I'll be at opening night on Sunday and will report back. They've only been in previews for a week, so I have no idea if anything's changed (plus I haven't seen any previous incarnations, so will be going in cold).
All I can say is that the maze set (visible in the BWW photos article) looks odd and inappropriate. Hopefully the show is good, but if it's the next FIRST WIVES CLUB I won't complain either!
Just got back from EMMA, and while it wasn't a disaster, I wasn't blown away by it either. It's generally dull and desperately in need of some wit and chemistry (if anything, I walked out remembering what a fine adaptation CLUELESS was).
That's not to say the show is bad, it's just bland and uninvolving. The maze set and turntable didn't work for me at all, and I felt like they restricted the playing area to a fault. The book is flat and the score is insanely repetitive. There are about four songs, all mid-tempo ballads, that go in circles endlessly. A few more upbeat songs, as well as those that give genuine insight into the characters, would up the energy quotient. It felt like we were seeing the same story beats throughout, with very little narrative progression and zero romantic intrigue.
Thankfully, the cast is capable. Patti Murin is a fine Emma, but the part as written restricts her from exhibiting more personality. For a major leading role (she's practically never offstage), it doesn't amount to much. Her suitors are interchangeable, and it seems like Emma is the last one to figure out who she's going to end up with, something that was apparent to me by the opening number. Dani Marcus and Kelly Hutchinson are two other standouts, but neither is helped by the fact that there's not much for them to do.
The lowdown: a decent production of a mediocre show that will fade from memory by the time you make it to the parking lot.
Here's the song list, as requested:
ACT I Hartfield - Company I Made the Match Myself - Emma, Mr. Knightley A Gentleman's Daughter - Emma, Company The Portrait - Mr. Elton, Mr. Knightley The Argument - Mr. Knightley, Emma Should We Ever Meet - Emma The Argument (Reprise) - Mr. Knightley Have a Piece of Cake - Miss Bates, Emma, Jane, Harriet Mr. Robert Martin - Harriet, Emma Home - Mr. Churchill, Emma The Recital - Company
ACT II Pride and Sense - Company So This is How Love Feels - Emma Mr. Robert Martin (Reprise) - Harriet, Robert Martin I Made the Match Myself (Reprise) - Mrs. Weston, Emma The Conviction of My Indifference - Emma Humiliation - Harriet Emma - Mr. Knightley Stranger Things Have Happened - Emma, Harriet Box Hill - Company Badly Done - Mr. Knightley The Epiphant - Harriet, Emma Humiliation (Reprise) - Harriet Emma (Reprise) - Mr. Knightley Finale - Company
Yes, the maze set is needless. (Characters regularly enter and exit via the maze, which opens up on either side for set pieces to roll on and off via turntable). I know Jeff Calhoun thinks this is a brilliant metaphor for Emma's romantic entanglements, but to me it was obvious, inappropriate, and not particularly clever.
Also, none of these ideas were reflected in the actual staging - you'd think Emma would always be in the middle of the crowd, butting in, observing things, etc., but she's more often than not downstage delivering her lines directly to the audience.
Link to a few samples from the score is below: EMMA
I was there last night as well, and while not a flawless show, I thought there was an elegance and simplicity to it. I, personally, LOVED the topiary maze and the way it was used. I thought it added a lightness and freshness to a potentially dreary world. Several of the scenes were short snippets, so the turntable kept the story flowing. Patti Murin was fantastic, and brought a contemporary energy while staying faithful to the period - which I think is really needed. Having Emma address the audience and act as our story-teller really brought me into the story, which was very faithful to the original Austen book. I found the show refreshing. Again, perfect? - no. But a delightful and feel good evening of theatre and entertainment. And my Mom and her friends, huge Austen fans, were over the moon. I had a great time, and just wanted to offer a different point of view.
