Allegiance Previews- Page 5

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 4:49pm

Haven't seen this yet, but I found Salonga on the arch side in "Flower Drum...", as noted, somewhat uncomfortable when not singing. She is not easy to cast, since she brings a kind of earnest gravitas but not much to lighten whatever she's playing.  She has a kind of ... precision ... that makes a spontaneous moment rare.  I saw her twice in "Saigon," but that role required the notes and the innocent presence. I'm not convinced she's an actor with much range, and taking into account the nature of the industry and women (underscore that), her career since "Saigon" suggests a singer rather than an actor.  

 

Does this show have any music that she can bring her best talent to?  That's what people paying to see her want, to hear that soaring clarity in her singing.  I'd like to hear more posts on the songs written for her character.    

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 5:04pm

Auggie27 said: "Does this show have any music that she can bring her best talent to?  That's what people paying to see her want, to hear that soaring clarity in her singing.  I'd like to hear more posts on the songs written for her character."

Lea Salonga's character has a (what I found to be) beautiful song towards the end of the first act called Higher. There are videos of her performing the song on YouTube. The song was the standout of evening for me.

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 5:39pm

Phan2 said: "Two of those giving Allegiance a positive review were not relatively new members (Bwayphreak235 joined 7/10 and hushpuppy joined 11/04), while one of those giving the musical a negative review was a rather recent member (joined 10/15).   The numbers are too small, to generalize in my opinion."

 

What is this new criteria that bases reviews in relation to the age of one's BWW account?! I can't think of a more useless metric, since it has no bearing on how long anyone has been actively engaged with theater and many people have had previous accounts on here.

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 05:39 PM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:05pm

Auggie27 said: "She has a kind of ... precision ... that makes a spontaneous moment rare. "

I love Lea as a performer but I would agree with this description. Then again, she has been in showbiz all her life so that guardedness could be a result of that. Jodi Foster has that same air about her. 

[BWNUT]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:22pm

Unless they've been changed, 2 songs by Lea stood out for me. "The Mountain's Heart " duet with M. Lee and her solo "Higher" She nailed both. In fact, the latter is the 11 o'clock number of the show. If hearing her crystalline voice express the emotional core of the songs is all you want, the show is worth your time and money.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:40pm

"The Mountain's Heart" is no longer in the show; she does sing a duet with Lee called "This is Not Over."

 

"Higher" remains, but is in act one. 

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:37pm

i really appreciate all of those posting reviews as they see a show

its really interesting to me how people experience a show and what they love

or dont like about it, and honestly reading 10 or 20 of your reviews gives me a lot

more color about a show than whats put out by the "pro reviewers"

It also opens up my eyes and ears to notice and take in more aspects of a show

 

The quality and thoughtfulness of a  reviewers comments does matter more than how long someone has been on a board, and like many im skeptical of any internet reviews were someone shows up only to review one thing.... the observation on more cons based on who had been on the longest and more rosy reviews from recent reviewers is not statistically significant and cant draw any usable conclusions

It may be fair to say that some who have been reviewing and posting longer may be a bit more savvy or a bit more jaded or a combination of both, or neither.

Like most things in life, reviews are often most meaningful when you note that the reviewer has similar tastes and preferences to yours, so of i had agreed with nine of ten of say whizzermarvins last reviews after seeing a show, i would probably be very in line with him on the next one

probably the best thing about this board, other than how knowledgeable and friendly most are, is that its clear we all LOVE MUSICALS, and can often have half us love or hate a show with equal levels of passion

when something like Hamilton comes along, where it seems like 90% or more of the group agrees, its truly miraculous

 

The other thing thats amazing to me is that 90% agreement a show is great doesnt mean it will have a long life on broadway, just look at most Sondheim shows, and fan favorites like gentlemens guide and on the town biting the dust.

 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:50pm

broadwaysfguy said: "The other thing thats amazing to me is that 90% agreement a show is great doesnt mean it will have a long life on broadway..."

 

That's almost a completely separate issue, though. Quality and ability to find an audience in a limited window of time don't always line up...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:54pm

I saw it tonight!

 

I think I posted earlier in this thread that while I'm Asian American, I'm not of Japanese descent (I have a very multi-generational Chinese American family), but apart from school (reading Farewell to Manzanar) and some films (Come See the Paradise), I've heard about the camps peripherally through a friend of my mom's and a grandmother of one of my oldest friends, who was actually raised in Japan because somehow her family was able to send her to Japan when they heard about internment and didn't want her to get locked up. And it's not that it's a good thing at all that it happened, but it's a GREAT THING that this story is being told on Broadway with such a high-profile celebrity behind it. And in this show, the white actors are the minority.

 

I also enjoyed that this was probably the most Asian American audience I've seen at any show outside Northern California.

 

I don't want to say too much about the actual show (or maybe I will when I've had more sleep)... so just a few thoughts.

 

The score works best when it sounds like 1940s big band. I don't know if it's because they're inherently more peppy, or because the rest of it is fine but nothing that stand-out. Most of the songs are too long, and there are too many reprises in Act 2.

 

The USO dance in Act 2 doesn't really need to be there, but it's nice to watch Scott Wise do backflips! The scene mentioning the $25 needs to hit you in the stomach, like when Violet and Daisy Hilton find out the name of the film they're going to star in. I heard people around me gasp a little, but it didn't quite hit the way I think it needed to. I get that it's supposed to contrast with the pizazz of the USO dance, but it didn't leave enough breathing room for it.

 

The staging of the bombing of Hiroshima was fantastic. Clearly it is a very bittersweet victory.

 

Michael K. Lee is the stand-out in this cast, but there isn't really a weak link at all. I enjoyed the passion behind Greg Watanabe's Mike Masaoka and now I want to read more about the real guy. I've seen Lea Salonga in concert at Town Hall, and I expected her dialogue to sound as stilted as her patter in that (and in Redwood Curtain), but it really wasn't. And I'm so happy to see Telly Leung in a starring role.

 

The plot wraps up a little too half-heartedly and then too quickly, but I admit, I was a SUCKER for the final reunion at the end.

 

So, I guess I would say my feeling coming away from it was mixed-good. I saw Jay Kuo in the audience tonight, and there were surveys to fill out, so let's hope they get some constructive criticism and fix what needs to be fixed!

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 11:54 PM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:56pm

From what I found Lea had another solo at one point In the development of the show called Second Chances

[rcwr]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 12:16am

I feel like I've linked these before, but I'm not sure which thread it was in, so here they are again for people who missed them (and apologies if it's a repeat in this thread) -- two songs that used to be in the show and aren't anymore. They're beautiful.

 

Lea Salonga, "Second Chances":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGf4Cyc7Vg

Lea Salonga and Michael K. Lee, "The Mountain's Heart":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYEsYp8xhw

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 12:50am

LizzieCurry, I hope you could fill out a survey! I'm glad they're making an effort beyond just passive observation, at least.

 

  Meanwhile, Salonga just tweeted that tomorrow's show will have "oh dear" levels of changes. Intriguing.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 12:59am

Oh, I did. I love surveys!

 

It was interesting -- it was a full 8.5 x 11 sheet, on both sides. They were taped to the backs of each seat with a pencil attached. There were three parts. One to fill out before the show, one at intermission, and one after the show. It listed each song and asked you to rate how much you liked them (I think it said "a lot," "a little," "not at all". They even asked the same of certain characters' relationships and stories, what your thoughts were at the end of each act, would you recommend the show, and what was most influential in your decision to go. Also: when/why you decided to go, how you heard about the show, and if you went as a gift, paid yourself, or was comped (something like that). It was impressive how much they wanted to know, without being creepy/prying.

[Phan2]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 2:22am

Thank you LizzieCurry for your detailed review, and for the news that the show runners are actually soliciting input from audience members.    I agree completely that it is a great thing that this story is being told on Broadway, with two high profile celebrities behind it, by primarily Asian actors.  We often talk about representation of minority groups in our culture.    My family, my friends, and I are happy that a very critical, a very tragic experience of Asian-Americans in U.S. history is being told.   Perhaps it is being told imperfectly, but yet it is amazing that the story IS being told nevertheless.   And it is being told on Broadway, in a way that potentially may reach a lot of people who knew little or nothing about this issue of how Japanese-Americans were unjustly interned because of racial prejudice, as well as reaching those who see that this little-known or rarely- acknowledged story of how their families and friends suffered from such an injustice is being told in a very public way. 

 

I am glad to hear that the show is trying to figure out what works and what doesn't.   Their survey sounds detailed, suggesting that they are earnest in their desire to work on the flaws of the show.   Lea's tweet also suggests that they may be making some significant changes.   Thanks rcwr for the links to the two songs that were omitted.  I especially liked the "The Mountain's Heart."

Updated On: 10/9/15 at 02:22 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 2:31am

"And in this show, the white actors are the minority." 

I'm sorry, but I find that offensive. I don't know. I think the story is interesting and needs to be told, I just find this sense of anti-white really...weird. Like, so what? Sure white people weren't pertinent in the story, but why shout it out? We didn't choose to be white. So don't act like it's some positive that white people weren't the main focus. 

[rcwr]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 2:37am

It is very much a positive when white people aren't the main focus. We live in a world that gives whiteness all sorts of privileges and powers, on so many levels and in so many contexts. It's institutionalized and it's wrong. So when we find a place where whiteness is decentered, yes, that's a good thing.

[Phan2]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 2:41am

I don't want to speak for anyone else, so I am speaking just for myself.  I think representation is important, and this is a story that primarily represents the point of view of those Japanese-Americans who were interned during WWII.  Thus, it would make sense that most of the actors would be Asian.  

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 7:32am

It's admirable and refreshing to see a musical that makes a direct, unabashed and unapologetic appeal to the heart, without frills or frippery, show-offy self-indulgence, or ponderous pretension. And that is this show's unique appeal. Its unaffected honesty, simplicity, heart and soul enable it to rise above its shortcomings to provide an affecting evening in the theatre. I was moved on more than a few occasions. I loved the winsome charm of "Wishes on the Wind," as well as the lovely effect at the end. The cast is uniformly good, and Lea Salonga is, well, simply wonderful. The crystalline beauty of her singing, the grace of her performance are utterly captivating..  Her solo number soared, and provided the kind of frisson that were once regular occurrences In the good old days. 

 

I enjoyed it ten million times more than that relentless, self-important farrago that gets shoved in our faces every single minute of the day. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 8:18am

Personally, I don't think simply because a story is "important" it deserves to get a free pass on the book, score, direction, etc. All shows, from the darkest dramas to the fluffiest of escapist fare, should be expertly crafted if they are going to play at the (alleged) highest level of the theater in this country. 

 

If someone writes a play about the Holocaust or the Civil Rights movement or the onset of AIDS it doesn't automatically make it something praiseworthy. For me, the craft must be there too. 

 

I adored Ruined when it played off-Broadway, and it was certainly nice to see a play dominated by black women examining an issue often brushed under the table, but more importantly the text was expertly written by Nottage, directed by Whoriskey and acted by that indelible ensemble.

 

I do understand having a visceral response to something, even if it isn't put together as well as it could be. I wept like a baby both times I saw Irena's Vow. If Allegiance is moving people in a similar way I don't think their experience should be slighted, but for others like me who weren't able to swept up into that experience the flaws overwhelmed the piece and ultimately sunk the ship.   

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 8:45am

RippedMan said: ""And in this show, the white actors are the minority." 

 

I'm sorry, but I find that offensive. I don't know. I think the story is interesting and needs to be told, I just find this sense of anti-white really...weird. Like, so what? Sure white people weren't pertinent in the story, but why shout it out? We didn't choose to be white. So don't act like it's some positive that white people weren't the main focus. "

 

There's no need to be sorry for your opinion. Though I don't think what I said was anti-white. What I said is that unlike a lot of other shows, the majority of this cast is un-white. There's a big difference. You didn't choose to be part of an ethnic group that makes up a majority of the faces of American entertainment. I didn't choose to be Asian, just as I didn't choose to be represented in entertainment as a nerd/villain/inevitable martial artist/wise sage with long beard/vulnerable child of war/newslady with big shoulder pads/some terrible person played by Mickey Rooney.

 

It's nice that people from a similar gene pool as me make up most of a major Broadway cast. Since you're white, you can't relate. There's nothing offensive about this; that's just the case. (And re-read what rcwr said.)

 

Whizzer, I get what you're saying about importance of a story not giving a free pass to weaker elements, BUT I don't think we agree on what those weaker elements are in Allegiance, nor the weakness of them.

 

Anyway, that was only the third preview, and it sounds like this show is going to be changed a lot -- hopefully in the realm of improvements. Though they're almost there.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 8:56am

That's true- weaknesses are subjective. What one considers a generic lyric may not bother another listener, etc. 

 

As far as the handing out of surveys goes, I guess it's good that they're acknowledging that work needs to be done, but it seems a little late in the game to be asking people to rate each song and character relationship. This is what workshops and try-outs are for. You can still replace a song or add some dialogue in previews, but if they have to overhaul character dynamics and modulate tone then those problems will be insurmountable in the preview time frame. 

 

I also think it's good to listen to audience response, but the surveys smack a little too much of focus groups for movies and tv shows- which are often more detrimental to the creative than not.  

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 8:59am

I fully agree with Whizzer here, and must say: the truth he speaks isn't voiced enough.  Alas, art is measured by its achievement, not its ambition.  One can salute the ambitious nature of any project and still view the results with clear eyes and through the (needed) lens of many years of experience attending the theater.  As Whizzer and other have, thoughtfully.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 9:17am

^

 

"Haven't seen this yet,"

 

Perhaps you should, before proffering your lofty pronouncements.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 9:33am

After Eight said: "^

 

"Haven't seen this yet,"

 

Perhaps you should, before proffering your lofty pronouncements."

 

That's a pretty high bar for BWW.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 10:12am

LizzieCurry said: "Whizzer, I get what you're saying about importance of a story not giving a free pass to weaker elements, BUT I don't think we agree on what those weaker elements are in Allegiance, nor the weakness of them.

  

Anyway, that was only the third preview, and it sounds like this show is going to be changed a lot -- hopefully in the realm of improvements. Though they're almost there."

 

I agree with both you and Whizzer. Really it comes down to the buzz's hook, because judgment of quality/art/etc. is subjective. Broadway ticket-buying is still primarily affected by word of mouth, so if the buzz is that the music, characters, and/or writing for a show with non-mainstream subject matter is amazing, that's something to lean on besides celebrity power. Certainly Takei's celebrity power in translating to ticket sales has yet to be truly tested, and Salonga's primary base is in a different country. More seasoned theater lovers and hardcore Disney fans will remember her name, but I doubt that's enough.

 

It's important to remember that about 80% of the Broadway audience is white, so the basic premise of historical-racism-against-minority isn't a great marketing platform for anyone unfamiliar with and indifferent to the history. There has to be some kind of mainstream appeal for commercial success (besides pulling a GGLAM resurrection by winning the Tony). This isn't a family-friendly show like Finding Neverland, so it's not a safe risk either. I think it's great that people who have a personal connection of some sort are finding gems within this musical and that it has a face-value attraction, but these are minority fans who can't sustain a commercial venture like this.

 

What part of the buzz will attract the bulk of tourists? I have zero interest in the history of Hamilton, for example, but the tremendous buzz around the originality and music is enough to pique interest. Love stories are banal (though a big genre draw for certain people, of course). Allegiance's lyrics aren't smart or poetic, though I like the melodies of what I've heard; that's not the greatest sell against other shows on Broadway right now with acclaimed scores. And if the family drama lacks drama in the mature sense of nuance as Whizzer argues, that would probably bug me. Being an original musical is appealing to others yet, but that's still not the greatest hook.

 

But for all of that, I can report that buzz on Facebook and Twitter have been quite positive, so in its current form, it's hitting the right buttons for some people (though that's skewed because you can't actually critique anything on Twitter). Will that be enough? I still hope adjustments will come and be helpful, but it's less than a month to opening now. I'm not a betting person, but I think it's safe to assume Allegiance won't recoup; a healthy run would be nice, though. Personal forecast is: cautionsly optimistic.

 

Can anyone report how full the audience was for the previews so far? Not that I expect a large number of people because it's still in previews, but I'm curious.