ANASTASIA Previews — Page 8

I think people 'dissect' shows that they didn't enjoy. They are interested in why it didn't work for them. If you have a great time at Anastasia, you won't analyze it. I love the book Not Since Carrie because it's interesting to look at the nuts and bolts of flawed shows.

I get that, of course, but the point I was trying to make is that people won't like certain shows because they dissect them. Don't get me wrong, I love reading others' opinions of shows, good or bad, but I think that such intense scrutiny is sometimes misguided. As far as my experience at ANASTASIA is concerned, I enjoyed it because I chose to take it at face value.

CT2NYC said: "I get that, of course, but the point I was trying to make is that people won't like certain shows because they dissect them. Don't get me wrong, I love reading others' opinions of shows, good or bad, but I think that such intense scrutiny is sometimes misguided. As far as my experience at ANASTASIA is concerned, I enjoyed it because I chose to take it at face value.

"

So you're saying you enjoyed Anastasia because there's no depth to the show that needs analyzing? I dissect all shows I see, the ones I like and the ones I don't like. If there's nothing to dissect, that's the worst offense as those shows tend to be bland and forgettable. To say people are not liking a show because they are dissecting them is 100% correct - after analysis and thoughtful conversation, they have come to the conclusion that they don't like it. Others will come to a conclusion that they do like it, maybe even love it. For me, analyzing a theatrical production is my favorite aspect of going to the theater.

I'm curious, because I sense that you and I have similar tastes - did you sit there thinking you were in a Disney show the whole time? Does it feel "kid-focused"? I have tickets for a Sunday afternoon at the end of April and I'm becoming somewhat terrified that the theatre is going to look like a day care center.

To me, it didn't feel like a Disney show, mainly because it departs just enough from the original narrative to make it more "adult." I know some have complained about the book, but I think it's quite good, accessible but not "dumbed down." Also, Caroline O'Connor gives a wonderful performance that should play very well to longtime musical theatre fans. I've liked her since MOULIN ROUGE, and I thought her "Velma" in CHICAGO was nearly as good as Bebe's, so I was very happy to see her again. I expect she'll be nominated for a Tony as Best Featured Actress. Now, as far as the audience being overrun with children, I'm not sure how that will be, but I'm assuming it will skew adult until summer vacation. You'll have to let me know how it goes.

Caroline O'Connor is a great performer but I have no idea why people are saying she's going to get nominated for this. She barely does anything.

Maybe your friend is color blind, disneybroadway.

Right but Mary Beth Peil is also in this show. So.

I just spent an hour - literally an hour - writing a post of my review of the show, and my internet cut out and I lost the whole thing.

It's a beautiful show, but it's not strong. The story needs a lot of work to reach the potential it can hit.

Gahhhh, can't believe I lost that post...

BwayDreamer00 said: "I'm starting to get a bit concerned with some of these early pretty negative reviews...I LOVED the movie Anastasia especially the music but when I look on here all I see is "the music was boring and dull" "it was so lackluster" "there was no chemistry between anyone" like should I not go see it? When I heard it was coming to the stage I was SO EXCITED!!! But all of these picky very critical reviews are kind of worry some....but didn't it win best musical in Hartford?

Froote has it right: there have been some positive reviews, and some mediocre ones. No really nasty ones, and the negative/mediocre ones seem to say they just weren't drawn in, rather than loathing it. That said, most of the people I know (and those I've seen on here) who are fans of the movie have liked or loved the show, if that's reassuring at all.

CT2NYC said: "...as far as the audience being overrun with children, I'm not sure how that will be, but I'm assuming it will skew adult until summer vacation. You'll have to let me know how it goes."

The audience on a Sunday afternoon is my primary concern. People's behavior in public is abysmal these days; my husband and I have gotten to the point where we almost never go to movies anymore because we don't want to deal with the talking, eating, phone calls, texting, Facebook-ing, and screaming children. Broadway theatres managed to operate in their own universe for many years, remaining relatively untouched by such crass behavior, but it's even creeping into this last bastion of decorum now. A matinee filled with misbehaved kids is one of my worst nightmares.

CT2NYC wrote:



"the point I was trying to make is that people won't like certain shows because they dissect them... but I think that such intense scrutiny is sometimes misguided."



I get your point, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. This clinical approach to theatregoing is wholly alien to me. It's like analyzing the meaning of each word in a sentence without even seeing or understanding the meaning and value of the sentence as a whole. The theatre is a place in which to experience magic, not some biology lab in which to dissect and examine a specimen with a scalpel and a microscope.

I sometimes wonder why those of the "analytical" school even go to the theatre. Is it to enjoy the experience, or to focus on every detail so as to run back here and write thesis-length reports on them?

In the end, it's not seeing the forest for the trees. Personally, I am awed and uplifted by the beauty of the forest; I'm not interested in examining each tree for a knothole here or a desiccated branch there.

^^^^ (ETA I am replying to After Eight's post here, not Whizzer's. The latter and I are in agreement on this topic and were posting at the same time.)

Would you tell a physicist to ignore everything she knows about the cosmos and simply soak in the romance of the summer night sky? Only in a cheesy rom-com. The Milky Way is much more than a fireworks show to those who study it.

And since so many of us here have made a career or serious hobby out of the theater, it's to be expected we carry with us what we know of art and craft.

There's nothing wrong with others who view the stars as a purely aesthetic experience. There's nothing wrong with just appreciating the sheer schmaltz of a good (maybe great) production of HELLO, DOLLY! either.

What is not fair (or useful) is to condemn every play that demands greater concentration to fully appreciate its themes, or to insist that those who are aware of the mechanics of play construction must be ruining their evenings. Some people enjoy being surprised by a plot twist; others may know the twist is coming (there are finite possibilities), but still enjoy charting how the playwright erects the path his characters and audience will follow.

SPOILER:

What I'd like to know is how they musicalize the laboratory scene where DNA proves that that Anastasia did indeed die in that Siberian basement with the Czar and Czarina?

Updated On: 3/31/17 at 10:13 AM

Lot666 said:

The audience on a Sunday afternoon is my primary concern. People's behavior in public is abysmal these days; my husband and I have gotten to the point where we almost never go to movies anymore because we don't want to deal with the talking, eating, phone calls, texting, Facebook-ing, and screaming children. Broadway theatres managed to operate in their own universe for many years, remaining relatively untouched by such crass behavior, but it's even creeping into this last bastion of decorum now. A matinee filled with misbehaved kids is one of my worst nightmares.

I feel your pain. When I go to the movies these days, I just assume that I'll have to deal with some kind of distraction. If I don't, it's a pleasant surprise. If I do, it can ruin my whole experience, especially if take it upon myself to confront the offender directly. It's a shame that we have to deal with the same kind of rudeness in Broadway theaters. One would think that audience members take into consideration the fact that others have spent hundreds of dollars to be there when choosing how to behave, as well as how they allow their children to behave. Clearly, some just don't care. Regardless of day or time, it can be a crap shoot. Here's hoping you have a pleasant and headache-free experience when you see the show!

First, I never said everyone here was a theater addict or even lover. I merely stated that the venue of a BWW chat board was a more natural place for theater addicts and lovers to dissect the details of a show than a dinner party or happy hour with co-workers. Of course everyone's opinion is welcome here, from Broadway neophyte to the aged veterans on this board. The interesting cross-section of posters is one of things that makes this place so interesting.

I'm in agreement that I'm glad young people are enjoying the theater. May they also be enjoying Sunday in the Park, Come From Away, War Paint, Oslo, Doll's House 2 and The Great Comet. That said, it's not a bad thing to develop a critical eye when seeing a show. It would be impossible to love and worship every show one sees anyway. Critical thinking should be applauded- not discouraged.

To Whizzer : When I was In highschool I borrowed this big, beautiful book about musicals from my teacher. I wish I could remember the name of it, but in it the author analyzed Hello, Dolly! and explained what made the show work, from the book to the score to the legendary Gower Champion staging. It made me respect it in a whole new way, and it made me realize that light, comedic shows are just as hard to get right as heavy dramatic shows . When I get to see the current revival, I probably will just sit back and enjoy, and having read an analysis won't effect my enjoyment in any negative way.