"Bullets Over Broadway" Previews- Page 4

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 7:54am

If Whizzer gets his "theater knowledge" into After Eight's "panic room" without me, there will be hell to pay.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 8:39am

Lol Growl! You know I could never go on an After Eight date without you.

[CoreyRyan3]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 8:47am

The more I think about this show, the less I am seeming to like it. I did like it, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't think it was great. It has its great moments and that's all. Helene York is giving a great performance, there are a few great numbers. But this isn't the new Producers.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 9:14am

After thinking on it, I think my main problem with the show is that it just didn't go for the jugular in any way that I hoped it would. The majority of the performances are fine (if mostly uninspired), the book is sturdy (if overlong and not full with enough laughs), the score is lovely (in a pastiche-y sort of way), and it's all got a glossy, polished Stroman-sheen to it. But none of these aspects are approached from a unique-enough angle or with enough gusto and go-for-broke oomph to make much of a lasting impression.

I guess I'd file this one in the "missed opportunities" bin, considering the source material and talent involved. But if you're looking for safe, Broadway with a capital "B" entertainment, BULLETS just may fit the bill.

(If that makes no sense, it's because I'm still half asleep.)

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 9:28am

I would rank the new musicals as follows:

Gentleman's Guide
After Midnight
Rocky
Aladdin
Beautiful
Bullets Over Broadway

The rest aren't worth mentioning.

The producers of Fun Home made a big mistake in not transferring to Broadway this season. It would have walked away with every award in sight, and out of sight, as well.

Oh well, maybe next year. The awards are there for its taking.

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 9:41am

Can someone explain the set a bit more? Helen's home for example?

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:17am

As to those rankings...

"12. Soul Doctor"

Does that mean there were 12 musicals this season?

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:26am

After Eight, I thought you didn't like Fun Home! I loved it, I wish it had transferred to Broadway this season, because it is head and shoulders above the would-be competition! And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

[newintown]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:28am

"...the score is lovely (in a pastiche-y sort of way)..."

I don't think you can call it "pastiche-y" if it's entirely comprised of period songs.

I am very ambivalent about seeing this; instead of a real adaptation, this sounds more like (even from the fans) a re-cycled script with a bunch of re-cycled songs.
Updated On: 3/12/14 at 10:28 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:33am

"After Eight, I thought you didn't like Fun Home!"

He doesn't. What he said wasn't meant as a compliment.

[Bro_on_Broadway]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:40am

@younger brother The set is massive. The St James went under a lot of construction and excavation just to fit it in.

2 elevators midstage that bring various scenic pieces up for several locations such as the club, the penthouse, the greenwich village rooftop. One deck trap DS that raises a railing for a balcony scene at helens. several stacked sliding panels/legs that contain doors and clad in brick. US there are a number of layered drops some with brick scrim on so they can be translucent to see the lightbulbs behind or cityscape, some with printed translucencies for the Gowanus 'drop-off' scenes. one drop that looked like a planked wall that had several automated sliding doors in to reveal gangsters, and another drop that was a lightbox that looked like the underside of an elevated train track.

Then of course there is a car (a 1929 Ford, refitted to electric), a train (with US mirrored panels to make it look wider, and girls dancing on the roof!), and in act 2 a tremendous chase scene that takes place on a rolling wagon that is the set of the play at the front and it tracks DS and revolves several times to see the backs side and the gangsters running and climbing all over it. I hear the cast even took a trip to the scenic shop to test this scene out before it came to the theater.

The apt was a quaint little rooftop shack that was also a wagon with a turtle that tracked DS and revolved so a scene could take place out on the roof in conjunction with a skylight that came up SR trap, or inside their cramped little bedroom which was intricately decorated.

And, man I wish I was in the lightbulb business - I could have made a killing on this one!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:42am

Yep, there were 12 new musicals this season, which I believe is the official reason they are allowing 5 nominees for the Tonys.

If I could rank Soul Doctor at -12 I would. In general I think it was a strong year for new musicals though. Even First Date had Zachary Levi's performance to recommend.

Remember a few seasons ago when they only nominated 4 lead actress nominees? This year the competition is insane to even get nominated, let alone win. I think we're going to see lots of surprises/snubs come nomination day, and I'm all for it. For the first time in a long while we won't know every Tony winner weeks before the ceremony. This year it will be a nail biter right up until the opening of the envelope.

Updated On: 3/12/14 at 10:42 AM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:45am

So basically it's another movie-to-stage mediocrity that wastes everyone's time. Oh, well. Can't wait for PRETTY WOMAN!

[Bro_on_Broadway]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:56am

Oh.. And off topic - top 5
IF/Then
Beautiful
Bullets over Broadway
After Midnight
Rocky
...However if Hedwig gets classified as a new musical I may have to bump one of those..

(Bridges and Aladdin would go on my worst list)

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 11:30am

Thanks everyone for their comments – particularly WickedRocks & Whizzer, who always provide detailed reviews and back up their opinions with examples (others did as well – I simply wanted to thank two of the posters on here I consistently appreciate thoughtful reviews from).

This was lower on my “maybe” list for my trip this summer and now that it sounds like the show is essentially what I was expecting it to be, I will definitely be passing. I, also, wish they had written an original score – I would have been a lot more interested from the get-go if that were the case. It also seems a shame especially with the reports that much of humor is straight from the screenplay – a new, original score could have provided a way to stick to the screenplay as much as they did, but still have the addition of new moments for laughs within the songs (that are also written specifically for the character).

I haven’t followed much press for the show: has Woody talked at all about the decision to use songs of the decade as opposed to an original score? Interested as to why he went that route.

I kept thinking "Marin beat Patti (among others) to play the part the same way??" Was this what Stroman wanted--the movie's acting on stage?

From what I remember from when all of the casting rumors were swirling, it seemed like Woody was the one who had the say over casting, particularly for this part. Perhaps he had a hard time seeing a different take on the character or felt the general audience would want to see an actress who is reminiscent of how the character is played in the movie.

[D2]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 11:32am

"I guess I'd file this one in the "missed opportunities" bin,..."

JESUS! It's just the first preview!

[AirJewels]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 12:46pm

This show is currently up on TDF for tomorrow night.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:00pm

I was surprised by the number of empty seats in the rear mezz last night. I thought the first preview would be sold out, but that was far from the case.

I thought both this and Rocky would come roaring out of the gate, but it turns out If/Then was the show to have the massive push in the first week of sales.

[addicted]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:33pm

I loved it. But the reason I'm posting is to say: Woody was most defniitely there. He say on the stairs in the back for the entire second act (at least) with a group of people taking notes. He ran up those stairs (not sure to where) at the very end of the curtain call.

Also - @newintown - "recycled" is a word not needing a hyphen :) That said, I think recycled material can work sometimes, and to me, this was an instance where it worked exceedingly well.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:46pm

So there is a car? Then I can assume, since this is a Susan Stroman show, that at some point someone dances on top of it - like in Crazy For You, Showboat and the movie version of The Producers (in the King of Broadway - cut from the theatrical release).

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:49pm

Yes, there is a car! No expenses were spared with the physical production. It's a huge show.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:56pm

Despite some of the misgivings in these early reports, there are more than enough positives for me to have this show at the top of my list for my next NY trip. Thanks for the detailed recap, everyone!

[Kad]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 2:12pm

"I thought both this and Rocky would come roaring out of the gate, but it turns out If/Then was the show to have the massive push in the first week of sales."

If/Then had the advantage of having a star in the limelight.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 2:19pm

If John Travolta had introduced Marin Mazzie as "Ramen Zammoo" on national television, I'm sure ticket sales would have been helped enormously.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 2:22pm

Yeah, If/Then couldn't have asked for better publicity than the Idina/Adele name debacle, but I thought simply as properties Rocky and "Woody Allen" would bring out the full price ticket buyers. Rocky's grosses in particular have been middling at best.

It's not like I'm trying to call Rocky or Bullets disaster flops or anything, just merely noting that I'm surprised things like Beautiful and If/Then seem to be dominating grosses rather than the movie adaptations. (I really need to wait for more data to see how If/Then holds up and what Bullets actually posts, but this is just what I'm gathering from early numbers.)