Bombay Dreams

[mominator]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 6:48am

Has anyone seen this in previews yet? My husband and I are trying to fill out our May trip, and we are hoping that a better name for this this show won't be "Bollywood Nightmare" So any help would be great good, bad indifferent

[absolutely fabulous]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 9:14am

Bombay Dreams is supposed to be amazing! I know someone that is going to London to see it in a few days. The music is incredible. Really different but i think it would be worth seeing.

[mominator]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 9:19am

Love that pic ab fab!!!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 10:31am

Is there really water that sprays up through the stage and gets the performers all wet? I saw it on the TVs outside the Broadway Theatre. I think all theatres should have those TVs outside.

[JaiMonster]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 11:54am

I saw Bombay Dreams a few weeks ago and over all I did not like it. However I can see this show doing well with tourists or anyone who is just looking for fluff and a good time. The sets are over the top and amazing, the costumes are great, the choreography is fierce, the lighting is great and the music/score is great! The show falls apart with its weak and predictable book and its uncertainty and confusion of presenting Bollywood/ Indian culture to an American audience. I found most of the acting to be awful and actors were singing entire songs off pitch, in the wrong key and missing notes!
It is true that there is one stand out "eye candy" scene called "Shakalaka Baby" where there is a fountain on stage that the actors are dancing in and getting all wet (and when I say wet, I mean WET!!). This part was truly incredible and was the best part of the show, but these 4min couldn’t save the show for me. The actor who plays Sweetie was a stand out performance in the show and will probably get a Tony nomination also.
Once again, the show is what the average musical theatre go-er wants and what tourist pay big bucks to see and in that aspect the show is extremely fulfilling!
Enjoy!!

Jai

[absolutely fabulous]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 12:03pm

Thanks! I'm a huge absolutely fabulous fan.

[mominator]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 12:32pm

Your welcome ab fab!! and Thanks JaiMonster!!I had a feeling that from the reviews from London this show could be a "Bollywood goes Broadway" thing. I have to admit I have never sat through an entire Indian movie because I just don't "get it"But I am getting great feed back ! So keep it coming folks.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 1:46pm

I am looking forward to seeing this show. I know I better go soon cause this could go one way or another. Big Hit or Bollywood Bomb!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 2:02pm

Based on a preview 3 weeks ago which, granted, is a long time:
Some, but not all, good songs;
Talented cast;
Good costumes and lighting;
Not unwatchable.

The book is badly plotted and then badly written. Trite;
The choreography is uninspired; I couldn't tell if it was directed at all
It does not look like 14 million ought to look;
There is no "Wow!" factor.
A guilty pleasure without the pleasure.
This is proported to be a Bollywood movie musical on stage, but we don't know what a Bollywood opus is, then the show becomes merely bad

The running costs are probably very high.
The show has an advance but not a huge one and needs great reviews and a great commercial to get a run. I wish them well.

[lc1965]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 10:14pm

They've made a ton of changes in the last 3 weeks, incl. cutting almost 15 minutes. That's good because it was sort of repetitious. It's very lush & beautiful to look at. I find that the lack of English lyrics in so many of the songs adversely affects my ability to relate to the emotions they're trying to put forward. Having said that, they get a huge ovation pretty much every night.

[alwy15]

Posted: 4/27/04 at 10:29pm

i saw the very first preview of the show, so i had one of the first perspectives, though my view could be slightely out of date since the show is constantly changing during the preview period. the show felt like a bad road show. im sure its going to be a hit, though, so i dont feel badly for speaking poorly about it. the acting was for the most part lousy. the story and some of the staging and specifically some dialogue was extremey ridiculous. there seemed to be that dance of the vampires element in there -where they were making it funny just for american audiences. when i saw it, i sat next to a man who had seen it several times in london and was a fan of the london production. he said that it was a drama in london, and they added all of these jokes to "americanize" it, and he was right.. because you had a serious (but mediocre) plot, with some serious moments, and then ridiculous jokes. for instance, i remember one joke that i just cringed at - when the secondary characters are urging the lead to continue with his dreams (after he solves one of the problems) and get the girl, he says "that's right! its not the final scene yet!" (or something along those lines.... but it was just bad. i was shocked that thomas meehan wrote such a stupid show. the acting, im sure has improved. i saw the first preview, ya know? the music was UGLY and none of the songs soar. they all just get soft and trail off at the end leaving the audience unsatisfied. this will probably be a hit with the masses, though. it seemed like another cats to me - but not THAT bad. i do wish this show the best, though, and im sure that it has improved since the first preview.... i am anxious to hear what the response is when it opens.