ALMOST FAMOUS On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 4

[Mitch101]

Posted: 10/11/22 at 12:33am

Sorry to say, but right now this show is dead on arrival. The score is instantly forgettable, and yet when you look at the playbill its almost awe-inspiring how many songs are in the show. None improve on the classic hits from the movie. When the first act ends with Tiny Dancer, and its the best musical moment, you know you're in trouble.

Anika Larson is the real reason to see the show, and she is given the most musical theatre songs in the show. But if you removed them, and there are three full songs that say pretty much the same thing, you would not lose anything from the story or plot. Her second act opener is a one joke song that should have been cut out of town. But this show needs humor big time and cutting anything she does will leave us alone with these vapid, underdeveloped, confusing characters.

This worked so much better as a movie and really has not made a case for itself as a musical. If it's a supposed to be a love story, then they failed. If its a coming of age story... SPOILERS....

 

Its hard to feel anything about Williams growth when it all relies on him bringing his sister home to reconcile with their mother. But we haven't seen the sister the entire show. And they don't even reconcile. By the time we get to the final moment when he finally gets published, I was just exhausted waiting for something to lift this show. Instead we get hippies singing a reprise of a Let's All Be Together type of song. 

------------------- END SPOILERS--------------

An usher confided in me at intermission that they've already cut quite a bit from the run time. But he feared its not cutting they need, its a hit song that's better than Tiny Dancer.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/11/22 at 10:07am

Sutton Ross said: "Then I guess half this thread "works for the show". People can enjoy a show without being involved in the production. Just an FYI for ya.

Welcome to the board, tho!"

Didn’t you earlier in this thread try to discredit Jordan’s positive opinion on this show based on his prior opinions on other shows? 

 

[AntV]

Posted: 10/11/22 at 12:45pm

An usher confided in me at intermission that they've already cut quite a bit from the run time. But he feared its not cutting they need, its a hit song that's better than Tiny Dancer."

And what is that run time now?

[SondheimianRhapsody2]

Posted: 10/11/22 at 3:14pm

Saw the show's 4th preview last week and really enjoyed it. Full disclosure: I am a big fan of the movie, and a huge classic rock fan, so that definitely contributed to it. Overall, I think the show is an enjoyable ride, and I really loved the cast. I loved seeing the shows ensemble being a big part of the piece, and story at large, as a big ensemble that does more than just dance and sing feels rather uncommon in the world of modern musicals. I think there is some work to be done on the lyrics throughout the show (small lyrical changes in songs like "The Nightime Skies Got Nothing On You" could really improve them IMO), and I really think the opening number could use a complete second pass lyrically and musically. The show is also extremely faithful to the film. Big fan of this one, and am planning on seeing it again once they open! 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 10/14/22 at 4:51pm

Wow! The lack of discussion about this show on these boards is very very alarming and indicative about the appeal. Thoughts? 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 8:15am

To Snibson's point, this discussion reminds me of the early ones for Groundhog Day, another film-to-stage musical that arrived with an almost cult following yet had trouble securing an advance (full disclosure: finally saw it twice on TDF and fell in love with its second act.)  I remember believing GD was as close to a sure thing as we'd get -- the star's performance was beloved, the show had a comeback-from-injury narrative -- and yet it just couldn't pick up needed steam. I hope this piece, which I'm seeing next week, finds its way. It's ever difficult to measure the commercial tastes right now. Full disclosure: I'm not a groupie for the film, but like Kitt's music. That's almost the sole reason for my attendance. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 9:30am

Personally, I sometimes avoid these film to stage adaptations if I really love the movie and don't want to risk seeing the material potentially done poorly.  That certainly was the case of me with Amelie.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 11:23am

Auggie27 said: "To Snibson's point, this discussion reminds me of the early ones for Groundhog Day, another film-to-stage musical that arrived with an almost cult following yet had trouble securing an advance "

I would argue that GROUNDHOG DAY as a film is significantly more famous than ALMOST FAMOUS. And in the past decade, Cameron Crowe's career has been down the drain. Strikes me as being produced because it's a good idea for a musical, not because it's coming in with name value.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 11:55am

JasonC3 said: "Personally, I sometimes avoid these film to stage adaptations if I really love the movie and don't want to risk seeing the material potentially done poorly. That certainly was the case of me with Amelie."

I loved Amelie on stage! Listen to the west end recoding 

[ijest22]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 2:54pm

I went in fresh, and really enjoyed it.  I did wonder, though, how much of the movie magic and subtlety may have been lost.  I just watched the movie, and I came away truly impressed by what a perfect adaptation of the movie the musical really is.  It's perfectly cast, and it's a real accomplishment by the stage actors that they don't pale in comparison to the likes of Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup.  Special props to  Chris Wood, though, who is even more believable as the most charismatic, mercurial of the band members. No, the score doesn't match the timeless originals that appear in the film, but then how many new scores do on first listen? Those songs have been popular for 50 years for a reason.  The musical is very clever, though, in how it blends snippets of the old classics with the new songs, and the new songs are a great mix of original rock songs for the fake band and more traditional musical theater songs (to best effect for Anika Larsen as the mother, ideally cast).  It really compares well to Kimberly Akimbo, a pleasant, funny musical that is best enjoyed not having seen its much superior, nuanced and heartbreaking progenitor.  Almost Famous the Musical is a bit broader on stage than the movie, but it doesn't lose the pathos of the original.  I suppose if you've carried the original with you for 20 years, any changes could seem jarring, but I think it's an amazing adaption.  I don't know if there's an audience for it, but I really don't think it could have been handled any better.

Updated On: 10/17/22 at 02:54 PM

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 2:42pm

I saw this on Saturday and it was a ton of fun! It has a lot of energy and the time totally flew by. I think Tom Kitt nailed what the general sound of this show should be, but found the songs to not be a huge standout. It reminded me of Beetlejuice in that I'd put it above some of the horrifically bland Movie-cal scores like Pretty Women or Doubtfire, but not at the level of Waitress or Kinky Boots. 

I thought the whole cast was terrific with the exception of Drew Gehling. He just felt like a caricature of what the character should be. The whole t-shirt debacle scene got LAUGHS. There are some funny beats in that scene, but the bulk of it has always felt like a very serious and tense moment where the character feels like the ground is falling out from under him. He's humiliated and desperate to keep his position as the leader of the band. He had several more monets like that. 

Casey Likes, Solea Pfeiffer, Chris Wood, and Anikka Larsen are just so perfect for their roles though. 

[Azbroadway16]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 8:22pm

I saw this last Thursday and loved it. It is not a jukebox musical as some might think it is. Majority of the songs are original music with the exception of 3-4 songs. It is a fantastic adaptation of an incredible movie. I’m not going to say it’s better than the movie because it’s not. But let’s be clear and the original source is most likely always better than the adaptation. That being said it is still a great show. I might be biased as the movie is one of my all time favorites. However my wife enjoys the movie and has only seen it once or twice (so she doesn’t know all the dialogue like I do) but she absolutely loved the musical too. I really do feel this can be enjoyed by all types of audiences. If I had 1 gripe I would say they should add another scene between Russell and Penny to show the dynamic of their relationship. 
 

I felt everyone was perfectly cast. Casey Likes is a future Broadway star, as is Solea Pfieffer. Chris Wood was identical to Billy Crudup in the movie. Drew Gehling provided the funniest parts as did Rob Colleti. Finally Anika Larsen was perfect as Williams mom. Her song in the first act was amazing. I hope people come out to see it because I don’t think anyone will be disappointed as it could be the surprise of the season!

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 8:36pm

Put me in the camp that found this to be just "meh".  It isn't bad but ultimately it doesn't feel like anything. The cast is great and everyone is firing on all cylinders but the material just doesn't amount to much. There is simply no conflict which leaves you wondering "who am I rooting for?".  There is a lot of music but by the end of the night it all sounds the same and none of it furthers the plot and/or character development.  The over all look is a mixed bag of pieces being moved by cast, LED projections, and then a fully realized 1970's house.  Act I felt very long and slow. Things pick up in Act II.  Some moments that probably work well in the film just don't hold up for the stage...the end of Act I using "Tiny Dancer" for example...this fell flat for me but I can imagine cinematically with close-ups etc it would land better. Not sure how this will fare. It was a miss for me.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 8:42pm

My opinion: If you have read Peter Brooks' book, this is what he would call dead theatre. Just a big nothing, The set is really ugly and the Actors come out sing their songs and leave. I felt for no one, the staging is a mess. Some attractive performers but hope they find better work (soon). The movie was a fantastic musical film, no need to bring it to the stage. 

[broadwayTX]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 4:38pm

I saw the show on Oct. 10 and thought it was fun. 

The sets were minimal and songs the kind of fluffy and forgettable pop-broadway that's been popular recently. Compared to the other shows I saw on my trip this one felt like it had half the production value (to be fair, the other shows I saw were MUSIC MAN, FUNNY GIRL, POTO, BEETLEJUICE, HARRY POTTER, INTO THE WOODS).

That being said, the performances in ALMOST FAMOUS were standouts. Solea Pfeiffer has an incredible voice and her presence on stage was definitely felt. I was excited every time she had a song. I echo what Azbroadway16 said in that it felt like everyone was perfectly cast. 

I haven't seen the movie in years and I wasn't a massive fan when I originally watched it, so the plot was not fresh in my mind and I had no pre-conceived notions of what this would, or should, be. Easy to follow and fun story overall. 

Overall did it feel like this musical needed to be made? Absolutely not. But it was fun and if you have an extra day/afternoon/evening I'd say give it a shot - I saw it on a Monday when most shows are dark and I don't regret my decision. Also, as it's still in previews, I guess all this is subject to change so take everything with a grain of salt. 

[Alex M]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 4:57pm

Show is cancelled tonight!

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 6:35pm

I won the lottery for this Saturday afternoon and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I have never seen the movie and didn’t really have any expectations going in, but I found myself entertained the whole time, rooting for the characters, and enjoying the script and songs. I think Kitt got the feel of the music right here and the cast have such great voices - it was a pleasure to hear them all sing.

It wasn’t my absolute favorite show ever, but I also walked out happy and having been taken on a journey (and without any real “notes,” which is rare for me). One thing that struck me was that it didn’t feel like a movie-to-musical adaptation how so many of the others do. Often, even if I haven’t seen the movie before seeing the stage show, I can still pinpoint bits of dialogue/moments that are taken right from the movie script (these moments often feel a little unnatural or forced onstage) - for “Almost Famous,” I never felt that and was surprised to hear from my wife after (who has seen the movie) that it’s extremely faithful and has many pieces of dialogue that are exact.

Grateful I got to see the show - such a great feeling to walk out of a theatre feeling fulfilled (especially when going in with no expectations).

Anyone know why it was canceled tonight? Hoping the cast is well and COVID free!

 

[qafgenius122]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 10:48pm

Not sure what’s going on, but as I was leaving Topdog/Underdog tonight, they were covering/taping the glass doors to the Box office. And it looks like a piece of marketing, closest to the box office window was gone… though mayhe it was always blank. That plus the cancellation feels ominous.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 11:46pm

qafgenius122 said: "Not sure what’s going on, but as I was leaving Topdog/Underdog tonight, they were covering/taping the glass doors to the Box office. And it looks like a piece of marketing, closest to the box office window was gone… though mayhe it was always blank. That plus the cancellation feels ominous."

I'm sure the canceled performance is something innocent and there are many reasons why they might have been doing that, but...weird!

[persephone88]

Posted: 10/19/22 at 4:56pm

I am a huge fan of the film, and was really excited when the musical went up in San Diego pre-COVID, and was hoping it would eventually make it to Broadway. That being said, my expectations were not super high going in, because I think that there are a lot of small, intimate, wordless moments between characters in the film that might be hard to translate onto the stage with the same kind of emotional heft. And the movie cast was pretty perfect and I thought that would be hard to replicate with new actors.

Went to see the show opening weekend, enjoyed it thoroughly and came out really pleased to have seen it, and will likely go see it again! It is different than the film - it plays broader onstage and there is a good deal more comedy, less pathos - but it is a fun night out. 

As a big fan of Billy Crudup, I was concerned about the actor playing Russell Hammond, but Chris Wood did a terriic job. Understated most of the time, but perfectly inhabiting that cool rock guitarist who is a bit removed from it all. Unlike a prior poster, I LOVED Drew Gehling's take on Jeff Bebe. While Jason Lee was really terrific in the film as the bitter lead singer overshadowed by the guy who is supposed to be his wing man, Gehling played much more of the comedy, and he is shamelessly funny! I enjoyed every moment he was onstage, and liked hearing him sing some of those old Allmans tunes. Casey Likes - adorable, good voice, played the impressionable young budding journalist well, and you were rooting for him the whole show. Would see him again in a heartbeat. Rob Colletti did a good job in the Lester Bangs role, as did  Anika Larsen as the mom. 

The one not quite on point casting for me was, surprisingly, Solea Pfeiffer. She has a beautiful voice, and she inhabits the role of the gorgeous Penny Lane as that unattainable girl William has such a crush on, while she only has eyes for Russell. I felt like Penny played older and less vulnerable in this production that she did in the movie. Maybe it is because she towers over Casey Likes in her platform shoes, but Solea seemed more of an age with Russell than she did with William. There was something about Kate Hudson's portrayal in the film that made Penny read much younger, and certain scenes in the film hit harder I think than in the staged version, like when Russell ignores her in front of his wife (now ?ex-wife? in the show). I think the whole Penny / Russell relationship could use a little more build up in the play. I did however, really enjoy seeing more from William's family at the start of the play. 

The original music was serviceable, catchy and upbeat if not super memorable. I think most folks there enjoyed the oldies rock tunes incorporated into the show. I would have liked to have seen Solea sing "River" all alone on that stage, though I can see why they had the William character sing it as well. The audience the night we attended were in high spirits and seemed to enjoy the show a lot. The encore of the entire cast coming out to sing "Fever Dog" was funny and great, and the audience was on their feet cheering. It is lighter and funnier overall than the film, but it made for a fun night out for us. My teenager liked it a lot too, even though the setting was decidely NOT her era! I hope this show lasts a while.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/19/22 at 5:01pm

Is the show back on tonight? They didn't play a Wednesday matinee this week.

Apparently their COVID situation is largely concentrated amongst their techies (who don't have covers, unlike the actors).

Would like to hear about understudies, standbys, and swings on tonight if previews resume. 

[saxpower]

Posted: 10/20/22 at 12:50am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "qafgenius122 said: "Not sure what’s going on, but as I was leaving Topdog/Underdog tonight, they were covering/taping the glass doors to the Box office. And it looks like a piece of marketing, closest to the box office window was gone… though mayhe it was always blank. That plus the cancellation feels ominous."

I'm sure the canceled performance is something innocent and there are many reasons why they might have been doing that, but...weird!"

My guess is they were taping up the doors because they needed to do something in the theatre- either rehearsing some change in the show (assuming no COVID in the cast), adding/removing a larger set piece, or perhaps there was simply something in the theatre itself that needed attention.  No one needs people looking through glass doors at them while they try to work. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/20/22 at 7:33am

They did have a performance last night. Anyone know what u/s were on? They have a matinee today and there's plenty of seats available if anyone is up for a Thursday matinee.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/20/22 at 7:34am

Taping the doors is weird. Maybe they’re fumigating? I don’t know any show that taped doors to rehearse. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/20/22 at 9:21am

SouthernCakes said: "Taping the doors is weird. Maybe they’re fumigating? I don’t know any show that taped doors to rehearse."

Yeah, The Jacobs has a lobby. You can't normally see into the theatre and I don' know any Broadway theatre where that would be true.