AMAZING GRACE Previews — Page 2

I know many theatre people who love to regularly sing snatches of songs from Scandalous for their sheer terribleness. It doesn't sound like this even has so-bad-it's-memorable going for it.

Whizzer - I NEED to see (or hear) that.

One of the main characters of Into the Light was a Mime(!) who "sang" via different instruments in the pit along with a LASER LIGHT SHOW on stage!! He performed a song and dance duet with a little boy called "Trading Solos" that is priceless and pretty damn tuneful.

The lyrics began: trading solos, throwing the notes around, trading solos, our friendship is sound!

This was the infamous shroud of Turin musical that tried to prove whether it was authentic or not. Dean Jones played the lead, a scientist who lacked faith, but found it over the course of the evening.

There is a song where the scientists argue about the pronunciation of the word data. Sample lyric: science without any day-tah is like gazpacho without the to-may-tah.

There was a song at the Vatican where nuns and priests did a kickline.

It only ran for 6 performances at the Neil Simon in 1986. It's a miracle that Lincoln Center even was able to tape it.

I have seen far worse. I thought the book was fairly strong. I didn't know the story so I was engrossed throughout. They musical does not shy away from the horrors of slavery, to it's credit.

The score is mainly made up of ballads and anthems. I can take a mediocre score if it at least gives me one or two breakout songs like "Side Show". But the best I can say is the songs weren't awful.

And Chuck Cooper was terrific. As was, to a slightly lesser degree, Erin Mackey.

Though it was a heavily papered audience (I as well) there was some legitimate weeping and sobs throughout.

I sorta love that this writer worked as a cop in a small PA town and wrote this show on nights and weekends and, having never written anything professional before, gets his show to Broadway. That's kinda wonderful.

how much of the theatre was filled?

Does not sounds like they have made many significant changes since Chicago. Giving Chuck Cooper a monologue in the beginning - does not make his part (which is one of the few highlights in the show) much bigger. I had hoped they would have brought in a "music consultant" to add some flourish to this forgettable score - yes, it's great that a cop wrote this, but it doesn't make it good. I can't remember any of Erin Mackey's songs. I also hoped they were going to get the "camp" level right since Chicago. The slave princess and Chris Hoch seem to be doing a different show. And finally, the end where the title song comes out of nowhere is just silly.

Whizzer, did they repeat the song at curtain call? They started doing that in Chicago to steal a standing O.

Yeah the production shots from Chicago didn't look all that great. So, basically, we have a super basic musical.

When I saw the end of Act 1 in Chicago, I thought to myself, "oh they did that in Tarzan, the musical - a decade ago."

Yikes! sorry to hear this. I had hoped it would be given at least good to mixed reviews. The preview ads look impressive and some of the music that I've heard sounds compelling. While a show does not necessarily hinge on the vocal talents of its leads, Josh Young is one heck of a talented singer and actor.

I know Josh and how thrilled he is to be part of this and how hard he works to make every role his best. It's so refreshing to hear that a "new" production opens on Broadway. Here's hoping reviews pick up a bit for the opening.

PS....STANDING OVATIONS EVERY NIGHT IN CHICAGO WERE BEFORE BOWS. THE SECOND SINGING OF AMAZING GRACE IS AFTER BOWS. THE AUDIENCE WAS ON THEIR FEET SO FAST IT AS THE SHOW ENDED IT WAS "AMAZING."

hi. i just wanted to ask you why you seem to enjoy obliterating interest in shows you don't like. i don't know if you are an actor or not but the hearts and souls of people who create theater are deeply involved with the shows they produce.Amazing Grace may be flawed but your reviews were scathing. i saw it 9 times in chicago and i enjoyed it immensely. i did leave humming some of the tunes and i did care about the characters. i have read many biographies on John Newton and for the most part the show is true to his journety. one complaint i have heard from a number of self appointed "broadway critics" is how late in the show the big number Amazing Grace is placed. In truth the musical focuses on the first 30 years of john newtons life but he wrote the hymn in his fifties or sixties when he was reflecting on his complicity with the slave injustices. The musical would need to be 10 hours long to get through the later years of his life. He had so much happen spirtually when he stopped being a slave captain.
For those who say they could not invest in the character of John Newton (played by tony nominee Josh Young) I do wish the creative team could have focused a little more on his redemption because it was real. At the age of 7 he lost his mother. He was very close to his mother and she died in another town and when she was taken there he didn't even get to say good-bye. He was told she would return well but instead he was told she was dead. I had a sister die at 37 and her children then 11 and 14 basically went into ways to cope with their father escaping through alcoholism and a mother who vanished. One got into a cult and the other got into all the drugs sex and alcohol he wanted. Same with Mr. Newton. Having a father that was very unkind and hated John's being creates the truth of his believed loveless existenc and the beginning of his atheism.. Captain married right away. The woman hated John and John was so angry about his loss as well as his new family that he began acting out. sent to a boarding school so he would be out of the way he really felt orphaned. Then his father and new wife have a child and he sees his father totally enjoy the child. The only person who knew his pain and spiritual journey was Mary. She knew his heart and knew there was a man suffering inside that she loved. If you could watch the show with Mary's point of view perhaps you would care about the character of John Newton, in his forties and fifties he spoke at a church in Olney England where thousands and thousand of people from all over would come to hear this man and his story of redemption.

Try to remember that as much joy you receive trying to sound so brilliant in your reviews or slams of shows that there are actors and others who might read your words and really be discouraged, disappointed and hurt. i know this is a tough business but there is no need to be so beyond critical. The internet is a safe place to spew venom, unhappiness, criticism and everything else behind closed doors and in the dark. no one (except maybe a few) whizzer will know who you are so you can opinion a way as your leisure...but remember all those you hurt along the way. you can critique a show negatively without obliterating it.

"hi. i just wanted to ask you why you seem to enjoy obliterating interest in shows you don't like. i don't know if you are an actor or not but the hearts and souls of people who create theater are deeply involved with the shows they produce.Amazing Grace may be flawed but your reviews were scathing. i saw it 9 times in chicago and i enjoyed it immensely. i did leave humming some of the tunes and i did care about the characters..... you can critique a show negatively without obliterating it."

I wish I could insert the emoji of a face laughing until it cries.

Obliterate? Lol.

Wait until you read what the NYT has to say. Then you can copy and past that same rambling message in an email to them.