A Little Night Music: No Strings Attached

[fflagg]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 12:59am

Saw tonight's performance.

Catherine and Angela: bravura. Rich, tart, funny, and quite touching.

The rest of the cast: totally unmemorable. Either bland, too young, too stiff, or just "there".

As for the production, shame on Nunn and others for bastardizing Mr. Sondheim's brilliant, rich score. This misguided prod is yet another example of someone disguising a lean budget with "I have a vision." The result is a score, devoted to waltzes, that sounds like elevator music and a set that looks like it came from West Elm and ABC Carpets.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 1:29am

How was Armfeldt's fetching manservant Frid?

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 2:37am

I was also there tonight. My review will be around by tomorrow.

[fflagg]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 10:31am

Frid was OK. Nothing more, nothing less. After seeing the show, go home and listen to the OCR or the Judi Dench to hear how it should have been done. But you cannot fault Catherine and Angela.

[morosco]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 1:42pm

...yet another example of someone disguising a lean budget with "I have a vision."

Agreed.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 3:06pm

I'm still mad about "Later." I mean, the whole conceit of the song is that he's practicing the cello, so to have him get up and walk around during it doesn't make sense. It loses all the humor.

[singtopher]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 3:09pm

I know of a couple guys who have learned to play the cello just for that song.

[Gavin Rehfeldt]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 3:20pm

You've gotta be kidding me Re: "Later." Ridiculous!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 3:28pm

Wait. He doesn't play the cello?

[Scripps2]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 4:05pm

Well, errr, he plays it during the overture instead.

Just try to think of it as in The Witches of Eastwick when Jane Smart leaves her cello mid-song and it continues to play itself.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 4:56pm

The character still plays the cello for the first half of Later.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 5:09pm

I heard he was taking classes to learn the cello, but he honestly plays about two notes, and then just leaves it meander around the room. It's badly staged and acted. I thought he was fine otherwise, but that song was a huge letdown.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 6:03pm

File under: "Another Wonderful Thing About A Little Night Music That Trevor Nunn Doesn't Get AT ALL"

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 10:59pm

Stephen Sondheim has said that the cadenza for those Bb were written to be sung as if he was the cello. Just listening to all of "Later" it reminds you of someone playing the cello, as he is supposed to do! I can't believe that he walks around for most of the song.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 12/16/09 at 11:34pm

Any time you can mix a Sondheim show with an NSYNC reference, you have a successful thread, IMO.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 12:34am

Saw the show again tonight. It's grown so much from the first preview. Angela forgot some lyrics in the middle of LIAISONS, but she recovered quickly. Her performance is really something worth seeing. Her act two is just absolutely incredible. There isn't enough words to express the way she displays the physical and mental decline of the character. It's just stunning.
Zeta-Jones has grown a lot as well. Her Clowns is very touching. She is really inhabiting the character now.
I still feel Act 1 drags here and there. The lighting is definitely much better. I actually loved the dim lighting for the opening and closing Waltz. It's called "Night Waltz", and it makes sense to have it waltzed in dim lighting. But that's just my opinion.

And regarding LATER. He starts the song with the cello, walks around during the middle of it, but finishes the song playing it. Nunn does have the character playing it for the majority of the song. It's not as drastic as some are making it sound here.

Updated On: 12/17/09 at 12:34 AM

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 12:51am

I completely agree with Ljay and his thoughts. I saw the show tonight as well and thought everything was very solid.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 5:45pm

Thank you, ljay, for clearing up the cello bit!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 8:54pm

In the opinions of those here who have seen the show in the Kerr, where is the best place to sit? I do not want to sit in the balcony, as I hear it's horrible, but is the back of the mezz bad with the balcony overhang? Where did you sit, Ljay?

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 8:58pm

I sat in the balcony last night. It wasn't as bad as people made it sound. I would rather sit there than the rear mezz. I also didn't mind it because I've already seen the show from 2nd row orchestra. So maybe I would have felt differently if I saw it from the balcony my first time. Updated On: 12/17/09 at 08:58 PM

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 9:00pm

How on earth did you get second row orchestra seats?
I was planning on getting the second-to-last row of the mezz, as the orchestra appears to be totally sold out when I am going.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 9:03pm

Yeah, I went to the first preview. So I checked everyday until I saw the best seats possible.

But I looked at the view from the rear mezz, and it's quite far back.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 9:06pm

It's horrendous trying to get seats for this show. I have never had so much trouble getting tickets to something in all my years of ticketbuying.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 9:07pm

If you didn't mind waiting, I bet you could get a great seat from the cancellation line.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 12/17/09 at 9:11pm

The first thing I'm trying is to ask a favor of someone to get me house seats.
I would be more willing to take chances (like the cancellation line) but I'm only in the city about once a year, and I have all my other show slots booked up. I really want to see Night Music, and don't want to take a chance on not seeing it.
In the meantime, if nothing else pans out, I can always get the Row 6 Mezz on the aisle tickets.