BANDSTAND Previews- Page 3

[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!

[tbaker2]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 11:46am

Had the opportunity to see the first preview, and was slightly disappointed. 

I really liked the music.The songs they used in their rehearsal footage (You Deserve It, Right This Way) are some of the catchiest songs of the show! The score also had a complex style to it, very much like LaChuisa. 

The book was the worst part of the show. There needs to be a lot of changes in this for it to last.

The choreography was wonderful, at times. I think Andy really used his dancers nicely in the scene changes, to distract from what was going on. That was a great idea. But sometimes they could be a little too distracting. i.e. when they transition from NYC, Laura has another 'Cinderella Dress Change' with dancers all around the stage. I was so drawn on the choreography, I missed her change. That was upsetting a bit. 

Corey Cott was great. Definitely proved to the audience that he was the perfect fit for a leading man role. The dude can PLAY the piano! 

Laura Osnes is worth the ticket completely. Her songs are GORGEOUS! 

Beth Leavel is a force to reckon with. However, she didn't have a big enough role. She had maybe 8 minutes of stage time, along with a short ballad in Act II (that was gorgeous!). Hopefully they will write some more stuff in for her! 

 

Wishing the best for this show! 

RATING: 7.5 out of 10

[Back Row]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 6:14pm

I wonder what the advance on this is. In this crowded season, it seems to be generating very little interest, as evidenced by the relatively light activity on this thread. This might be a show that is good enough to get some positive and mixed reviews, but not special enough to generate the buzz needed to prop it up until it finds its audience. In a less crowded season, it might be getting more attention, but it appears to be in danger of getting lost in the shuffle. 

[Butter Broadway]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 10:40pm

They absolutely must get good reviews and Tony nominations to have a run.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 1:48am

The second preview was definitely a hit with the audience. No questions about the standing ovation. The audience was on its feet before the curtain call.

Having said that, judging from conversations I had with others at the theater and from conversations overheard, it was still an audience with a lot of Paper Mills and others who were predisposed to like this musical.

This is a show whose quality will be divided a great deal along generational lines. Although the original participants in the 20th century wars and in the music of the swing era have mostly departed, their children, the aging baby boomers, survive and carry with them what they derived from their parents: a healthy respect for the wars in which their fathers probably fought and a great affection for swing.

It was good to see the post-war problems of the veterans brought forward, even if given a rather superficial treatment. In the real world, post-war miseries were treated with a heavy dose of sentimental music. The ballads at least were lovely, "We'll Meet Again" "Long Ago and Far Away" "I'll Be Seeing You" "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" "It's Been A Long, Long Time" "I'll Walk Alone"

With the amazing amount of talent in this City, it's sad that an original show like Bandstand, full of energy, creativity and swing, and with so much appeal to a sizeable niche, cannot survive for a long time on those merits alone. Mass appeal is usually required for success, and mass appeal may be difficult for this production to achieve.

 

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 01:48 AM

[Butter Broadway]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 7:57pm

Well we don't know if it's gonna survive. They're even making a ton of changes after the first two performances. Clearly Blankenbuehler is working his a$$ off to make the show successful.

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 07:57 PM

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 7:40pm

Butter Broadway said: "Well we don't know if it's gonna survive. They're even making a ton of changes after the first two performances. Clearly Blankenbuehler is working his a$$ off to make the show successful."

This theater outsider would love to see the process by which major changes are made so close to premiere. 

It had a long run at the Paper Mill to sort things out. I'm sure a lot of additional changes were made before and during rehearsals. Once it finally opened its doors to the Manhattan public, I think it would be fascinating to see how they evaluate what isn't working and replace it with something that does work under the pressure of time. I suppose that they must rely on audience reaction; the first previews are probably already stacked with a sympathetic audience.

Still, I hear stories of such changes. "Edelweiss," a late addition to The Sound of Music, was the last song that Hammerstein wrote before he succumbed to stomach cancer. It is performed twice in the film and no doubt contributes to the warm feeling that audiences have for the show. Even in some of those not normally fond of a lot of sentiment in their theater.

"Comedy Tonight" was written and added to A Funny Thing...after the show was in tryouts. According to the source that I heard the story from, it literally saved the show by changing the confused and somewhat dark mood of the audience after it listened to the original opening number to one of happy expectation.

 

 

[CukorLover]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 8:05pm

Your point and observations are well-taken. Though the two musicals you suggest are by very prolific composers; Sondheim for "Funny thing" and Rodgers & Hammerstein for " Music." I'm not saying things won't change for the better (and let's hope they do), but they just don't make 'em (as much) like they used to.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 4:29pm

Remember, Sondheim wrote "Comedy Tonight" when he was still a very young man and had not yet learned how to avoid writing fun, catchy tunes that had wide appeal.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 12:21am

Anyone been and noticed script changes? Osnes has posted on her social media about getting various changes.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 9:13am

I have to say, I enjoyed Bandstand much more than I expected to! Is it a great show? No, but I enjoyed myself much more than at Come From Away (which I found empty) and Groundhog Day (misogyny). It has some problems, but I felt much warmer about the material than I expected to. Some of the music is good, and I was surprised by some of the turns in the story. Great work by Corey Cott and beautiful costumes. I thought Laura was good, but very much the performance we've seen her give in other shows.

It's also at least 20 minutes too long-- it could have potentially been 90-100 minutes with no intermission and vastly improved, IMO

Updated On: 4/7/17 at 09:13 AM

[Butter Broadway]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 11:59am

Yes I wonder what the reviews will be like for this one. 

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 10:03pm

I think that the reviews will be kind, at least. No one will want to come out looking unsympathetic to the veterans who came back damaged from the Second World War. 

We know so much about the Vietnam vets who returned as perpetually damaged people. I volunteered at a homeless shelter in well-off Port Jefferson, Long Island in the early 90's and couldn't believe all those vets out on the streets as alcoholics or other substance abusers. And all you had to do to get out of serving was to enroll in a four year college.

Those WW II vets, especially those who fought to the death with maniacal Japanese on those muddy, disease-ridden Pacific islands had to be as traumatized as their Vietnam brothers, but we never heard much about them.

 

[Boston Friend]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 12:43am

I saw this tonight. Although the theatre was not full, many in audience were fans of the show.

I was disappointed by much, especially the 11 o'clock number (Welcome Home). It's played at a frenetic pace making the lyrics and emotional intent muddled. 

Posted: 4/10/17 at 12:23pm

WOW, what a small thread!  Not much buzz, huh?

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 4/10/17 at 12:36pm

Deena Jones said: "WOW, what a small thread!  Not much buzz, huh?

 

"

Was just thinking the same thing. I am wondering if a musical like this would have done better 5, 10 or 15 years ago and, now with how saturated Broadway is with must-see shows, that it will get lost. It seems like audiences expect more than just a 'good' or okay show, for better or worse.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 4/10/17 at 12:54pm

And yet, BroadwayBox is calling their discount for it a "Hot" one...I don't know what their criteria is, but I would think the Great Comet discount would be much more used.

Posted: 4/10/17 at 1:01pm

I guess we will see this afternoon when the weekly box office posts....

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 1:28am

There haven't been many reviews recently, so lots to say after I saw this one tonight.  Overall, I liked it, and I'll break it down for you.

The Good:

1) Corey Cott - the man is so charismatic and surprisingly good at real raw emotion.  If they have any shot at a Tony nom, it lies with him (although he didn't have great songs - more on that later).  I can't wait to see where he goes after Bandstand.

2) The Donny Nova Band - each man in the band played his own instrument and had great moments of personality in their dialogue.  I enjoyed each one for different reasons.

3) Patriotism - Whether you agree with government politics or not, it was really nice to see a show that respects the people who have sacrificed for our ability to disagree on those political issues.  They deserve it.

The Not-So-Good:

1) Laura Osnes - yes, her voice is beautiful, but that's pretty much where it ends for her.  She needs to stick to parts like Sandy, Hope, and Cinderella because all emotion that came from her felt disingenuous.  I was not buying what she was selling.

2) The Sound - I was sitting in the front row center of the mezzanine, and there were lots of moments when it was hard to hear Corey and Laura.  Perhaps their mics were turned down because they typically sing into a working old-fashioned mic, so their sound gets amplified, but in the scenes and some other singing moments it was truly hard to hear.

The Mixed:

1)  Dancing - I wanted more and less at the same time.  More swing dancing!  This is a show based around that type of music, and when those numbers happened, the show was electric.  At the same time, there were too many transition dance moves between and even in the middle of scenes.  It was a distraction.  So more swing, less movement.

2) Songs - The music was serviceable and allowed the musicians to do their thing, but they need more solo moments to show off their talent (including a showstopper for Corey), and the lyrics/melodies left something to be desired.  They were okay, but nothing more.  

[Butter Broadway]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 2:55am

I disagree with you on Laura. I think she's showing many different colors in this part, even though it's still an ingenue role.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 8:35am

Butter Broadway said: "I disagree with you on Laura. I think she's showing many different colors in this part, even though it's still an ingenue role."

I'll be most interested to hear what the reviewers have to say about her.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 8:46am

Sometimes a creative team has the best and most noble of efforts for a show, and sometimes, those efforts just don't work. I saw Bandstand last night, and, sadly, this is the case. I was reminded a little bit of Allegiance in that both shows tackle difficult subjects (internment camps and then PTSD of soldiers), but both shows just fall short.


Corey Cott and Laura Osnes are giving truly fantastic performances, and they have great chemistry which is what keeps Bandstand from being a complete snooze fest. Laura Osnes's 11 o'clock number, Welcome Home, is the highlight of the evening, and probably one of my favorite new songs of the season. The supporting cast and ensemble are also great. Beth Leavel is completely wasted, and her one song is pretty bad.


Also, for those wondering, I got my seat through TDF, and it was row G of the orchestra seat 17. I sat down, and half of the set was not visible. It was an extremely partial view seat. I approached the house manager and asked if I could move up to the mezzanine, and they could not have been kinder. 


All in all, this was a let down. It is far from the worst thing this season, but I would still classify this as a clunker.

Updated On: 4/13/17 at 08:46 AM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 9:30am

^ The audience was abnormally enthusiastic about Leavel.  She was funny, but they were clapping for every entrance and exit like it was Easter, and they'd just witnessed a miracle.

[GoodLooking422]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 3:32pm

I saw Bandstand on Tuesday night and had extremely high exceptions for this show. I've been a huge fan of Laura ever since Grease and I love Andy's work so this seemed like a musical I would really enjoy. I wanted to like it so much but I felt like it fell short in more ways than one. From the second the show opened, I wanted them to push the set back a good 2 feet. Act 1 was entirely too crowded and it was really hard to find where the focal point was. This also limited the choreography completely. I saw some of the videos from their press event at 30 Rock's Rainbow Room and there was just so much more room and space! I also completely agree with DramaTech about the sound. When the actors were playing the instruments on stage, the music really popped and it was awesome. They had a standing microphone on stage for Laura and Corey that boosted their volume. However, when the offstage pit was playing, the music got lost and almost sounded like it was pre-recorded. My thinking was why go from something that sounds so great to a lesser sound? I absolutely loved the music though. The Act 1 finale was fantastic and I loved the Act 2 opening number. Act 2 was much stronger in general. The highlight for me was definitely "Welcome Home" as well.  Another major reason I wanted to see this show was to see Laura sing "Love Will Come and Find Me Again". I've seen many clips of her singing it online and it sounded so powerful. I did not feel the same way at all when she sang it live and it was a major disappointment for me. I also had a hard time believing that Corey and the others were war veterans. I absolutely hate when people say things like that but I think it was a key aspect as to what the show is missing. Again, I wanted to root for this show so much and still hopes it succeeds, but for me it was a major disappointment.

[brian1973]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 5:58pm

Why is everyone going on about a standing ovation? 

Ive never seen a show in NYC that hasn't got a standing O.. whether it be a terrible show or a great one. It seems obligatory.

 

this show however sounds really boring. I love Osbes and Cott but nothing about it appeals at all.