Chitty's closure

[rohingit]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 11:01am

Hi guys, just found out that chitty is closing over there, just wondered y it was so soon? i saw it over here at the beginning of its run and then at the end. i thought it would work on broadway so im surprised its closing now. what was the take on it over there, be good to here your oppinions. bad cast? I only know of Ruel Esparza think he is great but not sure if he was right for the show vocaly?never saw it over there so just wona find out really.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 11:06am

I'd assume the closing has to do with the fact that they're just not making enough money to run such an expensive show. They hardly ever fill that theatre.

IMO, the cast is very, very strong, and probably saved the show in some ways; for all of the times that the material is bland, they're great. Marc Kudisch and Jan Maxwell absolutely steal the show. Opinions are going to vary on Raul; and to be perfectly honest, even though he is *capable* of doing anything, this wasn't the show for him. He can do it, but his spin isn't exactly what people would be expecting, I suppose. He's having fun, and people are not finding him funny, so the response is... well, dead. I don't think his vocals are a problem; his voice is so versatile, so he can sing "legit" musical theatre, or he can do rock -- that's not really the problem. When I first saw him, I thought he was good, but absolutely a fish out of water. He's grown into the role, but even still, he's inconsistent, which surprises me.

I'm gonna miss it.

[timote316]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 11:30am

Me too, emcee

I must have seen Raul on an on day - I thought we fit the role very well.

Saturday will be a sad day...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 11:32am

Well, I certainly can't say I haven't seen it enough times.

To Cincinatti!

[Chenofan #1]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 12:04pm

I loved Jan Maxwell. I saw it again just because of her. She is pure brilliance. I'm going to miss her. It was such a cute show.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 1:14pm

Yes, it's mostly money. It's expensive to keep running with the car and the large(and talented if I may say so) cast. But I also think people are beginning to get it through their head, content is 75% of a show. The cast is 15% and the staging is 10%. Chitty's score, with the exception of 4 or 5 songs, is one of the Sherman Brothers lesser efforts. And the book, like most family shows, with the exception of Mary Poppins, is rather bland.