To say the performance was mediocre, would be kind! It certainly won't sell any tickets. Chita's legacy (and Rita's for that matter) is more than safe!
There's a thread on the main board about it. I agree that the performance wasn't great, but I do think that in terms of overall exposure it was definitely a good move on the show's part.
"Why, I make more money than... than... than Calvin Coolidge! PUT TOGETHER!" ~Lina Lamont
The singing matched the mediocrity of the dancing. Worse, even. I mean, this is friggin' Broadway. That one girl couldn't even manage the transition of notes. Astounding! I asked Grover Dale, who escorted Carol Lawrence to the opening, what he thought; and, while he chose his words, carefully, I could tell he hated it.
Anyone I've spoken to who ever worked with Mr. Robbins is appalled by the sloppiness and lack of precision in the Dance at the Gym and America. These numbers are supposed to THRILL, not just seem so-so.
Yeah- I was watching with my daughter and she said "Wow- that girl playing Anita is screaming- she's not even singing". Totally have to agree with her. I thought that when I saw the same performance on one of the morning shows.
I saw the show in DC and fervently hoped it would improve before playing on Broadway. I was so disappointed by the production. If the performance on DWS was any indication, the fundamental flaws have remained, though I guess any exposure of a Broadway show on national television is good. I hope.
>>>"I'm curious if the Broadway audience responds with all that screaming and clapping during the number."<<<
Anyone who has ever attended the taping of a "live" television show knows that you are directed to cheer and applaud like crazy. Sometimes there are overhead lighted signs instructing you to do so.
Ever wonder why Vanna White gets applause every time she turns another letter on "Wheel of Fortune"? The audience is doing what they're being told to so. It drives me nuts!
The main reason I asked my question is that when I saw LES MIS a couple of years ago, the audience screamed and applauded during the songs like it was an American Idol taping (granted, it was a matinee, and the entire Mezz level was full of field-tripping junior-high schoolers.)
I was wondering if the Dancing With the Stars phenomenon was affecting the audince reaction to dance numbers in the same way.