A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC'S reopening tonight...(review updates here)- Page 18

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 2:45pm

And I'm glad that the production finally deserves praise!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 3:16pm

"The coarser elements in Mr. Wheeler’s book are underscored with an off-putting sn*, as if this romantic roundelay were little more than a galumphing sex farce."

I struggle to believe this is the same production I saw at the Menier, where there was nothing even approximating a sex farce but instead a very matter of fact eroticism.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 3:24pm

Its not the same production as seen at the Menier, Scripps, and honestly? That is a good thing. While there were certain things that worked (and worked better at the Meiner than on Broadway) whatever Nunn was doing in his first concept - it wasn't A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

What's playing on Broadway right now (as opposed to the first weeks of previews that did play like the Menier production) is a hybrid between Nunn's concept and the actual musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC which is and should be a romantic COMEDY.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 3:31pm

Bennett-

I'd love to hear a little more in detail of how much the show has changed since that original Menier production. Any thoughts? I find this very interesting.

[moljul]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 8:33pm

Regis Philbin mentioned the slew of great reviews on Live this morning. Held up the Daily News review briefly.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 8/4/10 at 3:02pm

Michael Feingold agrees the show is much improved

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 1:41am

^ While he agrees things have improved, it still wasn't an overly enthusiastic "review." He doesn't think Stritch is right for the role. I think it was a bit tacky for him to "report her memory lapses." I think he is only the second critic to mention it.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 1:53am

Why was it tacky? His job as a reviewer is to write what he experienced and what he saw. That is what he saw. And in all fairness to him he didn't mean it in a derogatory way. He only reported the truth.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 1:57am

I would think most of his readers were well aware that Elaine struggled throughout previews.

But I'm not going to argue with you. You clearly have issues with me.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 2:01am

I don't want to argue with you either. My question was an honest one. And I apologize to you because I don't want you to think that I have issues with you. So I apologize. I'm sorry.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 9:11am

Its par-the-course for Feingold and the Village Voice to be a little bit snarky in all their reviews. Its still a good write up.

[wonkit]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 12:14pm

I'm going back on Wednesday - my first view of the new cast. And I am looking forward to it very much.

[knicks5219922]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 11:09pm

Saw the show yesterday and i was amazed at the transformation, if this version opened back in December it definitely would have beat La Cage. Bernadette was perfection, her send in the clowns was one of the greatest moments I have ever witnessed in the theater besides Raul's Being Alive. Elaine was wonderful she had a major flub towards the end of Liaisons for about 15-30 seconds she remained silent starring at the audience getting teary from the humiliation, I found myself beginning to tear feeling her pain. The rest of her performance besides a flub in the beginning of Act 2 was flawless especially the death scene. Happy to see Bradley Dean as the count I actually prefer him to Aaron. Leigh An was incredible as was Alex. Erin, Ramona, and Hunter truly upped their games. A wonderful Night Music finally after the descent but not great one I saw in March. **** out ****

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 11:12pm

he remained silent starring at the audience getting teary from the humiliation

I'm sorry, I don't think Elaine would ever do that. Maybe she turned it into a character choice since her Madame is very upset and angry with the state of liaisons.

[knicks5219922]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 11:31pm

^ Ok I just saw shock on her face and tears welling in her eyes. When you saw the show did she get teary during Liaisons? I don't remember Lansbury doing that, I know they're two completely different performances.

[knicks5219922]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 11:32pm

I do understand your point about her choice during that time.You're probably right, she's way to tough to cry over a flub in a song.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/5/10 at 11:39pm

Saw the show again tonight. I've made my thoughts on the production known (not favorable at all). That said, I'll dwell on what I thought has improved.

Ramona Mallory, Hunter Herdlicka, Erin Davie and Alexander Hanson have all improved immensely. Mallory has made her Anne a real person and has found some genuine humor in the role. I think now that she has made the character far more likeable, she can add some of that flutteriness that Nunn had originally drilled into her. Anne is such a tricky role and Mallory is getting close to getting it (think Alicia Silverstone in Clueless). Herdlicka has also managed to make his character more real and likeable. Davie is now pitch perfect as Charlotte and Hanson has so much more energy now and chemistry with Peters that it's a joy to watch. Bradley Dean was on for Carl Magnus and was wonderful. Literally not a complaint for him.

Peters and Stritch were both wonderful. Peters isn't quite as glamorous as other Desiree's but hers is incredibly human. There's joy, anger, frustration, giddiness and sexiness to her Desiree. Her "Send in the Clowns" was perfection with tears streaming down her face. Stritch was very "with it." There were perhaps 3-4 moments when she blanked, but she almost immediately picked it up. The rest of her performance was simply extraordinary. There were a good 15 times when she stopped the show with her line delivery and her wooden ring speech was breathtaking. I don't know how anyone can say she's miscast as I think that the part fits her like a glove.

The complaints I had about the orhestrations, design, and Nunn's direction remain, and although Leigh Ann Larkin has calmed down as Petra, her "Miller's Son" still doesn't do it for me. The cast, as a whole, though, has improved immensely and some fine performances are taking place. The one new complaint I have is that most of the cast is backphrasing in their songs like crazy, losing a great deal of the punch lines (this is particularly the case with a "A Weekend in the Country"). For the most part, however, this is a much improved production and really does justice to the material.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/8/10 at 10:00pm

Went back again this afternoon.

Both Stritch and Peters have improved since I last saw them at their first performance, particularly Stritch. She was in command of her lines today, and when she went up (which happened maybe 3 times), she made it into a character choice. Her Madame Armfeldt is very frail, and you know from the get go she's very aware of her impending death. She certainly doesn't imitate or copy her predecessor- this is a performance that belongs entirely to her. Unlike Angie, whose Armfeldt knew exactly what she was saying and who she was insulting with her little bon mots, Stritch plays her as a loose cannon, completely unpredictable. Her Liaisons is slow and deliberate (all 7 minutes of it!), but she tells a story of love and regret. Her wooden ring speech was beautifully delivered, again focusing on her regret.

Peters remains outstanding- her Send in the Clowns is an emotional tour de force, that had a number of people in the theater openly sobbing. It was very sad, particularly in the middle of the song, when she buried her head in her hands and started crying, and the end, when she looked skyward. Just beautiful.

Alexander Hanson continues to do a remarkable job as Fredrik, and it remains an absolute disgrace that Chad Kimball somehow received a Tony nomination over him.

Bradley Dean was a fine Count, very funny, though not as crackly as Lazar. The rest of the supporting cast is the same mixed bag as it always was, though I really enjoyed Erin Davie today.

[jnthnxlent]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 2:03am

I was lucky enough today to turn on my TV and see a little featurette LXNY did on a Little Night Music. Its funny because it started about 3 seconds after I turned it on. They have a nice little backstage chat with Bernadette. You guys should enjoy this...


LXNY - A little Night Music

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 6:11am

"Loosely based on A Midsummer Night's Dream..."

You'd think after nearly a year he'd know what material it's actually based on.

[d5johnston]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 11:04am

Actually, Bergman's film was loosely based on "Midsummer." He's right.

[musikman]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 1:19pm

Was anyone else at the show last night (Tuesday)? I'll share my thoughts, then give somewhat of a rant that I know nothing can be done about.

I saw the show back in March with the first cast. I was extremely bored, I hated the production and the reduction of the orchestra, and half of the actors irked me to the point of true annoyance.

While I still am not particularly fond of the direction or the production, I had a complete 180 turn after seeing it last night. The comedy, warmth and humor of this piece is actually there now, instead of a show that was dreary, gloomy, and funereal.

The supporting cast is FAR better now than they were a few months ago. I'm still not a huge fan of Ramona's Anne, or Hunter's Henrik, but they have improved greatly in their roles. Erin Davie seems to have found a nice balance between dry wit and pity. Leigh Ann Larkin still annoys me a bit with her too lower class and too "in the know" approach, but she sings the hell out of "Miller's Son." Alexander Hanson and Aaron Lazar have also improved on good performances that they gave back in March.

As for Elaine Stritch, her performance is truly remarkable. That's really all I can say about it. The performance may be somewhat unorthodox, but it all works, and she milks every word and every line for what it's worth.

Bernadette Peters, while not having that same "Hollywood WOW" when she walks out on stage, is leaps and bounds over her predecessor. As she always does, she brings warmth, sexiness, humor, and an earthy quality to her performance. Scenes that barely registered a peep back in March had the audience in stitches last night.

And now the rant: As I was walking in the theater, I saw a man come in who was CARRYING (yes you read that correctly) a little girl in who was maybe 5 or 6 years old at most. My first reaction was why on earth someone would bring a child that young to a show like this. Then, my mind wandered to all the times I've seen babies/children cry during performances.

Well, as luck would have it, I did not hear a peep from this child for the entire first act, or 2/3 of the second act. And then comes the bedroom scene with Send in the Clowns. It's obviously the emotional and dramatic climax of the piece, and so you can hear a pin drop in the theater.


Well, Bernadette gets through her first part of the song (which btw she performs so beautifully), and they get to the dialogue between her and Frederik.

All of a sudden, you hear banging and screaming that sounds like it's coming from the stairwell towards the mezzanine on the house right side. Just as she's about to sing her final verse of the song, you can hear the little girl screaming "NOOOOOOOO I DON'T WANNA GO!" "I WANNA STAAAAAY!" in between were loud sobs and screams, crying, etc... This effectively drowned out Bernadette's singing completely (who like a trooper just kept on going), and people even started laughing at what the child was saying, before it became angry "SHHH'S" and "be quiet's!"

The father, or whomever was in charge of the little girl, finally managed to get her out of the theater, but of course not until the last second of the song, which completely and totally ruined the moment, the song, and my concentration with the piece.

What he was doing at A Little Night Music, and not the Lion King or Mary Poppins, is beyond me. Though on the flip side, the little girl might have been enjoying it, she did "WAANNT TO STAYYY" after all....

I know that theaters have certain age limits (I believe it's 4 years old?), and so technically this girl was allowed to come in to the theater. However, if you need to be carried in, there has to be something or someone that says no. Someone at the front of house, or the manager could have said something, or prevented an extremely young child from entering the theater.

And because Murphy's Law always rings true, she had to throw her tantrum during the pivotal moment and song during the show.

I know that I can't get a refund, or receive anything more than some sort of apology from the house manager or possibly Jujamcyn Theaters. However, there should be something in place that allows the house manager or an usher to not allow children of certain ages into the theater, especially if the production is not appropriate for them.

I don't know how you could enforce this, or if it's even legal especially if they are a paying customer, but it completely ruined an incredible moment in the theater.

*End of rant*

[jnthnxlent]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 2:17pm

Musikman, in response to your rant I can totally empathize with you having had an almost identical experience with you. Right after the curtain as raised and the show began I noticed the the octogenarian in front of me had a bad case of whooping cough. I don't usually mind because I'm sure she purchased tickets prior and had no way of knowing this would happen and after the first 10 minutes or so of hacking, she calmed down.

The show is going great, I'm enjoying it immensely, and now comes time for Bernadette to sit on the bed and start singing THE song. Needless to say after the first few seconds all i could make out was "HACK HACK HACK, COUGH COUGH HACK". I somehow managed to still somewhat enjoy the number, but I know the hacking definitely cut into my bliss. I'm really sick of stuff like that happening, since I always get stuck either next to a 2 year old or someone on life support...

[alxscrz2]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 3:26pm

Does anyone know if they will make a new cast recording with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch ? Or atleast a sample CD

[invisiblegirl]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 3:56pm

It has to be that scene right? When I saw the show in May it was a cell phone, in the dialogue right before Send in the Clowns.