DOCTOR ZHIVAGO Reviews- Page 5

[phantom phan2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:12pm

 
Reviews in Australia are not worth the paper they are printed on!"

 ouch! but somewhat true...although there isn't a 'broadway' or 'westend' in Australia, so the critics really want to say all the positives about a show so that they can get people to the theatre, as there may only be two shows in a city, a year.

not all their fault

 

maybe Australians are just too nice

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:13pm

Think any talk of a cast is as dead as the future of the show

Look forward to see Mutu and Nolan in the future.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:14pm

"Some reviewers seem to get hard when really roasting a show and pouring gasoline on the fire. A simple I did not care for it would suffice  but not to these guys.
I have no respect whatsoever for this group of untalented hacks."

 

People don't seem to mind when that gas unleashes roaring raves.  We don't get to have it both ways.  They call it as they see it and with the intensity of their feelings for or against a production .. just as posters here do.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:15pm

The New York Times review isn't as bad as I thought it would be. He flat out says that if you like Les Miz and Miss Saigon you might like Doctor Zhivago but that it's not as good as either. He calls the score "melodic and skillful" but then says the songs are "indistinguishable." He compliments Mr. Weller with a "reasonable" job keeping the book "comprehensible" but calls out some of the less admirable romantic dialogue. He says Ms. Barrett "looks lovely and sings beautifully" but radiates blandness. He compliments Paul Nolan with being effective when "brash and reckless" but "less persuasive" as a leader. I feel like he did find some things to like but in his review he follows up each compliment with a contradictory remark to invalidate the prior sentiment.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:21pm

"disneybroadwayfan22, it's actually been a pretty good year for musicals. Just fyi"

 Exactly. I was just thinking we've got:
- an artistic triumph that challenges the form (Fun Home)
- a flat out fun time with broad appeal (Something Rotten)
- a historic swan song (The Visit)
- a sumptuous revival (King & I)

added to three other very well-done revivals (20th Century, On the Town, Side Show), and even some of the flops (and expected flops) were interesting. (Last Ship was earnest, Vegas was proficient though unloved, Shoulda managed to weave a credible entertainment through the sheer skill and rock-solid professionalism and timing of the actors and director)

[LATER EDIT - How could I forget a hit musical with unbeatable music, the daringly dance-centric An American in Paris??]

But back to the BBQ...

 

Updated On: 4/21/15 at 11:21 PM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:25pm

""disneybroadwayfan22, it's actually been a pretty good year for musicals. Just fyi"
 Exactly. I was just thinking we've got:
- an artistic triumph that challenges the form (Fun Home)
- a flat out fun time with broad appeal (Something Rotten)
- a historic swan song (The Visit)
- a sumptuous revival (King & I)


added to three other very well-done revivals (20th Century, On the Town, Side Show), and even some of the flops (and expected flops) were interesting. (Last Ship was earnest, Vegas was proficient though unloved, Shoulda managed to weave a credible entertainment through the sheer skill and rock-solid professionalism and timing of the actors and director)

But back to the BBQ...
 "

Yes to all of this.  It's been one of the best season for some time, especially straight threater.  I look forward to revisiting a lot in the summer.  

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:28pm

Shall this be the musical Michael Musto will be rooting for on Theater Talk's Tony Prediction show?

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:40pm

The Table is not happy with this website: (I edited the profanity)

The Zhivago Table @TheZhivago · 1h1 hour ago

@broadwayworld F*****S!! Not one of you mentioned my performance!!

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:40pm

I hope too a cast album is made.  I've liked all the songs ive heard so far. And I want a vocal selections book. 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:49pm

The recording is already scheduled. I believe Rob Sher (of On The Town) is the producer of it.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:52pm

That's the first I've heard of it. I hope it's true.

[RW3]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 11:56pm

Looks like the press team is in for a long night trying to find pull quotes.

[phantom phan2]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 12:31am

so how many performances does everyone believe it will last???

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 12:40am

Thanks, CATSNY, but we've all read the review. No need to reiterate it.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 1:16am

I was merely noting the fact that Isherwood's review seemed contradictory to me and sighted examples from his review to support my observation. I'm sorry my comment was such a waste of your time. It didn't seem to bother anyone else so venomously.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 1:35am

"I was merely noting the fact that Isherwood's review seemed contradictory to me and sighted examples from his review to support my observation."

Contradictory?  If someone says to me, you did a great job taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator but when you actually cooked them, the dish you made tasted like sh!t, do you think they are really complimenting me for how well I removed the ingredients from the refrigerator?

Starting with some vaguely positive comment to cushion the major criticism you are about to make is a technique as old as time.  He is just trying not to be excessively cruel and cut them some slack for a show that flopped badly.   He didn't like it.  That's pretty clear. 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 1:43am

I didn't mean to be venemous. I appreciate your thoughts but just didn't understand the need to cut and paste Isherwood's review. 

[HorseTears]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 1:44am

"it raves in Australia
 
Australian critics really say anything bad about anything, they get paid by the producers to review the shows, it could by the worst thing ever and an Australian critic will still find something nice to say about or talk about who was there on opening night! 
 
Reviews in Australia are not worth the paper they are printed on!"

 

Lee Lin Chin should do Australian theatre reviews now that she's semi-retired.  I feel like she wouldn't hold her tongue. 

Updated On: 4/22/15 at 01:44 AM

[Eurotrash]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 6:44am

Hate to see anything get a kicking, but there is certainly a problem with this sub-genre, in that whilst it clearly still has a big audience, the shows being offered just aren't quite good enough to reach the top flight of POTO, Miss Saigon and Les Mis.

And while this may well be a mediocre pop-opera,  even a good-to-excellent one would've got a thrashing, because opinion leaders want to keep this type of show down; even though it's still quite popular with the public, it's un-American. If Hunchback ever makes it to Broadway, it is going to have to be pitch-perfect to get good reviews. 

And I doubt if these reviewers are any less self-serving than the Australian ones.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 7:02am

I didn't find anything in the Zhivago Table Twitter page that is offensive to BWW.   Apparently, the "table" is a semi-star now.  OH,  I found it: "@Broadway World: FU**ERS not one of you mentioned my performance."  I wrote back:  "You were  a little "wooden."

Updated On: 4/22/15 at 07:02 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 7:36am

Eurotrash....what are you talking about?  Opinion leaders?  This type of Show?  

[tazber]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 7:44am

And while this may well be a mediocre pop-opera,  even a good-to-excellent one would've got a thrashing, because opinion leaders want to keep this type of show down; even though it's still quite popular with the public, it's un-American. If Hunchback ever makes it to Broadway, it is going to have to be pitch-perfect to get good reviews. 
And I doubt if these reviewers are any less self-serving than the Australian ones."

I was with you for the first line, but "opinion leaders" (whatever that means) are not some secret society trying to keep a certain style of show down. That's an absurd claim.

And "un-American"? Where do you pull this crap from?

It is possible that the show is just a bore you know, and it probably would be even if it were a book musical.

 

Anyhoo, I still very much enjoy a sung through piece if it's compelling (I think Rocky would have benefited greatly from being sung through). And I would love a recording.

 

 

 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 8:05am

Surely you can recognize that taste in musical theatre goes through trends and fashions?  The musical comedy was very out-of-favour when Phantom, Les Mis and Miss Saigon first came over.

 

And as with fashion in clothing, there are people whose opinions help to set trends.

 

So there is nothing remarkable in suggesting that Euro-musicals are out of fashion.  And there has always been a distinction between the home-made Broadway musical and imports, so it is quite possible that supporting the imports could be construed as un-patriotic.  In the UK the Olivier Awards and BAFTAs often throw up strange choices which can only be attributed to a desire to support the British film industry.  Surely American theatre might do the same?

 

Not that I'm defending this show- I haven't seen it- but Eurotrash's points are not unreasonable.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 8:08am

It's a book musical.  Let's keep the facts straight.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 8:09am

Eh, if a show is good it's good.

Of course I recognize trends, but the assertion that there is an intentional agreement to "keep the pop-opera down" is ridiculous.