#26
Posted: 11/30/11 at 10:44am
CATSNYrevival, out of curiosity, which songs from the La Jolla version moved the plot...?
Bonnie in search of her Clyde ! — Page 2
#27
Posted: 11/30/11 at 12:50pm
This thresd's title "Bonnie in search of her Clyde" made me think about the strange attraction some young women have for bad bad boys, like the song says "you make me feel so good".
#28
Posted: 11/30/11 at 1:38pm
Not only is this show dull, it's a stupid, mindless pop/romantic simplification of what was, in real life, a fascinating and complex story of two relatively psychopathic people.
#29
Posted: 11/30/11 at 1:59pm
CATSNYrevival, out of curiosity, which songs from the La Jolla version moved the plot...?
I would argue that there were only a few songs in La Jolla that didn’t move the plot. Obviously, that would be open to interpretation as not everyone would agree, but there were far less "park and bark" ballads in La Jolla which I definitely think helped to move the show along at a much faster pace. I'm not going to attempt to touch on all of them here, but in my opinion most of the cut songs were plot songs. "Short Order World" was simple, fast paced, and it made clear Bonnie's desire to get out of Dallas and have more without wasting time on a shoot out prologue and a young Bonnie and Clyde.
"The Long Arm of the Law" was all plot. It was spliced with a few book scenes and it made the first act more suspenseful by shedding more light on the Sheriff investigation, how they presented information to the press, and how close they were to finding Clyde and Buck and getting them back in jail. If they had just cut the endless reprises of this song throughout the show the one wouldn't have been so bad. It certainly does more for the plot than "When I Drive."
"This Never Happened Before" was actually a book song instead of the way "How 'Bout a Dance" just emerges as Clyde asking Bonnie to sing something. The song was gorgeous with a beautiful lyric and it set up the foundation for their relationship a lot better than what is now, basically, a sort of jukebox musical moment. This song, more than any other, is the main reason I believe Broadway audiences are being a bit cheated. Bonnie and Clyde without this song was a terrible idea. I suspect the only reason they cut it was because it touched briefly on Clyde's alleged impotence and they seem not to have wanted to focus too much on that for Broadway.
I know I'll probably be murdered for this, but while "That's What You'd Call a Dream" is a beautiful song and Melissa van der Schyff certainly gives a great performance of it, the song it replaced which was a reprise of "You’re Goin' Back to Jail" now titled "You’re Not Goin' Back to Jail" definitely emerged a bit more as a furthering of the plot and it did what my favorite reprises tend to do which was to briefly sing a song again with some of the same lyrics, but this time the song had a completely different meaning than it did the first time we heard it. The first time she sang it she wanted him to go back to jail so that they could start over the right way. This time she was in too deep and determined to keep him out of jail in order to preserve any semblance of a life that they had left and that, in my opinion, was almost more heartbreaking than the pretty ballad.
I would argue that there were only a few songs in La Jolla that didn’t move the plot. Obviously, that would be open to interpretation as not everyone would agree, but there were far less "park and bark" ballads in La Jolla which I definitely think helped to move the show along at a much faster pace. I'm not going to attempt to touch on all of them here, but in my opinion most of the cut songs were plot songs. "Short Order World" was simple, fast paced, and it made clear Bonnie's desire to get out of Dallas and have more without wasting time on a shoot out prologue and a young Bonnie and Clyde.
"The Long Arm of the Law" was all plot. It was spliced with a few book scenes and it made the first act more suspenseful by shedding more light on the Sheriff investigation, how they presented information to the press, and how close they were to finding Clyde and Buck and getting them back in jail. If they had just cut the endless reprises of this song throughout the show the one wouldn't have been so bad. It certainly does more for the plot than "When I Drive."
"This Never Happened Before" was actually a book song instead of the way "How 'Bout a Dance" just emerges as Clyde asking Bonnie to sing something. The song was gorgeous with a beautiful lyric and it set up the foundation for their relationship a lot better than what is now, basically, a sort of jukebox musical moment. This song, more than any other, is the main reason I believe Broadway audiences are being a bit cheated. Bonnie and Clyde without this song was a terrible idea. I suspect the only reason they cut it was because it touched briefly on Clyde's alleged impotence and they seem not to have wanted to focus too much on that for Broadway.
I know I'll probably be murdered for this, but while "That's What You'd Call a Dream" is a beautiful song and Melissa van der Schyff certainly gives a great performance of it, the song it replaced which was a reprise of "You’re Goin' Back to Jail" now titled "You’re Not Goin' Back to Jail" definitely emerged a bit more as a furthering of the plot and it did what my favorite reprises tend to do which was to briefly sing a song again with some of the same lyrics, but this time the song had a completely different meaning than it did the first time we heard it. The first time she sang it she wanted him to go back to jail so that they could start over the right way. This time she was in too deep and determined to keep him out of jail in order to preserve any semblance of a life that they had left and that, in my opinion, was almost more heartbreaking than the pretty ballad.
Updated On: 11/30/11 at 01:59 PM
#30
Posted: 11/30/11 at 2:04pm
"A lot of the events in the musical are true, they just fudged them a little, I'm assuming so the show won't run for four hours"
This is the same thing with SCOTTSBORO BOYS. If you go and watch the PBS documentary about them you'll see how much was "altered" for the musical. It's interesting.
This is the same thing with SCOTTSBORO BOYS. If you go and watch the PBS documentary about them you'll see how much was "altered" for the musical. It's interesting.
#31
Posted: 11/30/11 at 6:44pm
One of the biggest issues for me was that the women dominated in this production. Both Bonnie and Blanche are given better music to sing, and ideally better scene stealing moments. It throws off the balance of the musical, hence the title of my post.
Again, it's not a bad show. Just not a very good one.
Again, it's not a bad show. Just not a very good one.
#32
Posted: 11/30/11 at 6:51pm
Ha - that's what I thought after the show as well CukorLover.. Should've been called Bonnie & Blanche!
#33
Posted: 11/30/11 at 7:03pm
I'm curious to know, now that I've seen this show, how did the show start in La Jolla? It just opened with Bonnie singing Short Order World? How did the show end? Did they show their ambush at the end, if they didn't show it in the opening? I love that opening, I think it's really strong. It def gets everyone's attention right off the bat.
I'm curious to hear that reprise of You're Going Back to Jail. I do love This is What I Call A Dream, but that song sounds like a winner too.
How much of the show has changed since La Jolla? Is it a completely new show? I've seen some videos of that production, and the run in FL, it looks like they even have all new costumes. Did Bonnie still wear the costume that is now the logo? I really like the touch that all of the characters are wearing the actual clothes from the pictures.
And IMO, the kids do add something to the show. I think it's important for us to see how Bonnie and Clyde were raised. Clyde was always interested in guns, his dream was to be remembered as an outlaw. And Bonnie wasn't an outlaw, or had any plans to being on. She was just looking for love, and happened to meet the wrong guy. Her story is actually very sad, and I think the musical does a good job as showing how she was a good girl in an uncontrollable situation.
Also, I loved the use of Young Clyde coming out the first time Clyde shot someone, and again when the shootout scene froze in the second act. I thought both of those moments were very powerful. It feels like Clyde was regretting his life, and he was telling his younger self to not become this - although we know it's too late for him, his fate is sealed.
I'm curious to hear that reprise of You're Going Back to Jail. I do love This is What I Call A Dream, but that song sounds like a winner too.
How much of the show has changed since La Jolla? Is it a completely new show? I've seen some videos of that production, and the run in FL, it looks like they even have all new costumes. Did Bonnie still wear the costume that is now the logo? I really like the touch that all of the characters are wearing the actual clothes from the pictures.
And IMO, the kids do add something to the show. I think it's important for us to see how Bonnie and Clyde were raised. Clyde was always interested in guns, his dream was to be remembered as an outlaw. And Bonnie wasn't an outlaw, or had any plans to being on. She was just looking for love, and happened to meet the wrong guy. Her story is actually very sad, and I think the musical does a good job as showing how she was a good girl in an uncontrollable situation.
Also, I loved the use of Young Clyde coming out the first time Clyde shot someone, and again when the shootout scene froze in the second act. I thought both of those moments were very powerful. It feels like Clyde was regretting his life, and he was telling his younger self to not become this - although we know it's too late for him, his fate is sealed.
#34
Posted: 11/30/11 at 7:11pm
In La Jolla the show opened with the piano playing "How 'Bout a Dance" the same way it is on Broadway, but there was no shoot out prologue. The music lead straight into a scene with Bonnie and her mother where she read one of Bonnie's poems, became upset with the content and then shoveled her off to work. That scene led into Bonnie singing "Short Order World" and the scenery shifting to Charlie's Cafe. There was no young Bonnie and Clyde.
A lot of the show has changed. Some of the costumes have, indeed, changed and lot of the book has been heavily revised. Sometimes, for the better, and other times not so much.
A lot of the show has changed. Some of the costumes have, indeed, changed and lot of the book has been heavily revised. Sometimes, for the better, and other times not so much.
#35
Posted: 12/1/11 at 12:58am
I love the kids in the show.
They are the heart of the show and they show how are dreams and desires are formed at young age... and how we use them to formulate our adult lives.
I Find the use of young Bonnie and young Clyde a great device to get us to care about the characters and understand them better.
For example, as a kid I worshipped Gene Kelly and Gwen Verdon and I opted for a dance /theatre career. Bonnie wanted to be Clara Bow and gain attention.
Clyde wanted to be Billy the Kid.
I found it fascinating how media personalities shape our future. It was certainly true in my case and in the case of many of my friends.
They are the heart of the show and they show how are dreams and desires are formed at young age... and how we use them to formulate our adult lives.
I Find the use of young Bonnie and young Clyde a great device to get us to care about the characters and understand them better.
For example, as a kid I worshipped Gene Kelly and Gwen Verdon and I opted for a dance /theatre career. Bonnie wanted to be Clara Bow and gain attention.
Clyde wanted to be Billy the Kid.
I found it fascinating how media personalities shape our future. It was certainly true in my case and in the case of many of my friends.
#36
Posted: 12/1/11 at 1:07am
Exactly, goldenboy. You said what I was trying to say in a less complicated way. :P
I also love the motivation for Bonnie when she decides to help Clyde with the first stick up - she could do it because she saw Clara Bow do it in a movie. I don't think that part would have as much of an impact if we didn't see her as a kid singing about how she wants to be her when she grows up. I think those dreams as a kid is something everyone can relate to. It does humanize both Bonnie and Clyde, it's clever.
I also love the motivation for Bonnie when she decides to help Clyde with the first stick up - she could do it because she saw Clara Bow do it in a movie. I don't think that part would have as much of an impact if we didn't see her as a kid singing about how she wants to be her when she grows up. I think those dreams as a kid is something everyone can relate to. It does humanize both Bonnie and Clyde, it's clever.
#37
Posted: 12/1/11 at 1:36am
I completely disagree with you Cukor...this show is great! Mark my words, this is definitely going to be a hit on Broadway. By the way, the score is amazing!
#38
Posted: 12/1/11 at 10:25am
"Bonnie wanted to be Clara Bow and gain attention.
Clyde wanted to be Billy the Kid."
In the musical, yes. In real life, not so much. Bonnie definitely wanted to escape West Dallas and be a famous actress, but she was very much an attention whore and had no qualms about getting involved with Clyde. She was also a bit of drama queen, which probably wouldn't come across well on stage.
Clyde, like most boys of the era, grew up watching westerns and therefore emulated Billy the Kid and Jesse James when playing. However, he didn't aspire to be either of them (at least not while gorwing up). He did, however, want to be successful, and held a series of jobs. But in West Dallas, it was virtually impossible to change classes. There was no mobility, and it, along with a few bad influences, brought Clyde to petty theft and car theft.
Clyde wanted to be Billy the Kid."
In the musical, yes. In real life, not so much. Bonnie definitely wanted to escape West Dallas and be a famous actress, but she was very much an attention whore and had no qualms about getting involved with Clyde. She was also a bit of drama queen, which probably wouldn't come across well on stage.
Clyde, like most boys of the era, grew up watching westerns and therefore emulated Billy the Kid and Jesse James when playing. However, he didn't aspire to be either of them (at least not while gorwing up). He did, however, want to be successful, and held a series of jobs. But in West Dallas, it was virtually impossible to change classes. There was no mobility, and it, along with a few bad influences, brought Clyde to petty theft and car theft.
#39
Posted: 12/1/11 at 8:05pm
Right, and once he'd committed his first petty crime that he got caught for, the police would constantly suspect him and often take him away from his work to interview him. So after that, even when Clyde wanted to go straight he couldn't.
According to the author of Go Down Together, anyway.
According to the author of Go Down Together, anyway.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
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