Pal Joey 11/30

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:20am

After seeing the first preview of Pal Joey and Christian Hoff's take on the role, I was able to make it back to Studio 54 to see what Matthew Risch was doing with the part.

Risch is a HUGE improvement in the role, but still isn't perfect. Risch and Hoff are inversions of each other in their strengths. Hoff was best at acting, then singing and then dancing, while Risch was best at dancing, then singing and then acting. This is mostly a change for the better, as Pal Joey is a dance show, and other than a few sour notes Risch is able to sing the score.

Still, Risch does not have that star quality to carry a show, even though he is trying hard. His chemistry with Stockard was lacking, and the audience reaction was actually much more subdued than at the first preview (especially in the book scenes).

The most improved performer award needs to go to Plimpton. She was missing notes right and left at the first preview, but her singing was MUCH better the second time around.

Stockard still can't find a note to save her life. A Little Den of Iniquity was truly painful during the "harmony" sections.

My biggest problem with this production is not with the actors, though, but with the direction and new book. The best thing about Pal Joey is the score. It needs to be SUNG and DANCED!!! The score is hacked up and altered for the worse.

What is a Man? is missing the patter section and is poorly sung. Happy Hunting Horn is now some funeral dirge with the chorus in hideous mourning garb. Plant You Now, Dig You Later is reduced to one chorus. Take Him is missing Vera's verse ("Thanks little mousey for the present and all that...").

For so much of the show centering on dance, never once was I wowed by the choreography or its execution. Now that they have a leading man who can dance I would have liked to see them restage some of the numbers to showcase Risch.

The new book is pretty bad as well. It seems like it was written to help cover up the weaknesses of the cast. I would rather have had a fluffy book and let the score shine than what they have done to the show.

*******possible spoiler***********

The gay plot line is just ridiculous and out of place. I was hoping with Risch graduating to Joey they might just do away with the drummer, but unfortunately he's still around.

******end spoiler*********

I didn't hate the show this time around, but I didn't necessarily like it either. It's just a mediocre production of a potentially wonderful show. How fast do you think Donna Murphy could learn Vera before opening night?

Updated On: 12/1/08 at 11:20 AM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:39am

I was there with Whizzer last night and we agreed about this show for the most part.

The show has drastically improved since the first preview (but that's not really saying too much because the first preview was one of the most painful nights at the theater I had this year).

I will reiterate what Whizzer said in his review. Christian Hoff's strength was his acting, then singing, then dancing. Matthew Risch's strengh was his dancing, then singing, then acting. So seeing the show last night was like seeing an inverted Joey! Since PAL JOEY is primarily a dance show, this worked for Risch a lot better than it did for Hoff.

The book scenes are truly dreadful, as pointed out above. The gay subplot needs to be cut desperately. Also, there are two pointless scenes in the men's clothing store where a random patron comes in to buy a hat...then he comes back and buys another hat since his wife didn't like the first hat. Cut that scene please! The choreography is also lacking, but hopefully they will fix it/add some during the rest of the preview period (however I doubt they will).

Has Martha Plimpton been taking voice lessons since I last saw her in this show on 11/14? She has improved so much and is giving the show the "star quality" it so desperately needs. If anything, she does not have enough stage time, because she lights up the stage every time she is on it. And instead of missing 50% of the notes like last time, she only missed 5%...and sounded GREAT. So happy for her.

Stockard Channing is still (and will always be in this production) horrible. Yes, her acting is fine, but there was ZERO chemistry between her and Risch and she could not find a single note the entire performance. I repeat. Stockard Channing cannot sing one note on key. All of her songs were painful to hear and I'm sure there are other "names" Roundabout could have gotten who can actually sing this role.

Matthew Risch, while certainly a huge improvement over Christian Hoff, is still lacking star quality. His dancing is excellent, but given the horrid choreography, he isn't really given the chance to shine. His voice is just there...nothing special...nothing horrible. His acting wasn't too great though. He didn't play off his fellow actors very well and in one of the scenes where he got very angry, his yelling didn't seem believable. Still, I have to give him credit. A chorus boy stepping into the lead role and doing an admireable job. This, however, will probably be his one and only leading role on Broadway so he should savor the time while he has it. He will definitely work again, but probably in the chorus or in a supporting role.

So, overall, while the show has greatly improved since two weeks ago, I still cannot recommend this to anyone. It falls flat and is just not what a Broadway revival of PAL JOEY should be. I hope the reviews accurately reflect on this and allow Roundabout to think twice before they put on their next "full scale" musical revival.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:47am

Nice to see a comparison between Hoff and Risch. Thanks. I wasn't aware that they had changed the score so much, I'm particularly disappointed that they did away with the patter section in "What Is a Man?" and Vera's verse in "Take Him."

How fast do you think Donna Murphy could learn Vera before opening night?

Murphy played Vera to rave reviews at the Huntington Theatre prior to becoming a star in 1992, opposite Robert Knepper, Judy Blazer, and Linda Hart. She also starred in one of the workshops for the revival opposite Hoff and I believe, Cyndi Lauper (not sure about the latter). I'm sure she knows the part rather well by now

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:50am

Well, let's get Murphy in there then!!!

Yes, WAT, I totally forgot about that guy buying the hats. Definitely needs to be cut- pointless and not at all funny. You are also completely correct about that scene with Risch yelling. Painful and embarrassing.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:55am

This, however, will probably be his one and only leading role on Broadway

You're 100% wrong about that.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:59am

I've already posted my experience with the show on two other PJ boards. I couldn't agree more with the comments made here. Fie on you Roundabout, fie! Yeah, fie!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 12:08pm

PJ, we must have seen two completely different shows if you see star quality in Risch. He's a glorified chorus boy, and I hope the critics see this.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 12:16pm

Risch was only passable as Joey. After seeing Tony Yazbek in On the Town, it's too bad he isn't available to take on the part. Noah Racey would also have been a better choice.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 12:23pm

Before we condemn the poor kid to Chorus Boy purgatory, maybe we could give him a few more preview performances to get his "star quality" legs under himself...who knows?

-- Maybe that's not possible with a weak book and difficult chemistry with a leading lady who "could not find a single note the entire performance. I repeat. Stockard Channing cannot sing one note on key. All of her songs were painful to hear..."

God, I love Stockard Channing, but it galls me when they hire non-singers for singing roles.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 2:01pm

Let me just say that Chorus Boy Purgatory is *not* a bad thing. Matthew Risch isan extremely talented dancer and, like Spencer Liff (who I adore), I sincerely hope he is consistently working and getting job after job. Any directors/choreographers should be thrilled to have Matthew Risch as part of their ensemble.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 5:18pm

Ray, I believe that John Stamos was Joey in that staged reading.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 9:59pm

Yes, John Stamos played Joey in that workshop opposite Donna Murphy. From what I was told by people who worked on it, they were both wonderful (no dancing was involved), but there was not enough of an age difference to make the story work, the opposite of the present situation.

Updated On: 12/1/08 at 09:59 PM

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 10:49pm

all this talk about regretting Yazbek being not available to play Joey is silly - he'd be dreadfully miscast.

On the Town was a triumph for him because of his huge heart, and almost naive sense of optimism and hope. Yazbek has said himself that he connected to Gabey's innocence, optimism, and pure heart - not much of that in Joey.

All the talk over this makes me want to see this production, but I can't say that I'm going in with high hopes - especially with the word on Channing's poor vocals.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 10:50pm

Oh for some reason I thought I read Hoff was part of all the recent readings. I suppose Stamos was involved when the Weisslers helmed the workshop? Either way, Donna Murphy should have played the role, period.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:11pm

Yes, Ray. The Weisslers took over the project when Livent went out of business.

I forget who Livent was supposed to do it with, but they had a book by Terrence McNally that was supposed to be very bizarre. There was also an attempt at a book by Christopher Durang.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:23pm

I thought Risch had excellent chemistry with all three Leading Ladies, I saw a real connection and confusion that he might actually like two Women at once and also want to get ahead as a young ambitious dancer/singer. And I thought Stockard was enjoying the coupling, especially in the Spooning Scene.
But yeah, the Guy in the Hat has to go, who the heck is he?

[buddharich]

Posted: 12/2/08 at 5:19am

I have tickets to see this show later this month; reading various threads about it makes me wonder if it will still be running! Good grief!

But I want to bring up what irks me: this need to "update" perfectly fine books of classic musicals!! The "PC" them, I suppose. I watch old movies, old television shows, and prefer them to newer ones most often, so I don't see any need to rework books and find it SO annoying!

I wondered if Stockard could sing & wondered why they didn't hire someone like Donna Murphy. I had high hopes for Christian Hoff, mostly that we need more men who can sustain careers as headliners of broadway musicals.

Thrilled that my gal pal Martha Plimpton has improved!! (: