Posted: 4/3/17 at 9:59pm
Bro- i know you love doing this, but in all honesty everyone is capable of FINDING the review as well as who wrote it. I don't understand your fetish with this.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:03pm
New York Times is in: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/theater/amelie-musical-broadway-review-phillipa-soo.html
Brantley leans negative. If I had to sum up his review in one word, it'd be "meh."
Updated On: 4/3/17 at 10:03 PM
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:06pm
Oof, he's even very negative on Soo and her performance, but seems to have the same complaints that we've brought up on this board, about the monotonous score and the lack of charm, as well as the non-Frenchness of it. I wouldn't say leans negative, that's just a negative review.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:11pm
I have to agree with this. When I partake in these threads I still give a commentary. Just "Positive, Mixed, Negative" is even helpful. These reviews threads aren't as popular as they were in the heyday of this board though.
People used to care. Now, not so much. Pretty much goes for the rest of BWW as well.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:13pm
Yes, it was negative, but he was pretty nice about it all.
Meanwhile, Isherwood was off raving about the whole shebang: http://broadway.news/2017/04/03/review/amelie-review/
I agree more with Isherwood's praise of Soo's performance than Brantley gave her credit for, but really, did Isherwood see the same show as everybody else? The show "retains all of the madcap diversions" of the film? No, no, it doesn't, Charles.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:19pm
So a love letter from Isherwood to Soo and almost the only negative remark on her performance from Brantley. Typical!
Although to be fair Brantley still says she is an actress of distinctive musical talent and compares her to Audrey Hepburn so I wouldn't be too upset if I were her.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:46pm
Another mixed-to-negative review, from Jesse Green, Vulture.com
http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/theater-review-amlie-and-the-limits-of-whimsy.html
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:54pm
Can't wait to see the clippings tomorrow from Isherwood's review:
"Insert quote here" - Charles Isherwood, Former NYT Critic
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:55pm
GreasedLightning said: "Can't wait to see the clippings tomorrow from Isherwood's review:
"Insert quote here" - Charles Isherwood, Former NYT Critic"
HA!
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:56pm
And to think some of you were predicting Soo would be nominated over LuPone and/or Ebersole. Of course, we'll have a better idea after War Paint's reviews on Thursday.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:58pm
Some of those where brutal, but totally justified. It just wasn't a very good show and Soo was bland
Posted: 4/3/17 at 11:00pm
ljay889 said: "And to think some of you were predicting Soo would be nominated over LuPone and/or Ebersole. Of course, we'll have a better idea after War Paint's reviews on Thursday."
She got nominated over Audra so nothing is out of the question here. I don't think it will happen but it's not like her performance hasn't been received positively overall.
Posted: 4/3/17 at 11:01pm
ljay889 said: "And to think some of you were predicting Soo would be nominated over LuPone and/or Ebersole. Of course, we'll have a better idea after War Paint's reviews on Thursday."
I definitely don't think Soo is vying for a spot over LuPone or Ebersole! However, I do think Soo, Benton, and Noblezada are coming from similar camps for the fifth nomination slot (it's my two cents that Midler, LuPone, Ebersole, and Altomare are are headed toward nominations). Just my thoughts!
Posted: 4/3/17 at 11:09pm
If The Great Comet does as well in nominations as I expect them to (I'm expecting them to get the most), I think Denee Benton will likely go along for the ride. If Miss Saigon gets the third slot for Best Revival of a Musical (which I'm currently predicting), I imagine Eva Noblezada could also go along for the ride.
As we've seen within the past two years, both lead acting in a musical categories were filled with nominees from productions that were nominated for Best Musical and/or Best Revival.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 12:47am
I also miss these review threads when they were full of commentary on each review and not just links.
Not shocked by these reviews - the entire show just looks bland. Soo should've stuck with COMET.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 6:41am
Nice to see Tony Sheldon getting positive response from the critics.
Now let's see him play opposite Toni Collette in Dolly.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 8:13am
Now that the verdicts are in: does Soo put butts in seats? That's still an open question. She's really the only survivor of the yawning indifference to the show proper. I would harbor a guess that Soo's following is small and passionate but mostly people who've already seen "Hamilton." It's also probably true that the film's fans are not the traditional B'way musical audience, though they overlap. Without a money review for the show proper, and word of mouth, will Soo's pedigree matter at the box office?
Posted: 4/4/17 at 8:13am
Mister Matt wrote: "People used to care. Now, not so much. Pretty much goes for the rest of BWW as well."
I agree; practically no one cares about theatre reviews anymore, and I say it's a good thing. There's no reason that the opinions of a handful of dilettantes should have any effect on a show's ticket sales. We see now that bad reviews don't always close a show and good reviews definitely don't keep them open. Why the Times would pay anyone a six-figure salary for such an increasingly redundant job is mystifying.
This may lead, unfortunately, to a state of "known commodities only" - hugely popular titles being rigidly adapted, featuring popular TV and film actors; but there is always the Hamilton model to study. That show was almost sold out at the Public long before any reviews appeared, based on a semi-popular biography and with no stars.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 8:17am
Any fans of Show-Score here?
The critic reviews are mostly negative while the audience reviews are gentler. I've found no outright raves though Isherwood is one of the kinder ones.
https://www.show-score.com/broadway-shows/amelie
As I posted elsewhere removing some of the creepier elements of the title character seems to have turned this into a blander Bells Are Ringing.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 8:50am
I always use show-score to look at review scope. It's very useful in terms of positive/mixed/negative overall.
As has been said, these reviews threads predate review roundup websites and features, but I still tend to check them out.
Also: if we don't click on Isherwood's new reviews, maybe he'll go away again.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 9:17am
I find that Show Score tends to be overly optimistic, generally labeling a negative review "mixed."
Posted: 4/4/17 at 10:00am
Auggie27 said: "Now that the verdicts are in: does Soo put butts in seats? That's still an open question. She's really the only survivor of the yawning indifference to the show proper. I would harbor a guess that Soo's following is small and passionate but mostly people who've already seen "Hamilton." It's also probably true that the film's fans are not the traditional B'way musical audience, though they overlap. Without a money review for the show proper, and word of mouth, will Soo's pedigree matter at the box office?
"
Soo definitely has a following and a lot of her fans have bought tickets already. I only saw the show because of the digital lottery.
a few friends were disappointed at stage door when Soo didn't want to take any selfies with her fans. Of course it's her choice but at the same time doing so would have gotten more free advertising on social media and perhaps word of mouth.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 10:07am
neonlightsxo said: "Also: if we don't click on Isherwood's new reviews, maybe he'll go away again."
Amen.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 10:09am
"a few friends were disappointed at stage door when Soo didn't want to take any selfies with her fans. Of course it's her choice but at the same time doing so would have gotten more free advertising on social media and perhaps word of mouth."
Yes, I'm sure if Soo took stage door selfies, this would be running for 50 years or more.
Posted: 4/4/17 at 10:24am
"Yes, I'm sure if Soo took stage door selfies, this would be running for 50 years or more."
Now that's comedy. Also comic is the idea that Soo has a "following" who could possibly make any significant difference in ticket sales. That has nothing to do with her her charm and talent, both of which are prodigious; she just isn't what anyone could realistically call a "star," and won't be until she gets a TV show or major film.
Updated On: 4/4/17 at 10:24 AM
