Performances start TOMORROW! Can't wait to hear some reviews. Jennifer Tepper tweeted a picture with the quote "I have legitimately been crying for hour. I have never heard New York City Center as silent as it was the ENTIRE TIME Ellen Greene sang 'Somewhere That's Green'. Actual theatre magic."
Well Ellen Greene was ageless, voice-full, and as heartbreaking as you would expect her to be, coming back to the role 33 years after opening - but Jake Gyllenhall was a revelation as Seymour. Such a voice...completely perfect in the role...and loved by the crowd who saw him tonight. Those two together, embracing, at the end of Suddenly, Seymour...that was theatrical spirituality. If you didn't manage to get a ticket to this...keep trying. It's the theatre event of the season. Remarkable. Venus and Jupiter know what they're up to...
There was an invited dress rehearsal to fill the house, per usual Encores style? That saps the event and anticipation out of tomorrow's performance. I guess tomorrow's audience won't be the "first" to see Ellen return to the role. That's a big reason folks bought tickets.
There's an invited dress to everything. It's usually for people "in the biz." It doesn't really take anything away from the first performance, as it's not a real performance.
I am so bummed I don't live in the city and I am heartbroken I will be missing this. I hope it transfers, but I highly doubt it will. Who knows, right? Violet got a full production because of a one night only concert. It would be interesting if they put this on Broadway. Ellen could get a Tony Nomination for the role she created 33 years ago. She's never performed the show on Broadway, so unless the committee's comes up with some BS reason, she would be eligible.
I would buy a ticket ASAP if this transferred to Broadway. Maybe it should, even for just 3-4 months.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I'd LOVE to see this come to Broadway. Can someone who went last night tell me about what the plant, if there was one, looked like? Was it even staged or just as a concert?
I highly doubt this will move to Broadway. Gyllenhaal and Killam have other commitments...and let's not forget that Ellen Greene is, ahem, a bit mature to be playing Audrey in a traditional production.
That saps the event and anticipation out of tomorrow's performance. I guess tomorrow's audience won't be the "first" to see Ellen return to the role. That's a big reason folks bought tickets.
In all seriousness though, do the Encores people not understand how important it is to be able to go online and say "FIRST", for a production that they paid actual money to see? I really don't see any difference between this and an attack on the street while someone is yelling homophobic slurs.