THE APPLE TREE

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/13/05 at 7:56pm

I saw the Encores! production last night and fully enjoyed it. Of course, the strongest of the three acts is "The Diary of Adam and Eve" and "What Makes Me Love Him?" is still the best song in the show. However, the second and third acts played better here than I ever recall them playing. Loved Cheno and Gets and Cervaris were pretty terrific, too!

Go see!!!!!!!!!!!

[Katecab99]

Posted: 5/13/05 at 9:10pm

i'm seeing it tomorrow afternoon! i'm SO excited!!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/13/05 at 9:45pm

If you're seeing the matinee, be sure to stay for the talk-back. It's always very informative.

[samarag1]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 12:03am

It was WONDERFUL! after the third act i wanted more- but alas- it was over! GO AND SEE IT!

[Doogie]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 12:12am

I saw it Thursday too. I LOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEED IT!

Normally, I must admit, I find Chenoweth a bit pushy and lacking in warmth. Not so here. She was beyond amazing.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 12:24am

what exactly does lacking in warmth mean performance wise?

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 1:21am

Loved it! Michael Cerveris was of course, brilliant. I was thrilled to see that his guitar really did make an appearence in the show!

Posted: 5/14/05 at 2:36am

Any chance of a recording?

[Practically Perfect]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 2:48am

I'm so jealous of you guys going to see it. Glad that Kristin was amazing, though!

Mary P x

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 7:23am

Brantley gave it a rave today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/14/theater/reviews/14appl.html

[bunchamuncha]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 7:52am

I was completely under-whelmed with the show. Chenoweth was her usual sterling self, the Passionella was my favorite, I literally didn't recognize her as the chimney sweep. And it was the best acting I've ever seen her do, she didn't force the jokes on the audience, she used that impeccable timing.
I enjoyed Gets in the Adam & Eve section best. I'd never seen him before and I really liked him. And he held his own with Chenoweth which isn't easy.
And Michael Cerveris just had the thankless role. It could have been anyone. And I never felt any real connection between him and anyone else. Especially as the Snake.
I'm still not sure why I didn't like it that much, I guess it was just cliche after cliche after cliche.
I went Thursday night and the audience seemed a little...meh. The standing o seemed limited to/for Chenoweth and mostly people that seemed to know her.

[pooryorick]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 10:02am

Saw it last night and underwhelmed with the material (then again, there was something quaint about how dated it is), but Chenoweth was really wonderful. I was turned off by her performance in Wicked, but she totally won me over here. Malcom Gets was a nice surprise though this is really a showcase for a woman -- like an early Streisand vehicle -- and Kristen carries it beautifully. Made me think that she'd be great in a revival of "Funny Girl."

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 10:50am

I'm so jealous I'm missing this! Thanks for all the reports!

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 11:40am

I saw it on Thursday and I loved it. I was not familiar with the show beforehand so I was pleasantly surprised. All three actors did a fantastic job.
My favorite was the first act about Adam and Eve. I actually had BAD seats but then my mom went into the orchestra section during intermission to see what it looked like and somehow we ended up with first row seats for the second and third parts. Some really nice older man didn't want to sit that close.
It was amazing sitting that close, because you literally were seeing everything. Although, I felt as though I had to be attentive at all times. lol. And because this is only a four day thing, I'm going again on Monday, and we have orchestra seats. I can't wait!!!!
Updated On: 5/14/05 at 11:40 AM

Posted: 5/14/05 at 11:53am

I will ask again- Any chance it will be recorded?

[Plum]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 12:00pm

I just bought horrible tickets for tomorrow's show. But hey, it's Kristin Chenoweth live and I need to celebrate getting out of school. I'll compromise a little. :)

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 1:11pm

The show probably won't be recorded. Encores no longer actively records their seasons (the most recent show they recorded was A NEW MOON from the 2003 season).

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 3:05pm

I'm seeing it tonight. I'm looking forward to it. :)

[stylinbohemian]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 3:25pm

JELOUS!!!I sooo wanna see it! keep the reviews coming! i love reading them

Posted: 5/14/05 at 3:34pm

A cast recording yes or no?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 4:41pm

"Keep the reviews coming!"

Rave from the Star Ledger:
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1116046472207170.xml

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 5:01pm

Saw it last night.

Although the show is showing its age and the book creaks more than a bit here and there, it was an enjoyable evening, due largely to a tour de force of a comedic performance from Kristin Chenoweth. She was born to play this material and it's an extraordinary vehicle for her, exploiting all of her charms, razor sharp timing and gift for physical comedy. She also sang the score gloriously. She was completely off book throughout and gave a performance so thoroughly accomplished and polished that she could star in a fully staged production of the show tomorrow (and probably immediately become the front-runner for next year's Tonys). By herself, she was worth the price of admission.

In contrast, Cerveris and Gets were merely just very solid and professional throughout, lacking Chenoweth's decisive grasp of the material (though, to be fair, this show is written to be a showcase for her and her characters). The orchestra under Rob Marshall sounded as superb as usual.

While I don't think we'll be seeing a full-fledged revival of this show on Broadway anytime soon (probably never), it would be well-worth it for Encores to produce a cast album of the show, in order just to preserve Chenoweth's outstanding performance here. I don't know whether there are plans for that to happen, but it'd be a shame for her fine work to disappear forever after tomorrow.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 5:11pm

I could see a cast recording of this being made, solely based on the fact that Chenoweth is one of the few "musical theatre superstars" today and she has a wide appeal that crosses over to non-musical fans.

[kangaroo]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 5:15pm

IF only I lived in NYC

[magruder]

Posted: 5/14/05 at 6:16pm

I was also there last night and echo the praise for Chenoweth, who did smart, sharp comic work all evening long, but also delivered a sincere, heartfelt "What Makes Me Love Him?" (She did reverse a set of lyrics in "Gorgeous" though, and spent about two lines recovering, but saved it at the end). I'd estimate Malcolm Gets' work a lot higher though. The final speech of "Diary of Adam and Eve" always takes my breath away, and Gets did it with such simplicity and honesty. He managed to even get through the show's one deadly number, "You Are Not Real" with his integrity intact. Wish we'd see more of him. And it was a thrill to hear those Eddie Sauter orchestrations in person, though the brass section was having their usual mishaps, including a couple of clams during the "Eden Prelude".

As for those that have declared themselves underwhelmed by the property, for me, it was a welcome relief to revisit an era where shows could just work their simple charms without having to beat you over the head - though even in 1966, The Apple Tree was an anomaly, next to loud, flashy shows like Hello, Dolly, Funny Girl and Mame.