BEETLEJUICE Previews- Page 13

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 3:41pm

brdway411 said: "RumTumJM said: "brdway411 said: "RumTumJM said: "Any pyrotechnics/gunshots/etc in the show?

Just wondering."

Yes to pyrotechnics, a few flash and bang effects. Lots of strobes and smoke/haze."

Any of it particularly startling/jarring?

"

I didn't think so, the acts begin abruptly with strobes flashing, but most of the pyrotechnics are pretty well telegraphed. It's not like the Bodyguard (we saw it in London). That started with a gunshot and a blackout. Scared the crap out of us."

 

Forgive me for dwelling on this. (I've always been a theater enthusiast, who has a "phobia", of sorts, to gunshots/pyrotechnical blasts.)

So, in other words, are we talking about pretty loud, jump-inducing explosions/blasts or more like smaller cracks/firecracker sounds?

 

Updated On: 4/17/19 at 03:41 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 5:55pm

There's nothing jump-inducing. It's all pretty standard. No sudden gunshots or anything like that.

[brdway411]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 12:39am

RumTumJM said: "brdway411 said: "RumTumJM said: "brdway411 said: "RumTumJM said: "Any pyrotechnics/gunshots/etc in the show?

Just wondering."

Yes to pyrotechnics, a few flash and bang effects. Lots of strobes and smoke/haze."

Any of it particularly startling/jarring?

"

I didn't think so, the acts begin abruptly with strobes flashing, but most of the pyrotechnics are pretty well telegraphed. It's not like the Bodyguard (we saw it in London). That started with a gunshot and a blackout. Scared the crap out of us."



Forgive me for dwelling on this. (I've always been a theater enthusiast, who has a "phobia", of sorts, to gunshots/pyrotechnical blasts.)

So, in other words, are we talking about pretty loud, jump-inducing explosions/blasts or more like smaller cracks/firecracker sounds?

"

Not loud at all. The one flash bang is small. The pyrotechnics happen during songs so the music is louder than the boom, if there was a boom. Nothing about it made us jump. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:59am

Well, lets chalk this up to another misfire.

Lighting: why do some lighting designers think giving the audience a headacheis a particularly wise move? Seriously, both during pre-show and intermission, those moving lights were annoying not to mention during the show. Cant begin to tell you how many times I had to cover my eyes/turn away.

Costumes: nothing special

Set Design: initially very cool, but it wore thin.

Projections: the best part of the show.

Book: Meh. Pretty inconsistent, and looking for the cheap joke. I never thought the film did that. I will admit to laughing a good deal at the beginning, but it waned to smiling to nothing.

Performances - overall, they all just played a stereotype and not a character. Too rote and automatic.

Brightman: Loud, screamy,not a single acting moment of thought or objective.


Caruso: real potential, but not 100% sold on the 2D portrayal. Im a sad person.- exceot when Im not.

McClure: I liked him, at least i believed his acting choices but still wairing for him to land/choose a great show.

Butler: I found her plastic beyond plastic, and wondered about playing a caricature so poorly. Nothing was earnest, or heartfelt. Hard to play for laighs when ypure character isnt funny. (I did think to myself: she left Mean Girls for this? How bad IS Mean Girls??)

I could go on...but why bother?

Music: blaahh and blech. Nearly every song was too long and entirely unearned. Characters are suppose to sing because they NEED to, not because dude wrote another song. At intermission, my son turned to me and sang Way Down Hadestown.

Interesting note: a family of 4 seated behind us left 30 minutes into the show. No idea why.

And for all the talk about how offensive this Beetlejuice was, he really wasn't. He wanted to be, but that, too, fell victim to poor writing.

As I  said to my son...it wasnt as bad as BMC!

Updated On: 4/18/19 at 05:59 AM

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:24pm

The show is officially frozen, according it Rob McClure’s Instagram Story.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 7:03pm

Ethel Merman: "Call me Miss Birdseye. I'm frozen."

(For the young'uns, Birdseye was a brand of frozen dinners in the 50's. Oh, and Ethel Merman was, you know, a big Broadway star back then...)

[BritCrit]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 7:21pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Get-A-First-Look-At-BEETLEJUICE-On-Broadway-20190418

The production looks somewhat cheap and less ghoulish than the film, but that is to be expected. The camera shots are interesting, but trying to convey the tone of a musical through closeups and dutch angles feels a bit odd - no one watches a big broadway musical in those formats...

 

[getupngo]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 11:26pm

God this was horrible. At one point the lady next to me goes “another ballad?!”

Had some funny parts- but then it draaaaaaaaaagged.

glad I only payed $33

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 1:41am

I do wonder what a director’s job is. With a new musical, do they gags the power to reshape the show, etc? I love Timber’s eye for design and production, but I do agree there were a lot of ballads for this kind of musical. And starting with a ballad is a bad idea.

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 10:04am

I saw the show last night, and overall have positive feelings about it with some problems. The first 15 minutes of the show were not working at all for me.

The opening number was strange with the uninspired ballad then the transition to an overflow of meta jokes (relating more to Broadway itself) that couldn’t keep my interest. McClure and Butler’s patter song should be removed, it felt so isolated from the rest of the show and wasn’t very amusing. I also didn’t love Dead Mom, but I think it has the potential to grow on me (I enjoyed the reprises). A lot of the jokes in the first act didn’t land for me.

Then, somewhere along the line, the show found its footing halfway through the first act. The performances were very strong, the show actually became funny, and while the score isn’t memorable, there definitely are quite a few very entertaining numbers. I can’t get over how amazing the set design was. It felt very real, like we existed in an alternate universe with beautifully animated set pieces. You have to see it for yourself, it’s truly fantastic and surprises come far and wide.

I definitely think Brightman and Caruso deserve good reviews. They are both carrying this show very well, and inject an energy that pays homage to the original film while creating distinguished performances of their own. Butler, McClure, and Kritzer are also doing great jobs.

What’s bizarre about this show is the way it is presenting itself. They can’t figure out if the show is family friendly or hard R. The constant juxtaposition felt jarring. There are a lot of moments that fall into both categories, and the family friendly marketing is probably going to upset parents once they take kids to see this.

Overall, this is a fun show buyoed by great performances and an excellent production. The show is far from perfect, but if you go in with an open mind, I think this show really works and has the potential to run for awhile.

[massofmen]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 10:40am

How much would you pay for a tix?
I think thats the new way i am going to decide if a show will do well or not. Whats the tipping point of a tix you would pay? The avg tix price is everything for a show.
Can BJ get their Avg tix price above $80.00? if not its a goner. Perceived value. Your review makes me think its a 75.00 tix. 
 

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 1:16pm

If you’re a normal theatregoer but unsure, yeah I wouldn’t say higher than $75-80. If you’re a big fan of Beetlejuice (which, seeming by a lot of the dressed up and enthusiastic audience), I’d even say $100-$115 might work for you. Personally, I only paid $33.33 for a great orchestra seat. Time will tell how much longevity this will have. I’ll be interested to see the reviews, and what impact they’ll have on the box office.

[DaveyG]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 2:23pm

Finally caught up with Beetlejuice and maybe expectations were low, but I had a very enjoyable time! I will say that Act One is far stronger than Act Two, but it wasn’t nearly the disaster I was expecting. Leslie Kritzer is a true standout and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was recognized at Tony time.

[massofmen]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 3:28pm

thats another $75.00 review

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 3:34pm

Beetlejuice: "It wasn’t nearly the disaster I was expecting!"

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 5:40pm

I actually enjoyed the show a lot. I saw it from the orchestra, but I'd like to see it again from the mezzanine.

I will say that anyone with astigmatism should be wary of the pre-show and intermission lights/haze. The resulting halos I experienced were awful. It cleared up once the show started, but it was back again at intermission.

Updated On: 4/19/19 at 05:40 PM

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 5:49pm

It will be interesting to see what stars and celebrities show up next week for the Official Opening Night performance. Any guesses?

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 4/19/19 at 7:40pm

To help the production with pull quotes, here are some more highlights from this thread:

“Projections: the best part of the show.”

“The show is far from perfect, but if you go in with an open mind, I think this show really works.”

“...anyone with astigmatism should be wary of the pre-show and intermission lights/haze.”

“...it is just stupid fun.”

“Lots of fluff, very little substance, but a ton of fun.”

“Beetlejuice is practically Hamilton compared with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

“Saw it today - ugh, I don't know what to think.”

“I saw this last weekend and agree pretty much...it wasn't great, but it's Beetlejuice...”

“this wasn't even the worst musical of the season...!”

“I was stunned by the ovation for the first number.”

 

Updated On: 4/19/19 at 07:40 PM

[Skarkster]

Posted: 4/20/19 at 1:50pm

How has the stage door been? Does anybody know if the cast has been SD’ing after the Wednesday matinee’s?

Thanks!

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 4/20/19 at 2:01pm

Skarkster said: "How has the stage door been? Does anybody know if the cast has been SD’ing after the Wednesday matinee’s?

Thanks!"

Consistent with the production itself, stage door for this show works best if you go in with low expectations, enjoy projections, and don’t have astigmatism. It definitely won’t be the worst stage door you’ve ever attended. Compared to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory stagedoor, this stage door is Hamilton. 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/21/19 at 1:06am

The past seasons have shown that people want new and interesting stories so.. don’t get this. No regional theater is doing this.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 4/21/19 at 8:54am

If I have epilepsy but haven't had a seizure in a long time, would you still recommend staying away from this show because of the strobe? 

[sweaterbox]

Posted: 4/21/19 at 9:20am

magictodo123 said: "If I have epilepsy but haven't had a seizure in a long time, would you still recommend staying away from this show because of the strobe?"

Honestly, this is one you might want to skip. There are moving lights from the second you walk into the theater through when you leave, and it doesn’t stop at intermission. I was Orch Center row O and by intermission I was so nauseous I had to get a soda and find a non-crazy light place to stand just to make it through the show and am not usually bothered. 

I’m certainly not an expert on your condition but could see this be triggering. Would see if the show addresses in their FAQ section, or possibly could be better in the mezz.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 4/21/19 at 9:22am

magictodo123 said: "If I have epilepsy but haven't had a seizure in a long time, would you still recommend staying away from this show because of the strobe?"

My mom is epileptic and I wouldn’t recommend you attending. The risk/reward ratio suggests it just isn’t worth it.  

 

[magictodo123]

Posted: 4/21/19 at 9:33am

Miles2Go2 said: "magictodo123 said: "If I have epilepsy but haven't had a seizure in a long time, would you still recommend staying away from this show because of the strobe?"

My mom is epileptic and I wouldn’t recommend youattending.The risk/rewardratio suggests it just isn’t worth it.

I was considering rushing this, but after the last two comments, I think this is one I'll be skipping. Thank you so much for your input!