BROOKLYN the musical: Your Thoughts

[americanboy99]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 4:48pm

What were your thoughts on BROOKLYN the musical? Do you think it deserved any Tony nominations? Do you think Ramona Keller deserved an award?


Discuss.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 4:50pm

OHEMGEE.

I cannot believe that BKLYN didn't get any nominations!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:00pm

It wasn't a very good show.

To get people talking, he publicity team sent around CD samplers which, wisely, contained the 4 best songs from the score. Nothing else from the score stood out, in fact the show, as a whole, was pretty banal and unmemorable.

I could go into what was wrong, but I don't have the time.

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:00pm

It was fun. NOT Tony worthy. It definatly wasnt the worst thing to ever hit the stage. It had a good run for what it was and I can't wait to see some more incarnations of it either tour (they were trying too?) or at local theatres.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:01pm

To me, every song just tried to be a showstopper, which, in turn, made every song not a showstopper.

[Iittle_miss_elphie]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:06pm

I LOVED BKLYN!!
I saw it twice on broadway. Eden Espinosa has one of the best voices i have ever heard. Ramona was just brilliant. She puts so much emotion in her songs. She was robbed by not getting a nomination. Cleavent Derriks (spelling?) was also amazing. I love his Magic Man song. He should have gotten a nom too.

I saw it @ the bushnell in hartford, ct over the summer. It was okay. Diana DeGarmo is no Eden Espinosa. Diana did an ok job.
Melba Moore was dreadful as Paradice. Thank god Cleavent was in it. It made the show like 10x better.

I don't understand why people didn't like this show! I LOVE IT! I still listen to the soundtrack about once a week.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:14pm

Brooklyn, to this day remains my favorite musical. But please, be very careful with this subject because people on this board do not respond well to it. If you wish to see others thoughts just go and search :)

[Elphie3]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:16pm

I have such mixed feelings about this show. I wanted it to work. I really did. I was rooting for it all the way. But it just didn't quite cut it. I feel like it has potential, like if someone could "doctor it up" (you know, like that's realistic) it could be great. But at this point, I think it was the right call for it not to get any Tonys (though I did think they would throw it a bone with a nom. for SOMETHING just to support the fact that it was really one of the only truly original musicals out there - not that that should be a reason, but still...)

[myManCape]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:17pm

I am defiantly in the minority on this board when I say that I really enjoyed Brooklyn. The score was admittedly very average, but the cast was fantastic. Karen Olivo, Ramona Keller and Eden Espinosa were the stand outs. The idea its self was very original, to have street performers, a NYC staple, act out a modern love story. As far as Tony noms go, I was very surprised and a little upset that Tobin Ost’s costumes did not warrant a nomination.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:21pm

I saw it when it world premiered here in Denver. Twice. I enjoyed the music, cute show. Interesting costumes. But I don't think it should have gone to Broadway. The theatre it played in here, The Civic, was a very small theatre. And it worked in that space. If anything, it should have just gone to Off-Broadway. JMO

[dutch46mill2]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:36pm

Lo miss Elphie Diana did a great job in Brooklyn if you recall she was sick when she was in Hartford and they lowered the bar on the high notes. Atlanta and all the rest of the stops she was hitting E flats. There are threads in this message board that totally disagree with you. Your comment did have a bashing nature. Your a newbie and I suspect you are one of the first of Fantasia's Diana bashers over from American Idol Message boards. Yes, It still goes on folks. Wait till you see this bunch.
Updated On: 3/16/07 at 05:36 PM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:43pm

I would have given the show a BEST COSTUME and BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (for Keller) nomination?

You?

[bwaydoc]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 5:48pm

dutch, I think that's just a little paranoid. She wasn't bashing Diana, just saying she did ok but didn't compare to Eden. She's allowed to have her own opinion. I happen to agree with her and have heard the same opinion from other people. I don't think there's any need to bring something totally unrelated (American Idol) into it.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 6:37pm

It had a pretty good score. Well, I guess I mean it had some good numbers.

To me standouts were:

ONCE UPON A TIME
RAVEN
NOT A SOUND
I NEVER KNEW HIS NAME

However, I wish Espinosa would have held back the whole way through on I NEVER KNEW HIS NAME. That loud belty bit was unnecessary.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 6:43pm

I loved the show. I thought it was extremely innovative and the cast was amazing. It probably would have done better off- broadway though.

Costumes should have gotten nominated.

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 6:49pm

Definitely nowhere near my favorite. It was okay. It tried too hard to be serious and make a point and didn't follow through in the end. Good performances though. I actually liked some of the songs musically, but lyrically they left a lot to be desired.

For the record, I enjoyed Diana's Brooklyn vocals more than Eden's, but think Eden is the better actress. In any case, everyone is entitled to their own opinion...

Posted: 3/16/07 at 7:02pm

I loved it, but I felt wouldn't make money...

[justafan2]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:08pm

IMO, the story was ok, but the cast was fabulous! Eden and Ramona were just amazing. I saw it twice---definitely enjoyed it more the second time.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:13pm

All I gotta say is, if I'm having a bad day, I put on a little "Brooklyn Grew Up" and sing into my hairbrush along with it. That song cracks me up.

That probably isn't the intent of the song but I find it hysterical when she's like

"DADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY*
*intake of breath, belts even louder*
"DAAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY"

I only saw the show once and I didn't think it was fabulous, but it was certainly... interesting. That's for sure.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:15pm

I didn't even find it "interesting", it was more like a waste of time and money. I really couldn't wait till it was over.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:29pm

Whatever happened to the 2007 tour? Was that cancelled?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:47pm

I saw it twice. Enjoyed it immensely the first time (it was one of those "so bad it's good" shows for me), a little less the second time. I still bought the CD, but rarely listen to it.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:49pm

I still can't believe that it wasn't nominated for costumes!

[Liverpool]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 8:57pm

I enjoyed it.

That being said, it wasn't good.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/16/07 at 9:13pm

While the style was interesting, the script had holes you could drive a truck through. It was off-Broadway material at best and probably would have had a decent run had it played there.