A NEW BRAIN

[manhattandreamer]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 7:33am

Has anyone seen this show yet?  How is it?  Run time?  Jonathan Groff is my absolute favorite actor, and I am beyond thrilled to see this show.  Does New York City Center have a stage door and did anyone try it out?  Thanks for answering my annoying questions... here's to you! xx

[LarryD2]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 7:50am

First performance (final dress) of this production is tonight. The City Center stage door is located on 56th Street. JG is a pretty nice guy with fans so I imagine he'll be friendly at the stage door

[tazber]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 6:45am

Tonight is the first official performance!

Did anyone got to the dress?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 8:19am

Seeing it Friday. Going into this blind as I have never seen any production of it.

[swanjewel]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:41am

A few people on Twitter who attended the dress last night said it was fantastic.  Makes me more excited to see it Saturday.  

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:44am

I wonder if it gets the reviews if it transfers Off Broadway or goes to NWS if they have an empty theater.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:48am

Highly unlikely considering the star would not be available to transfer.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:51am

He'll be busy doing his 9 minutes in Hamilton.

I did read that they cut "Poor, Unsuccessful, and Fat" from this production (not a great loss).

Can anyone confirm?

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:56am

I can't confirm whether or not that's true (although I agree it wouldn't be a great loss), but it was also stated in one of the "in rehearsal" videos that "Calamari" is also cut.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:44am

Oh, I like Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat!

I'm going tonight and am very excited. I know the cast recording inside out, but have never seen a production. The cast recording truly is perfection, especially Penny Fuller's performance.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:46am

Can not wait for your review Whizzer!

What I actually read was that they reduced the part of the nurse and cut his songs.

I think it in was the interview Pat did with Finn that was posted last week.

 

 

[tazber]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:53am

Here is the quote and the link:

WF: Mr. Bungee is exactly the same - that's not what I am changing. Mostly, it's the doctors' things that I am making less silly. The nurse's song is no longer in it, either.

Link to full interview

 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:55am

They better still have Eating Myself Up Alive in the show!

I guess his part feels a little extraneous, but I very much enjoy Michael Mandell's performance; I always crack up when he says, "It's awful to always be nice, sometimes I fail!Sometimes I'm stinky!" 

Mandell also played the Macy's store manager during both Broadway runs of Elf and was a riot. An underrated talented for sure.  

[jv92]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 11:39am

Seeing this later in the week. I think there's some gorgeous stuff in the score, particularly "I Feel So Much Spring", which is just a beautiful song. 

I could care less about Groff, who is perfectly agreeable and I have nothing against. I'm sure he'll be very good. He's not the main draw for me, though. Those songs are. 

 

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 6:38pm

I just saw a video of some of the production from theatre mania and I really hope PS Classics picks this up and makes a cast recording.  It looks wonderful. 

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 8:57pm

WHO ARE THE DESIGNERS???

 

Theyve released photos, AND videos of the production, but i cant find the creative team listed ANYWHERE

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:52pm

"I just saw a video of some of the production from theatre mania and I really hope PS Classics picks this up and makes a cast recording.  It looks wonderful. "

I would cherish a new recording starring Jonathan Groff and this whole wonderful cast. I love the score (although it's beneath Falsettos on my rank of Finn's material) but I don't love Malcolm Gets on the original (he's a singer whose voice I've never liked much). It probably won't happen, but I'd love to dream it could.

[CatastrophicDay]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:02pm

I saw this tonight and loved it! The score is pretty great, I particularly loved "I'd Rather Be Sailing". Aaron Lazar, love.

It ran about 1:45 with a late start. There were a few empty rows in the balcony, and the upper few rows were empty - maybe they weren't sold?

Overall a good show.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:07pm

I've heard that "Whenever I Dream" and "Eating Myself Up Alive" are cut, which bums me out.

[CatastrophicDay]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:12pm

Yes they were both cut. I suppose length may have been an issue? It was starting to get a tad bit long for one act towards the end, at least for me, but I went in cold.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 10:15pm

I'm back from tonight's performance and with only two exceptions I was thrilled with the production! As if we needed another reason to love Jeanine Tesori she goes and programs this little gem.

First off, they absolutely need to record this version of the show, which has changes galore from the original Off-Broadway production. Finn tweaked lyrics all over the place, mostly for the better. Calamari was indeed cut (no huge loss), but both Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat and You Boys Are Gonna Get Me In Such Trouble ARE included.

The two cuts I was very disappointed by were Whenever I Dream (but when I wake it's go-oooooone!) and Eating Myself Up Alive. Boo. Restore them, please!

Overall, Rhoda's part felt reduced. Liz Larson feels so omnipresent on the recording and although Alyse Alan Louis has a nice belt and does well with what she has, the part doesn't stand out as much as I thought it would. Maybe cutting Whenever I Dream has something to do with that too.

Ana Gasteyer was an absolute revelation. Never have I seen her potential, whether on stage or screen, been as fully exploited as it was tonight. Mother's Gonna Make Things Fine has been totally overhauled and has turned into a showstopper. Throw It Out and The Music Still Plays On were perfection too. I really, really loved her.

Jonathan Groff, while maybe not as nebbish as Malcolm Gets, was winning as Gordon. Why can't he pull a Cynthia Nixon and do Hamilton and transfer this (for a limited run)? Aaron Lazar, looking extra hunky, made a believable couple with Groff and his vocals were rich. 

The homeless lady is probably the weirdest role, but Rema Webb's vocals gave me chills. I was worried about her living up to Testa's performance, so ingrained in my ear, but damn.

I enjoyed Lapine's direction; truly this was not an Encores, but a fully staged production.

The bar has been set very high. Little Shop and The Wild Party have a lot to measure up to.

 

[HSky]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 11:04pm

Throw in another vote for a recording featuring this cast. It's been years since I listened to the music, but I loved finally seeing it staged. (Despite the disclaimer in the playbill, it's far from being a "concert production.") "Brain Dead" was my favorite number in terms of staging.

There was a nice name check of a currently running show that I won't spoil. 

Jonathan Groff and Aaron Lazar were very good, but I was also wowed by Ana Gasteyer and Rema Webb's voices. I came in mostly looking forward to certain songs sung by the men, but it's their numbers that stuck with me the most.

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 11:46pm

Going on Saturday!  Love this show and have been obsessed with it since i first saw it at Lincoln Center. Hard to believe there would be an improvement in any way on that original cast, but these early thoughts are encouraging. I'm especially interested in seeing the very underrated Ana Gasteyer.  She starred in a production of Passion here in Chicago years ago and was absolutely incredible. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 11:50pm

I liked it quite a bit. It was my first exposure and I was won over for the most part. The score is lovely, and although the story is never really as moving or affecting as it should be, this is a lovely production with some awesome performances. Absolutely worth seeing. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 11:56pm

Also...Rema Webb. 

 

 

Thats all.