Advance Word on Leap of Faith?

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 12:06pm

The first preview is tonight. Anybody out on the West Coast planning to catch it?

Updated On: 9/5/10 at 12:06 PM

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 12:16pm

I thought it began next week?

[broadwayboy987]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 2:58pm

It begins on the 11th... im hoping to catch it sometime in early previews but I also have tix for 10/14

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 3:01pm

First preview is next Saturday, September 11. I'll be there.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 3:37pm

It was originally supposed to start today; BWW just re-posted the old press release. That happens often. Anyway, it's gonna be awesome.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 3:57pm

Now your opinion is tainted. How can you decide "it's gonna be awesome" without SEEING it?

Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for this one -- but it would be nice to hear from someone that hasn't PRE-determined its fate.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 4:34pm

I have seen it.

I saw the second most-recent workshop, which at this point is more than most of the people on this board have seen. I'm not saying that's the same as seeing it in production, and there are a lot of factors to be determined, but I've seen the material on stage, and I've seen most of the principle cast, (arguably half the battle), and it was directed by Ashford. You need to calm down.

Updated On: 9/5/10 at 04:34 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 4:46pm

I'm not anything BUT calm. But my point is still valid. When you already know you will LOVE it, it's not a very objective p.o.v., is it?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 4:49pm

But you accused me or pre-judging without having seen it at all, deciding that it was going to be good having never seen it. That's not the case. And, "now your opinion is tainted"? What is that, a threat that you're not going to take me seriously? Boo hoo. I saw it, I liked it, I think it's very well-written and the score is great.

Have I see it fully staged? No. Am I still allowed to have an opinion on the material? Absolutely. It's not like I'm shooting in the dark here, I'm not deciding I will love it out of nowhere, and that's basically what you jumped down my throat and accused me of. If you want to insist that my opinion is invalid unless I've seen THIS full-blown version of it, then you do that, but it's ridiculous.

Having seen SOME of the material, even if not in full production, is not the same as deciding you're going to love something having seen NONE of it. It's just not. Why don't you save us both some time and just admit that you assumed wrongly, and assumed that I was just pre-deciding my love for a show because I want to get in Raul Esparza's pants? Everyone else does.

Updated On: 9/5/10 at 04:49 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 5:48pm

That was crude, and I believe Mr. E's pants are pretty full.

I like what I have heard of the score a lot, but Ms. Sheild's singing and Mr.s Ashford's direction scare me. I liked PROMISES PROMISES before he got his paws on that property.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 6:49pm

You're calling me crude? I wasn't saying it was true, I was just covering the obviously occupied bases. We can't exactly say it hasn't been said of me.

I saw the TV commercial and Brooke looks great, but she doesn't sing in it unfortunately.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 7:36pm

>>"It was originally supposed to start today; BWW just re-posted the old press release. That happens often. Anyway, it's gonna be awesome."<<

This makes me think of the extremely annoying girl who sat behind me during a performance of ALL MY SONS a few years back. She opened the Playbill and read off (aloud) the names of John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Katie Holmes and Patrick Wilson and said, "Oh my God! All these stars are in this show! I'm gonna LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!"

During intermission I heard her tell one of her friends that it was "boring".

[twinbelters]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 8:03pm

I'm guessing the aptly named dramamama is American, and luvtheEmcee is British?

You both just displayed typical behaviors of those nationalities posting on these here boards as drama overreacts, and Emcee handles the conversation with aplomb. Emcee went to a recent workshop, people. I think unless the sets fall down and/or the director is on drugs, Emcee has a good grasp on what the quality of the full production will be. Chill.

I can't wait to read how this production is received. Definitely a promising one!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 8:07pm

twinbelters, thank you. And no, I am actually not British!

Dolly, did you not read any of the rest of my posts? Obviously not, if you think what I said reminds you of those girls.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 8:38pm

I was just concerning myself with that one quote.

Thank you very much.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 9:10pm

Which, again, is ridiculous because you were assuming I had that same perspective. But, typical. This is all so typical.

Leap of Faith is going to suck. I hope it tanks out of town. It sounds so stupid, and Alan Menken is a talentless hack. Better? Somehow that'd be acceptable, whether I'd seen the reading or not.

Updated On: 9/5/10 at 09:10 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 9:25pm

...and your point is?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/5/10 at 9:34pm

I believe my point is quite clear.

Updated On: 9/5/10 at 09:34 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 2:46pm

Nobody said it was GOING to be terrible. No one said anything about what they thought about it at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure my first post even stated I was rooting FOR the success of LOF.

If your first post had stated something like: "based on what I've seen so far, I expect that it's going to be great" it would have made a lot of difference. From ONLY that first post, how would anyone here had any idea you did have actual experience with the show?

And then, if your second post realized how your first "sounded" maybe you would have humbly filled us in with that. I certainly never meant for my first post to seem like an attack.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 3:55pm

I get that you're rooting for it, I've gathered that from a lot of your posts, and I think that's great. From my many posts on the show, I'm sure you've likewise gathered that I care about this show (and yes, someone in it), and it makes me happy to see that others are optimistic in a place where pessimism often reigns.

You know, I had thought of that; had I said in that post something like, I saw the workshop and it looks like it's going to be great, you wouldn't have pounced on me like you did. And I almost brought it up, but it didn't seem relevant. Frankly, I assumed that posters would have seen one of my other posts referencing that I saw the workshop, because I've made many of them. It's not like I haven't been open about that, and was saying this without making it abundantly clear. Perhaps I should not have expected that. I get that you're looking out for the greater good of BWW or whatever by scolding me to make an example, but I thought it was a fair assumption.

I didn't feel the need to respond to you as suggested because of the way YOUR post sounded. Assuming you knew, you could have said something like, "This might confuse people who haven't read your other posts, but you saw the reading, right?" Instead, you came down on me and were pretty condescending. In actuality, it read like you did not know, and were yelling at me for my "uninformed" (supposedly) opinion. I appreciate that you didn't mean to sound like you were attacking me, but if you are going to lecture me on how I "sounded," I had to point that out, too.

Updated On: 9/6/10 at 03:55 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 4:32pm

I feel luvthe... may be only slightly blinded by her enthusiasm, and she did see a workshop, but besides the basic story, what music that is still around, and Mr. E's performance (which is crucial to this working) almost everything else will be different.
As I stated I am most concerned about Ashford, I did not see his PARADE or STREETCAR but neither made it to NYC, and that says something. I have seen his PROMISES and I think the big problems with that production lay with him. Some casting and the insertion of songs that have no business in the storyline are only part of the problem. Promises starts strong with the opening section but goes pretty much downhill from there, He appears to have no vision, and one thing FAITH needs is vision.
He can put a show together and actors like him but their are no strong choices or dramatic throughlines.
Ms. Sheilds is a lovely woman and an OK actress, but there are many Broadway/Singer/Actresses that could bring voice and acting chops that this role needs (and standing up to Mr. E who is a very strong presence, ain't easy). She was on Craig Ferguson the other night and was very enthusiastic about the show, Menken and Ashford, never mentioning Raul.
I hope it all works but I am very skeptical for the reasons above.

Maybe Ms. Sheilds will prove herself worthy and I will gladly eat my hat, Ashford is another story, if there are problems he will not be around to work on them since HOW TO SUCCEED is right around the corner leaving FAITH to sit around for several months pushing it into next season if it comes to Broadway as Ms. Sheilds seems to be certain of.

We shall see.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:00pm

Last words on this from me.

Really, in no way do I remember what another poster says in a different thread from what I'm reading. I may remember content, but not WHO posted what. I have no working knowledge that you have ever commented on following/seeing anything about the show....I'm not saying you didn't post it in other threads, just that I (and, I'm sure, others) don't keep a tally of who says what. I seldom look at names unless I am directly responding to that poster.

If my tone sounded harsh and like an attack, again, my apologies.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:36pm

Ok, well, I thought I had posted about it enough that I didn't have to repeat it every time I spoke about the show. I'm sorry for assuming that, but you not paying attention to who posts what is not my problem, and yet you were holding me responsible for that. I just think you didn't have to respond as you did, is all. There was a way to say it without the tone, but you insist you didn't mean to be nasty, so I'll just have to take your word for it on that one. It happens.

[April Saul]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 6:38pm

There are definitely some of us who don't keep track of who says what on these threads, and I'm one of them...but dang! When I saw there were twenty-two posts on this one, I assumed it had already started up in L.A. and was really looking forward to everybody's opinion. Little did I know!

I have to say that even if Shields and Ashford aren't up to par, I'd probably go see this just to hear Esparza...whose singing voice is one of my favorites in the world!

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 9/7/10 at 9:26am

besides the basic story, what music that is still around, and Mr. E's performance (which is crucial to this working) almost everything else will be different.

So, besides the story, the music, and the performances, it will be TOTALLY DIFFERENT! Judging a show based on the story, music, and performances? ABSURD!

I'm half-kidding. Nearly all of the cast from the last workshop will be the same in L.A., with the exception of Shields, and with the major elements already in place, Emcee is totally justified in her opinion of the show before seeing a full production. Could it change once there are sets and costumes and choreography? Sure. But for now, it's an opinion on what she's heard and seen.