SUNDAY at City Center performance thoughts/reviews- Page 5

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:04pm

 

I agree with what Jordan said about Phylicia Rashad and with what neonlights said about Annaleigh Ashford and I have never agreed with Ben Brantley more:

 

Maybe it’s partly the nastiness of this divisive election season, but this musical paean to the difficulties and transcendence of art seemed to pull us all into a teary collective of empathy. At the end of their final, magnificently sung duet, “Move On,” about getting beyond the pettiness and obstacles of daily life, Mr. Gyllenhaal and Ms. Ashford shared the most rapt and embracing smiles I think I’ve ever seen on a stage.

Then I looked around me. Those same smiles were everywhere in the audience.

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:05pm

THAT is a review. Oh my god. Congrats to all involved!

[Kad]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:07pm

"Move On" was stunning- but the moment that really touched me was in the finale as Ashford led Gyllenhaal around the stage and each cast member, one by one, acknowledged him.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:07pm

Okay I have a question. Why did Brantley gave this concert the courtesy of an overnight review when he didn't bother publishing The Front Page review well until noon last week? Don't you guys think it's a little petty?

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:11pm

Major Encores! and City Center benefit reviews are usually released by the Times the day after the first performance. 

Updated On: 10/25/16 at 01:11 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:11pm

Brantley isn't necessarily in charge of when his articles get published.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:11pm

Valentina3 said: "Okay I have a question. Why did Brantley gave this concert the courtesy of an overnight review when he didn't bother publishing The Front Page review well until noon last week? Don't you guys think it's a little petty?"

No. This is a quick-turn by nature. The Front Page decided to demand a quick-turn by design, which isn't something to which he had to comply.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 1:13pm

Kad, I think the characters bowing to and acknowledging George at the end of the show is the most incredible moments in any musical. It's art acknowledging the artist. How beautiful is that? 

[StageStruckLad]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 4:39pm

I also find it moving when everyone bows to George. And it always reminds me of Onna White's choreography where she has all the southern beaus and belles bow to Mame in the title song. 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 5:13pm

 

That moment was exactly what I thought of last night as I watched them bow to Jake!

Onna would be so pleased to be remembered this way.

(And, boy-oh-boy, what great choreography Onna White would have come up with if they had hired her to choreograph the original Into the Woods!)

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 6:09pm

I just got an email that the time for Wednesday night's performance has been changed to 7:30 (was 7:00).

 

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 6:46pm

Another rave from the Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sunday-park-george-941158

[HopesS]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 8:15pm

hopefully we will get another revival soon on bway

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 9:30pm

Going tomorrow. Can't wait!

[bfreak]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 10:15pm

I just got out of tonight's show and am stunned by how amazing it was! The entire cast was phenomenal. Jake Gyllenhaal continues to show me that he's one of our finest actors (in both stage and film), as he completely nailed the part. He was simply phenomenal. I also do not have enough words to tell you how much I loved Annaleigh Ashford. She stole my heart and sung beautifully. Even Phylicia Rashad, Zachary Levi, Carmen Cusack and well, pretty much the entire ensemble shined. Yes they still used books, but were not completely reliant on them and it didn't come across in their performances that they needed it. A transfer should happen. I have never seen an audience so equally moved at an ending than there was tonight. I'll remember this probably for the rest of my theatre going experiences in life. Bravo!

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 10:28pm

I agree. It was a stunning and beautiful performance. Jake was absolutely masterful, his singing is powerful and impressive, and his dedication to the role(s) was extremely skillful and heartfelt. Annaleigh was funny, warm, spunky, and especially impressive as Marie. The entire cast was absolutely perfect. Rashad was lovely in a key role, and could possibly turn in a Tony nominated performance if there was future life. 

The original orchestrations are some of the best ever and it's such a joy to hear them in full on a major New York stage. 

The actors seemed comfortable and confident and I assume there was less reliance on the scripts than there was last night. There was a flubbed line, lyric, instrument here and there, but that did not deter from the beauty of the piece. It's impossible for me not to be brought to tears throughout the show every time I see a production of it or listen to the score. 

If would be thrilling if this had future life. Jake is easily giving a Tony worthy performance. 

Updated On: 10/25/16 at 10:28 PM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 10:32pm

I 100% agree, both Rashad and Gyllenhaal could easily win Tonys for their turns, and Ashford very easily nominated. I sincerely hope for both my sake and future audiences sakes that there is a transfer announcement coming. 

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 11:01pm

Was there tonight as well. Although I wasn't quite as enamored with Annaleigh Ashford as the rest of you are, she was still quite good. And the rest of the cast was glorious. I was pleased to see that, unlike the reports from yesterday, Jake was pretty much off book. It was a transcendent evening and I'm so glad I made the trip out to NY even if I'd only seen this one show. 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 11:32pm

Was there tonight as well, and was pretty underwhelmed by the evening. They seemed under-rehearsed, and I really wish the projection screen had been visible to the balcony, when that was the only major scenic piece. Jake was sensational, and Carmen Cusack especially shined in all of her comedic bits. My biggest complaint was that Ashford's opening "Sunday In the Park With George" was the weakest sung I think I've heard. Her acting was great, but could not believe how much it seemed like she was holding back vocally.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 1:44am

I agree, not seeing the projections from the balcony was disappointing. But I did think they all seemed quite rehearsed and comfortable. I loved some of the little imperfections, like the french horn (i think) player cracking on the pivotal "Sunday" note at the very end of the act one finale. It's not meant to be a completely flawless presentation, but I do absolutely think they could reach perfection with a full rehearsal period, full staging, and full design on a Broadway stage. 

Updated On: 10/26/16 at 01:44 AM

[pupscotch]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 8:14am

I was there last night and loved it. I was absolutely stunned and loved Gyllenhaal and Ashford's performances. Neither of them seemed tied to the book; they and many of the ensemble members were off book for a portion of the show. The only number Gyllenhaal was almost fully on book for was Putting It Together, and even that sounded fantastic and was acted well. I wasn't able to see the projections, but overall I thought the concert was wonderful. I would love a Broadway transfer.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 10:55am

Jordan Catalano said: "And I would like to take a moment to praise Phylicia Rashad, (I was very critical of when the casting was announced, because I usually find her to be too mannered) who was just radiant and beautiful in the role. I was so impressed with her and the performance she gave."

 

We don't deserve Phylicia Rashad, honestly.

"They seemed under-rehearsed"

Yes. That's the nature of the thing. They are quite literally under-rehearsed. Updated On: 10/26/16 at 10:55 AM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 11:45am

City Center is really one of the worst theatres for projections given the sightlines and the way the proscenium can literally constrict one's view.. If you are in the balcony or upper Mezz you will miss a lot of the projections in general. And then if you are House Right or Left in the Grand Tier or Mezz you only get to see part of the projections. Encores shows are generally staged downstage because it allows more seat holders to see everything. Some touring companies come in and stage things upstage left and right and a fair amount of seats in the auditorium miss out on seeing what is happening in those particular areas.

 

Brantley probably was sitting in the center orchestra  7th or 8th row so his experience was probably so much different than someone who was sitting in one of the afore mentioned areas. And I do think an orchestra seat would allow one to appreciate subtle acting choices and connections between actors more so than if one were sitting in the balcony.

 

I think a semi staged version of a show can still have flair. For me it is not a question of how much book holding there is or whether there is a full set or costumes. If a semi staged show is done properly it can be quite stunning. It just has to do with a good eye, a sense or flow and a knack for story telling. I felt the clunky direction got in the way of things but it did not keep me from enjoying the leads. Jake obviously did a lot of work on his own and as I said before he must be working with a vocal coach for he has matured to much since Little Shop. And Ashford has the knack for making things look effortless.  I personally thought the direction swallowed up many of the supporting performances given the crowded nature of the visuals and there was literally some amateur blocking where actors were upstaging one another.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 11:52am

Since the '08 revival of SUNDAY is my favorite production of any show all time, I suffer a bit from the tendency to want any other production I see (Philly in '10, DC in '14, and this one) to be a copy of the '08 production rather than its own interpretation. That said, there were a number of elements I very much liked.

Jake's voice has a ton of potential. I was quite impressed, especially during "The Day Off." Fatigue began to show towards the end of each act, so "Finishing the Hat" and "Move On" both lacked the crispness, purity, and sustained notes I wanted to hear. That's not surprising for a singer that lacks professional training and experience, so I'd expect that to improve in a theoretical full production. I thought his mannerisms, especially during "Color and Light," more frantic than focused, but on the whole I thought he brought a strong and able Georges.

Vocal fatigue seemed to affect Annaleigh, too. "Move On" is my favorite song in the piece, and those soaring harmonies felt grating. Most seemed to love it though, so perhaps I'm being too critical. I thought her personality and depth was good and would likely be enhanced with more time.

The ensemble was mostly able, and I enjoyed their performances. They mostly overcame directing that could be scattered and unfocused in the larger scenes. Casting an actor for Soldier #2 was interesting, especially since they made nods to the fact that the actor playing him normally wouldn't be real. I enjoyed Felicia Rashad's acting, but she was hard to listen to during "Beautiful," at least last night.

Does Louise normally have a role in Act II? I've seen the show 8 times over the years and can never recall that "Rayn with a 'y'" line before.

In the future, it'd be great if they could hang a screen from the ceiling so that the balcony could see the projections. For those that saw Rosewater from upstairs, could you see the top floor? I'm curious how much thought City Center puts into the balcony patrons when designing these concerts/shows.

All in all, it was an impressive evening of theater given the limited time they had to prepare. It felt me wanting a little more polish, and I'm certainly glad I didn't splurge for the inflated Stubhub prices when it was a one-night-only engagement, but I'm glad I got to experience it.

[Esther]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 11:59am

SmoothLover said: " And I had no idea Rashard could sing and I thought she held her own.
 

 

"

You didn't know that she was Bernadette's replacement in Into The Woods back in 88? 

 

I am old.