Anyone going to LESTAT's first previews?- Page 3

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 4:18pm

Well a couple other people said it was great. I think genre has a big chunk to do with it too.

[My Strongest Suit]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:26pm

"The only disagreement I have is Claudia. One of her second act songs, "I Want More", is quite possibly, one of the most horrendous numbers that I have come across on Broadway."

i saw this show in sf and "i want more" was one of the best songs, i thought. that girl can sing! she'svery good and the song was very catchy.

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:56pm

I think Allison is wonderful, but I didn't like the song either. For me, musically it was too different from the rest of the story, though I enjoyed it more seeing it out of context.

[Phantomgal109]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 7:58pm

I was at the preview of Lestat last night as well. I thought the show was okay though I can't imagine if the show looked like it did last night how bad it was in SF. I thought that Act 1 dragged on and the story line was completely hard to follow along with. Act 2 was so much stronger and easier to follow. The music was one of the better things of the show. As was the cast especially the wonderful Hugh Panaro!!!! the sets were really cool looking and very modern. The only thing I really didn't like was the story line. It needs alot of working on. The beginning of Act 2 should have been the end of Act 1 and then "Welcome to the New World" should open the 2nd Act. The beginning of the show and the very end need working on as well cause they don't make sense. It is very hard to get in to the start of the play. I hope they make changes to it cause I want it to last for the cast sake. They were all so nice and were thanking everyone as they all signed autographs and took pics with everyone at the stagedoor.

Overall good but needs a lot of work!!!

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 7:58pm

I saw the show last night...personally, I loved it. I walked in their expecting to HATE it (I only went because of a good acquaintance in the cast), and walked out loving it.

The show has its issues, most definitely. The first 20-25 minutes need to be reworked completely. The opening is horrible, in my opinion. It's just very strange and offputting...it isn't until "Make Me As Your Are," maybe a couple of minutes beforehand, really, that the show really starts to pick up. And when it picks up, it REALLY picks up...

In addition to tightening up the first act, they also need to get rid of "Sail Me Away" from the second act. It's a BEAUTIFUL song, and Hugh sounds WONDERFUL on it...but its very random, and I turned to my friend and whispered "What the...?"

Carolee is PHENOMENAL, Drew Sarich is a huge scene stealer as Armand, Hugh is absolutely wonderful (I had actually never heard him in anything prior to this), Jim Stanek is incredibly convincing and realistic as Louis, Allison Fisher is a force to be reckoned with.

As I said, the show has its things that need to be worked on. But overall, it was SO entertaining. It was dramatic and incredibly funny all at the same time (Gabrielle's first time out on the street after "Make Me As You Are" is hysterical, and the "parenting" scenes between Hugh and Jim are absolutely hysterical)...90% of the music was gorgeous and all of the actors are SO talented. I really, REALLY enjoyed myself, and cannot wait to get back to see how it progresses through it's NY previews to opening night. I had a really, really good time.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 8:20pm

thank you fishergirl for a such a nice review

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 8:23pm

"Gabrielle's first time out on the street after "Make Me As You Are" is hysterical"

I'm sooo glad they kept that part.


"Drew Sarich is a huge scene stealer as Armand"

Yay!

[ken8631]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:15pm

Seeing it tomorrow night. Vampire plays seem not to have fared well on Broadway. Hope this one is better!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:17pm

The show has its issues, most definitely. The first 20-25 minutes need to be reworked completely. The opening is horrible, in my opinion.

How does the show open now? With Lestat still at his laptop, then segueing into the wolf hunt?

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:24pm

All of scenes w/ Lestat at his laptop are gone, and the wolf hunt/fight is now merely referenced...it starts directly after the fight. Lestat is kneeling over a dead wolf, basically freaking out about what he's done. Its really awkward, because they don't really reference WHY Lestat had this firey rage in him that caused him to kill the wolves...they constantly SAY he had it, but there's no real explanation behind it, at least that I could pick up on.

I compared notes with a friend who saw it in San Franscisco, though, and it seems like the current beginning is MUCH better than how it was a few months ago. She said the wolf hunt was insanely laughable.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:42pm

Thanks.

Interesting. They never said in SF why he really did it, either. He said something about, "I felt it was my duty," but they don't explain why -- are the Lioncourts landowners? Do they have tons and tons of sheep? Do they just hate PeTA? And also in SF, he did keep talking about how he killed them all, blah blah, I killed them all, blah blah, I killed ALL OF THEM!!! blah blah.

So I guess Lestat's despised daddy is no longer in the show, either, right?

At least you guys didn't have to watch the wolf projections, completely with big red slashes through the screen.

[EAD1974]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:23pm

Lestat kills the wolves in the book because they are preying upon his local village, and as the local hunter it's his duty. They never made this very clear in the SF version. Although now at least I hear we see the bodies of the wolves he killed..better than it was before I guess.

Question for those that have seen the NY show: How is Marius' role now? Before he was the keeper of Akasha and Enkil, how do they explain his presence now? Does he have more/less to do? I thought he was one of the weaker parts in SF and was hoping they would change him for Broadway.

[QMAN03]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:24pm

How has the attendence been? Through the roof I'd imagine.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:53pm

And does Marius still talk like George Takei?

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:54pm

Qman, they've only had one preview, and it was completely sold out with a cancellation line.

[QMAN03]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 12:03am

Figures. Well now they've had more. Or did they not perform today?

Posted: 3/27/06 at 1:30am

That's wonderful fishergirl! Thanks for the review. Good to see that the changes are effective. It's even better that you left pleasantly surprised! :)

~Rosalynn

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 1:47am

Nope, second preview is tomorrow night.

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 9:49am

So I guess Lestat's despised daddy is no longer in the show, either, right?

He's still there, for approximately a minute, maybe a minute and a half. Lestat comes home after killing the wolves, his dad's all "blah blah yells alot for reasons we don't understand blah blah," and then he leaves, and Gabrielle begs Lestat to go to Paris to find Nicholas. Then she sings this completely pointless (although very pretty) song called "Beautiful Boy."

Question for those that have seen the NY show: How is Marius' role now?

I'm just going to put a big 'ole note here that says SPOOOOOOILERRRRRR FOR THE REST OF THE ENTRY, so just be warned if you're reading from here on out.

From what I remember, Akasha and Enkil were never mentioned. Marius was explained in a song called "The Morality Play," which was put on by the vampire theatre. It explained how Marius is basically a vampire who has a soft spot for humans, and helped humanity overcome lust in order to save innocence. They also mention in this that Marius' blood, for reasons I don't particularly remember, has the ability to bring injured vampires back to their full strength. The Morality Play is a VERY strange number, and it felt strange, but from comparing notes with my friend in SanFran, again, it sounds like it a much better number than "Origin of the Species."

And does Marius still talk like George Takei?

LOL. Yes, I can definitely hear the George Takei in his voice.

The ending of the show is rather odd, but personally I loved it like that. I only wish Lestat's final line was worded a little differently. Rather than "...and I am immortal" (although I do love the line), I think it might be a little more effective if he said something like "...and I will live forever." We KNOW he's immortal, we've been told that for two and a half hours, but if he says "live forever," its as if he's finally accepting his immortality, or something along those lines. Plus, it ties into the tag line of the show without beating you over the head with it.