"Bullets Over Broadway" Previews- Page 11

[SweetLips]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 1:01am

Wasn't an early Woody Allen film Bananas--maybe it was a reference to that?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 1:07am

Are they selling/seating the balcony for this?

[binau]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 2:45am

Not to start something, but how many performance has Marin missed?

[Melissa25]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 8:24am

I finally got to see this last Tuesday and was underwhelmed. Needs trimming big time. The first act doesn't seem to end and those awful St. James seats are tough. I had been psyched about this show and had scouted with discount codes several times but always gave up because it always seemed any seat that would come up using the code was crap. I am now glad I just waited and luckily scored mezzanine seats with TDF.
Note to producers: you could have had me pay more for Orch if you would have just included more (any) orch options with your discounts for previews. No second chances though as this will not be on my repeat list.

Ashmanskas, Wolfe and Cordero were the highlight along with sets, costumes and choreography.
Braff just doesn't have the charisma to keep me invested. I was so disappointed not to see Marin. Janet Dickinson did a good job. My partner thought she was Swoozie Kurtz.

As others have mentioned, it lacked edge. This show pales dismally when compared to Nice Work. I'll even risk the potential abuse and say that I had a better time at Big Fish.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 5:30pm

Do not feel bad 're Big Fish. My wife and I loved it as did many people we knew who saw it.Got a bum rap and deserved a better fate.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 7:11pm

I found it more entertaining than Big Fish simply because Big Fish had no plot or driving force. At least with Bullets you were (or at least I was) curious to see how it all would play out - having not seen the film for either of these.

I agree with your comment about Braff. At first I thought he was fine but as his character got more and more frayed he just became a hot mess and not interesting. I didn't really get why his gf ran back to him at the end. I don't feel like there was any moment of "Oh, that's why I love him." Maybe there once was a scene and it got cut, I don't know.

I think that Lazy River song was probably the worst of the bunch, or maybe the Act 2 opening. They both lacked any oomph. And the tap dancing gangsters was great, but it felt like it was the end of an Act. It was a high point, I think for the audience, so it was work to keep going.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 7:12pm

Big Fish had no plot ????????

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 10:43pm

That's what I said.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 11:05pm

If you say so.

Totally disagree. Think this comes as a surprise to those who said it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/29/14 at 11:29pm

It's just a series of myths and then the son being all like "My dad is lying to me" and then, of course, you find out he isn't. There's not really a massive plot. It's more of a character-study, character-driven piece. Which works well in book form, and maybe in movie form, but it's tough on stage. Kind of like Alice-in-Wonderland. She meets a lot of interesting people, but there's not really a forward moving momentum. Whereas with Bullets there is a plot. He writes a play. The mob produces it. Insanity ensues.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 5:39pm

Of course, 'Big Fish' has a plot. And arguably it has too much plot. But the driving force is the son's need to understand his father: What were all those myths about? Were they the truth? It's a detective story. Each 'interesting' character is a piece of the puzzle who leads to the finale. Now I think the story could've used a little trimming (and some say the same about 'Bullets'), but it's silly to think 'Big Fish' had no plot.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 6:06pm

Thank you.

The defense rests.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 7:18pm

Sure, he's trying to understand his father. I said that, but the way the story was framed: Discovers something about his father. Stop. Musical number. Another book scene where he gets frustrated by his Dad. Stop. Musical number. There wasn't much of a driving force.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 7:44pm

Regardless, both Big Fish and Bullets Over Broadway were mediocre and seem only movies turned into musicals to make money and not really about the artistry of theater. I thought Bullets was a bit more entertaining than Big Fish, which doesn't say much at all. I am still grieving over the time and money I spent on both. Both shows were worthless, shows with no soul, no magic. The best advice I can give anyone is to save their time and money and skip Bullets Over Broadway.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 7:53pm

Are you related to Ben Brantley?

You could fill in for him when he goes on vacation.

Just curious, what was the last musical you liked?

Updated On: 3/30/14 at 07:53 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/30/14 at 8:49pm

Cinderella

[bstoll1]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 12:28pm

Bullets is back on TDF for all shows through Thursday.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 12:34pm

"I am still grieving over the time and money I spent on both. Both shows were worthless, shows with no soul, no magic."

Wow.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 12:39pm

I think it would surprise those who saw both shows.

He makes Brantley look like the voice of reason.I guess the investors in both shows missed this.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 1:11pm

Is Marin back?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 1:14pm

Seeing it tonight.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 1:54pm

Thanks for the info, bstolle1! Can anyone tell me where the tdf tickets have generally been located? I planned to rush on Tuesday morning but if I can sleep in and just pay a few extra $ for a TDF seat I'd be more than okay with that. The only reason I'd choose rush over this is because I can probably get there early enough for the front row rush, but If the TDF seats have been worth it, I'm goin for it.

[marknyc]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 2:02pm

Saw it last week and thought it was reasonably fun. Not great, but enjoyable.

Then I went home and watched the movie again, and WOW! It's hard to state how much the show pales in comparison. None of the performances come remotely close to those of the film. I had forgotten how good John Cusack was in the film - he makes Zach Braff look like he's sleepwalking. I knew no one could touch Diane Wiest, but I was surprised at how much everyone in the film far surpasses the Broadway cast.

How could this be, with Woody so involved in this production? I've heard that Woody doesn't really direct his actors that much - he does perfect casting and then lets them go off on their own. Only if they're not getting it does he step in and ask for something more.

Perhaps he didn't want to step on Stroman's toes or perhaps he was just too intimidated by Broadway - he says as much in the New Yorker article below. In the article, it's clear that Stroman focuses on mechanics to the detriment of the performances. It's all about the sets and the movement, not about milking these great roles for all they're worth. Huge mistake.

Another huge mistake: dropping the final confrontation with Flender, and the wonderful ending line, "I'm not an artist." That moment is truly profound in the film, but I don't even recall it from the play.


New Yorker excerpt Updated On: 3/31/14 at 02:02 PM

[rocker05]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 2:08pm

I went to the Wednesday matinee last week and my TDF seat was Center Orchestra Row S. Great seat!

[broadfan327]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 2:23pm

My TDF single ticket last Tuesday night was back of the right orchestra, a couple of rows in from the exit. The view was fine.