'Dave' the musical (Kitt, Benjamin, Landau, Meehan)- Page 2

[freewilma]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 11:04pm

Would love to give a full opinion of the show....but they were unable to finish the second act tonight due to an elevator malfunction onstage. They held for about 30 minutes with several of the cast coming onstage to talk with / entertain the audience. Finally Tina Landau came to apologize to the audience and said all would be offered tickets to a future performance.

The 2/3 of the show we saw we absolutely enjoyed. Drew Gehling was made to play this role. He is just terrific; as is the rest of the cast. There were a number of memorable musical moments; both funny and moving. I just can’t wait to see how the whole thing ends!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/22/18 at 11:49pm

Well this show has been struggling, ha. These out-of-town try-outs are getting bad. 

[Solipsist234]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 12:07am

RippedMan said: "Well this show has been struggling, ha. These out-of-town try-outs are getting bad."

What was that one song from Avenue Q where you take pleasure in other people's misfortune???

RippedMan, this comment was exceptionally snarky and incredibly disheartening. Do not judge a new show's quality based solely on its ticket sales; judge it based on the material, the cast, and the direction, as all shows are normally judged on!

Updated On: 7/23/18 at 12:07 AM

[Esther2]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 12:13am

freewilma said: "Would love to give a full opinion of the show....but they were unable to finish the second act tonight due to an elevator malfunction onstage. They held for about 30 minutes with several of the cast coming onstage to talk with / entertain the audience. Finally Tina Landau came to apologize to the audience and said all would be offered tickets to a future performance.

The 2/3 of the show we saw we absolutely enjoyed. Drew Gehling was made to play this role. He is just terrific; as is the rest of the cast. There were a number of memorable musical moments; both funny and moving. I just can’t wait to see how the whole thing ends!"

 

Ah, the magic of live theatre!  Hope you can go back to see the whole thing.  It's definitely worth it. 

[freewilma]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 12:19am

I think the ticket sales have been strong. Arena has a big subscriber base and there aren’t any discounts being offered now that the show has begun previews, which often indicates good advances. The House was totally full tonight. They had to delay their opening previews a couple of days because the actor who plays the chief of staff (Doug Sills) had his appendix out two weeks ago.

However, he was back in the show tonight and is hilarious. He was the one who was leading all the discussions / talk back with the audience tonight during the delay and had the crowd roaring. Drew Gehling was also doing an Instagram live event and much of the cast was out taking photos / videos during the hold. We’ll see what happens when the run is over and if it has a chance of heading to Broadway.

[Meyerschultz]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 12:21am

I actually don’t think RippedMan was ripping on ticket sales but his comment was confusing. He seemed to be referring to difficulties with one of the stars needing surgery which delayed previews and tonight the show having technical difficulties. That said, it sounds like it’s actually selling very well.

[annang]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 12:41am

freewilma said: "Esther2 said: "Saw this tonight. I found it totally charming. The cast is pitch perfect. They do miraculous things on a tiny stage. The only quibble for me was the score was just kinda...there. Not bad, but not terribly memorable.

I'd definitely see it again at some point if discount tickets are available, if only to see if anything is changed.

An enjoyable evening overall."

If you are under 30 years old, Arena has a "pay your age" ticket price. Beyond that I haven't seen any ticket discounts in a while. TodayTix has them at $145!

All unsold tickets are 50% off 30 minutes before curtain. I check online about 2 hours before curtain to see how many unsold seats there are, to gauge my odds. It’s a great deal!

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 1:07am

Ha! Sorry, wasn't meant as snarky at all. What I meant was the fact that previews were delayed and now they had to refund an entire audience. And then look at Moulin Rouge who had to start late due to the theater being refurbished. Wasn't a dig at ticket sales as I don't care, nor do I have any inkling as to how it is selling. 

[Solipsist234]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 1:15am

RippedMan said: "Ha! Sorry, wasn't meant as snarky at all. What I meant was the fact that previews were delayed and now they had to refund an entire audience. And then look at Moulin Rouge who had to start late due to the theater being refurbished. Wasn't a dig at ticket sales as I don't care, nor do I have any inkling as to how it is selling."

My mistake! I'm so sorry I misread your post 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 1:32am

All good boo! I try to spread positivity, I would never crap on a production I haven't seen. I hope it makes its way to NYC. Curious to see Landau's work on this. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/23/18 at 3:29am

I hope this does well. I really love this movie and I think it could be great musicalized.

Nothing against Gehling, but I wish that Andy Karl was in this instead of PW.

[curel1]

Posted: 7/24/18 at 1:42pm

Just got tix to see this next week! I also really love this movie so I'm excited to see how this turns out.

[Christoph]

Posted: 7/25/18 at 1:36pm

Can anyone give some kind of detail about how Drew Gehling is in the show?  I am not familiar with him and it would seem that this show would rise and fall on how good the actor playing Dave is.  Also, does it stick fairly close to the film or does it depart substantially?  What do they keep and what do they discard? My curiosity is piqued about this show, but not sure whether it is piqued enough to spend the money and trek to this theater.

[LetTheSunshineIn2]

Posted: 7/25/18 at 8:09pm

Saw this last night and enjoyed it.  The performances are great and I love what Landau has done.  As someone else mentioned, the score is fine but nothing remarkable. I also though there were a couple of clunky spots as the book lead into songs. Most of the creative team was in the back of the house watching last night so they are clearly still working right up to opening night which I believe is tomorrow.  It's a light and fun night at the theatre, with broadway caliber performances and staging.  Will be fun to see how it continues to grow and develop.  

[Esther2]

Posted: 7/25/18 at 9:36pm

Christoph said: "Can anyone give some kind of detail about how Drew Gehling is in the show? I am not familiar with him and it would seem that this show would rise and fall on how good the actor playing Dave is. Also, does it stick fairly close to the film or does it depart substantially? What do they keep and what do they discard? My curiosity is piqued about this show, but not sure whether it is piqued enough to spend the money and trek to this theater."

I thought Drew Gehling was wonderful  He's goofy and likeable and charming, which makes him a perfect Dave.  

As for the comparisons, they've updated the book to include social media/cable news and all that modern stuff really well.  The scene where they escape the White House to sing "Tomorrow" on the street in Adams Morgan isn't there, but the Bonnie Hunt character is (yay!).  It's pretty close to the movie.  

I really enjoyed it.

[mg2685a]

Posted: 7/27/18 at 5:45pm

anyone have a song list?

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/27/18 at 11:50pm

Am I thinking of a different movie or did I conflate this with In & Out? For some reason I remember this movie as being about a gay presidential candidate concealing his sexuality.

[JBC3]

Posted: 7/28/18 at 8:36am

Google is your friend as it appears your memory is not.

In & Out
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119360/

Dave
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106673/

[curel1]

Posted: 7/31/18 at 11:38am

Some reviews are out

http://www.playbill.com/article/read-reviews-for-the-world-premiere-of-new-musical-dave

Pretty positive!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/31/18 at 12:05pm

VintageSnarker said: "Am I thinking of a different movie or did I conflate this with In & Out? For some reason I remember this movie as being about a gay presidential candidate concealing his sexuality."

Lol....quite the mash up of the two movies!

 

If I remember correctly, In & Out was about a teacher being outed, even though he had no idea he was gay, and Dave was simply a dead ringer look alike stepping in for the president who'd had a stroke.

 

My initial reaction to them cutting "Tommorrow" was quickly replaced by the realization - you really can't say the First Lady can't sing in that scene, if (assuming such) she sings in the rest of  the show!

 

 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 11:30am

Big praise for the cast in most of these reviews. I'm not in the mood for a feel-good musical about the White House but others might be. Sounds like by aping bad administrations and singing of patriotism the show wants to "have its woke and eat it too."

There’s much to admire in the homespun fable about integrity and patriotism, wrapped in an inviting package filled with buffoonery and self-deprecating humor... “I’m the President,” in which the oily executive flaunts his flaws. “Leave me alone, America — I just want to be President!” he bellows.... Sadly, the production then proceeds to overplay its patriotic messages with a heavy-handed finale that undermines its good intentions. Will today’s Broadway audience really go for that? ~ Variety

This musical is likely to bring needed sunshine to many a progressive-in-bent theatergoer with its playful mocking of a Presidential Administration. Without naming names, Dave seems written just this week. Dave is lighthearted escapist amusement.... At times, I felt there were forced, almost “cheap pulls to patriotism” demanded in the script. One particular moment just caught me wrong, although I understood how it showed the decency of the character Dave. Let’s just say if I wanted to take a knee in that audience at that moment, I would have been booed and hissed at. ~ DC Metro

[curel1]

Posted: 8/2/18 at 5:42pm

Saw this last night, really liked it! Big fan of the movie and I thought they updated well for the musical. The cast is top notch, especially Drew Gehling, Mamie Parris, and Douglas Sills. The score was good if unmemorable. Only a couple of songs stuck with me after the show but it served the story well. Planning to check it out again before it ends its run here in DC. Anyone know if there any future productions planned? Or just straight to Broadway?

Question for those who've seen it: When it's the scene at the Nationals game, did they announce they were playing the Mets? I saw it the night after the Nats beat them 25-4 so I was wondering if it was a new addition (it got a lot of cheers). 

Favorite quote: "I think the Chinese are just screwing us around with these sexless pandas"

[BobbyD3]

Posted: 8/19/18 at 5:38pm

Finally saw this on Friday evening.  I thought it was delightful.  It is ready for a transfer.

The cast is wonderful.  Mamie Parris is incredible, as is the entire company.

The score is a bit middling, but it has some heart.  

The worst part, for me, was Landau's direction.  It was....exhausting...a lot of pointless crosses/weaving while these massive walls were pushed around by the actors - a very laborious task.  Then STILLNESS during musical numbers.  

I hope this transfers.  Gehling could win a Tony with this - he certainly would have this year had it gone.  

[Robbie2]

Posted: 8/19/18 at 8:00pm

 

And yet Another musical adaptation from a movie...could we end up this season with:

Dave, Beetlejuice, Tootsie along with Pretty Woman and Moulin Rouge?

[KyleMosh]

Posted: 8/29/18 at 2:51am

I absolutely loved Drew Gehling as Dave. I thought he was the perfect kind of charming to play off of Mamie Parris' cold first lady. The score wasn't the greatest, but there were definitely a couple of songs that I really enjoyed, especially the act 2 opener with the chief of staff Douglas Sills. Would love for this to make a transfer so I could see it again.