Anyone going to the first preview of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC tonight?- Page 3

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:41pm

I really don't think it's rude to ask them to sign memorabilia not from that show.

You guys should venture out into the world. Sometimes at concerts if you want to meet and have a singer sign something you HAVE to buy something there!

adamagreer, did Catherine sign?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:43pm

I'm interested to hear about Ramona Mallory and more on Davie. In London, pacing is what killed Act 1 for me (Desiree and Frederik's dressing room scene went at a deathly pace). Also, the actresses playing Charlotte and Anne were just...bland bland bland. So I'm interested to hear what Davie and Mallory were like. Because if they are anything like their London counterparts then the problem would seem to be Nunn and not the actresses.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:46pm

Technical details? Is it lavishly done or what?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:46pm

Davie needs a lottttttt of work in act 1, but gets better in act 2. Mallory is excellent. She doesn't get much to do in act 2, but she is really fantastic and has lots of youthful energy.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:47pm

How was Leigh Ann Larkin's Petra?

Was Zeta-Jones wigged as a blonde, or does she use her natural brown hair?

Updated On: 11/24/09 at 11:47 PM

[mw212]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:48pm

It being the first performance things are going well at the Walter Kerr. Trevor Nunn sat in front of me and he spent most of the evening with his assistant director writing notes furiously. It does need some work. Angela Lansbury forgot the first few lines of "Glamourous Life" and decided to just make up words and then kept on singing without a hitch. She proves yet again that she's the great stage actress of her time. Alexander Hanson is by far the best, but of course he's had the most time with the material. Maybe it was my high expectations, but I just wanted so much more from the performers. Catherine Zeta Jones was fine, but there's no chemistry with Alexander Hanson and her comic timing is a bit off. It's so hard to compare Erin Davie and Leigh Ann Larkin's performances with Maureen Moore and Sara Ramirez's versions of their songs that can be seen on youtube. Each given one song, they don't knock it out of the ballpark. In fact everyone seems to be holding back a little. The set design is very similar to the Seagull from last year and the lighting is fine if a bit banal. The orchestra sounds fine, but of course it would sound better if they had a larger one with the sell out crowds and a long line for cancelation tickets it would be lovely if they could employee more musicians.

By the way this is my first time posting. I'm read for the comments.

[IfYouCan]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:48pm

How was Leigh Ann as Petra? And how was Herlicka's debut?
Updated On: 11/24/09 at 11:48 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:49pm

Was Davie's Charlotte very emotional? Not at all the dead pan comedienne we're all accustomed to? Fighting back tears and all that?

And Rentboy, no it's not lavishly done. It's a unit set of frosted french doors with furniture every now and then. Also, Act 2 has some birch trees installed.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:50pm

Thanks SO much ljay, adamgreer and mw212! You guys rock! No one at ATC has said a word yet and we have THREE audience members on our board, two BWW Legends in their own right to boot!

Tell us everything, kids!

P

[musicalbluemirror]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:59pm

doesnt sound like its a straight on hit like i thought itd be
definitly checking this out after opening! love me some night music

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/24/09 at 11:59pm

Leigh ann gave a great sexually charged millers son , but her accent goes in and out in her scenes.ramona mallory has a sensational voice, has a similar purity to it like her mothers. Hunter brings colors to henrik that I don't believe we've seen before, his later was extremely powerful.
The pacing definitely needs work in act 1. Show didn't get out until 11:10. Still on phone more later.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:02am

How big is the orchestra? I saw the concert at Tanglewood a couple summers ago with Christine Ebersole as Desiree and the score sounded stunning with a full orchestra.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:03am

Boo! But i still want to see this so bad!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:17am

Why is Larkin doing an accent? Are the others attempting one? And what accent is it? British? Swedish? I thought Hunter came across a little effete in the interview - does he read that way in the show?

[musicalmack]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:21am

How's Herdlicka's voice? I'm glad to see he's bringing something new to the role!

[theatreguy]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:22am

Here's some of my random thoughts from the evening:

I saw this production at the Menier earlier this year, so I was ready for the simple set. I was a little surprised that they didn't add anything at all - not even a table for the second act dinner, they just sit on pillows and blankets. Not a big deal, but it seems odd to me that they would all dine on the ground. There also seemed to be some sound balance issues between the orchestra and the cast, but those should be smoothed out in the coming weeks.

As for the cast . . .

Hunter Ryan Herdlicka's Later was very shout-y and pushed, but the rest of his performance worked for me.

Ramona Mallory perhaps spends a little too much time giggling (and act one is long enough as it is), but she comes across appropriately young and naive without becoming annoying. Her singing is gorgeous, and she sounds very similar to her mother in "soon," it's a pity she doesn't have more to sing.

Leigh Ann Larkin has some kind of weird accent going on. Everyone else is doing a slight British accent - I guess since the 3 leads are British - but her's sometimes sounded . . . Irish maybe? I really couldn't tell since it also seemed to go in and out. Her "Miller's Son" wasn't totally there but in time it should be a real showstopper.

Erin Davie is a HUGE improvement over her London counterpart. She missed a few laughs in her first scene, but I think she'll find them with more time in front of an audience. Overall I thought she did a good job of balancing the dark humor and the more emotional side of Charlotte.

Aaron Lazar is very good. He gets all the laughs in the script and his voice sounds wonderful.

Alexander Hanson is just a great as he was earlier this year. He really holds the show together and completely earns his star billing with the two leading ladies.

Angela Lansbury forgot her lines in 3 different scenes (though it was covered well) so I was worried when Liasons rolled around. She knocked it out of the park. A fabulous performance that will surely improve over time - and I loved her wig and make-up.

Catherine Zeta-Jones ran onto the stage for "The Glamourous Life" like a bat out of hell, pushed way too hard in her singing and got ahead of the music several times. Again, I was worried. Luckily, she was probably just nervous (understandably so) because the rest of her performance was quite lovely. Like Erin Davie, she's still finding some of the laughs but she'll get there. Her "Send in the Clowns" was excellent and she proves she's got the chops for stage acting. And for whoever asked, she wears an auburn wig.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:31am

In my opinion, those that fared best tonight were Lansbury and Larkin. Yes, Lansbury did mess up a line in "The Glamorous Life" and accidentally called Desiree Fredrick, but her acting was excellent - practically all of her lines got some kind of audience response - and "Liaisons" was sheer perfection. Larkin was doing a strange accent, but her "Miller's Son" was outstanding. I can't wait to see/hear her do that number again.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was much better than I thought she would be. I really enjoyed her acting for the most part, and "Send in the Clowns" was terrific. I also enjoyed Hanson, but thought that at times, he just didn't register (if that makes any sense).

Ramona Mallory was fine...liked her voice...thought her acting was overdone at times.

I went into the show thinking that Erin Davie would have been awful as Charlotte, but I didn't think she was bad tonight. She has certainly improved since GREY GARDENS (she was awful in that), and I think as previews go on, she will get better.

I went into the show also thinking that Aaron Lazar would be awful...and I was correct. "In Praise of Women" was painful and his acting was awful.

However, no one came even close to being as bad as Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, who should be replaced in my opinion. "Later" was sheer pain. His "for God" high note attempt was like nails on the chalkboard and his acting throughout the show was so amateur, it seemed like he was in a completely different show. Please replace him now. He is the only actor in the cast that I feel won't improve at all as previews go on.

The show overall was good, but it definitely felt like a first preview. As mentioned before, it ran over three hours, so hopefully it will tighten up during the preview period. Angela will probably win a sixth Tony Award with this role and I hope Leigh Ann Larkin is also nominated (though Featured Actress in a Musical will be a very crowded category this season). Catherine will likely get a nom (and deservedly so) as will Hanson.

Based on this first preview performance, though, I would still vote for RAGTIME for Best Musical Revival. I'm glad I only paid $45 for tonight's performance (two tickets were free from a gift certificate and we split the cost of the third), but I was happy to pay the $75 I paid for the first preview of RAGTIME. Hopefully I will have the opportunity (be able to afford) to see NIGHT MUSIC again in mid-December once the show has frozen and tightened up.
Updated On: 11/25/09 at 12:31 AM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:35am

But let's answer the IMPORTANT questions, everyone.

What did they sign at the stage door, did they pose for pix, and, most importantly, was Michael Douglas there?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:46am

I'll give some scattered thoughts too. I definitely wasn't as impressed as some people were.

Angela is the only one who truly nailed her character, despite going up on a few lines. Liasons was delivered with absolute perfection and every line garnered loud laughter. You could sense how engaged the audience was when she was on stage.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was actually pretty good. Not amazingly brilliant, but fairly solid in the role. Over the preview period I think she'll grow into her character and find more of the laughs, etc. Her act two was much stronger than act 1. The scenes before and after "You Must Meet My Wife" were badly paced, and need some guidance.

I must I didn't like Alexander Hanson, at least when he was singing. First of all the tempos of his songs were WAY too slow. His acting was fine, but as someone else mentioned he really doesn't have any chemistry with Zeta-Jones.

Aaron Lazar simply was not very good. "In Praise of Women" was not captivating, and the final note failed to wow. He comes off as a very angry performer to me...not at all what I think of with Carl-Magnus.

Erin Davie is another somewhat weak link. Her acting improved as the evening went on, but I think she's missing all the dry, dead-pan humor in the role. Where is the acerbic Charlotte we all know and love? "Every Day a Little Death" was fine but forgettable.

Leigh Ann was a bright spot, minus the somewhat weird accent. I thought Miller's Son was a highlight of the evening. It was another moment when I could feel the audience really paying attention and in sync with the production.

Ramona Mallory has a beautiful soprano, but she was WAY too annoying in the role. I was ready to strangle Anne before "Now" even started. I always thought of her as young, girlish and naive. Not obnoxious and bratty.

The worst of the night was by far Herdlicka. I thought "Later" was a mess! I mean it sounded like he couldn't find the pitches when the line jumped around, and his high note was yelled, not sung. The whole performance was so melodramatic and overwrought. I felt like he was in a different show.

I enjoyed the direction for the most part. I liked the scaled-down production. I just wish some of the performances would have been stronger to hold it all together. The problem with doing a scaled-down version is that everything is very exposed. A wrong note or poorly delivered line and there's nothing to distract us from the mistake.

I do sense there will be much improvement over the preview period, but I think I would recommend Ragtime and Finian's over this to anyone. (I think ALNM is a better show than either of those, but those two nailed their revivals.)

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:47am

Aw, Hunter was that bad? Replaceable bad? Anyone else who went tonight agree?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:47am

in order to successfully stage-door this show, i would have to get there at least half an hour before it ends (so i did not stage door this evening). they also did not have window cards yet.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 12:50am

"Aw, Hunter was that bad? Replaceable bad"

Absolutely. The first thing Trevor Nunn should do to "fix" this production is replace Hunter.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 8:55am

Here are some more thoughts, now that the board is back online...


A couple of housekeeping issues- the orchestra is not in the pit. They're on a raised platform on the stage right side of the theater. If you're sitting house right, you can see the conductor, who peers through a window to the stage. Speaking of the orchestra, I must say the eight pieces do sound a bit thin, and I was in the second row of the orchestra. I can only imagine what the sound is like up in the balcony.

Angela had a very cute moment after her curtain call, where she forgot where to go stand. She was walking in one direction, when Aaron Lazaar reached out to try and pull her the other way. She looked up, confused, smiled, threw her hands in the air, and went that way.

There was a very loud, annoying couple behind ljay and I. The wife would not shut up at all during the first act going on and on about how "terrible" this show is. She called it, "absolutely the worst." Shockingly, they both returned for act 2, where the wife started loudly crinkling a bag, until I turned around and glared at her. Another man in our row was texting during Weekend. And, the person in front of us showed up wearing sweat pants. We really ended up in a section of winners.

For all the hoopla surrounding Nunn's production, there was really nothing terribly innovative or unconventional (in my opinion) about the staging. I don't really get what everyone was all up in arms about. It's a well-staged, if not innovative, production.

As it stands right now, the production is merely very good. I think there is a great show there, but they really need to pick up the pace in act 1, which definitely drags right now. Act 2 was fanastic. Hanson and Lansbury are both giving great performances. Right now, Jones is merely very good (though she definitely has the chops), but over time, she could develop a great performance. The supporting cast is kind of a mixed bag. I thought Mallory was great. Larkin nailed Miller (though I'm still partial to Sara Ramirez's version of this song), but that was about it. Davie's Everyday a Little Death was not the moment it should have been (but she's great in act 2). Lazaar fails to really register.

Audience response seemed positive, though not overly electric or enthusiastic. I suspect the high ticket prices kept a lot of the big fans away.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 9:35am

I don't have much more to add. I don't like writing "reviews."

I will say I do not like that this production still cuts part of the end of 'Weekend,' as it did in London. It just doesn't make sense to me.

The amazing 'Every Day a Little Death' didn't land like it should. The tempo is too slow.

I personally loved how the dinner scene was set as an outdoor picnic. I think it worked great.

Angela will be 100% by the time the show opens. The scene about her lover with the
wooden ring was extremely powerful, probably more so than it has ever been. Just heartbreaking.

I think Catherine will be 100% by the time it opens as well.

I don't think anyone mentioned the 13-year-old Keaton Whittaker. She does an admirable job with the young Frederika.

We were their first audience, so it was understandable if everything wasn't perfect yet. Once all the kinks are worked out, they will have one hell of a show. I can't wait to see it again and again!


Updated On: 11/25/09 at 09:35 AM

[artscallion]

Posted: 11/25/09 at 10:16am

Do they use the full Glamorous Life in this production...the one with parts for Frederika. I know at one point Sondheim wouldn't allow its inclusion.