PRINCE OF BROADWAY Previews- Page 5

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 8/6/17 at 9:56pm

neonlightsxo said: "Tony Yazbeck was the highlight for me, closely followed by Chuck Cooper and Emily Skinner.

It's really just an expensively produced revue. There are new costumes and new sets for every single individual show. That's the difference between this and something you would catch at 92Y (though the 92Y shows often have better books) 

 

"

Yes Yasbeck singing from West side Story. Now I don't know if he ever played Tony anywhere but he damn should have. He certainly was a highlight for me too.  Also agree about Chris and Emily. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 12:03am

starcatchers said: "Jarethan said: "starcatchers said: "I'm apparently in the minority, but I enjoyed it for what it was. 

The narration was almost nonexistent. I enjoyed what they started to do with it, and then it just kind of stopped. Some sections dragged far too long (particularly the Follies into A Little Night Music).the lack of an ensemble was downright strange in spots. But overall, the performances were very good, and it was an enjoyable little showcase of some of my favorite musicals. 

If Follies into ALNM dragged, this show MUST be awful.  Like the show or not, I have to believe that most people would agree that Follies has some great raw material for a show like this (although the best numbers to me were both due to Michael Bennett).


I should have prefaced my statement with the fact that I've never been overly fond of Follies (unpopular opinion number two?). Tony Yazbeck's "The Right Girl" was absolutely wonderful, but the preceding parts of that section didn't do it for me. I also think the transition into ALNM could've used a little narration, and the lack of it made it seem longer. 

 

The original production of Follies is one of my favorites ever; there are so many highlights in one show that it is amazing.  Lucy and Jessie, How Could I Leave You, Who's That Woman, I'm Still Here, Broadway Baby and Ah Paris!, The Girls Upstairs, Beautiful Girls, Losing My Mind, Live Laugh Love.  The Girls Upstairs seems like a perfect choice to include in a show like this: very clever song, needs 8 people, which is doable; illustrates Prince's  staging brilliance, etc.  That makes sense.  Beautiful Girls would seem to need bigness to work, which doesn't seem the case with this production.  Did it work?

 As for The Right Girl, Tony Yazbeck's performance aside, I have always considered that to be tied for the worst number in the show, along with Too Many Mornings.  At least with the latter, it is just that I got sick of it.  I never enjoyed The Right Girl.  

[Tigger]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 1:10am

I saw Tony Yazbeck for the first time in the Patti Lupone Gypsy playing Tulsa and have loved him ever since and went to see him twice in On The Town. I fell in love with Karen Ziemba when she played Polly in Crazy For You over twenty years ago, then even mores so in Contact at the Lincoln Center. She was also memorable in Never Gonna Dance and Curtains.

Tony and Karen. Two excellent and enough reasons to go and see this show.

Updated On: 8/7/17 at 01:10 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 10:56am

Phantom4ever said: "The worst part for me were the Phantom numbers.  As a phan-atic, I was so looking forward to them.  First, the revised orchestrations for the title number were disgraceful.  And far too much of that number was cut."

Oh dear. I was considering seeing this when I come up at the end of the month, but the Phantom numbers were the biggest draw for me as well and I really don't like the sound of "revised orchestrations" and "cuts". Could you provide a bit more detail about what they did to it?

Phantom4ever said: "And at the end of Music of the Night (which was sung well) the Phantom walks around with a passed out Christine.  Very odd.  I also really wish that Yazbeck did the Phantom  I was dying to hear him do it" 

I just can't picture this. And I think I would've preferred Mr. Yazbeck as well.

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 10:59am

neonlightsxo said: "Michael Xavier really wasn't right for this track. He is no Ramin. I am a fan of MX (loved him in Sunset) but his Being Alive was underpowered as was his Phantom. It felt like there was a Ramin sized hole in the show. Did Ramin do the Che bit in Japan? Tony seemed out of his depth there."

Mr. Xavier just doesn't have the powerhouse voice that's necessary for Phantom. Knowing that Mr. Karimloo played this role in Japan, I was surprised and somewhat bewildered at Xavier's casting for Broadway.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 12:40pm

I fell in love with Karen Ziemba when she played Polly in Crazy For You over twenty years ago, then even mores so in Contact at the Lincoln Center. She was also memorable in Never Gonna Dance and Curtains.

She was also an excellent Dolly Levi in a regional production of Hello Dolly in the Chicago area a few years ago.

[TNick926]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 1:18pm

Has anyone posted a list of the musical numbers and running order for this show?  I remember seeing such from the Japan production, but nothing here yet?  If you can guide me, that would be great! Or please post if you've seen this production, and are willing to take the time - even greater!! :)

[starcatchers]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 1:59pm

There is one somewhere a couple pages back. 

 

Question: Was "Hey There" always just the little recorded snippet? I was looking forward to hearing it, as it's listed in the Playbill, but you only hear five or so seconds during the opening. 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 3:17pm

Speaking as someone who grew up with the Sondheim/Prince pentalogy, I would say definitely DO NOT skip this show, Brody. Although it's no Fosse or Jerome Robbins Broadway, it's one showstopper after another, so ultimately, it's thrilling.

The Follies section alone shows the ghostly quality that all subsequent productions have been missing. The masterful hand of Hal Prince is evident in the pitch-perfect restaging of "Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs" with the four principals and their younger selves. He and Michael Bennett were the only directors EVER who understood that these were not merely ghosts but also the visions (and nightmares) we ALL see of our younger selves as we grow older. The moment after the four young characters left the stage, leaving the four older characters in stunned silence, mouths agape, filled with rue and regret and bemused disbelief, having just seen their youths pass before them was everything I remember from my own youth, 46 years ago, when I saw Company 4 times, Follies 5 times, and A Little Night Music 6 times.

Why has no subsequent director understood how to stage that song and those ghosts? Because Hal Prince and Michael Bennett were geniuses and everyone else is just a director.

And then, the thrilling performance of (most of) Michael Bennett's staging of "The Right Girl" by Tony Yazbeck was gasp-inducingly dramatic. No Buddy since Gene Nelson has been able to use dance as a means of expressing a lifetime of anger and resentment. And the show needs a Buddy who can dance his fierce anger the way West Side Story needs an Anita who can dance her fierce pride.

Go see the show for Tony Yazbeck--and for Brandon Uranowitz, for Karen Ziemba, for Chuck Cooper's "Old Man River" (more so than his Tevye) and Emily Skinner's Phyllis (more so than her Desiree) and Janet Dacal's Evita and Bryonha Marie Parham's Evita. But especially go see it for Tony Yazbeck.

Unlike Jerome Robbins Broadway and Fosse, which gave us the choreographic world views of those two geniuses, this show lacks any kind of unifying vision. I wish that Hal's words and JRB's lyrics had more dramatically told us what a producer does--and why he wanted to go from producing to directing. At the end, Jason Robert Brown provides a new song called "Do the Work"--why does that song not also OPEN the show? It would be such an easy bookend! Hello, Hal and Susan? Pardon me for giving advice to two people I acknowledge as geniuses, but do it! Do the work on the opening of your show.

Oh, and somebody please tell Michael Xavier he needn't emphasize every single word in "Being Alive." As Sondheim likes to remind actors who similarly overact his sings: Trust the material.

 

Updated On: 8/7/17 at 03:17 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 5:13pm

PalJoey said: "Speaking as someone who grew up with the Sondheim/Prince pentalogy, I would say definitely DO NOT skip this show, Brody. Although it's no Fosse or Jerome Robbins Broadway, it's one showstopper after another...

And then, the thrilling performance of (most of) Michael Bennett's staging of "The Right Girl" by Tony Yazbeck was gasp-inducingly dramatic. No Buddy since Gene Nelson has been able to use dance as a means of expressing a lifetime of anger and resentment. And the show needs a Buddy who can dance his fierce anger the way West Side Story needs an Anita who can dance her fierce pride.

Oh, and somebody please tell Michael Xavier he needn't emphasize every single word in "Being Alive." As Sondheim likes to remind actors who similarly overact his sings: Trust the material.

 

"

The night I saw it he didn't just emphasize every single word, he actually spoke a lot of them, totally ignoring the intended notes. Seriously if you just can't get someone to sing this classic properly, have someone else do it. Either Tony or Brandon would have been an improvement to me. 

[After Eight]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 5:23pm

Jarethan wrote:  "I never enjoyed The Right Girl."

 

I've never liked it either. Tony Yazbeck danced it very well, but the song is as unappealing as ever. And Buddy's horrible Loveland number is even worse. At least we were spared that one here.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 7:48pm

PalJoey, thanks for that! This is now at the top of my list when I return to NYC next month. I'm still a little disappointed with the smaller orchestra and the small cast and the small sets (I guess I just have a problem with the lack of grandeur apparent in this production, something I so associate Prince for in his mammoth and opulent productions) but really, when else will I have the opportunity to see glimpses of the original Company, Follies, Night Music, or Evita? It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity (for me, anyways).

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 10:37pm

I'm definitely seeing this. I think it would actually be cool to start with Merrily We Roll Along's "The Hills of Tomorrow." Would give the show some irony that Prince would have loved.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/7/17 at 11:48pm

After Eight said: "Jarethan wrote:  "I never enjoyed The Right Girl."

 

I've never liked it either. Tony Yazbeck danced it very well, but the song is as unappealing as ever. And Buddy's horrible Loveland number is even worse. At least we were spared that one here.

 

I loved Follies as a whole, but I agree with you that I was indifferent or disliked both of Buddy's big numbers.  Now I just have to figure out why I thought Danny Burstein gave the best performance in the last revival when I did dislike both of his big numbers.

To Pal Joey, I have probably never agreed with a post as much as I agree with your analysis of The Girls Upstairs.  I personally think the staging of that number it is probably the absolute pinnacle of the Sondheim / Prince partnership.  If I focused on Michael Bennett -- I certainly have no understanding or opinion of who contributed what ideas to the staging of that number -- I would say that there is nothing in his oeuvre that is any better IMO than that number.  (Never a huge fan of ACL, although I think it is a good musical).

Not even having seen this show, your comments re lack of a unifying vision make total sense to me.  IMO, this show needs it even more than the others because -- whereas Prince generally shared the staging with a choreographer -- Fosse and Robbins generally served in both capacities.  I have no idea how Prince and Bennett worked out the staging of Company or Follies (i.e., who came up with the vision for a scene, who contributed what,etc.) or how Prince and Stroman worked out Show Boat, and etc.  Why were the specific numbers picked for this show?  I can understand why Robbins chose his numbers...not why Prince did.  A stronger narrative would help to understand 'why I, Harold Prince, think it makes sense to highlight The Right Stuff over so many other numbers I could have included for Follies' (as an example).

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 12:42am

Does anyone know why Xavier was cast in this show? I feel like this show has some great performers, but I don't particularly understand his addition. He's not a great vocalist and not a great actor? 

[JBC3]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 6:38am

Over on All that Chat someone compares the show to a good Kennedy Center Honors performance. Given some of the comments here that sounds about right ... excellent performers singing some great songs but without a true unifying narrative or story arc.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 8:02am

Does Yazbek do "The Right Girl" in its entirety? And does he do the original full dance arrangement, or the flaccid "I don't love... the right girl... oh, sh*t..." ending that was thrown in when Gene Nelson injured himself and couldn't do the big dance ending?

I admit that I feel that I've never seen "The Right Girl" as it was intended to be done; either the Buddy chooses the weak ending (Patinkin, McGrath), or he can't really dance (Burstein, Treat Williams), cutting all the muscle and rage out of the ending of the song.

It seems that the song really would work best if Buddy's rage continues to build all the way to the end.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:04am

 

The set doesn't allow for the full acrobatic flying around the platforms that Gene Nelson did, but Yazbeck's dancing and acting ability allow the darker colors to come through. It's the closest we'll get to the Michael Bennett/Gene Nelson original until Tony Yazbeck us cast in a full production.

 

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 10:23am

PalJoey said: " 

The set doesn't allow for the full acrobatic flying around the platforms that Gene Nelson did, but Yazbeck's dancing and acting ability allow the darker colors to come through. It's the closest we'll get to the Michael Bennett/Gene Nelson original until Tony Yazbeck us cast in a full production.

 

Thanks, PalJoey, for encapsulating what I feel about FOLLIES and Prince in general, and my subsequent disappointment in almost every later production about "The Right Girl." I saw the show a dozen times, including the Boston tryout and the opening and closing nights, and no one approximated what Gene Nelson (and Bennett) could do. The only exception was the Barrington Stage production in 2005, where the great Lara Teeter, of ON YOUR TOES fame, played Buddy. He was the only subsequent Buddy who was a trained dancer, and he danced the hell out of "The Right Girl." 

I wasn't sure if I was going to see PRINCE OF BROADWAY, but based on your comments, now I will.

 

"

 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 8/8/17 at 11:14am

Saw Robot Hal Prince mingling at Bar Centrale on Saturday night. He was nicer than I expected. And shorter than I expected! He short circuited around 1A and was slumped over in a bar stool until Raul Esparza showed up and got him back online. It was simultaneously amusing and horrifying. I'm scared for the future of humanity.

Posted: 8/8/17 at 11:37pm

Saw the show tonight. Agreed that it's basically a very expensive revue with a great cast, but I like revues so it was a fun night out. Yazbeck, Dacal, Skinner and Parham were the definite highlights but everyone was good. I didn't mind Michael Xavier, but I felt he was gesticulating too much. Not every line of Being Alive needs an arm gesture!

[Alfie6]

Posted: 8/9/17 at 11:32am

Absolutely wonderful evening!! The narration was a bit weird and I'm not sure what purpose it served but the musical numbers were fantastic. This is a great show for Broadway lovers and not something I would take out-of-town family to see since they would probably be bored or confused by some numbers out of context. The only show I was personally unfamiliar with was Kiss of the Spider Woman and had no idea what was happening in that scene. The whole cast came out to sign and were extremely personable really taking the time to chat with everyone. Hal Prince came out and signed too for a few folks so that was a real highlight of the evening!

[newintown]

Posted: 8/10/17 at 7:34am

What an odd experience. The Kennedy Center Honors comparison felt apt - or even better, it's like one of the Sylvia Fine TV specials from the 70s, gathering a group of performers of various skill and fame, and assigning them a bunch of songs, a few of which suit their abilities well, most of which don't really. Each number reminded me how much better the original interpreter did it, inspiring nostalgia for Elaine Stritch, Angela Lansbury, Zero Mostel, Dean Jones.

Oddest of all - the show, despite the odd random array of glasses on the head narrations, doesn't really have much to do with Hal Prince. We know he directed these shows, but what, precisely, do these numbers, as presented, owe to him? And who is the man? I idly daydreamed, during one particularly unsatisfying section, about listening in to those conversations he and Sondheim had as young men, about how they would change the American Musical Theatre. How about that as a play?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/12/17 at 4:56pm

Well, this was shockingly *really* bad. I went into this with an open mind, and expected to enjoy myself even though the word of mouth has not been great. Sadly, this an enormous misfire on pretty much all cylinders. The sets are dirt cheap and boring, the performances overall are unexciting (although Tony Yazbek was out, so I can't speak for him), and there is pretty much no narration. I would describe this as Broadway's equivalent to a Disney On Ice show, but minus the spectacle. I felt every nanosecond of the 2 and a half hour run time, and even considered leaving at intermission. I would definitely recommend skipping this one. It's just a dreary affair in every way.

[@z5]

Posted: 8/12/17 at 5:04pm

Saw it last night, and overall enjoyed it. Thought Brandon U was a great Emcee!! The act 1 closing performance of Cabaret was amazing!

 

Act 2 was a little more interesting I thought. Sweeney Todd was really good, and I actually really enjoyed the Phantom numbers more than i thought I would after reading what some people said about it on here. 

For the $30 I paid, I think it was totally worth it.