BANDSTAND Previews- Page 2

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:06am

I'm looking forward to seeing the show next week. Do you have a song list by any chance?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:09am

I thought the PTSD moments were a bit heavy handed. And agree, A LOT could be cut. 

But the audience tonight seemed mostly Papermill devotees. I actually sat across the aisle from Andy B. and his team. And seems like I was surrounded by a ton of Papermill peeps.

[notalwaysontime]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:16am

If anyone going this month can get me an extra playbill, I'd be so appreciative! I would love to have a bandstand playbill with the laura/nate article in it, and will obviously cover shipping costs! Please private message me if you will/can, thanks!

[DaisyMae56]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:41am

Are we really going to fail to mention that Laura got an EARNED standing ovation after her 11oclock number??

and that the energy in that theatre was PALPABLE. 

I had a really great time at the theatre tonight and it gave me hope to see another amazing musical in this season that reminds us that storytelling has the power to connect communities in a transformative way. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 2:10am

You realize that theater was filled mostly with Papermill patrons or people associated with the productions? 

No offense, she sounded great, but there's no reason that that number would be a standing ovation number. Her voice sounded fine, but I felt no need to leap to my feet. 

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 2:22am

Do you have a song list you can share? I want to compare it to my Paper Mill program and see what sort of musical changes they've made to the show.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 7:07am

WhizzerMarvin said: "Is this Blankenbuehler's first major gig pulling double duty?"

No, he previously directed and choreographed Bring It On as well as the most recent touring production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 7:42am

Ah, I completely forgot he did both for Bring It On, which was no great directorial feat either! 

Here's a song list:

Act One

Just Like It Was Before

Donny Novitski

I Know a Guy

Ain't We Proud

Who I Was

Just Like It Was Before (Reprise)

First Steps First

Breathe

You Deserve It

Love Will Come and Find Me Again

Right This Way

 

Act Two

Entr'acte

Nobody

I Got a Theory

Everything Happens

Welcome Home

A Band in New York City

This is Life

Welcome Home

Finale

 

As far as the energy being palpable, or even PALPABLE, I have to disagree. The energy and excitement at the first preview of Dolly was PALPABLE like none other. I thought Bandstand received a slightly muted response, minus the ovation after Laura's 11 O'clock number, as far as first preview crazy enthusiastic audience reactions go.  

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 9:03am

Nothing being done in Bandstand will ever get a mid-show standing ovation on a night where the audience isn't half papered.  Bandstand will close before the summer and be forgotten like the white-bread nothingness that it is.  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 12:32pm

I was in the last row of the orchestra and nobody leapt to their feet. One woman stood up. Then a lady half heartedly stood up and then the rest of the audience followed - most of which were connected to the show/Papermill in someway.  It wasn't the same response after Cynthia's "I'm Here," where people genuinely leapt to their feet. At a matinee. On a random Saturday. 

And I'm just saying her vocals sounded fine but it wasn't anything any other musical theater actress of today could do. It was the audience being excited their show made it! Which I totally understand. 

[Butter Broadway]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:00pm

Ok ripped we got it. You didn't like it. Move on. 

[Back Row]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:29pm

It's not likely that I will see this, but from the comments and some of the clips, it seems that they took a "kinda sorta" approach to recreating that time period with the music and the choreography. If that is true, would it have been a better artistic choice to strive to recreate the music (including the vocal stylings) and dance in a way that was more faithful to the time period? My parents grew up in the big band era, and my mother used to comment how contemporary singers who tried to sing some of the classics from that time didn't understand the genre. She said that they didn't understand that the band was not there to back up the vocals, but that vocalist was just another instrument in the band. It was all one sound. If nostalgia is what they were going for, why would they not attempt to stay as true the time period as they could? I may be speaking out of turn since I am relying on previous comments and promotional clips, but when someone mentioned Corey Cott's riffing, I thought of what my mom had said. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:55pm

Back Row, You're not speaking out of turn at all. These are insightful and true comments. So often we see show that are set in the big band era struggle to replicate the authenticity in the musical and vocal stylings of those involved. To Bandstand's credit, I don't think they're going for straight up "big band" music, though if you went into the production expecting that I can see where you'd be disappointed. The music is equally influenced by jazz; I think Donny sings a lyric about being impressed by/playing Fats Waller music too. Like I wrote, I even heard a little of LaChiusa's Wild Party in the score, so I think this is more of a hybrid of big band/jazz/modern theater score than what was advertised as solely "the big band musical." 

 

[abbagirl]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 2:45pm

Has anyone tried the rush for this yet?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 4:02pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "I was there tonight too and I found it to be satisfactory, but nothing more. The show is earnest and has the best of intentions, but the execution is too erratic to overlook its flaws. I didn't care for the opening number/sequence much at all, but after that I actually did enjoy most of the score. It's a mix of swing and jazz with some modern LaChiusa-type touches thrown in. The lyrics are mostly decent to good. 

I think a problem is that the same team, Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor wrote both the lyrics and book (Oberacker wrote the music by himself) and I think it could have benefited from another mind looking it over. The book really was problematic. It was slack and devoid of tension, but there were also some anachronisms and way too modern sounding speech that jarred. With that said, I think the story was interesting and could have been more engaging in the hands of a more skilled book writer. 

I do believe worse than the book was Andy Blankenbuehler's direction and choreography. Is this Blankenbuehler's first major gig pulling double duty? I think it shows in that everything is way over-directed and over-choreographed, like he was so happy to show off his whole bag of tricks for the first time that he never stopped to edit himself. The stage is always way too busy- so much so that you don't know where to focus your attention. 

Some of the directorial choices are pretty half-baked too. Blankenbuehler borrows from Follies in a few early sequences by having ghosts follow our members of the bandstand around, except this time it's not younger selves haunting our characters, but rather their fallen brothers in war that they can't shake. The ghosts push the survivors around as they struggle to go through their daily routines. It's an interesting idea and if we didn't have 50 swing dancers gallivanting around the stage at all times I would be more on board with this concept. He makes the odd decision to drop the ghosts about halfway through act one anyway, so it becomes a moot point.

It's a pretty small story in the first place, and the ensemble- hardworking that they are- tend to get more in the way than enhance the proceedings. The story revolves around Donny (Cott) who was best pals with Michael "Rubber" Trojan in the war. Rubber dies in the opening sequence, but not before asking Donny to check in on his soon to be widow Julia (Osnes) if/when he gets back home. After the war NBC holds a talent contest that will select one group from each state to go to NYC and compete for a cash prize and spot in an MGM picture singing the winning song. Donny decides to enlist only fellow veterans in his bandstand group and convinces Julia to be the co-lead singer as a stand in for the musically inclined Rubber.

Yes there are "rubber" jokes and "Trojan" jokes. Yes you will cringe.

Beth Leavel, as Julia's mother, is the comic relief and is wonderful, but also woefully underused. She only gets one song in act two. Maybe they could write her something funny for act one when Donny comes over to dinner at the mother's house.

The bandstand members all play their instruments live, and it is impressive, but nothing we haven't seen in Million Dollar Quartet, Company, Sweeney...the list goes on.

I liked Osnes quite a bit, and I think she's the chance they have at a nomination. She has really beauty and glamour- Osnes really could have been an old 40's movie star. She sings well and never pushes or tries to hard to manipulate the audience with Julia's pain and sorrow.

Cott was solid too- certainly much better than in Gigi. He has a distinctive timbre to his voice and like that he's not just another off the assembly line cookie cutter performer.

A major theme of the show is the PTSD soldiers suffer when they return from war. Of course, the term PTSD wasn't really used by the psych community until the 1980's after Vietnam, and luckily no one utters the acronym during Bandstand, but the authors clearly expect a 2017 audience to understand what's going on. That's fine, and obviously PTSD existed before it was "discovered" and labeled, but one must be careful about how much understanding you can allow lay characters to have of an issue that wasn't formally identified in their lifetime.

I would describe Bandstand as a very noble effort, but one that is ultimately too flawed to really be called a success.  

 

Really good write-up, as always.  On a related note, I got some grief in a separate post for saying that my one criticism of Hamilton was that I felt it was 'over-directed', although all my references were to the fact that the company never gets to sit still...they are always jumping around stage, and that I get it was distracting after a while.  While the director had to go along with it, I subsequently concluded that maybe it was over-choreographed, i.e., the company needed to slow down once in awhile.  Is it possible that this is a problem he needs to work on, i.e., learning when less is more?

 

[temms]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 4:14pm

Ugh. I guess standing ovations in the middle of shows is a regular thing now. Since the one at the end of every performance of everything is meaningless and you can only WOOOOOOO so loudly I guess this is the next plateau. How many of these have we had now?

"The audience obviously didn't like it. There was no standing ovation until the curtain call."

 

[matineeidol2591]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 11:39pm

This is bad bad bad. If you're a theatre goer of meager financial means like I am, save your dough on this one. I almost left at intermission. Blankenbuelers staging and choreography rarely seem integrated into the tissue paper thin storyline. He gives us his best dazzle dazzle dance moves, but there is simply no masking the weak and frankly boring material. 

I arrived at 8:45 this morning for rush and was the 11th person in line.  There were at least 25-30 people by 10am. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 11:55pm

My point is just that last night - the first preview a long awaited Broadway bow of a regional musical - is not a good indication of this show's appeal. That's all.

And PTThespian, of course I'm only speaking for me. It's my opinion. I wrote it, I said. I don't think I need to clarify that, but apparently you took it to heart for some reason. And I've seen School of Rock a few times and I've never seen a mid-show standing ovation. After any of the songs. 

[ntrackbar]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:00am

I had a totally different experience. I loved it - with the caveat of there definitely needing work to be done (the first act is at least 10 minutes too long and there seems to be some design elements that need reworking/tightening).

It was the kind of theater that I love to go to - entertaining, thought provoking, and lush. It really soars when the swing band plays together - and the songs that are more plot driven have that "Golden Age" sound. It is a nice contrast. I like that it was definitely a love letter to the old school Gershwin "lets put on a show" musicals, but....darker at times. 

The real surprise for me was Corey Cott. I was never much of a fan before - I didn't really get it. He was really a compelling leading man tonight. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:03am

PThespian said: "RippedMan said: "You realize that theater was filled mostly with Papermill patrons or people associated with the productions? 

No offense, she sounded great, but there's no reason that that number would be a standing ovation number. Her voice sounded fine, but I felt no need to leap to my feet. 



"

No offense Ripped, but please don't presume to know what would or would not be a standing ovation number. 

Just because you felt no need to leap to your feet doesn't mean other people shared yout sentiment. 

Not everyone feels or reacts to theater in the same reason. 

There is no such as a "standing ovation" number. There are just numbers that move people enough to get them on their feet.

Apparently this one didn't do that for you and that's fine. 

It is just presumptuous to say that no one could or should not share your opinion and, if they did standup, only did so out of a sense of "duty."

Where and when people stand varies from audience to audience. 

At SOR sometimes people stand after Stick It To The Man. Sometimes they stand after Teacher's Pet. 

Sometimes they don't stand after either. 

I can also say with 110% honesty that there has yet to be a performance that hasn't gotten a standing ovation. 

Where that occurs during the curtain call varies, though. 

People stand when  they want to for whatever reason they want (usually to show appreciation for a dynamite performance$. 

Don't pretend to know what that reason is unless you're in their mind. 

Your cooperation in this matter would be most appreciated. 

PS  I haven't seen the show, and I know absolutely nothing about the song in question. 

When I see the show I may or may not stand after it for my own reasons, and I am not a Paper Mill patron. 

I would never imply think that everyone else who is standing is because I have no way of knowing short of polling them. 

 

I don't know why you are getting all worked up..standing ovations have become a joke.  I don't remember the last show that didn't get one.  This is due to the 'American Idolization of the country'.  Now, a show needs to get a SO during the show or it is a shame.  What was once very special is now meaningless.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:05am

Exactly. Please see the show, and please inform me if you think that song deserved a standing ovation. That's no discredit to anyone onstage or backstage. It's just not that type of song.

[Cfried]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:14am

I think it's unfair to say that it's "not that type of song" or that it isn't deserving of a standing ovation. As PThespian said earlier, everyone reacts in different ways to theatre and while the number being discussed may not move you, it may certainly move others. 

Updated On: 4/2/17 at 12:14 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:16am

Jarethan, When it comes to a musical drama like this I'm usually more a fan of "less is more" as the weight of the story and hopefully the acting and music will do most of the heavy lifting. It's like Blankenbuehler wanted to stage this big, splashy swing dance musical, but then realized it was about soldiers suffering from PTSD forming a band. Sometimes you need spectacle (like Charlie), but after seeing this I would have taken Coco Chanel's advice about before leaving the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off and apply it to this show. 

I think the book still needs another draft, but even without changing the text I would have liked to see what someone like John Doyle would have done with material. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:27am

It's a show called Bandstand, it's about forming a band, and yet the show is so focused on dance? We are told "They are playing live" but very, very rarely is the band the focus of our attention. 

[kelsiinicholl]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 12:34am

In terms of the standing ovation, I think it's well deserved. Especially if you're looking at it from a plot standpoint. You watch these guys struggle with their PTSD (something that wasn't talked about during that time, it was completely overlooked and so many people who came back from that war were never the same) and struggle with the people around them being completely oblivious to their struggles. They capture all of it in that song and it really hits you. Not to mention, Laura's vocals are killer. She definitely sells it 100%.

As for the book, I do think it needed some tweaking as well. But, being completely devoid of conflict? Not so much. I, personally, think the recurring conflict is the conflict they all face individually (not to give too much of the show away but: PTSD, alcoholism, disability, losing a loved one, etc). That might be a hit and miss for some people, but I don't think it's completely free of conflict either. There's real struggle in this show, and since I haven't seen the Broadway transfer yet, I can't speak to say that it's completely visible on stage.

But, i'm really excited to see the changes they made from Papermill when I see the show for myself in May!