Posted: 8/17/15 at 11:51pm
OK, thanks, I will look into the ferry option as well. Would that be a ferry to Oakland and then BART from there?
Apologies for getting off topic ??
Posted: 8/18/15 at 12:37am
Here's the ferry schedule! Though, I would just take uber or a taxi from Oakland to Berkeley. You can also take a shuttle to the bart station (don't know if those run on the weekends).
Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:29pm
Well this is a bummer. The first preview performance just got canceled (why so late, I'm not sure), but the email I got said that they lost a day of rehearsal due to late delivery of important technical equipment. I just got my tickets for the Thursday night performance next week as a replacement at least, but I'm totally bummed that I have to wait a week longer, and that if there's any songs that get cut early in the Preview process, I'll miss them, but I mean I get it, clearly this was out of their hands, and given the late notice, I can only image they were trying to make it work.
ANYWAY, Just wanted to post here so anyone wanting to hear about the show tomorrow night would know we need to wait til Saturday at least. I'm not sure what's happening there, the website has Friday and Saturday's shows listed as "Invitation Only" when they weren't before, but the dates the show runs have been changed to say performances start Saturday.
Updated On: 8/27/15 at 07:29 PM
Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:35pm
OTOH, it will be MUCH easier for your to get there since you'll be able to use BART!
Posted: 8/27/15 at 7:47pm
Hest882 said: "OTOH, it will be MUCH easier for your to get there since you'll be able to use BART!"
I wish. I'm from a bit further north, like an hour away, so I have to drive regardless. BART doesn't come up this way, which I hate.
Posted: 8/27/15 at 8:37pm
Thanks so much for posting that here! I got the email as well, but I hadn't checked my email in several hours so I didn't know about it until I saw it here.
Lucky for me I snagged the last ticket to the new first preview (Saturday night). The day before I leave for college. The box office people were really cool about the exchange, even though the ticket prices were different. I'm excited for the show!
Updated On: 8/27/15 at 08:37 PM
Posted: 8/27/15 at 10:16pm
JBroadway said: "Thanks so much for posting that here! I got the email as well, but I hadn't checked my email in several hours so I didn't know about it until I saw it here.
Lucky for me I snagged the last ticket to the new first preview (Saturday night). The day before I leave for college. The box office people were really cool about the exchange, even though the ticket prices were different. I'm excited for the show!"
Oh man, I'm glad they were able to accommodate you, so you don't miss it completely! I would have tried to finagle a Saturday ticket if I had that night open We never do anything, but of course we're busy that night Go figure. I can't wait to hear how it is! I'm so excited about this show, it almost feels like a tease having to wait longer. I wanna kick whoever is responsible for getting that equipment there late lol I'm glad I could help though! That I was able to help you see it was canceled before the box office closed so you could make it work!
Posted: 8/28/15 at 6:03pm
notalwaysontime said: "The first preview performance just got canceled (why so late, I'm not sure)"
If you're not standing outside the theater getting this news, it isn't late.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 1:21am
Interesting bit of new information I got in an email:
"It runs approximately one hour and 40 minutes and does not include an intermission."
So it's a one-act! Hard to say yet whether this is a good sign or not. I can't think of very many adaptations of movies that chose to do one-acts, but then, who's to say that's a good thing?
I'll report back after seeing it.
Updated On: 8/29/15 at 01:21 AM
Posted: 8/29/15 at 1:28am
I got tickets for next Saturday.
Weird that the musical is shorter than the movie.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 2:41am
Fantod said: "Weird that the musical is shorter than the movie."
I think this literally might be a world's first.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 2:49am
If you guys can wait until Sunday I'll attempt to give as full a report as I can.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 3:12am
The suspense is killin' me 
I live in Los Angeles and have my ticket to Amelie in mid-September. But I'm anxious to hear all your thoughts.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 4:04am
Honestly I have very low expectations. I want it to be fabulous, but, let's face it, the movie is basically perfect so improving on it is all but impossible.
Posted: 8/29/15 at 9:07am
When adaptations of any works of art get made, they're never to improve it, but to give them new lives in another medium.
Updated On: 8/29/15 at 09:07 AM
Posted: 8/29/15 at 11:40pm
So for those who saw the show tonight, how was it?
Posted: 8/30/15 at 12:33am
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "So for those who saw the show tonight, how was it?
isn't this in the bay area if so its 9,45 there
Updated On: 8/30/15 at 12:33 AM
Posted: 8/30/15 at 12:40am
Yes, Berkeley is in the Bay Area, which is in California, which is on the West Coast, which is on Pacific Time.
Posted: 8/30/15 at 1:41am
Ok, I'm on my way back from the show. Forgive any typos, as I'm typing this on my phone. I'll post a more detailed report later, but for now I'll say these things:
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's not perfect, nor is it groundbreaking, but it has a lot of charm and beauty and heart.
They've captured the movie well in a number of ways:
-the emphasis on the community and the voice of individual strangers. The small ensemble acts as the narrator for the show, but all exist as their own characters.
-The nature of Amelie's struggle between interaction and solitude. As well as her imaginative and often silly mind.
-The theme of details and likes/dislikes, and how they affect everyone's identity
The book is not perfect. It tries to remain very faithful to the movie, almost to a fault. Some of the things that worked well on screen didn't translate perfectly onto the stage. But even these issues were not horrible. They clearly understood the themes of the movie, and made us care about Amelie and her relationship with Nino.
The score is pretty, and often moving. It's reminiscent of modern musicals by composers like Tom Kitt and Brian Loudermilk. One issue is that most of the songs sound the same. But what it lacks in variety, it makes up for in its effective lyrics. The songs are well-utilized to develop character and enhance the emotion of the story, which is ultimately what songs in a musical should do.
The cast is excellent. They all have beautiful stand-out moments, and many play multiple characters very effectively.
Design elements are well done. The set was pretty and the projections, thanks goodness, were tasteful and well-integrated.
Posted: 8/30/15 at 3:16am
A couple of related things:
1. Lilla Crawford's adorable little sister, Savvy Crawford played Young Amelie. Looks like it runs in the family! Lilla and her mom were in attendance tonight.
2. Tony Sheldon told me that the "missing technical element" was the mechanism that makes things rise out of the trap-doors in the show. The elevators (or whatever they use) are so late, that they actually had to abandon them entirely and RE-STAGE A LOT OF THE SHOW yesterday. Talk about impressive. I certainly couldn't tell.
Updated On: 8/30/15 at 03:16 AM
Posted: 8/30/15 at 4:46am
So happy to hear that they kept the likes and dislikes part from the movie. That's such a beautiful touch and it manages to instantly humanize every single character. So happy to hear that it's good. I'm looking forward to it. Does the set keep the red/green/gold feel of the movie?
Posted: 8/30/15 at 9:23am
Hmm...I was sitting so close that I wasn't paying very much attention to color scheme, but I want to say no. The whole set was kind of a light blue?
Posted: 8/30/15 at 5:48pm
very excited to be there tonight
and post tomorrow
thanks Jbroadway for the encouraging first review!
"
Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:22am
JBroadway said: "A couple of related things:
1. Lilla Crawford's adorable little sister, Savvy Crawford played Young Amelie. Looks like it runs in the family! Lilla and her mom were in attendance tonight.
2. Tony Sheldon told me that the "missing technical element" was the mechanism that makes things rise out of the trap-doors in the show. The elevators (or whatever they use) are so late, that they actually had to abandon them entirely and RE-STAGE A LOT OF THE SHOW yesterday. Talk about impressive. I certainly couldn't tell."
Holy crap about the reason for the setback, that IS major, and probably super frustrating for them. I wonder what on earth could have held it up. I didn't blame them before when they had to cancel, even though I was bummed, because it already sounded like a big deal, but wow, even more so now. Glad to hear they were able to work something else out and also pull it off on such short notice.
Thursday can't come soon enough! What's the procedure like for meeting them after the show? I've never been there before, is it like a typical stage door?
Updated On: 8/31/15 at 12:22 AM
Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:44am
Thoughts typed on the train home, so excuse typos please:
It's charming. The critic in me is warring With the guy who likes charming things done charmingly. The very "story theater" staging concept, which worked pretty much all the time. 110 minutes, shorter than the film, and as a conciquence it felt kinda unfulfilled. The film (which Craig Lucas never strays too far from) has a lot of subplots and the musical tried to include almost all of them (I only noticed one character who got cut and unfortunately I think it's the one who would have translated best to the stage) resulting in a few threads that don't get followed. The grocer and his assistant are a good example - this is a major subplot in the movie. In the musical they appear twice, get one number, and are gone. Cut them. Tony Sheldon is in this playing the wise old painterand he's predictably charming though wasted in the material. They need to trimsome of the massive exposition dump at the beginning of the show....we see her entire childhood and it takes forever. Several of the supporting cast are extremely good and don't have enough to do, as well. Several really nice surprise songs, one big laugh out loud moment that is totally extraneous but really really fun.
The show is mostly sung through and the music tends to swing towards the meandering. The tunes suit the characters well. Never really content to find a melody, it mostly wanders in and out of thematic material. while a little repetitive, the songs are good enough that I never got bored. A bigger problem is the way the show never manages to capture the way the film cuts its whimsy with real darkness.
Luckily the best material is given to the central love plot which is handed beautifully. Samantha Barks is extremely lovable, though she doesn't have the chance to get to the heart of Amelie's issues, and She and Adam Chandler-Barat have very nice chemistry. (He's making a career out of neuoritic love interests and does very well for himself doing his thing.)
There's definitely some cuts to be made but only one or two things that I think need to be GONE ASAP.
Short short version -
Charming but kind of aimless. Pam McKinnon has directed and cast this she as best she could and the writers need to catch up to her.
