BAD CINDERELLA to close on June 4- Page 28

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 5:04pm

My husband and I saw the matinee of Bad Cinderella on April 16, with Savy Jackson in the title role. Before the show started, I told him that I was expecting a fluffy, campy, tongue-in-cheek spectacle, and that we would walk out humming the music - and that's just what happened. This show knows exactly what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else.

Regrettably, Savy Jackson was merely adequate as Cinderella. While I liked that she wasn't as model-thin as Linedy Genao and therefore, IMHO, was more suited to the character, her vocal range and power seemed somewhat limited and I couldn't help wondering what it might have been like to see Carrie Hope Fletcher in the role. Otherwise, we found the cast to be uniformly excellent.

I thought the first 20 minutes or so could've been pared down a bit, but things really took off with "Only You, Lonely You" and then didn't stop until the curtain call. The hunks were hot, the queen and the stepmother were hilariously catty, and the fairy godmother finale of the first act was fantastically staged around a highly memorable song of the type which Andrew Lloyd Webber does so well. The whole affair was bright, colorful, funny, and sexy, and we both would see it again.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

It was particularly refreshing to see a gay character who wasn't miserable, bullied, ostracized, suicidal, or a drag queen. Rather, he was a strapping, six-foot-something man whom all the other male characters idolized, and he showed up with his boyfriend in tow. The pair kissed, held hands, and danced as a couple among all the other straight couples, and they were effusively welcomed by everyone else in the town. Finally, they were married (instead of Cinderella and Sebastian) with all the royal trimmings, and to a song called "Marry for Love". This is a world in which we wanted to live. We applauded the show's creators for depicting such a delightful fantasy; hopefully it will prompt others to make similarly bold art in the near future, so that this fantasy becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 05:04 PM

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 12:37am

Has there been any talk of a Broadway cast album? I know most don't care for the show but I found it enjoyable and really love a lot of the score. I'd love for this cast and that gorgeous orchestra to be preserved, especially considering the new songs, rewrites, and arrangements.

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 12:37 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 8:23am

AKarp2013 said: "Has there been any talk of a Broadway cast album? I know most don't care for the show but I found it enjoyable and really love a lot of the score. I'd love for this cast and that gorgeous orchestra to be preserved, especially considering the new songs, rewrites, and arrangements."

I particularly enjoyed the play-out, with it's instrumental arrangement of "Marry for Love". Afterwards, I asked the conductor if it was available for purchase and he mentioned only the original London cast recording, which he said does not include the play-out.

[msmp]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 10:17pm

AKarp2013 said: "Has there been any talk of a Broadway cast album? I know most don't care for the show but I found it enjoyable and really love a lot of the score. I'd love for this cast and that gorgeous orchestra to be preserved, especially considering the new songs, rewrites, and arrangements."

The cast on social media and at the stage door say they haven't heard anything about recording, for whatever that's worth. (I'm assuming they wouldn't be able to disclose even if they knew, but sometimes you can tell from tone--which hasn't given me any hints anyways).

The London/concept album is good, but I agree that this cast and orchestra really deserve to be memorialized. But given ALW never sanctioned a Broadway recording for Phantom, I am not holding out too much hope.

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/27/23 at 12:55am

msmp said: "The cast on social media and at the stage door say they haven't heard anything about recording, for whatever that's worth. (I'm assuming they wouldn't be able to disclose even if they knew, but sometimes you can tell from tone--which hasn't given me any hints anyways).

The London/concept album is good, but I agree that this cast and orchestra really deserve to be memorialized. But given ALW never sanctioned a Broadway recording forPhantom, I am not holding out too much hope."

I can understand not doing a Broadway recording for Phantom as the show was essentially unchanged from London despite some updates to the lyrics and orchestrations -- some of which did eventually get recorded in the Canadian cast recording. Cats and Starlight Express both received new cast recordings to capture the changes made since their respective premiers.

Perhaps they don't see a financial gain in a Broadway recording. A shame, I'd get it in a heartbeat. The score is the least of this show's problems and I think this show gets way more hate than it deserves anyway.

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/27/23 at 8:58am

AKarp2013 said: "msmp said: "

I can understand not doing a Broadway recording forPhantomas the show was essentially unchanged from London despite some updates to the lyrics and orchestrations -- some of which did eventually get recorded in the Canadian cast recording.CatsandStarlight Expressboth received new cast recordings to capture the changes made since their respective premiers.

Perhaps they don't see a financial gain in a Broadway recording. A shame, I'd get it in a heartbeat. The score is the least of this show's problems and I think this show gets way more hate than it deserves anyway."

Yeah its really strange, I have 3 different By Jeeves recordings - don't even know how many JCS I have, but then when it comes to others like Aspects of Love, Woman in White, Whistle Down the Wind - there's only the one recoding that is usually made so early in the runs they never reflect the changes and additions that are made to it.

I agree, the score seems the least of the shows problems. I enjoy a lot of the music and would love to hear it preserved with a fuller orchestra and a new cast that's less filled with vitriol, self-pity they had for any and everyone and genuinely seems happy to be in the show. But I doubt that will happen. On top of the cost, the fact that this was the last thing of ALW's that his son Nick worked on and was nominated for a Grammy, I'd think nostalgia wise, he's going to pass over on a new one.

[Voter]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 1:14pm

Someone noted on Reddit that Linedy was seen at an audition yesterday 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 1:16pm

Ouch. 

[bholtzinger544]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 1:53pm

Her Insta story about the audition is still up. Never a good sign so close to a shows opening

[pablitonizer]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 2:31pm

Voter said: "Someone noted on Reddit that Linedy was seen at an audition yesterday"

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this common practice for Broadway actors? I mean Jennifer Simard will play the stepmother in Once upon a one more time musical, but recently she attended 'Death becomes her' musical private reading. That does not mean she'll leave OUAOMT as soon as it opens 

[Danny1984]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 3:50pm

I really don't think this means anything at all. Linedy has been so overwhelmingly positive about her time on Bad Cinderella (and loyal to it) and so endlessly supportive of ALW that if she was auditioning cos she knew the show was ending but it hadn't been announced to the public yet, there's no way she'd flaunt this on Instagram.

It will be for a one off something or other or something running alongside her current job.

[Danny1984]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 3:52pm

Lot666 said: "My husband and I saw the matinee of Bad Cinderella on April 16, with Savy Jackson in the title role. Before the show started, I told him that I was expecting a fluffy, campy, tongue-in-cheek spectacle, and that we would walk out humming the music - and that's just what happened. This show knows exactly what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else.

Regrettably, Savy Jackson was merely adequate as Cinderella. While I liked that she wasn't as model-thin asLinedy Genao and therefore, IMHO, was more suited to the character, her vocal range and power seemed somewhat limited and I couldn't help wondering what it might have been like to see Carrie Hope Fletcher in the role. Otherwise, we found the cast to be uniformly excellent.

I thought the first 20 minutes or so could've been pared down a bit, but things really took off with "Only You, Lonely You" and then didn't stop until the curtain call. The hunks were hot, the queen and the stepmother were hilariously catty, and the fairy godmother finale of the first act was fantastically staged around a highly memorable song of the type which Andrew Lloyd Webber does so well. The whole affair was bright, colorful, funny, and sexy, and we both would see it again.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

It was particularly refreshing to see a gay character who wasn't miserable, bullied, ostracized, suicidal, or a drag queen. Rather, he was a strapping, six-foot-something man whom all the other male characters idolized, and he showed up with his boyfriend in tow. The pair kissed, held hands, and danced as a couple among all the other straight couples, and they were effusively welcomed by everyone else in the town. Finally, they were married (instead of Cinderella and Sebastian) with all the royal trimmings, and to a song called "Marry for Love". This is a world in which we wanted to live. We applauded the show's creators for depicting such a delightful fantasy; hopefully it will prompt others to make similarly bold art in the near future, so that this fantasy becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

"

Absolutely agree with all of this. Got slightly emotional reading the parts under the spoiler tag - very much one of the key reasons I adore this show!

I know it probably won't, but I'd love for it to take off and find an audience. 

[msmp]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 10:17pm

Danny1984 said: "Lot666 said: "My husband and I saw the matinee of Bad Cinderella on April 16, with Savy Jackson in the title role. Before the show started, I told him that I was expecting a fluffy, campy, tongue-in-cheek spectacle, and that we would walk out humming the music - and that's just what happened. This show knows exactly what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else.

Regrettably, Savy Jackson was merely adequate as Cinderella. While I liked that she wasn't as model-thin asLinedy Genao and therefore, IMHO, was more suited to the character, her vocal range and power seemed somewhat limited and I couldn't help wondering what it might have been like to see Carrie Hope Fletcher in the role. Otherwise, we found the cast to be uniformly excellent.

I thought the first 20 minutes or so could've been pared down a bit, but things really took off with "Only You, Lonely You" and then didn't stop until the curtain call. The hunks were hot, the queen and the stepmother were hilariously catty, and the fairy godmother finale of the first act was fantastically staged around a highly memorable song of the type which Andrew Lloyd Webber does so well. The whole affair was bright, colorful, funny, and sexy, and we both would see it again.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

It was particularly refreshing to see a gay character who wasn't miserable, bullied, ostracized, suicidal, or a drag queen. Rather, he was a strapping, six-foot-something man whom all the other male characters idolized, and he showed up with his boyfriend in tow. The pair kissed, held hands, and danced as a couple among all the other straight couples, and they were effusively welcomed by everyone else in the town. Finally, they were married (instead of Cinderella and Sebastian) with all the royal trimmings, and to a song called "Marry for Love". This is a world in which we wanted to live. We applauded the show's creators for depicting such a delightful fantasy; hopefully it will prompt others to make similarly bold art in the near future, so that this fantasy becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

"

Absolutely agree with all of this. Got slightly emotional reading the parts under the spoiler tag - very much one of the key reasons I adore this show!

I know it probably won't, but I'd love for it to take off and find an audience."

 

You are so right about that scene under the spoiler tag; it got a huge reaction from the crowd each time I saw the show, and it was a relentlessly positive reaction. And the lyrics sung by the character in question are also intensely proud and positive, which is very refreshing.

But...I think my biggest issue with the show--and again I say this as someone who went twice and had a thoroughly good time both times!--is that it has a series of spectacular moments which deserve to be much better strung together. The scene in the spoiler tag is one of them, as is the Fairy Godmother scene to close Act I, and the "I Know Who You Are" scene with the Queen and the Stepmother.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

For example, I think the Fairy Godmother scene is one of the most interesting takes on that classic character that I've ever seen. She's not rendered as evil, per se, but there is a sinister nature to the way she is portrayed that is unique and I wanted to know more about her. But they drop her until a brief moment in Act 2, and even the song itself...doesn't lead anywhere! The FG talks about how Cinderella will be in agony from the modifications and the dress/shoes, but we never actually see that aside from a throwaway line at the ball. They could have done something VERY interesting with the consequences of Cinderella not being home by midnight, and instead they just sort of went with generic heartbreak.

For me, it all comes back to the book doing a bad job of tying it all together. The individual elements of a genuinely great show are there, but they're scattered and ill-connected. A better book would have made this a much better show.

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 10:59pm

msmp said: "

For me, it all comes back to the book doing a bad job of tying it all together. The individual elements of a genuinely great show are there, but they're scattered and ill-connected. A better book would have made this a much better show."

Paging Emerald Fennell - would you please pick up the white courtesy phone?  

[msmp]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 3:08am

chernjam said: "msmp said: "

For me, it all comes back to the book doing a bad job of tying it all together. The individual elements of a genuinely great show are there, but they're scattered and ill-connected. A better book would have made this a much better show."

Paging Emerald Fennell - would you please pick up the white courtesy phone?"

It boggles my mind that she won an Oscar for what might have been my favorite film of the pandemic era (Promising Young Woman), and then produced this book! I was genuinely shocked when I found out she was the writer for BC, because she clearly is capable of writing much, much better material.

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 5:23pm

Just saw the show for the first time today and I really enjoyed it despite extremely low expectations.  I thought the score was actually quite catchy even if a bit repetitive. The staging is beautiful and choreography was one of the best for the season. The consumes were also gorgeous. 
 

I actually like the plot twists. One thing I wasn’t clear on is

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Did the Queen know the reason her son was missing? She was cringing the whole time he returned and sang the Marry for Love song, which made me wonder if she didn’t approve it and that was the reason for him to disappear.  Then he felt compelled to return to save his brother from an unhappy marriage. The Queen was initially distraught but was surprised by the towns people reaction and acceptable and came to accept and celebrate his return/love. Not sure if I’m reading too much into this.  

Another thought is that 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Sebastian is such a likable character. He accepted Cinderella for who she was, but even towards the end, she was somehow blaming him for kissing her stepsister. I think the book would’ve made more sense if she accepted more responsibility for almost losing her true love. 

I also agree that the plastic surgery piece was too sinister and unnecessary. They could’ve just gone with the make up, exterior transformation route. 
 

The love has a price theme didn’t quite fit with the accept who you are message. I love the godmother but someone her actions at the end of Act 1 and 2 felt a bit disconnected. 

Updated On: 4/29/23 at 05:23 PM

[msmp]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 6:14pm

Phillyguy said: "Just saw the show for the first time today and I really enjoyed it despite extremely low expectations. I thought the score was actually quite catchy even if a bit repetitive. The staging is beautiful and choreography was one of the best for the season. The consumes were also gorgeous.


I actually like the plot twists. One thing I wasn’t clear on is

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Did the Queen know the reason her son was missing? She was cringing the whole time he returned and sang the Marry for Love song, which made me wonder if she didn’t approve it and that was the reason for him to disappear. Then he felt compelled to return to save his brother from an unhappy marriage. The Queen was initially distraught but was surprised by the towns people reaction and acceptable and came to accept and celebrate his return/love. Not sure if I’m reading too much into this.

Another thought is that

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Sebastian is such a likable character. He accepted Cinderella for who she was, but even towards the end, she was somehow blaming him for kissing her stepsister. I think the book would’ve made more sense if she accepted more responsibility for almost losing her true love.

I also agree that the plastic surgery piece was too sinister and unnecessary. They could’ve just gone with the make out, exterior transformation route.


The love has a price theme didn’t quite fit with the accept who you are message. I love the godmother but someone her actions at the end of Act 1 and 2 felt a bit disconnected."

Re: your first spoiler, I personally interpreted it as the Queen being irritated her current plans were upended. The character does not strike me as someone who copes well with any kind of setback or disruption to what she wants. See her actions in the next scene when she orders Sebastian to dance despite everything; what matters is that Things Go Smoothly, not that anyone is particularly happy in the moment (except for her).

[Voter]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 9:26pm

When did you think this show will close? 

Trying to see if it worth my money to go see this and I do not think this last before July. 

Looking at this week's box office sales on Telecharge and it is looks so empty. I know on Tuesday the Tony noms will be announced and maybe it will increase ticket sales. IMO, this will not get more than 6 Tony nominations. 

 

 

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 9:50pm

Voter said: "When did you think this show will close?

Trying to see if it worth my money to go see this and I do not think this last before July.

Looking at this week's box office sales on Telecharge and it is looks so empty. I know on Tuesday the Tony noms will be announced and maybe it will increase ticket sales. IMO, this will not get more than 6 Tony nominations.



"

Everything except the book and the leads are actually quite good so it may get more nominations than than expected. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/30/23 at 11:06pm

A Best Musical nomination is the only reason to keep it open for awards purposes, and that seems quite unlikely. But as rumored its wealthy producer is trying to cling on for dear life, so there's no telling what might happen...nobody thought PARADISE SQUARE would last until mid July.

Whether BC closes in May or in August won't mean anything for its touring or licensing potential. I expect there'll still be a tour (maybe a non-eq one), and it's a great show for high schools.

Updated On: 4/30/23 at 11:06 PM

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/1/23 at 8:33am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "it's a great show for high schools."

Not at the rate at which school productions are being cancelled for being "too woke".

 

[Voter]

Posted: 5/1/23 at 12:55pm

Voter said: "When did you think this show will close?
"

 

June 11th. If I'm a betting man-- which I am.

[A Director]

Posted: 5/2/23 at 3:25pm

How soon will this costly mistake close? Who ya going to blame Andrew?

[David10086]

Posted: 5/2/23 at 3:59pm

Phillyguy said: "Everything except the book and the leads are actually quite good so it may get more nominations than than expected."

Or perhaps, 'none at all'.  

 

I'm with Voter - it shutters June 11. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 5/2/23 at 4:04pm

Over on the UK site some are blaming nominators for an anti-ALW bias.