CAROUSEL (2018) Previews- Page 25

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 2:30pm

carolinaguy said: "The Tonys are very commercial and Scott Rudin is very powerful, so I doubt they would take that step. But they could if it opens as a giant disaster."

He's not THAT powerful....LOL! 

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 2:33pm

With all of these cuts, does the show still run 2 hrs and 45 minutes? LOL

 

Also, has Belton gone on for 'Bigelow' yet?

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 2:43pm

I don't see this for another month, but it sounds like Lindsay Mendez is the highlight here from a performance perspective. I'm surprised to see such little raving about Renée Fleming, because if you had asked me six months ago I'd say she was a shoo-in for a Tony nom and likely win, just based on name alone. For those who have seen it, and taking voting politics and a crowded Featured Actress category into account... what are the chances that Mendez gets a nomination and Fleming doesn't?

[linus84]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 2:46pm

I personally didn't walk away ever thinking about Renee Fleming. It's not that she isn't talented but she just really didn't do anything for me in this part. I would choose Mendez- she seemed to be having the most fun and sort of put her individual mark on the role.

[drtravel]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 7:01pm

Your review was similar to mine from last week. I think that some here forget the content is older than many of us are!  We can't expect older works of art to express the thinking of today.  Also, in regards to Renee Fleming, unless you regularly go to the Met to see her in her element, you won't appreciate how lucky Broadway audiences are to have her (just as Met audiences are lucky to have Kelly O'Hara in Cosi).

One unrelated question from a newbie here: Is there a way for the message boards to default to the most recent post?

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 7:05pm

drtravel said: "One unrelated question from a newbie here: Is there a way for the message boards to default to the most recent post?"

When you are on the main board menu, instead of clicking the topic name, click the name and date of the "last comment" on the right side and it will bring you to the most recent post/last page.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 7:10pm

^ Wow. I’ve been on here since last year and didn’t know that! Thanks drtravel for asking and NJ_BroadwayGirl for answering.

[drtravel]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 8:15pm

BIG thanks!

[drtravel]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 8:15pm

BIG thanks!

[Schmuli]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 10:43pm

I think 2 hr 40 mins.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 3/20/18 at 9:18pm

Having seen and loved the 1994 LCT production several times, I am very disappointed to read what most posters have said. And just for the record, my favorite Julie was Audra McDonald in the Carnegie Hall concert years ago with Hugh Jackman as Billy. Julie is a relatively short role, but someone of Audra's talent can make every moment count. Honestly, I can't get excited about Jessie playing what I refer to as yet another "musical doormat," as she did in BEAUTIFUL and WAITRESS.

Now that I live on the west coast, with only occasional trips to NYC to see friends and theatre, I'm going to save my money and my time. Jack O'Brien is a hack, and clearly should have been replaced some time ago. 

 

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 3/21/18 at 2:43am

LimelightMike said: "With all of these cuts, does the show still run 2 hrs and 45 minutes? LOL



Also, has Belton gone on for 'Bigelow' yet?"

Nicholas hasn't gone on as Billy yet. I thought today would be the day since Joshua Henry's wife gave birth but I guess not! 

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/21/18 at 10:28am

Hi all. Long time no read around here...but saw this last week and am confused by what has been posted by most. 

This is indeed a big mess. The only good acting on the stage is from Colin and Gemignani, imo. Mendez is a fun Carrie and gets all of the laughs, which were sorely needed. Mueller is a fine Julie, but only gets to act with Mendez. She and Mendez actually have chemistry, but she gets nothing back from Henry. 

I loved Mr. Henry in Violet and especially in Porgy and Bess, but here he is playing a nasty cardboard Billy. Like Mama Rose, Billy is an antihero that needs to be charming for us to care what happens, but I hated this Billy. I saw no glimmer of love for Julie at all, and Mueller seemed to be trying to portray her love for him, but it came off false...who would love such a person? Billy can be played as a bully, but not for Julie. His abuse should be a shock for the audience because he loves her so...here I expected Henry to slap Mueller in every scene. I couldn't wait for him to kick it...which was terribly staged.

Fleming looked confused the entire time.

My opinions, of course.

[Schmuli]

Posted: 3/21/18 at 2:58pm

Doodle NYC-
I think your opinion is mostly right on. I think the problem rests almost exclusively with J. Henry. He is an extraordinarily talented singer but his acting is wanting. If he could be coached to attain some likability from the audience, we would see noticeably better posts about the show. I hope the Director sees the need for Billy B to more likable and ultimately be more succeptable to redemption. I totally disagree about Renee Fleming looking “confused” the entire time. I thought she did an admirable job of acting and that her rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone was beautiful. Most audience members sitting near me seemed to be fighting back tears.

Curious to get your opinion on the choreography and ballet scene.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 10:50am

It's difficult to live up to De Mille and MacMillan, and Peck did not. The choreography was well danced and not even close to one of the big problems with the production, but save for Blow High, Blow Low, it didn't inspire either.

I left out, out of courtesy, what a terrible actor the Louise was. The other dancing actor, Jigger, was only slightly better, but both did dance beautifully.

[Addipia94]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 11:03am

Schmuli said: "Most audience members sitting near me seemed to be fighting back tears."

 

The audience reacted the same when I saw it! I thought she did very well.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 11:08am

I'm seeing this on Saturday.  I was initially excited just to see Joshua Henry as Billy Bigelow.  He definitely has the acting chops as displayed in Scottsboro Boys and Hamilton.  Not sure what happened here.

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 11:24am

Any updates on rush for this? I'm going next Friday. Is it still front row, even though those seats have been released to Ticketmaster as partials? And what time do you think we should get there? Thanks!

[Addipia94]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 11:38am

LuminousBeing, I went yesterday at 3 pm and the rush tickets were all gone, apart from a very side stage left orch seat in row J. The guy at the box office said it is still the front row. I'd suggest getting there around 9/9:30, even though the guy at the box office said 10 is probably fine. I just think these Friday/Weekend shows are obviously more popular so showing up earlier doesn't hurt. They're still for $40.

 

*Forgot to add: he pointed the whole front row being possible rush tickets, so I don't think it's just partial view seats. I think it definitely depends on the day of the week.

Updated On: 3/22/18 at 11:38 AM

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 11:50am

This show is a prime example of why it’s silly to call performers front runners for a Tony long before the first preview even starts. Henry is a solid performer, but I think his casting is problematic and this production seems to be tiptoeing around it. Carousel really needs a strong vision and a director who does deep one on one work with the leads.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 12:41pm

Given that there's only five candidates for Lead Actor in a Musical this year, it seems that there'll only be four nominees, and that the last slot will probably be between Joshua Henry and Paul Alexander Nolan.

[Schmuli]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 1:00pm

• doodlenyc said: " I left out, out of courtesy, what a terrible actor the Louise was. The other dancing actor, Jigger, was only slightly better, but both did dance beautifully.

I asked for your opinion and you responded—-> thank you.  I think your assessment is unnecessarily harsh and not what I experienced.  Peck’s choreography of the beach scene is significantly more beautiful and elegant than in the original Carouselchoreographed by, I think, Agnes de Mille (See You Tube and Bambi Linn [Louise] in the original performance; its laughable and beyond awful).  Regarding acting, the two New York City Ballet dancers you described as terrible (or gradations thereof) were, in my view, charming, connected well with the audience, and charismatic.    But that’s the beauty of opinions.  You have yours and I have mine.  I bet you like vanilla ice cream; I hate it..... I like chocolate

[newintown]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 1:39pm

"Regarding acting, the two New York City Ballet dancers you described as terrible (or gradations thereof) were, in my view, charming, connected well with the audience, and charismatic."

"Connected well to the audience..." - whatever do you mean? Did they descend from the stage and interact with audience members?

Or are you just doing that notoriously jejune thing - assuming that your opinion alone is insufficient, and thus pretending to be au courant with what everyone else in the house thought about the show, in a strange and unnecessary attempt to justify your own singular reaction?

As much as you think you can, you really can't speak for anyone else in the audience (unless you discussed their reactions with them directly). And you really don't need to - just tell us what you thought. It will suffice, honestly.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 4:25pm

Don't ask for opinions if you're going to require an agreeable response, especially on BWW!!

Yes, that Agnes DeMille was a real hack...she only changed musical theater forever.

I like vanilla AND chocolate, thanks!

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 3/22/18 at 8:12pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Given that there's only five candidates for Lead Actor in a Musical this year, it seems that there'll only be four nominees, and that the last slot will probably be between Joshua Henry and Paul Alexander Nolan."

You're kidding yourself if you think Paul Alexander Nolan has even the slightest chance of getting in over Joshua Henry.