Be More Chill Off-Broadway Official Thread- Page 6

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/27/18 at 11:23pm

So, 5 pages in and only one review of the actual show? So, Imma pass. 

[yesraccoons]

Posted: 7/28/18 at 9:48am

Has anyone won the lottery yet?

[thealtoslament]

Posted: 7/28/18 at 9:56pm

Anyone there last night or tonight? 

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 7:52am

I went last night, and honestly, the crowd was fine. I would say it skewed younger overall, but there were certainly plenty of adults in attendance (and not just parents). There were a couple of times when the audience got a little too excited, but it wasn't anything like I was expecting after seeing this thread. I didn't see any of singing along or dancing that was mentioned here. I saw a few head bobs, but that was it.

I actually really enjoyed the show and had a great time. Several members of that cast are huge talents. The standouts for me were Jason Tam, Will Roland, Gerard Canonico, and Tiffany Mann. I thought everyone was great, though. They're energetic and seem to be loving their time on stage.

I was familiar with the music but nothing beyond that. It was silly and leaves a lot of disbelief to be suspended, but it's a sci-fi comedy that clearly isn't trying to take itself too seriously. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking to just have fun and to enjoy some actors who really do seem to be having the time of their lives.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 9:19am

With this shows loyal stans, the first preview was bound to be rowdy. I imagine opening night's going to be a pretty rough, too. But I don't think people should avoid the show because of that. Give the cast recording a listen and see if the show might interest you. I'm not seeing it because I only really enjoy "Michael in the Bathroom," but I work in educational theater and know plenty of people (adults even) who genuinely enjoy the score and concept. The audiences can't be any worse than the height of the Rentheads.

[Loengard]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 11:47am

I’d love to now steer the discussion to what we actually think about the musical, rather than about the show’s fans (my two cents, it can never be a negative to have ardent fans).

I’m genuinely interested in what you think of the score and lyrics. Personally, I think this is a brilliant score that is much more complex than it at first seems.

Someone for instance pointed out that Christine’s songs never rhyme until she gets squipped - interesting way to showcase a difference in her character both musically and lyrically. The Smartphone Hour must also be one of the more funny recent theatre songs I know. And More Than Survive introduces tons of characters in an organic way.

This for me is the work of a confident composer that is not trying to show off, but writes songs that fit the characters, with words that the characters would actually use. I’m extremely keen to see some of the other works in progress of Joe Iconis - especially the Hunter Thompson musical (the songs that are already out there are magnificent).  

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 2:18pm

Someone for instance pointed out that Christine’s songs never rhyme until she gets squipped - interesting way to showcase a difference in her character both musically and lyrically.

 

Oh, that’s not true. Her songs rhyme from the beginning, unless they’ve totally rewritten the lyrics since the cast recording.

 

[BLs68]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 2:34pm

delete

Updated On: 7/29/18 at 02:34 PM

[Loengard]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 2:44pm

Oh, that’s not true. Her songs rhyme from the beginning, unless they’ve totally rewritten the lyrics since the cast recording.

True - but they never end on a rhyme until she gets « squipped ».

 

[bk]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 3:05pm

This thread has given me a migraine.  Teen gibberish indeed, only I would have hated the bits I've seen and heard of this when I was a teen.  I don't know what's at play here but it's kind of sickening to read about.  Stans?  Squipped?  Is that today's gear and fab?  Obsession is one thing but this thing is in a whole other universe.

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 4:29pm

trentsketch said: "I imagine opening night's going to be a pretty rough, too."

I doubt opening night will be rowdy, given that it is pretty much reserved for the investors in the show which are not likely to be young stans.  

I hear a lot of criticism of this show due to the hyper fan base. I’ve heard the music and have really enjoyed it, and I’m one of the older guys here (though I’ve always been open minded to new music). It’s one of the few cast albums in recent years that I listen to over and over again. I can’t say the same about Waitress, Band’s Visit, and many other popular shows.  I have yet to see an actual performance of the show though, but will in a few weeks - I think I can handle navigating excited fans. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 5:14pm

True - but they never end on a rhyme until she gets « squipped »

Oh, I guess that’s true! It never stuck out to me before. That’s an interesting choice.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 7/29/18 at 6:18pm

In summary if you're too lazy to read the thread: Good show for a fun time until it's fanbase gets to the door.
I do think that the first preview may have been the reason for all of the chaos, considering everybody else here didn't have that issue.
As for the show. The set is a solid duplicate of Dear Evan Hansen, with 3 moving screens and it starts with a bed with an apple laptop on it. And the similarities continue (minus the school, which I think was a lot better). Also the costumes were pretty solid, minus the poor book changes made to cater to the fanbase. I liked the new song, but opinions are very polarized on it. Act two is stronger than act one for sure, and Michael in the Bathroom was pretty solid (other than stomping which kind of broke the mood) unlike in Pants Song where it needs some small changes and it could be a lot better.
All in all, this thread shouldn't turn you off from the show unless you really don't like loud and energetic musicals (SpongeBob and at some points Hansen). The book would've been stronger if it wasn't skewed for the fans to see their favorite pairings (Michael and Jeremy or Rich and Michael).

[Sarah329]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 10:19am

So my friend and I would love to make the Boyf-riends backpacks, but we’re unsure if they changed the backpack colors. If anyone sees the show, would you be kind enough to let me know what color/design they are? We’re not seeing it until Late August so there’s a lot of time to figure it out.

[Skip23]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 1:29pm

And don't forget Rick Unterberg, Piano Bar Host/Pianist extraordinaire at The Townhouse (every Saturday).  He's one of the best in the city.

 

 

[JPeterman]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:41pm

My two teenage girls loved loved loved the show.  And after the show they got programs signed by the entire cast which made the evening even more memorable for them.

Updated On: 7/30/18 at 03:41 PM

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 11:03pm

I'm conflicted with this show. On one hand, I really enjoy the show, and it would be really cool to have a Joe Iconis show transfer to Broadway. On the other hand, this is one of the worst fandoms for a show I've ever seen. Joe Tracz should be able to do whatever he wants with the show, but he's catering to children on the internet who act terrible at the show and make art that borders on LGBT fetishization.

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 7/31/18 at 11:19am

I really don't get that. I saw nothing that was bordering on LGBT fetishism. Maybe I'm not watching this show with the right glasses, but this seems to be blown way out of proportion.

Rich says he's bi at the end of the show, but that was apparently in the original run as well (no idea if it's in the source material novel). He mentions that Michael has been visiting the hospital and asks if he's Jeremy's boyfriend. Michael responds by telling Rich that he'll make someone very happy one day. That's basically it.

Michael has a rainbow patch on his hoodie, but he never says anything about his own sexuality at all. He says he has two moms. The so-called "almost kiss" during Two Player Game is CLEARLY a joke and didn't come off as remotely serious/ pining/ whatever. It was just a funny moment.

Other than that, the only other moment I remember is between two men in the background of the mall (played by Salazar and Canonico, but not meant to be Michael and Rich).

I didn't see anything that came off as pandering or fetishism at all. I'm not really sure why it's being turned into such a huge deal.

Updated On: 7/31/18 at 11:19 AM

[S394206H]

Posted: 7/31/18 at 7:18pm

herewegoabc said: "I really don't get that. I saw nothing that was bordering on LGBT fetishism. Maybe I'm not watching this show with the right glasses, but this seems to be blown way out of proportion.

Rich says he's bi at the end of the show, but that was apparently in the original run as well (no idea if it's in the source material novel). He mentions that Michael has been visiting the hospital and asks if he's Jeremy's boyfriend. Michael responds by telling Rich that he'll make someone very happy one day. That's basically it.

Michael has a rainbow patch on his hoodie, but he never says anything about his own sexuality at all. He says he has two moms. The so-called "almost kiss" during Two Player Game is CLEARLY a joke and didn't come off as remotely serious/ pining/ whatever. It was just a funny moment.

Other than that, the only other moment I remember is between two men in the background of the mall (played by Salazar and Canonico, but not meant to be Michael and Rich).

I didn't see anything that came off as pandering or fetishism at all. I'm not really sure why it's being turned into such a huge deal."

I don't think it's the show itself the fetishizes the LGBT+ community, but rather the fanbase and they way they interpret the material and the LGBT+ references in the show. Many fans have taken the examples you listed above as "confirmation" of their favorite characters' relationships/sexualities and have lauded these small details as the pinnacle of LGBT+ representation in modern theatre, which they are very much not. None of these details advance the plot or contribute to anyone's characterization, they're put in the story purely to satisfy the type of fan I mentioned before.

[Sarah329]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 3:42pm

Has anyone won the lottery yet? Also, has the stagedoor still been as hectic as it was at the first preview?

[IlanaKeller]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 5:26pm

Sarah329 said: "Has anyone won the lottery yet? Also, has the stagedoor still been as hectic as it was at the first preview?"

 

Stagedoor (and audience behavior) were fine on Saturday night. I was standing down at the end, so it's possible it was a little more crazy closer to the theater door, but some folks started down on the far end as well. No one was screaming/pushing that I know of. 

 

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 6:06pm

I was on the other end (by the door) Saturday night, and it was fine. People were excited, but no one was shoving, trampling, etc. Everyone was really nice, passing up Playbills, letting people up if they wanted selfies, etc. All of the actors came out and signed, and I didn't see anyone get turned down for a picture, either. It was a nice audience and super nice actors.

Updated On: 8/1/18 at 06:06 PM

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 6:38pm

Sarah329 said: "Has anyone won the lottery yet? Also, has the stagedoor still been as hectic as it was at the first preview?"

I have not, but my friend did win over the weekend.  Pics look like front row side. Crossing my fingers I'm a winner too!

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 8/1/18 at 11:42pm

So I'm looking on the ticket's website for a friend and... all tickets got their prices raised by $10 it seems, and out of all 4 pages of performances, there are only 15 left (all weekdays towards the end of the run) that aren't sold out. I genuinely think this has a possibility of transferring or extending... thoughts? Even StubHub has $10,000 resell tickets. I have never seen an example of a fandom so energized that propel a show to Broadway? Everything about this situation is unheard of 10 years ago.

[Gink]

Posted: 8/2/18 at 12:39am

dearalanaaaa said: "So I'm looking on the ticket's website for a friend and... all tickets got their prices raised by $10 it seems, and out of all 4 pages of performances, there are only 15 left (all weekdays towards the end of the run) that aren't sold out. I genuinely think this has a possibility of transferring or extending... thoughts? Even StubHubhas $10,000 resell tickets. I have never seen an example of a fandom so energized that propel a show to Broadway? Everything about this situation is unheard of 10 years ago."

I have tickets for later in the month,but saw it at a local college--we liked it. Unless they really changed things up a lot, I'd be surprised if this heads to Broadway. I really do like some of the songs but the book--meh. Heathers was much a better teen/high school show imo. Perhaps I am underestimating the fandom but from what I saw at Sacred Heart U it was not a great show--fun, not great.