Alice By Heart (PREVIEWS)- Page 2

[LuPita2]

Posted: 2/5/19 at 10:08pm

I was really looking forward to this show.  The music is beautiful, the theater is so nice, but everything else was just a huge mess. Molly is very boring as the lead, she gives nothing in her performance. I found it confusing, as did several people that were around me. I hope they make a cast recording, that is all I can hope for regarding this show.  

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 1:31pm

Saw this last night and really enjoyed it. It’s not perfect but they captured me emotiontionally and I cried, twice. The people around me were emotional as well. Just wanted to chime in with all the negativity. If you’re on the fence and liked Spring Awakening, give it a shot.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 1:42pm

I'm seeing the matinee next Saturday as I bought my ticket a while ago. Glad to see some positive reviews start to roll in.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 1:48pm

I saw it last night, and really did enjoy parts of it. For instance the choreography is incredible, the costumes bring in WW2 imagery in unexpected ways and I really like the idea of the White Rabbit becoming a metaphor for a love interest dying of Tuberculosis. That said, dating back to Barely Breathing, Duncan Sheik just hasn't been my personal taste, and in terms of the plot issues; Alice literally stops the play at several points and asks what's next. It felt like the writers were just as confused as the character.   

Even if an individual scene stuns, I was really impressed with the caterpillar sequence; I'm not sure there's really any character development with the two central characters, so it feels like just a collection of scenes, killing time before the sad ending which they basically tell us is coming from the first scene.  

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 4:33pm

Looks like TodayTix has $25 rush tickets available for this if anyone wants to see it without spending a lot

[zachvandyke]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 4:43pm

Now that people have seen it, can someone say what ages this is appropriate for?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 5:18pm

Well, this was a COMPLETE miss in nearly every single way for me. Alice By Heart is an example of a show that has so much potential, but ultimately falls flat on its face. The first ten minutes left me somewhat hopeful, but, unfortunately, it’s all downhill from there.

There are no great performances to write home about. Molly Gordon’s Alice is shockingly awful and wooden. Her acting is absolutely appalling. The rest of the supporting cast is not much better. They do their best with what they are given, which isn’t much. 

The design elements are very basic and unimaginative for a retelling of Alice In Wonderland. The whole story takes place in a bunker. Little is done to help differentiate between the bunker and Wonderland. The costume designs are all over the place with no consistency.

The idea of setting the Alice in Wonderland story against a WWII backdrop is fascinating to me. There is a gold mine of material that can be explored between Lewis Carroll’s original novels and the WWII time period. Sadly, Alice By Heart is an extremely shallow look at both of these fields. 

[AntV]

Posted: 2/10/19 at 1:29am

This show is weak but some songs and their staging is worth seeing. View from a front row rush seat wasn't bad, even though the stage is built up over a foot higher.

The theater is a long walk away. I kinda wanna see The Light too but don't wanna travel back there just for 70 minutes. They should have scheduled back to back double show evenings of both. Would've made for a more fulfilling night.

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 8:25am

dramamama611 said: "Ellie'sdad said: "Saw the show's workshop at Vassar this summer. While much of the music wasthrilling and the cast top-notch, the book was fatally flawed. The show's premise layers a complex story about the WWII London blitz on top of the complexities of the two iconic Alice novels (Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass). The result was somewhat impenetrable. It's possible that the book has been completely and successfully overhauled, but the show has been in development for many years and there's a reason why the successful team behind Spring Awakening has not been able to bring the show to town before now - and that it is Off Broadway and not on."

Opening off bway means nothing. They did it for Spring Awakening, Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, Hadestown and MANY more. A lot could have hapoened in the 6 months since yo saw this.

To already put a seal of disapproval on a version you havent seen is a bit ridiculous...everything takes years to get ready."

Updated On: 2/12/19 at 08:25 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 11:28am

theaterlyfe19 said: "Drama, please go back through things you've commented on and show me where you've said anything positive?"

The thing you're quoting her as saying is literally factual and optimistic. Shows headed for Broadway often open Off Broadway first, with examples. Books can change over time. And we shouldn't reference previous incarnations as proof the show doesn't work.

What's objectionable about any of that?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 1:53pm

Try my posts on:

(Yiddish) Fiddler

A Band's Visit

Come From Away

The recent revival of Sweeney Todd

The original Spring Awakening

Choir Boy

Once

 

And maybe five dozen others.   

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 2:14pm

zachvandyke said: "Now that people have seen it, can someone say what ages this is appropriate for?"

For sure, it depends on the kid, but I'd say 12-13 and up. The entire play revolves around a character dying, the drug use which exists to some extent even in the Disney cartoon is more leaned into, and there's one scene where "orgy" is at least one possibly subtext of what's going on.  

 

[Moderator]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 2:52pm

Ok all, we are getting wildly far afield from the topic at hand, so we ask that you please dispense with the unnecessary personal entanglements, and get back to the "Alice By Heart" conversation. If that proves to not be possible, we will unfortunately have to lock the thread, as it will indicate to us that the discussion has reached its natural ending point. Thank you so much, and have a good day.

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 4:40pm

Moderator said: "If that proves to not be possible, we will unfortunately have to lock the thread, as it will indicate to us that the discussion has reached its natural ending point."

That logic makes no sense, but why not remove all posts between AntV and Jonathan Cohen's and give it a fair shot at finding its trajectory again?

[LuPita2]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 4:58pm

I doubt children would like this but it's definitely 13 and up.  

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 6:11am

The thing is, this show is in previews. While you can say they've had a long time to work on it, the same could be said for a lot of shows. I highly doubt the creative team isn't somewhere in the house every night, seeing what needs to be changed, fixed, etc. The show hasn't been frozen yet. Also speaking of which; does a show get frozen at its final preview? Does anyone know the specifics on that?

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 8:00am

theaterlyfe19 said: "The thing is, this show is in previews. While you can say they've had a long time to work on it, the same could be said for a lot of shows. I highly doubt the creative team isn't somewhere in the house every night, seeing what needs to be changed, fixed, etc. The show hasn't been frozen yet. Also speaking of which; does a show get frozen at its final preview? Does anyone know the specifics on that?"

Generally, a show is "frozen" about a week before opening. During the final week of previews, critics attend, giving them time to write their reviews ahead of opening night, during which they're released online. 

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 8:06am

CT2NYC said: "theaterlyfe19 said: "The thing is, this show is in previews. While you can say they've had a long time to work on it, the same could be said for a lot of shows. I highly doubt the creative team isn't somewhere in the house every night, seeing what needs to be changed, fixed, etc. The show hasn't been frozen yet. Also speaking of which; does a show get frozen at its final preview? Does anyone know the specifics on that?"

Generally, a show is "frozen" about a week before opening. During the final weekof previews, critics attend, giving them time to write their reviews ahead of opening night, during which they're released online."

Thank you! I was curious about this. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 10:05am

theaterlyfe19 said: "I highly doubt the creative team isn't somewhere in the house every night, seeing what needs to be changed, fixed, etc."

I didn't see either at the Saturday matinee.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 10:15am

haterobics said: "theaterlyfe19 said: "I highly doubt the creative team isn't somewhere in the house every night, seeing what needs to be changed, fixed, etc."

I didn't see either at the Saturday matinee."

I saw Duncan Sheik Saturday night.

 

 

Posted: 2/13/19 at 11:21am

haterobics said: "I didn't see either at the Saturday matinee."

If there were two shows on Saturday that means there was no rehearsal. It's unlikely one would see many creatives on two show days during previews.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 4:11pm

Now we're another week in, IS 90 minutes the approx running time?   (Trying to book something afterwards.)

[Klubby]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 4:30pm

dramamama611 said: "Now we're another week in, IS 90 minutes the approx running time? (Trying to book something afterwards.)"

I went last week and it was 90 minutes. However, the show started around 7-8 minutes past 7:00. I walked out of the theatre right at 8:45 after getting through the crowd.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 6:44pm

Thank you, that's very helpful,

[Up In One]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 12:53am

Saw the show tonight (Wednesday) and was very moved, not sure why prior posters found it hard to follow, there is a simple thru line of trying to save a loved one from dying of an illness,  The two leads shared a passion for literature, they loved to disappear into the pages of Alice... and the female character's one desperate thought is to read to the male character and stop time. Many of us have found ourselves in the position of trying to reverse a loved one's decline, some more than we'd like to count and the show is relatable and comforting on that level.

The issue is the source material, Alice Through The Looking Glass with its hallucinogenic, jabberwocky is difficult to harness into what is expected from a musical. All of the nonsensical characters do not register as fleshed out individuals (nor should they) as much as a strong Lewis Carorollesque ensemble. The jabberwocky lyric songs  cant deliver the same punch as the love story songs that make up the thru line.  An idea might be for the show to be staged without applause buttons and let the whole piece rush over the audience. The score is beautiful, the arrangements and vocals are searing. the staging and choreography are impressive. I loved the way they used the blitz vocabulary in the props usage.

I would never poo poo a show as creative and original as this one, while I dont see it challenging Hamilton on Broadway I think it is worth a look. While I lament the hours I wasted at Pretty Woman I am very happy I spent  tonight with this company. I hope they record it. 

Updated On: 2/14/19 at 12:53 AM