Anyone going to see Wonderland this week?- Page 9

[Anakela]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:30am

Second visit tonight- lots of little cuts since first preview (all of which were good/needed/work, in my opinion), with rumour has it even more changes coming next week... So, for those who are interested...

First, because I know how concerned you all were about it: the Allstate joke is gone. Pretty much that whole segment of dialogue (Chloe's in the driver's seat, etc.) is gone.

All songs are still in the same order as first preview. Heroes is still listed in the Playbill, but still cut. (Yes I know they wouldn't have received new Playbills yet, just stating fact.)

Dialogue cuts/changes:
- Worst Day... dialogue has been trimmed at the end, the fixing up the apartment bit; it's practically song ends, rabbit appears, chase, Down the Rabbit Hole. (Yes, there's still soup.)
- El Gato has a new entrance, it's a whole added El Gato/Caterpillar/Alice scene there
- The dialogue when the White Knight first appears has been trimmed, all of the "which one of you is the damsel" stuff is gone, makes that scene go much faster/smoother. (Yes they're still in "knight school.")
- The awkward loud/long walk to the chair bit during The Tea Party is gone
- for those who didn't like the "Disney owns the rights" joke, there's now a second Disney joke too which you won't like either
- Lewis Carroll sings a different song leading into the scene leading into I Am My Own Invention. (I *think* there might have been some changes in the dialogue here too, not 100% on that, but his song was definitely different.)
- The dialogue between the Hatter and the Queen before Off with Their Heads has been trimmed
- there's now a bit setting up/telling us that Alice and Chloe are trapped in the dungeon, so their 'rescue' during Together makes some sense now.
- I *think* (not 100% on this) that the 'rescue' of the Hatter's soldiers (you know, the turning back the clock, changing them back to before they were brainwashed bit) has different staging, that it now goes slower/is more obvious/makes more sense than I remember it making during first preview.

I'm sure there are a lot of other cuts that I'm forgetting, but those are the ones that stood out to me, and what also stood out was how much I missed none of them, which makes me hopeful for the rumoured more changes coming.

We still don't see real-life Jack until the end, which I thought makes you lose some of the payoff of knowing that he is him during the show, but listening to the people around me tonight when real-life Jack appears maybe that's not the case.

I know, unpopular minority opinion on here, but I enjoy this show. Kate Shindle belting and being evil (her final 'Red Queen' entrance? I am obsessed with!), Carly is amazing, everyone in the cast is amazing, I love Janet Dacal starring on my stage (I know Finding Wonderland is the big finale payoff number, but her Once More I Can See is still my fav, has been since before Tampa)...I enjoy it, it makes me happy.


"...and people have to be told to stand up at the curtain call."

LOL, what? How does that even work? I saw nothing like that tonight. Stand if you want to. Don't stand if you don't want to. (Which would be a good lesson for some *actors* in some other shows to learn, certain actor in certain show that will remain nameless who made a comment *from the stage* to my sitting front row friend and me because we weren't standing during curtain call. Oh, but that is another story for another day...)

[N2Theater]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:11am

I understand the questions about how this show could start previews needing so many re-writes. I think it will be interesting to observe the process over the next weeks and see what the final show looks like. Until then let's root for them to fix it because it does no one any good if a big budget musical fails.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 3:40am

Hands down, this has been the most fascinating and entertaining and often hilarious thread I've read to date on this site.

I saw dozens of flops during the 70s and 80s, and while some of them were laughably bad, misguided, and yet entertaining, there were also plenty that were just DULL and MIND-NUMBING, as Wonderland appears to be from the myriad of comments here.

Some of the dullest, and why-did-you-bother-to-put-on-Broadway? flops I saw were: The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall, Comin' Uptown, A Doll's Life, The Three Musketeers, Is There Life After High School?, Musical Chairs, One Night Stand, But Never Jam Today (another Alice in Wonderland adaption – atrocious!), Happy New Year, Ballroom, Bring Back Birdie, A Class Act.. and others

Some of the most highly entertaining, never dull enterprises were: Got Tu Go Disco, Into the Light, Charlie and Algernon, Platinum, Sarava, Rex, Runaways, Onward Victoria, Marlowe (unbelievable!), Oh, Brother! (wonderful), The First and Smile (both good but ruined by opening night)

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 11:49am

Thanks, Ana for the great post regarding the cuts/changes-

Revisiting tomm night-- saw it Thurs with my wife, and both liked it alot, but agreed that they were going to have to do some trimming-

Glad to hear that they are indeed doing just that.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 11:55am

Did anyone see THE CIVIL WAR? If so, do tell!

[Anakela]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:06pm

Thanks, Ana for the great post regarding the cuts/changes-

Revisiting tomm night-- saw it Thurs with my wife, and both liked it alot, but agreed that they were going to have to do some trimming-

Glad to hear that they are indeed doing just that.

You're welcome. I don't know if anything will be much different by tomorrow night, but just purely based on the nip/tucks surrounding Together I am hopeful for some more changes to come. Might give it a week and then revisit next Saturday again.

Interested to hear your thoughts after your revisit- is this the one you're bringing your daughter to? Supercurious to hear what she thinks! (Um, says that in a non-creepy way. :) People have been asking me what I think re: Wonderland and taking kids, of which I have none, so I'm curious to hear an actual child's thoughts.)

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 3:18pm

damn, i liked that "damsel" joke...but then again i like the Disney joke too. And was CLASS ACT that bad? i have seen it regionally and loved it....love the backstory very much. Oh well, that's why Baskin Robbins makes so many flavors. If ONLY one kind of ice cream satisfies you, you can always just take that home (in the form of a movie version or a bootleg or whatever). Meanwhile, for me, the smorgasbord of new flavors is fascinating.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:45pm

<< Interested to hear your thoughts after your revisit- is this the one you're bringing your daughter to? Supercurious to hear what she thinks! (Um, says that in a non-creepy way. :) People have been asking me what I think re: Wonderland and taking kids, of which I have none, so I'm curious to hear an actual child's thoughts.) >>

Yep, we are taking her Friday nite-- I think she will enjoy it-
Just hope its not too long for her- She knows how to behave in a theatre, but hoping she doesnt get antsy-- (She was very good at "Imaginocean" and "Freckleface", but they were much shorter. )

Looking forward to revisit tomm nite !

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:49pm

Yeah, A CLASS ACT certainly has its fans. I thought the show looked cheap, not particularly well staged, or told. I liked Lonny Price quite a bit and couldn't understand why Randy Graff garnered the best reviews. It simply didn't seem developed enough for Broadway.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/28/11 at 11:58pm

Posted this on the love thread, but ..regarding the changes...

Revisited tonight, and the changes very noticable, as Ana stated--- flow is much better-- show is tighter.

"Allstate" joke still there (unfortunately), but the annoying "echo" Alice walk during the tea party is indeed gone--

Also dont remember "Home" being a duet with Chloe and Alice--- even Playbill lists alice only--- now Chloe sings with her. Adds much to the storyline-

Running time tonight around 2:10-2:15, with the intermission--

Btw, had TDF tic--- Row A, Orch--- amazing !!!

[Anakela]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 12:08am

Allstate's back? Allstate was totally gone on Saturday night!

And yes I am replying to you in both threads now. :)


/I had a tdf front row orch ticket to Women on the Verge back in January. Brian Stokes Mitchell sang to me. Best tdf ticket ever!
/off-topic story is off-topic

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 12:19am

Yep, "Allstate" was back-- and that happened to us during "MOLM" !!! (TDF)---- and Stokes IS the one of the nicest people in the world.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 12:24am

The All State line wasn't in the show tonight. It seems they've taken out a LOT of the puns that plagued the script even a few days ago.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 1:33am

Rushed it today because I couldn't wait any longer. I will say I was entertained. I don't think it's going to be a hit, but I think it really has some potential.

THOUGHTS:

"All State" was in tonight. It didn't get a laugh, so I'm sure - at least I hope - it will be gone.

I think the whole structure of the story is just off. I think there are some great songs and melodies (I still have "Through The Looking Glass" stuck in my head), but Alice is just such an unlikable and uninteresting central character.

I think the intermission should come right after the stupid "All State" joke segment. Then Act II should open with them discovering what was going on and singing "Through the Looking Glass." I think it's a great song and deserves to be a little longer so it sticks more. And then lead into Shindle's song. Her song starts off sort of weird/slow, so it's odd to start an Act with her just standing there. The story is about Alice, so it should end/start with her.

The whole elevator bit is AWFUL. She's falling down an elevator, but there's no sense of it. Why not use the elevator lift, and put her center stage, center height and put the projections all around her. That would at least be visually interesting. Maybe it's too expensive, but that whole bit is just awful.

The worst line in the show, I think, is "You don't find the Looking Glass. It finds you." And then they turn around and there it is. Stupid.

And the whole Alter Ego, etc. is just confusing and the whole end of the show wraps up quickly.

The cat basically says like "Oh, the rabbit is bad. He works with the Queen. Stay away from him!" But then at the end of that scene the Rabbit is like "El Gato, let's go." And they leave together. Huh? Makes no sense. Then they're all at the Mad Hatter's party together? Dancing and singing? What?

I didn't care for the Queen of Hearts big number in Act 2. It seemed not needed. It was a good number. Entertaining, etc, but just didn't quite seem needed.

The Lewis Carroll stuff should be cut. It's pointless and is too jarring. Act 2 is saddled with too many ballads. Alice sings one, then the final scene, then sings another. It's too many.

I loved the ending of the silhouettes of the characters while Alice was singing. That was a pretty stage picture.

And odd to have Shindle enter from the floor. Is she magic? Cause if so, she doesn't do any other "magic" throughout the show.

Also, I noticed the show sort of has a Wizard of Oz feel to it, with these 4 characters coming together to like overturn the leader. But it just seems odd to be introduce to the 3 wonderland characters, but then they don't do much else beyond their solo numbers. Just seems weird.

All that said, I would totally see the show again, and probably will. I loved the first "Welcome to Wonderland" number. It set such a great, fun tone for the show, then it just went sort of downhill. They need to perform that number on every talk show, and get some word-of-mouth out there.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 1:39am

I seriously don't remember that joke being in there lol

[philly03]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 1:49am

" think the intermission should come right after the stupid "All State" joke segment. Then Act II should open with them discovering what was going on and singing "Through the Looking Glass." I think it's a great song and deserves to be a little longer so it sticks more."

I agree - I love Through the Looking Glass. The Hatter used to have her own verse taunting Alice to come get Chloe (and the rest of the gang), but they cut it which makes the Act I finale seem like there's two (TTLG and A Nice Little Walk).


"The whole elevator bit is AWFUL. She's falling down an elevator, but there's no sense of it."

I hate to always compare it, but it's different projections than from the previous runs where it really did look like an elevator. Not sure why they were changed, or the song, as it doesn't even say anything about going down the elevator.


"I didn't care for the Queen of Hearts big number in Act 2. It seemed not needed. It was a good number. Entertaining, etc, but just didn't quite seem needed. "

It's totally random and unnecessary, again, in this version. Before it was set before the prison in front of the prisoners... This time, .. what is everyone in Wonderland trying to find pop/music industry success?


My only complaint about the silhouette ending is (definitely part of the reason why the ending can't have anyone else as the finale part with the double-fits) the annoying ensemble comes out too to filter the stage... why?! (They didn't in Tampa)

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 3:48pm

Yeah, I'd rather just have it left as the principles. It's a prettier stage picture, I think.

And the Queen of Hearts number is just stupid. Especially because the set doesn't portray anything. You have no clue where they are or what place they're in. And Karen Mason doesn't need to be trying to do any riffing or anything of the sort.

They need a map or something. There's really no way to tell where they are or where they're going because the stage is always empty or those two legs slide across with those awful projections.

Why not just build an actual elevator set piece and have it suspended half way up the stage, so it looks like it's floating/falling. They could have Alice suspended with a harness and have the whole things spinning in opposite directions. I don't think it would be that costly. And the show needs that. It needs a "magical" moment there because it just doesn't make sense. And having Alice standing there saying things like "I don't like this." "Oh no." Is just stupid and unimaginative.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 5:56pm

Yea, "Allstate" was there-- just wasnt funny !!!

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 6:09pm

yeah, the productions i've seen of CLASS ACT in small regionals, intimate, with great singing actors...pretty fascinating. And i only ever saw CIVIL WAR in its revamp at Ford's, where i loved it very much.

[philly03]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 6:24pm

"The Civil War" on Broadway was choppy and told like a full out concert (with the big mics on the side of the faces) from what I remember and had a lot going on. They re-focused it for the tour. The score is very accomplished... some of the best tunes Wildhorn has written appear on the score. The concept album was pretty much revolutionary with a full out album of the '90s biggest country, pop and Broadway stars on it.


RippedMan:
Don't say you want a map... because they must just put it in there. In Houston the Mad Hatter planted a map for Jack & Alice to find themselves at the Jabberwock's lair... and you know there were tons of jokes about the map and being lost. I believe there is a specific scene list in the playbill however, no?

The new lyrics of "Down the Rabbit Hole" are among the worst, and I hope they recorded the previous version. Why of all people is Danny Stiles singing it... there are very many talented female singers I'd love to hear have a spotlight in the night.

If you look at the "Through the Looking Glass" sneak peek video on their sight (& this sight), around 40 seconds you can see the effect they was there before. It dazzled more in Tampa, I actually do remember being underwhelmed and confused on Broadway. (The lyrics were also more "Down a thousand floors, past the subway roars" then the "God when will this end?" or my new favourite bad lyrics in that one "It's a special place, with a lot of space and special people") In Tampa's original production it was just elevator music with Jose & the Caterpillar dressed as a two-headed elevator operator. The previous scripts had the Linda Eder song "Anything Can Happen" with another character singing with Alice to it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/11 at 8:41pm

Hm. The elevator music is funny. I Just wish they had an actual elevator. They built a lift in the middle of the stage, why not get more use out of it? Have a little elevator set piece that rises up and then drops down. I mean, give me something! It's Broadway!

And I wasn't confused w/ times and place, but just noticed the set didn't really signify any certain place. Like, in Wicked for instance, the entire set would change scene to scene. But here you'd have the same big sun projection (awful) and a big table would come. Or the legs would slide on. I dunno, just wasn't as imaginative or detailed as his work usually seems to be.

[philly03]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 1:57pm

Caught it again this weekend...

Happy to report they have actually made some good changes. I still think the opening is totally boring (the slow version of "Worst Day"), but they made the transitions between the characters (especially between Caterpillar to El Gato) much smoother.

Seems like they were doing changes in sections because the second act was largely the same.

If anyone cares they also changed the Overture, cut half of the chase music out and also have an Entr'acte.

The "Together" scene needs to be changed... they fight the guards and then hug them? Makes no sense (unless you paid very good attention to a scene about 3 songs before). Why not just have the boy band working as undercover guards or something. That would make more sense.

Also, maybe they should put "Off With their Heads" towards the very end, where the Hatter attempts to get revenge. Then she wouldn't be singing it god-knows-where, then have the Hatter try to axe her or something and Jack save them. I'm guessing it has something to do also with Darren's costume change though.

"Home" as a duet is nice, but the song is so simple it slows the show down, but I think they're trying to do a typical Wildhorn jazz-up-the-ending.

Also I don't know how "I Am My Own Invention" is still in the show. Love the song but the scene makes no sense still and is out of nowhere!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 6:27pm

Anyone have any idea if Morgan James has any scheduled days to go on as Alice?

TIA !!

[philly03]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 6:47pm

I wish I had gotten a chance to see Morgan James sing the old "Worst Day of My Life"! But I don't think she has any scheduled days (though Dacal's voice sounds a bit frail lately!)

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 7:07pm

I haven't heard anything about any planned days for Morgan to go on either, but:

1. she has two shows coming up, Birdland on May 9th, and Rockwood on May 30th, and

2. if you're not already, follow her on Twitter (@morganajames), she's pretty active on it and I know when she went on in Tampa she announced it a few days in advance there, so I'm assuming if she has enough advance notice she'll do the same again.