I just got tickets to this Off-Broadway, and I'm glad to see all the positive reviews here! I know the show has probably changed a bit, but could someone give me a rough ballpark of running time?
Aiming to see this in Sept, so damn I'm very excited about the buzz this has been getting. Hope we get some updates from somebody who saw this production back in 2016
I've been a fan of Joe's work for a long time, but one of my major hesitations with this show since its inception 3 or 4 years ago was the idea of doing it as a blaxploitation piece. Has anyone who saw it at Barrington able to shed light on how they tackle the genre? Is it offensive in any way? Is it made aware that its an all-white production using the genre? I'm anticipating cultural backlash with this Off-Broadway run, but I haven't seen the show so I can't vouch one way or the other. But it's certainly treading touchy subject matter
Ledaero said: "I've been a fan of Joe's work for a long time, but one of my major hesitations with this show since its inception 3 or 4 years ago was the idea of doing it as a blaxploitation piece. Has anyone who saw it at Barrington able to shed light on how they tackle the genre? Is it offensive in any way? Is it made aware that its an all-white production using the genre?I'm anticipating cultural backlash with this Off-Broadway run, but I haven't seen the show so I can't vouch one way or the other. But it's certainly treading touchy subject matter"
I haven't seen the show yet, just clips online, but where did you see that it's an all-white production? Looking at the cast, a majority are people of color.
Kate Monster3 said: "Ledaero said: "I've been a fan of Joe's work for a long time, but one of my major hesitations with this show since its inception 3 or 4 years ago was the idea of doing it as a blaxploitation piece. Has anyone who saw it at Barrington able to shed light on how they tackle the genre? Is it offensive in any way? Is it made aware that its an all-white production using the genre?I'm anticipating cultural backlash with this Off-Broadway run, but I haven't seen the show so I can't vouch one way or the other. But it's certainly treading touchy subject matter"
I haven't seen the show yet, just clips online, but where did you see that it's an all-white production? Looking at the cast, a majority are people of color."
The team is also working with Nehemiah Luckett who is serving as an artistic consultant.
Kate Monster3 said: "Ledaero said: "I've been a fan of Joe's work for a long time, but one of my major hesitations with this show since its inception 3 or 4 years ago was the idea of doing it as a blaxploitation piece. Has anyone who saw it at Barrington able to shed light on how they tackle the genre? Is it offensive in any way? Is it made aware that its an all-white production using the genre?I'm anticipating cultural backlash with this Off-Broadway run, but I haven't seen the show so I can't vouch one way or the other. But it's certainly treading touchy subject matter"
I haven't seen the show yet, just clips online, but where did you see that it's an all-white production? Looking at the cast, a majority are people of color."
Sorry, that was an inaccurate communication of what I was trying to get at. Not an all-white production, but written by an all-white writing team (Joe Iconis, Jason Williams, and Lance Rubin) as a star-vehicle turn for a white woman using a film genre dedicated to putting black actors and cultures at the forefront of the film (apart from the many problematic stereotypes that the genre reinforced)
They’ve changed their marketing copy and now say that show show is “inspired by the exploitation films of the 1970s.” I wonder if they’ve changed the content of the show to be less (potentially) problematic or if they just changed there way they talk about it.
That said, I’m not familiar with the show in its previous or current incarnation, so I can’t actually speak to whether it’s offensive or not. I will say a writing team of all straight white men certainly gives me pause.
I saw it. It’s extremely well done, tasteful, and incredibly sweet. I do not anticipate cultural backlash. Annie Golden is fierce, and Alan H. green is just tremendous. The music is beautiful. It does have that campy Joe Iconis feel (small cast, a little messy, totally ridiculous), and it’s really funny. I hope it will be well received, bc i really liked it. I also can’t even fathom how the second row at Greenwich House in the mezz is partial view...
I'm embarrassed to admit I would buy and wear out a recording of an Annie Golden vehicle, no matter how offended I was. I saw her in a concert version of ASSASSINS about 20 years ago and she was everything I imagined from the original cast recording and more!
GavestonPS said: "I'm embarrassed to admit I would buy and wear out a recording of an Annie Golden vehicle, no matter how offended I was. I saw her in a concert version of ASSASSINS about 20 years ago and she was everything I imagined from the original cast recording and more!"
AGREE!! But also, there are a lot of really talented people in the cast (brad Oscar and Alan Green, and also I love Christina Sajous). I got tickets to see it twice next month. Can’t wait to see the changes.
uncageg said: "I got tickets a week ago. Really looking forward to this one.
When looking at tickets it says that the back row of the mezz is partial view. Hope I am not up theregot my tix on TDF."
i was curious about partial view seating at a venue this small, so I called the venue. Sounds like there is a lighting or sound board table in the front of the mezzanine, almost in the center, which could block the view. Kind of a bummer.
Was there tonight for the first preview and had a great time. This musical is a campy-filled fun time so don’t think about it too hard. The music is stellar and the score is easy to bop to. Of course there are some things that need tightening and work but I felt it was in good shape. The cast is insane. The voices, the dancing, the acting, no weak link in the entire cast.
This show feels so specific and niche that I don’t know what happens to this show after this run or what their goals are.
InTheBathroom1 said: "Was there tonight for the first preview and had a great time. This musical is a campy-filled fun time so don’t think about it too hard. The music is stellar and the score is easy to bop to. Of course there are some things that need tightening and work but I felt it was in good shape. The cast is insane. The voices, the dancing, the acting, no weak link in the entire cast.
This show feels so specific and niche that I don’t know what happens to this show after this run or what their goals are."
from the pics I saw, looks like they sit elevated on the stage. Looks small. Going in a couple of weeks. The comments on social media make it seem like a great time.
Just went on Friday (July 12) and got front row seats with TDF tickets! I actually liked the show a lot more than I was expecting to, and I think it's a bit more structurally sound than Be More Chill. It's campy and cheesy but in a good way and has a lot of easter eggs for theater folk which just made the whole experience a lot of fun. Annie Golden still sounds great and it was actually nice to hear someone over the age of 30 belt a contemporary pop score. It's still a small off-Broadway show, so don't expect huge production values (though the screens in the set were a bit more high tech than I was expecting), and it's overall a very easy show to just take in and have a good time at. (An added plus is that it's about 5 minutes away from Marie's Crisis, which was a great post-show activity if anyone's looking for one).
For the orchestra, they're elevated and technically on stage, though you can't really see them as they're mostly in the wings on stage left. It's a pretty standard 4 piece rock band but they have a trumpet and saxophone in addition to that.