Amelie at the Ahmanson- Page 5

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 12/19/16 at 8:14am

What made the film memorable for me in 2001 was the heroine's creepy quality. Audrey Tautou let you know that there was something... off... about Amelie. Yet the film kept insisting she was "adorable."

The industry seemed to acknowledge this the next year with He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not. There Tautou was cast as a violent stalker who thought she was adorable.

The reviews suggest the musical removes that hint of menace. That leaves them with a blander version of Bells Are Ringing. Phillipa Soo isn't a Judy Holliday type who can rise above the material.

[Big Apple2]

Posted: 12/19/16 at 11:25am

^^ Your observations were spot on. Tautou was perfectly cast in both films for the exact same reason you mentioned. That lack of "menace" or the need for the character to present ulterior motives was lacking in the show. Soo's Amelie is a gentle and kind person that lacked that character aspect Tautou personified in the film. 

[Fan123]

Posted: 12/19/16 at 6:35pm

MrsSallyAdams said: "What made the film memorable for me in 2001 was the heroine's creepy quality. Audrey Tautou let you know that there was something... off... about Amelie. Yet the film kept insisting she was "adorable." "

Side note: I saw the film a long time ago, and can barely remember it. I'll admit I didn't really 'get' it or like it, but that interpretation does at least help explain why Amelie looks so creepy on the film poster.



And yikes, I've never seen this even creepier (in a campy way) film poster before now:

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 12/19/16 at 7:53pm

I love the film and saw it several times in its initial release. I never got the vibe that Amelie was a creepy stalker, at least not in any way disturbing. She is a mischief maker - though one (at least in Tatou's hands) is also completely charming. Its a role that Audrey Hepburn would have played if the film were made in the 60s.

[mint0621]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 8:56am

I saw Amelie in Berkeley with Samantha Barks - bland bland bland. I've heard it's been changed / adjusted since its Berkeley run so perhaps it's improved.... but when I saw it, the charm of the movie is certainly lost in the musical production. I was particularly disappointed about the male lead part - in the movie, he is sweet and naive- but in the musical, he is sarcastic and talks with disdain - very off putting. All of my friends loved it though, so I may just be the out-lier - I am a huge fan of the movie....

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 2:08pm

Here's what the critics had to say...
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-AMELIE-A-NEW-MUSICAL-Opens-at-the-Ahmanson-Theatre-UPDATED-20161220

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 2:10pm

Ah yes, noted theatre critic Perez Hilton.

[Alessio2]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 2:37pm

neonlightsxo said: "Ah yes, noted theatre critic Perez Hilton.

LOL he is truly the worst!!

 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 10:09pm

Let's hope the creative teams listens, cause the same problems spoken about here, are the same problems the critics have. It's enjoyable but very forgettable.

[Rainah]

Posted: 12/20/16 at 11:58pm

Does anyone know what the stagedoor is like for this show?

[defygravity2]

Posted: 12/21/16 at 6:02pm

I was just there last night. After not winning the lottery (again!), my friend and I took our chances and headed up to LA without tickets. Apparently, only FOUR lottery tickets are given out, so that means only two winners (if they're getting two seats) per night...good luck winning that lottery! We got to the box office at 6:30, and we asked about any discount tickets available. Lucky for us, there were still two $45 tickets available in Box 102...great seats at the front of the mezz. section. No partial views...we could see everything!  These seats also allowed for a quick exit, so we were first to arrive at the stage door. They ask you to make a single file line from the top of the stairs, and all in all, there weren't more than 30 of us in line last night. The actors came out fairly quickly and were very generous and kind (signing and taking pics with anyone that asked). Philipa was last to come out, and as she did, it was announced that she wouldn't be taking any pictures. She was very lovely, she signed my Hamilton book, and I went home very happy!

[belrowley]

Posted: 12/21/16 at 10:18pm

I have terrible luck with show lotteries, but I somehow managed to win the Amelie lottery on Monday night. My friend and I were probably the target audience for this show: young women who are both musical theater lovers and huge fans of the film. Yet both of us left feeling a bit underwhelmed, and I agree with a lot of the comments in this thread.

I think Phillipa is the highlight of the show. I audibly gasped when she first appeared onstage - she perfectly captures the character without coming across as an imitation of Audrey Tautou. Her voice is so beautiful and she made even the less than stellar material sound great. Adam's Nino was more neurotic than the film version but felt distinct, and the rest of the cast were fine and charming, though I wish Dufayel was portrayed with more pain and depth. The production design and stagecraft were also whimsical and fun.

The biggest issue was the music. The opening number was nice, but as the show went on, I got a sinking feeling every time we got a variation of the same thing - over and over again. At one point, I caught myself counting how many people were in the boxes, and that's when I realized how bored I was by the score. The songs were so similar both sonically and thematically that they blended into one monotonous mess.

My other problem was that they hewed too closely to the movie at times. Some of the subplots, like the one with the grocers, go nowhere and would have been better left on the cutting room floor. Moments that deviated from the film, like the Elton John number, were unexpected and fun - I wish they took more risks like that instead of trying to replicate every single moment of the film.

Overall, it was a perfectly enjoyable night, but I can't see the show surviving for long unless they made some drastic changes, especially to the score. It's too forgettable the way it is right now.

[wish i were here2]

Posted: 12/22/16 at 11:57pm

I saw the matinee today and I thought it was cute, adorable whimsical, and fun. But, that's it. I mean it's overall not a bad show. I've definitely seen worse, but it needs some help. For the good, Phillipa was great and so was the rest of the cast. I also loved the set and how everything seemed to be floating around in Amelie's imagination. And they really did a good job of capturing that unique quality the movie had. 

As for the bad; I do, however, agree with everyone who says the music was way too monotonous, because it was. I usually don't mind musicals that are completely sung through (i.e. Falsettos and Natasha, Pierre, and the...) but usually those shows have a variety of different music genres that keep it way interesting and unexpected. This was just different variations of the same song, over and over. It felt like I was a club waiting for the beat to drop but it never did. There were a couple songs that I remember I liked, but when I got home I didn't remember what those songs were even about.

I also feel like if they want to keep this musical all sung through, they really need to turn this into a two act musical with an intermission. Everyone around me was getting so restless. The best way to describe how it was like is comparing it to that John Mulaney joke about "What's New Pussycat?" (if you don't know what I mean, click here). And if they somehow do add an intermission they could add some more book scenes to flesh out the other characters more or show Amelie doing more of her good deeds.

All and all, I'm not sure if I would see this again on Broadway at Broadway prices. I'll wait to see what people say after Broadway previews and if they say they didn't make any changes, this is probably not going to be on my have to see list for Broadway.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 12/23/16 at 2:28am

I saw this tonight, and I feel like this show either needs to be fifteen minutes shorter or a whole lot longer, and have an intermission. The score is very monotonous, and since there is no big number (which I feel there should be), the ending drags a lot without the whimsy of the beginning half. I found myself continuously thinking it was about to end, and it continued on for another ten minutes. They need to either tighten up the end or use extra time to clear up the book and add some variation to the score. 

While I think the cast is good, and I think their voices lend well to the score, I think the problems lie that they don't add anything to the score. I adore Phillipa Soo, and though she was good, her words began to blend together and she didn't differentiate the songs or the phrases, they all just sounded the same. This isn't necessarily her fault, as many members of the cast do this as well, and it's more a fault on the score than on them, but I do believe that Phillipa can bring that individuality to each song and she doesn't do that here. Adam Chanler-Berat does this to some extent, but not enough of it to truly make something stand out.

This is why I think the show is fine, but forgettable, like many posters have said here. Everything is good, but nothing is great. All of the songs are fine, but none stand out. I think some major reworking needs to be done on the book and some tinkering with the score, especially to add some sort of bigger, beltier number (doesn't even need to be belty, as I know that's not quite Phillipa's voice, but something that stands out more). Otherwise I don't see this show having much Tony luck or having a long Broadway run. 

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 12/23/16 at 10:27am

While I still stand by my favorable impressions of this show, I can certainly understand why some might not have been floored by it.

That being said, I just don't see this show, or this character as being "belty."  I'm trying to picture where you would put a song like that. I think it would overwhelm everything about the story.  

There seems to be a quiet meandering of characters and score through the story.  Suddenly moving into a belty show stopping number wouldn't feel right. 

So where does that leave us?  Maybe there does need to be some tweaking in the score.  Removing a song.  Adding a song that comes off a little different from the others.  If the monotony in score seems to be the biggest complaint from some audience members, that is.

Again, I found the show charming....and I really found Soo to be a breath of fresh air.  Having seen her in Hamilton, it was very cool having the chance to see her take something else on.  And I look forward to future endeavors on her part.  

Was it the best show I've ever seen?  No.  But that doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable.  Was I personally floored by what I saw?  No.  But I don't have to be floored by everything I see.   Will it win a Tony?  Will it last long on Broadway?  Who knows?  I'm just glad I saw it.

I've only walked out on one show at intermission.  My friends and I just didn't like it.   And it was a very well-received Broadway show.  And highly popular.

I didn't even remotely consider walking out on this one.  Which proves that theater can touch people in different ways at different times of their lives.  While some might question my taste in musicals for liking this, that's not what it's about.  I certainly didn't question the taste of all those who liked the show I walked out on. It's just about personal response and attachment to certain material.

Maybe the appeal to this show was the fact my life has been so hectic.  It was nice watching a rather calming, quiet show, headed by a charming actress with a charming portrayal.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 12/23/16 at 3:26pm

It's been about 15 years since I saw the movie and cannot remember a thing about it, other than that it was colorful. So, for me, the musical version had to succeed on its own merits, divorced from its film predecessor. And in that regards, Amelie failed. Woefully.

Things didn't start out badly. The first 15 minutes or so have a certain Matilda-esque quality to them, with a singing goldfish, an inflatable tourist falling from Notre Dame, etc.  But even then there were a few troubling things. Like: Why did one of the nuns at Notre Dame suddenly appear with an alligator's head? Did I miss something? Despite weird details like that, I was enjoying the show so far.

Then Amelie grows up, becomes Phillipa Soo, and moves to Paris. And the show begins its long, slow descent into mediocrity.  Now, I don't mean to make it sound like Soo is the issue here. She's not.  She acts bright & chipper, and sings fine. It's just that the story becomes increasingly muddled, with undeveloped subplots and characters, all served up with forced helpings of whimsy.

We are told, for example, that Amelie has basically spent the past 5 years working at a cafe and watching people out her apartment window at night. (Why? She doesn't otherwise appear socially inept or awkward.  Did I miss something again?)

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

One night, as a result of Princess Diana dying(!), Amelie discovers a small box hidden under her apartment floor. She spends the next several scenes & songs trying to track down the box's owner. Suddenly, we are presented with a scene of her placing the box at a public phone and then luring the box's owner by ringing the phone. Because of this miraculous rediscovery from his childhood, said box owner suddenly calls his estranged wife(?) and asks to see his child. (Huh? Who? What? Did I miss something again?)

I bring this up because we have not seen this character before! (I believe he was in the opening number as a child, but that's it.) We have absolutely no connection to him or his story. We don't even know how Amelie eventually found him and set up the phone gag once she learned his name.  Character & situation & resolution all come out of the blue.

And so it goes. On & on. We get strange stuff like an Elton John number (prompted by Princess Di's funeral) and the Travelocity Gnome going on a trip around the world (with a stewardess who barely exists as a character at all). But none of it really connects up and, so, none of it really matters. Unless, I suppose, one can relate all this to the movie version and are content to see it referenced on stage.

Then, as the musical continues to circle the drain, we get the most protracted denouement imaginable. It seems like the last half hour is spent with scene after scene and song after song of Amelie and Nino chasing and dodging each other around Paris.  LOTS of fidgeting going on in the audience by this point; the lady next to me actually fell asleep.  (By the way, why does Amelie wear a nun's habit to the porn shop? Did I miss something again?)

As others have said, the music is incredibly monotonous, with number after number sounding exactly the same.  I think adding book scenes could actually help this show quite a bit.  As it is, it's just a relatively inoffensive, occasionally engaging, frustratingly underdeveloped mess.

It sure was colorful, though.

[Sunny11]

Posted: 12/23/16 at 5:36pm

Variety and THR where complementary towards Soo. 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/amelie-a-new-musical-theater-957477

http://variety.com/2016/legit/reviews/amelie-a-new-musical-review-1201945368/

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/29/16 at 6:53am

Some footage just released

http://www.playbill.com/article/watch-footage-from-new-broadway-bound-musical-amelie

For the record, the song playing in this video was not in the show in Berkeley. Anyone remember when in the show this song happens? I'm guessing it's the finale? 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 12/29/16 at 2:57pm

"Anyone remember when in the show this song happens?" Well that was a toughy to answer, which should tell you something about the show's basic weakness-- When a show is essentially one single very long song, drawn out over 2 hours, who can possibly remember which segment of the song this particularly snippet is? Fort the record, I believe the clip is playing the prologue song with all the characters down in one, in front of the blue brocade act curtain and picture frame. 

We saw the show Tuesday night having only seen the movie once decades ago, and in the spirit of Amelie herself, let's start with a few compliments: The set was ravishingly beautiful! David Zinn clearly hit on a brilliant new way to represent the splendors of Paris simply by piling up armoires and cabinets, luggage and lampshades, into the most wonderful magical heap and then painting it all in shades of shimmering blue, and projecting on it any necessary windows or street signs or shadowy trees necessary for each scene. Pure magic!

And Philipa Soo was equally magical, transforming an underwritten mouse of a character into someone we loved watching and rooting for, even as her character made not a lick of sense. Her voice was lovely and her presence in nearly every scene was the one thing worth watching onstage. My fervent hope is a smart producer buys her out of this contract and pops in her in a proper revival of MY FAIR LADY post haste.

I wish I had kinder things to say about her costar Adam Chanler-Barat. For me he lacked the charisma, good looks, or even the voice to put forward that score convincingly, which left the central love story a very lopsided affair that I could never root for. 

And oh, that score! A great many musicals have succeeded by making one song stretch to create the whole score-- EVITA, SWEENEY TODD, even HAMILTON come to mind. But that song has got to be a powerhouse winner, something AMELIE sorely lacked. I couldn't tell you how the lyrics fared-- most of the time they were utterly unintelligible. (I fault the elocution of the performers as much as the sound designer's work here.) The one song that broke out from the mold was the atrocious Elton John number, something seemingly borrowed from a Dame Edna travesty that was horrifyingly conceived, costumed and performed, and should be deleted from the show before any future productions are mounted!

Poor Amelie-- she should have stayed put as a movie character that everyone could love. She'll only get brickbats from the New York critics if she ever gets to Broadway.

 

 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 1:12am

Someone in a Tree, why didn't you say "Hello" after the show? I was the guy sleeping in the fourth row through the middle half of the show.

I agree with you about the first 20 and last 20 minutes, which I saw: the production looked great and I thought the vocal arrangements did a pretty good job with what sounded like the same song all evening. Miss Soo was as charming as she could be with a character who did very little during the time I was awake. Having the two leads "finally" kiss on the lips twice was a bit much, but HAIRSPRAY LIVE! did the same thing the other night.

Haven't we all seen the Travelocity Gnome do the same bit on THE AMAZING RACE and in TV commercials for years? Frankly I was shocked that the show didn't substitute something else, even if that bit is in the movie.

[Popular]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 2:30am

Saw the show tonight with 2 friends. One who hated the movie and the other who didn't really remember it. I remember liking the movie a long time ago and recently re-watched some of it as a refresher. All three of us enjoyed the show a lot. I had forgotten how harsh some of you all can be on here! I thought it was visually stunning and captured the whimsy of the movie perfectly. The interesting transitions, the way the set and ensemble were used, and of course Phillipa's stage presence kept my attention the entire time. The story is nothing deep, just fun and imaginative. Sure it could be tightened up, but I in no way found it hard to follow. The way people posted here I was prepared to be completely lost without a big number or book scenes. I also didn't see anyone sleeping or fidgeting. I agree there could've been some more memorable numbers - but honestly it didn't bother me. No intermission, very few (if any?) black outs... perhaps having the songs sound somewhat similar was an intentional attempt at keeping a specific pace and continuous flow to the show? But what do I know. I'm not an expert. Just a theater lover that had a great night out! 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 2:59am

Someone in a tree, that Elton john inspired song was the only thing that woke the audience up the night I saw it, while it was nothing special it was the one highlight of the night. And the only song that didn't sound the same as everything cane before and followed

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 9:08am

Jean-Pierre Jeunet may have sold the rights to his movie for charity, but judging by his comments, he probably salivates at these reports of the show being "forgettable."

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 10:25am

Someone in a Tree2 said: "My fervent hope is a smart producer buys her out of this contract and pops in her in a proper revival of MY FAIR LADY post haste."

Bumping this because I have actual dreams about a My Fair Lady revival with Ms. Soo at the lead—and somebody needs to make this happen sooner than later!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/30/16 at 10:32am

Are you guys trying to actually kill Laura Benanti with that idea?