Allegiance Previews — Page 5

Haven't seen this yet, but I found Salonga on the arch side in "Flower Drum...", as noted, somewhat uncomfortable when not singing. She is not easy to cast, since she brings a kind of earnest gravitas but not much to lighten whatever she's playing. She has a kind of ... precision ... that makes a spontaneous moment rare. I saw her twice in "Saigon," but that role required the notes and the innocent presence. I'm not convinced she's an actor with much range, and taking into account the nature of the industry and women (underscore that), her career since "Saigon" suggests a singer rather than an actor.

Does this show have any music that she can bring her best talent to? That's what people paying to see her want, to hear that soaring clarity in her singing. I'd like to hear more posts on the songs written for her character.

Phan2 said: "Two of those giving Allegiance a positive review were not relatively new members (Bwayphreak235 joined 7/10 and hushpuppy joined 11/04), while one of those giving the musical a negative review was a rather recent member (joined 10/15). The numbers are too small, to generalize in my opinion."

What is this new criteria that bases reviews in relation to the age of one's BWW account?! I can't think of a more useless metric, since it has no bearing on how long anyone has been actively engaged with theater and many people have had previous accounts on here.

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 05:39 PM

Unless they've been changed, 2 songs by Lea stood out for me. "The Mountain's Heart " duet with M. Lee and her solo "Higher" She nailed both. In fact, the latter is the 11 o'clock number of the show. If hearing her crystalline voice express the emotional core of the songs is all you want, the show is worth your time and money.

i really appreciate all of those posting reviews as they see a show

its really interesting to me how people experience a show and what they love

or dont like about it, and honestly reading 10 or 20 of your reviews gives me a lot

more color about a show than whats put out by the "pro reviewers"

It also opens up my eyes and ears to notice and take in more aspects of a show

The quality and thoughtfulness of a reviewers comments does matter more than how long someone has been on a board, and like many im skeptical of any internet reviews were someone shows up only to review one thing.... the observation on more cons based on who had been on the longest and more rosy reviews from recent reviewers is not statistically significant and cant draw any usable conclusions

It may be fair to say that some who have been reviewing and posting longer may be a bit more savvy or a bit more jaded or a combination of both, or neither.

Like most things in life, reviews are often most meaningful when you note that the reviewer has similar tastes and preferences to yours, so of i had agreed with nine of ten of say whizzermarvins last reviews after seeing a show, i would probably be very in line with him on the next one

probably the best thing about this board, other than how knowledgeable and friendly most are, is that its clear we all LOVE MUSICALS, and can often have half us love or hate a show with equal levels of passion

when something like Hamilton comes along, where it seems like 90% or more of the group agrees, its truly miraculous

The other thing thats amazing to me is that 90% agreement a show is great doesnt mean it will have a long life on broadway, just look at most Sondheim shows, and fan favorites like gentlemens guide and on the town biting the dust.

I saw it tonight!

I think I posted earlier in this thread that while I'm Asian American, I'm not of Japanese descent (I have a very multi-generational Chinese American family), but apart from school (reading Farewell to Manzanar) and some films (Come See the Paradise), I've heard about the camps peripherally through a friend of my mom's and a grandmother of one of my oldest friends, who was actually raised in Japan because somehow her family was able to send her to Japan when they heard about internment and didn't want her to get locked up. And it's not that it's a good thing at all that it happened, but it's a GREAT THING that this story is being told on Broadway with such a high-profile celebrity behind it. And in this show, the white actors are the minority.

I also enjoyed that this was probably the most Asian American audience I've seen at any show outside Northern California.

I don't want to say too much about the actual show (or maybe I will when I've had more sleep)... so just a few thoughts.

The score works best when it sounds like 1940s big band. I don't know if it's because they're inherently more peppy, or because the rest of it is fine but nothing that stand-out. Most of the songs are too long, and there are too many reprises in Act 2.

The USO dance in Act 2 doesn't really need to be there, but it's nice to watch Scott Wise do backflips! The scene mentioning the $25 needs to hit you in the stomach, like when Violet and Daisy Hilton find out the name of the film they're going to star in. I heard people around me gasp a little, but it didn't quite hit the way I think it needed to. I get that it's supposed to contrast with the pizazz of the USO dance, but it didn't leave enough breathing room for it.

The staging of the bombing of Hiroshima was fantastic. Clearly it is a very bittersweet victory.

Michael K. Lee is the stand-out in this cast, but there isn't really a weak link at all. I enjoyed the passion behind Greg Watanabe's Mike Masaoka and now I want to read more about the real guy. I've seen Lea Salonga in concert at Town Hall, and I expected her dialogue to sound as stilted as her patter in that (and in Redwood Curtain), but it really wasn't. And I'm so happy to see Telly Leung in a starring role.

The plot wraps up a little too half-heartedly and then too quickly, but I admit, I was a SUCKER for the final reunion at the end.

So, I guess I would say my feeling coming away from it was mixed-good. I saw Jay Kuo in the audience tonight, and there were surveys to fill out, so let's hope they get some constructive criticism and fix what needs to be fixed!

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 11:54 PM

I feel like I've linked these before, but I'm not sure which thread it was in, so here they are again for people who missed them (and apologies if it's a repeat in this thread) -- two songs that used to be in the show and aren't anymore. They're beautiful.

Lea Salonga, "Second Chances":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGf4Cyc7Vg

Lea Salonga and Michael K. Lee, "The Mountain's Heart":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYEsYp8xhw

Oh, I did. I love surveys!

It was interesting -- it was a full 8.5 x 11 sheet, on both sides. They were taped to the backs of each seat with a pencil attached. There were three parts. One to fill out before the show, one at intermission, and one after the show. It listed each song and asked you to rate how much you liked them (I think it said "a lot," "a little," "not at all". They even asked the same of certain characters' relationships and stories, what your thoughts were at the end of each act, would you recommend the show, and what was most influential in your decision to go. Also: when/why you decided to go, how you heard about the show, and if you went as a gift, paid yourself, or was comped (something like that). It was impressive how much they wanted to know, without being creepy/prying.

"And in this show, the white actors are the minority."

I'm sorry, but I find that offensive. I don't know. I think the story is interesting and needs to be told, I just find this sense of anti-white really...weird. Like, so what? Sure white people weren't pertinent in the story, but why shout it out? We didn't choose to be white. So don't act like it's some positive that white people weren't the main focus.

I don't want to speak for anyone else, so I am speaking just for myself. I think representation is important, and this is a story that primarily represents the point of view of those Japanese-Americans who were interned during WWII. Thus, it would make sense that most of the actors would be Asian.

Personally, I don't think simply because a story is "important" it deserves to get a free pass on the book, score, direction, etc. All shows, from the darkest dramas to the fluffiest of escapist fare, should be expertly crafted if they are going to play at the (alleged) highest level of the theater in this country.

If someone writes a play about the Holocaust or the Civil Rights movement or the onset of AIDS it doesn't automatically make it something praiseworthy. For me, the craft must be there too.

I adored Ruined when it played off-Broadway, and it was certainly nice to see a play dominated by black women examining an issue often brushed under the table, but more importantly the text was expertly written by Nottage, directed by Whoriskey and acted by that indelible ensemble.

I do understand having a visceral response to something, even if it isn't put together as well as it could be. I wept like a baby both times I saw Irena's Vow. If Allegiance is moving people in a similar way I don't think their experience should be slighted, but for others like me who weren't able to swept up into that experience the flaws overwhelmed the piece and ultimately sunk the ship.

That's true- weaknesses are subjective. What one considers a generic lyric may not bother another listener, etc.

As far as the handing out of surveys goes, I guess it's good that they're acknowledging that work needs to be done, but it seems a little late in the game to be asking people to rate each song and character relationship. This is what workshops and try-outs are for. You can still replace a song or add some dialogue in previews, but if they have to overhaul character dynamics and modulate tone then those problems will be insurmountable in the preview time frame.

I also think it's good to listen to audience response, but the surveys smack a little too much of focus groups for movies and tv shows- which are often more detrimental to the creative than not.

^

"Haven't seen this yet,"

Perhaps you should, before proffering your lofty pronouncements.

LizzieCurry said: "Whizzer, I get what you're saying about importance of a story not giving a free pass to weaker elements, BUT I don't think we agree on what those weaker elements are in Allegiance, nor the weakness of them.

Anyway, that was only the third preview, and it sounds like this show is going to be changed a lot -- hopefully in the realm of improvements. Though they're almost there."

I agree with both you and Whizzer. Really it comes down to the buzz's hook, because judgment of quality/art/etc. is subjective. Broadway ticket-buying is still primarily affected by word of mouth, so if the buzz is that the music, characters, and/or writing for a show with non-mainstream subject matter is amazing, that's something to lean on besides celebrity power. Certainly Takei's celebrity power in translating to ticket sales has yet to be truly tested, and Salonga's primary base is in a different country. More seasoned theater lovers and hardcore Disney fans will remember her name, but I doubt that's enough.

It's important to remember that about 80% of the Broadway audience is white, so the basic premise of historical-racism-against-minority isn't a great marketing platform for anyone unfamiliar with and indifferent to the history. There has to be some kind of mainstream appeal for commercial success (besides pulling a GGLAM resurrection by winning the Tony). This isn't a family-friendly show like Finding Neverland, so it's not a safe risk either. I think it's great that people who have a personal connection of some sort are finding gems within this musical and that it has a face-value attraction, but these are minority fans who can't sustain a commercial venture like this.

What part of the buzz will attract the bulk of tourists? I have zero interest in the history of Hamilton, for example, but the tremendous buzz around the originality and music is enough to pique interest. Love stories are banal (though a big genre draw for certain people, of course). Allegiance's lyrics aren't smart or poetic, though I like the melodies of what I've heard; that's not the greatest sell against other shows on Broadway right now with acclaimed scores. And if the family drama lacks drama in the mature sense of nuance as Whizzer argues, that would probably bug me. Being an original musical is appealing to others yet, but that's still not the greatest hook.

But for all of that, I can report that buzz on Facebook and Twitter have been quite positive, so in its current form, it's hitting the right buttons for some people (though that's skewed because you can't actually critique anything on Twitter). Will that be enough? I still hope adjustments will come and be helpful, but it's less than a month to opening now. I'm not a betting person, but I think it's safe to assume Allegiance won't recoup; a healthy run would be nice, though. Personal forecast is: cautionsly optimistic.

Can anyone report how full the audience was for the previews so far? Not that I expect a large number of people because it's still in previews, but I'm curious.