THE PIRATE QUEEN - 3/16/07

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:47am

Well, I am happy to report that the show is much better than when I saw the first preview last Tuesday, March 6th. It is comforting to know that the creative team really cares about this show and wants it to succeed. That being said, it is still not there yet. There are still many many flaws in this production, some of which can be fixed, some of which cannot be fixed given the limited amount of time left before opening night on April 5th. Let's start with the good:

The Good:

1. The Chorus. This ensemble of actors is fantastic. The way their voices blend together in "The Wedding," "Sail to the Stars," "The Christening," and the finale is powerful and gorgeous.

2. "I'll Be There." The one memorable song in the show. Hadley Fraser is given a few minutes to really shine with this incredible song. Definitely the best moment in the show for me.

3. Aine Ui Cheallaigh as Evleen. She is the most authentic actor on the stage and I think she deserves mention here. She has a few solo moments to shine and really show what she can do...and I'm glad she gets her own bow at the end. Excellent job.

4. The musical staging/the dancing. Thank you Graciela Daniele for working on this musical...and it shows. Even though the dance numbers seem to happen randomly without much tie-in to the storyline, they are excellent.

5. The lighting. I did not notice this the first time around, but the lighting is really wonderful. Especially sitting upstairs, I got a whole stage picture...the way the floor of the stage is lit at times is gorgeous and I like the use of spotlights and shadows.

6. The costumes. While I still think Queen Elizabeth's costumes are a bit over the top, they are still extremely well thought out and nice to look at. You can tell a lot of effort was put into them.

7. The changes since the first preview. They took out that part where Stephanie kind of flew from the top of stage right to the top of stage left...that part made no sense. They also took out the scene where she held up the baby...that scene was laughable. From what I could remember, some of the lyrics were changed, which was good. There is a definitive ending...thank goodness!

8. Stephanie J. Block. More to come on her...


The Bad:

1. The sets. In a big musical such as The Pirate Queen, I expected the sets to be a lot more. The stage was bare a lot of the time, which is probably why the lighting stood out for me tonight...there was practically nothing else on the stage. I wanted to see a huge ship or something. Yes, they used the extreme sides of the stage as masts with ladders, but I still think it could have been better.

2. The book. The first 30 or so minutes of the show are boring boring boring. There is little to no character development and there needs to be. We are told that Grace has a strong relationship with her father, Dubhdara, but what is there in the script that leads the audience to really believe that? Just because her mother died prematurely, she has to be close to her father? I did not feel any sort of connection between Dubhdara and Grace and that made his death scene unmemorable. They didn't even seem that close to begin with...Dubhdara seemed kind of cold towards his daughter...and Grace didn't even seem too upset over her father's death. Also, the way we are introduced to Grace and Tiernan's relationship is not well done. The curtain comes up on Grace steering the ship, then Tiernan comes out, they swordfight a bit and then start making out while against the steering wheel...without one bit of dialogue might I add. Are we supposed to realize that they love each other just by that? There needs to be more of a backstory so the audience really cares about them as a couple and really wants them to get back together in the end. The show doesn't really start to get exciting, in my opinion, until Grace decides to marry Donal for the good of her country so that they will stop feuding even though she will not be with her "true love" Tiernan. Also, the scenes with Queen Elizabeth really slow down the action of the plot. Are her scenes supposed to be the comic relief??? Whenever she enters the stage, the music suggests that. Isn't Queen Elizabeth supposed to be well respected? Not laughed at. If there was supposed to be some connection between the strength of Grace and Elizabeth, it was not apparent until Act 2. This is not a funny show, and should not try to be what it isn't.

3. The score/lyrics. Unfortunately, the majority of Boublil and Schonberg's score is forgettable. One of the reasons why this is such, in my opinion, is that many of the songs do not have definitive endings...they kind of trail off. Songs in a big musical such as this should have big, high-notes-held-really-long type endings. At times, the audience was confused as to whether or not to applaud, because they didn't know if the songs were over or not. The only "big" endings were to "Woman" and "I'll Be There." The rest of the score kind of blends in and all sounds the same after a while. I did, however, enjoy the duets between Grace and Elizabeth "She Who Has All" and "Woman to Woman." Oh, and "Boys'll Be Boys" still needs to be cut or rewritten. I'm sure they don't want to cut it since there is a fun dance sequence in the middle of that song...plus you hear that tune multiple times in the show after it is first heard...I cringed every time I heard it. They need to somehow work in a reprise "I'll Be There." That song is so great.

Unfortunately, the fact that "the book" and "the score/lyrics" is on my bad list is not a good sign. In order for a musical to work, the book, score and lyrics have to be good, so I hope the creative team uses these next 2.5 weeks wisely to do whatever they can to fix these aspects of the show.


The Actors:

1. William Youmans as Sir Richard Bingham. Not a very likeable character, and it is not well developed, so I don't really have much to say about him.

2. Jeff McCarthy as Dubhdara. He looked bored and wooden. I know Jeff is capable of much more, but even in the scene where he was on his death bed and he said that he was so happy to see Grace's face as the last thing he saw before he died, he didn't sound sincere. His song in Act 1 "My Grace" was also very boring (probably because the song is a bad song, not because of him). I'm sure the writers wanted us to be sad when he died...I wasn't.

3. Marcus Chait as Donal O'Flaherty was also very wooden. He has the bad luck of having to sing the worst song in the show ("Boys'll Be Boys") and he knows that the song is bad. We know he is the bad guy, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Maybe he is supposed to be portrayed as more of a softee (since his father said "maybe Grace will make a man out of you"), but he should act more negatively towards Grace. He should treat her more like an object, more like his property, so that the audience hates him even more.

4. Linda Balgord as Queen Elizabeth. Yes, she has some really eye-catching costumes. Yes, she has a good singing voice. Yes, she is a good actress. I think she has been misdirected in this production. As I mentioned earlier in my assessment of flaws in the show's book, Elizabeth's character seems like she is making fun of herself. Her character should not be the focus of comic relief, and as it stands now, given her costumes, her entrance music, her whole demeanor...it is laughable. While I think both of her scenes in Act 1 could be cut down a lot, I do love her two duets with Grace in Act 2. Also, her four maids that enter with her in her first entrance in Act 1 do not help set up her character as a serious ruler and leader of England. I blame the director on this one.

5. Hadley Fraser as Tiernan is excellent. He makes all the right character choices, has a fantastic voice, has great stage presence and the audience is always cheering for him. Too bad there isn't enough development of his love for Grace, or else Fraser would shine even more than he does. And of course, his rendition of "I'll Be There" is brilliant.

6. Stephanie J. Block as Grace O'Malley is excellent as well. I'm just sorry she doesn't have better material to work with. As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Ms. Block from seeing her in The Boy From Oz and Wicked. In Wicked, she had "The Wizard and I," "Defying Gravity" and "No Good Deed" to shine and show off her abilities. In The Boy From Oz, she had "I Love To Hear The Music," which was fabulous. In The Pirate Queen, she doesn't have one good song, which is so sad. "Woman" is the closest it gets for her to shine, and this is the second song in the show. Stephanie is a brilliant actress and singer and she needs a huge number in Act 1 and another huge number in Act 2 in order to display her full potential. Even though she is on stage practically the entire time, her songs and dialogue are so mediocre that I just kept getting frustrated. She does a respectable job with her songs, but I don't remember any of them at this moment. Her songs need bigger endings, as do most of the songs in the show. The stage in the Hilton is so huge that at times, I felt like she was being swallowed up whole...completely due to the material, not due to her acting abilities. She did have a subtle Irish accent, which was a bit inconsistent tonight, but that will improve as previews continue. Stephanie's acting was excellent. Even though there was no motivation in the script for her to love her father and Tiernan, she conveyed that she did love them. She goes through an emotional rollercoaster on that stage and takes the audience with her. She is putting in 100% out there and doing her best, but I think she realizes that the material is lacking. Still, congrats to Stephanie in her first leading role in a Broadway musical. She deservedly gets the last bow and the audience was on their feet for her cheering. I'm so glad she got such a great reception and I hope she gets this every night.


Overall Thoughts:

The Pirate Queen is a musical that has a great foundation to be a hit. In its current state, it is not. I only think two current Broadway musucals are worth paying full price for (Wicked, A Chorus Line) and I would probably only recommend The Pirate Queen to others at a disount code. With tweaking over the next 2.5 weeks and changes to the book and score, this will be a good musical. However, there is not enough time for it to be a GREAT musical. Maybe they would have benefitted from another tryout in another city. Maybe they should have made even more changes between Chicago and NYC. I definitely don't LOVE the show, but I certainly don't hate it either. I'm indifferent. In any case, I will probably see it again at least one more time in previews, since I am really pulling for this show to get its act together and really WOW me. So far, it hasn't but I'm still hopeful.

Congrats to the cast and crew and best wishes to all of you over the next 2.5 weeks!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:52am

Have you ever directed or been in a show?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:56am

Directed a show? No.

Been in a show? I was in eight shows in high school between 1996 and 2000.

didn't expect that to be the response to my review though...
Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:56 AM

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 2:11am

Without A Trace-

Well, I appreciate you taking the time to put down your thoughts. I'm glad no one has jumped down your throat (yet) about starting a new topic. I think it's interesting how I could very much agree with you on some things, and then completely disagree on others. But that would be the beauty of art, I suppose.

As I've stated, I agree- It's good. Not great. And it has the foundation to have been great. Maybe they'll get there. But I think you're right- "Good" might be as good as it gets.

Agree- Chorus is terrific. "I'll Be There" is amazing, and Hadley is wonderful at it (although I do wish Mr. Galati would tell him he can just stand still and sing. The song and his voice do all the necessary work). The dancing IS wonderful. Lighting and costumes, great. And yes, Stephanie is fantastic in this.

Disagree-

While I enjoyed her traditional singing, I was baffled at the necessity of Aine Ui Cheallaigh in this play. She is obviously a skilled Irish singer, but as an actress I didn't get it. And as a character, what was her purpose.

The set- I too, expected more, but was pleased with what they went with. The simplicity of it made the lighting even more powerful, and I thought that worked.

The score- Darn I wish more people enjoyed this part of the show. I just think it's beautiful. I have a feeling, as I've said before, that this is one that once people have a few listens to, they are going to fall in love with and hear the various interesting melodies. But I get it- You have to connect to it upon hearing it for the first time in the theater. I did. I am just somewhat confused as to why not many other people are.

Jeff and Marcus wooden? I have to disagree. I think Jeff brings power and weight to the show, and Marcus takes what could be a one dimensional role and creates a real/flawed human being. You might have liked Donal more in Chicago, where he really was just "a bad guy". But here in New York they have acheived more of a true person, who happens to be flawed. I now realize that Donal is just as much a victim of circumstance as Grace is, and should NOT be perceived as just bad. And from listening to Castcom, their goal was to make him more dimensional, which I feel they've certainly done. And William Youmans as Bingham, while certainly not likeable, gives a nuanced performance.

Uh oh. I think I have to agree with you about the book. It really could be better, couldn't it. Maybe that is where the musical goes from great to just good. I've found in my years of watching musicals that the biggest issues often are in the book, as it must be a difficult skill to blend song and spoken work into one fluid story. I cared about Grace and her journey. But I wish I cared more.

Happy to hear you see it improving though. We agree on that.

I'm so happy I'm seeing Spring Awakening next week so I have something else to contribute around here! LOL

-QB

Oh, and cute pic if that's you.


Updated On: 3/17/07 at 02:11 AM

[musicman_17082]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 3:20am

I'm SO stoked to see the show in May! From what I hear, regardless of its flaws, I will LOVE it. Mostly because Stephanie J. Block is probably one of the most amazing performers on Broadway right now (in my opinion) and I will be honored to even be in the same theater as her!

*EEKA* Can't wait!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:19am

So was it a completely different show now than it was during the 1st preview?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:40am

Not *completely* different, but there were many noticable changes.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:57am

Trace - Based on what I saw in Chicago, I totally agree with what you said about the set, book and score. At least one of those areas needs to be strong enough to generate positive buzz upon leaving the show and interest more people into buying a ticket. I don't think Pirate Queen has that at all. There is not one signature hook to draw audiences in to see it. The title suggests something the book never really draws out. The sets are mostly bland and pedestrian. The score has a couple of uplifting moments, but never really soars often enough to be memorable (and Boys Will Be Boys actually weakens the score in an almost unforgiveable manner). It's almost as if the creative team really got tired of trying.

I understand there is nothing they can do about the set now, but I really don't know what they were thinking in the first place. It's really lacking in creativity.

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:36am

Mister Matt- while I agree with you that the book could use an overhaul, we differ in our opinions of the set and score. I find the set to be quite beautiful and well utilized, and have fallen in love with the music. But as far as developing positive buzz, that is already happening, despite what might be being said on theater message boards. The general public, at least at the performances I attended, are falling in love with this show, and thats how you create buzz. Last night I really tried to listen to the people around me. Not the people who look like they might be in the business of show, but the general ticket buying population, and they seemed very enthusiastic about what they were seeing.

And yes, Boys'll Be Boys was kind of a cop out by the composer in my opinion. But oddly enough, the audience loves the number. It looks like it's been tweaked in it's staging over previews, and last night the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

Personally, I wish they'd re-write it. But I don't see that happening, especially since people seem to be responding positively to the number as it is. I think they are setting themselves up for a direct comparison to Master Of The House.

-QB

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:43am

uhm, aren't the book and the score the foundations of any musical? If they come out on the bad side at this stage of the game, doesn't that spell trouble? After all, after this production closes, the performers move on to other shows, the sets, lighting and costumes are dismantled, what's left? Oh yeah, the book and the score...

[fachedaluna]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:26pm

D2

It all depends on who gives the reviews regarding book, score, etc. Those of us who appreciate the PQ believe that these two points are quite good!! Everything is subjective to taste when it comes to theatre in general. So the debate will continue on all counts for many shows to come...both for present shows and those in the future.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:40pm

"I only think two current Broadway musucals are worth paying full price for (Wicked, A Chorus Line)"
I agree about A Chorus Line, but the other one is Grey Gardens! =)

[kec]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:57pm

****Some Spoilers contained within***

"I now realize that Donal is just as much a victim of circumstance as Grace is, and should NOT be perceived as just bad. And from listening to Castcom, their goal was to make him more dimensional, which I feel they've certainly done. And William Youmans as Bingham, while certainly not likeable, gives a nuanced performance. [/i]

I agree with you, QB, on your assessment of Donal. I don't see him so much as a "bad guy" (although he becomes one after he is "dismissed" by Grace and goes to the English), but more a man weakened by drink, and possibly overindulging on other things. Marcus himself said something along these lines about the character and Grace -- they were two people being manipulated by their elders into a marriage that neither one wanted.

To me, the real "bad guy" is Lord Bingham. After he and his men were bested by the Irish women, he took his revenge by plundering the land after Grace was imprisioned.

Someone somewhere commented about the meeting between Grace and Elizabeth as not making any sense to the poster. Here's my take on it. When Grace returned to her home, she's met by her people who are poor, starving etc. ("Lament") I think she then realizes that the best way to help her people is not by fighting but by negotiating. She gets Elizabeth's attention in spectacular fashion by sailing up the Thames in the Pirate Queen, but then they sit woman to woman and work things out. Basically, Grace does what she does for the sake of her people.

Oh, and please do count me in on those who like the score.

[D2]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 12:22am

Facheldaluna: Excuse me, I don't need a lecture from you, dear. I totally understand that the appreciation for any show is subjective. I was commenting on the review itself, not on the show. I haven't seen PQ, I have no intention of seeing PQ, so I am not commenting on PQ. But if someone calls any show "good" while tearing apart the foundations of said show, THAT I will question.

[fachedaluna]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 12:29am

D2~ Please excuse me if my comments sounded like a lecture, that truly was not my intention. Just commenting that everything in the theatre is subjective to ones likes and dislikes. I guess I didn't realize that your comment was based on a posters review...the commentary came across (to me) as your review. Sorry once again

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/18/07 at 12:38am

"uhm, aren't the book and the score the foundations of any musical? If they come out on the bad side at this stage of the game, doesn't that spell trouble?"

yes, it does spell trouble. as i mentioned in my review, the show still needs work if it's going to be a hit, in my opinion.

[fakemyway2thetop]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 11:45pm

Glad to hear it's gotten better. I'm not sure about this show's life. Seems like they needed a little too much work and not enough time to fix the problems.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/19/07 at 11:49pm

The show is in great shape and selling tickets like crazy for previews.
I predict it will be a popular people show and do just fine.

I love the score and when it is recorded and people hear it they will appreciate it and like it a lot.

[HarryPotter01]

Posted: 3/20/07 at 12:47am

WithoutATrace, you are, with out a doubt, one of the more stute and thorough reviewers on here. I have found much of what you've said about THE PIRATE QUEEN to be dead on. I have had to see the show...a number of times, and I am not hoping for it to close. While audiences ARE responding positively, other people are walking out. The one thing I do not agree with is the song "I'll Be There." It's REALLY good...until the final few bars when, out of nowhere, he goes into three or four measures of what sounds (a bit) like a patter song. I BELIEVE he's saying "Heaven speed me, I'll be there as you need me." But I don't REALLY know. This sudden leap into...whatever happens there -- It KILLS the drive of the climactic end in a big way. At least for me.

The show is basically all but locked now, from what I understand. And yes, A LOT has been fixed. (THANK GOD she's not floating by on the g.d. swing anymore!) But so much more needs to be for it to REALLY work. The biggest problem...well. I am really tired. I am going to write about the goods and the bads, as I see them, tomorrow. Forgive me for that. Baby needs his sleep...