Best times to catch Ripley (and not Pearl) in the N2N Tour- Page 4

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 6:41pm

Sorry, it won't let me edit my previous post.

Everything was definitely sped up. The tension in the transition between It's Gonna Be Good (Reprise) and Why Stay/A Promise was gone because there was no silence. It didn't work. With the exception of Shannon Ford (the drummer Ripley's husband), I found the musicians to be significantly weaker than on Broadway.

[littlegreen2]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 6:49pm

They don't have a full touring orchestra - They acquire all of the string instruments from the areas they are touring in. So basically, the quality of the orchestra is entirely dependent on the area they are in. I was told that the strings were the best in Des Moines so far which had a lot to do with the acoustics of the theatre, I guess.

[littlebutterfly10]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 7:07pm

Qolbinau, I did notice the harpsichord sound during "My Psychopharmcologist and I" instead of a piano. I prefer the piano, I guess, but other than noticing the different sound, it didn't bother me.

As far as the tempo being sped up, I think that's largely a tribute to how much time Marin and other members of the closing cast on Broadway took with the material, specifically during "Why Stay/A Promise." After seeing the closing cast a few times and getting used to their rhythm, I did feel that things on tour felt rushed, at times, but I'm not sure it would have bothered me had I not had my experiences at the Booth to compare it with.

[littlegreen2]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 7:21pm

Oh yes, I definitely don't think it would bother a first-timer or someone not familiar with the score but it was just something I noticed. Also, I agree with Elphaba about the transition between It's Gonna Be Good (Reprise) and Why Stay/A Promise. Easily the strongest moment of Marin and Jason's show and I grew attached to it but it's just not there with the touring cast.

Honestly, I could just talk about this show all day but I will stop now, haha.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 7:24pm

When I talked to Marin and Jason they said they had some of the tempos changed and played with the arrangements to better serve their voices. It was one of their provisions of doing the show.

Its amazing that Marin knows her voice so well, she knows what suits it and asks for changes to preserve it. What a pro!

[lakezurich]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 10:35pm

Saw the show on Tuesday and again today. Ripley was in on Tuesday, but she was out for today's Matinee. Being that I saw Ripley on Tuesday, and in New York I wasn't too disappointed with her being out. My friend I went with on the other hand hadn't seen the show previously, and was very disappointed.

That being said she turned to me at intermission and said "Don't tell Alice, but I don't mind that she's out." And I couldn't agree more. Both actresses are great, yes. But, after listening to Ripley's performance on Tuesday, and Pearl's today, Pearl was just a breath of fresh air. That isn't to say Ripley was bad at all. It's just that after performing the role for so long the wear and tear on her voice is quite obvious. And some of the phrasing she has added to her characterization just makes it REALLY difficult to understand at times. And the times in the music the call for singing softly she really wasn't able to pull off either.

But, Pearl on the other hand. You can tell what she is singing, and she hits all the notes. Her voice is just so precise, I really appreciated it after seeing Ripley. And she does a hell of a job acting the role. The only difference here is that Pearl acts the hell out of the role, while Ripley BECOMES Diana. Pearl is GREAT, but Ripley is just on a whole different level.

So, if you are going to be seeing Next To Normal anytime soon, and walk into the theatre and see that Ripley will not be in, do not be disappointed at all! You are in for a treat.

[amn]

Posted: 5/1/11 at 12:55am

Of those who saw it in Chicago, did any of you rush? And was the rush line long? Generally I don't have a problem but I figured it might be different with this show.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:58pm

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2011/05/alice-ripley-proving-a-tad-elusive.html

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 1:09pm

"According to Broadway in Chicago, the show's presenter, Ripley is contracted to perform her demanding role six out of eight weekly performances"

Ah. I wonder if this isn't being done in every market... the pattern makes sense now.

Updated On: 5/4/11 at 01:09 PM

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 1:22pm

"According to Broadway in Chicago, the show's presenter, Ripley is contracted to perform her demanding role six out of eight weekly performances"

Ah. I wonder if this isn't being done in every market... the pattern makes sense now.

Maybe in Chicago but in LA if it was part of her contract that didn't happen. She didn't miss much in L.A. It was in Denver, the second stop and continuing elsewhere where the absences became more frequent.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 2:57pm

Yes, but it seems like that's the pattern... at least 2 performances missed per week. So maybe she IS only contracted for 6 out of 8. But if that's the case, shouldn't Pearl Sun be credited as an alternate, and have set performances rather than these seemingly random days?

It just makes it look like they're doing this under the table to avoid a loss of ticket sales from people who might be going JUST to see Alice.

[littlegreen2]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 3:22pm

I have noticed that Pearl has been going on most Fridays (so if you want to see Alice, avoid Friday performances). Since it has been happening for several weeks now, I definitely think Pearl should be credited as the alternate.

Updated On: 5/4/11 at 03:22 PM

[PurpleFanta]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:27pm

I don't think she's necessarily out every Friday, but it tends to be Fridays so she can save energy for 4 shows in 2 days. I happened to see her on a Friday in Hartford.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:52pm

The buzz at the theatre last night is that Ripley hasn't been back since press night in Chicago. I don't know if that is completely true, but the people next to me tried three different days to catch Ripley in the show and finally resigned to see it last night without her. But they knew she was scheduled to perform a cabaret show Monday night.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 5:48pm

There was an article in the Trib. today that she has been on only TWICE for the Chicago run so far. I find that ridiculous. I feel lucky to have caught her.

[moowithme85]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 5:58pm

You are very lucky to have caught her...she hasn't been on since last Wednesday (a week ago). The article in the Tribune stated that she would be finishing the end of the Chicago leg starting YESTERDAY, but she was again out. It'll be interesting to see if she's on tonight.

[moowithme85]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 5:58pm

You are very lucky to have caught her...she hasn't been on since last Wednesday (a week ago). The article in the Tribune stated that she would be finishing the end of the Chicago leg starting YESTERDAY, but she was again out. It'll be interesting to see if she's on tonight.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 7:01pm

Probably the best time to catch Ripley in the Next to Normal tour is to knock on her hotel room door after 7 PM.