cott did a nice job of portraying the boredom of convention while, almost unconsciously, wanting to break free. I enjoyed the warmth of Victoria Clark's performance and the energy and commitment of Dee Hoty. I liked how Howard McGillan as Honore had a nice shift in the second half in which his relationship to Mamita seemed to change and seemed to mirror Gigi and Gaston's shift from the conventions of "l'affair" to a genuine love.
For me, the film had more to say about Paris and convention and less about the shift to real love. To me, Louis Jourdan had too much ennui and I rather felt his Gaston was too old for Gigi and I thought the characters of the Great Aunt and Mamita were too broadly and one dimensionally written. I'm sure others will disagree but c'est le board! Oh, and I am SO happy they didn't use French accents! It would have been a Pepe-le-Pew convention.
Bonne chance, Gigi. You deserve a good run.

[de_lovely]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 1:49am

Saw this for a second time tonight. This show has really grown on me- couldn't stop thinking about it since I saw it a last week, and it was even better a second time.

The show seemed more cohesive to me this time around, and the themes were much more apparent, but of course this could simply be a function of seeing it a second time. I did notice at least two lines that had been cut from when I saw the third preview. The last scene between Gigi and Gaston, when they leave Maxim's, still feels very rushed however.

Also, I'm in love with how Corey Cott is taking the end of "Gigi" up the octave. He sounds so great. And honestly I'd see the show again just to see him perform "Gigi" again.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 12:14pm

I had no previous knowledge of Gigi before last night, so as a fresh observer, I very much enjoyed it. The show has as much weight as a cream puff, and is a charming little romp through Paris.

I loved the gorgeous stain glass mosaic tree part of the set, despite the set not being much to show for itself.

Vanessa Hudgens was charming and delightful, singing, dancing, and acting the role with ease. Her presence on stage is natural, she doesn't feel forced or wooden, she feels like a young woman in the 1900s coming into her own.

Victoria Clark and Dee Hoty were a dream team playing a yin and yang to one another with finesse and charm. Clark delivered a beautiful rendition of "Say A Prayer" which felt like a mother giving her daughter away, and it brought a tear to my eye. Hoty is a hoot and plays up the absurdity of her wealth and life style with sass and brass. Howard McGillin is a charmer, and I rooted for his romance with Mamita. Stefanie Leigh was fine playing the role of a scheming and money hungry soprano in training.

Corey Cott cleans up from his Jack Kelly ways into a dashing leading man who sings the role with ease. His take on the title song felt very real - a young man torn between the friendship he risks to lose and the love he longs to have. Hudgens and Cott had a wonderful chemistry and spark from the minute they begin to banter in the first act.

The ensemble was small, but very present selling the group numbers with charm. At the back of the orchestra there was a camera, so I'm assuming they were filming b-roll or footage for something.

I didn't know what to expect, but I throughly enjoyed it. Also, Vanessa was very sweet and took her time to sign and take photos with everyone at stage door, which was set up very well by the staff of the Neil Simon.

Updated On: 3/28/15 at 12:14 PM