CHAPLIN Reviews- Page 3

[bk]

Posted: 9/11/12 at 1:51pm

I saw the Newley show at the Music Center in LA (had a friend in it) - it was terrible, but yes, today at least the score might seem better than it did back then. But every time I read a review of THIS version and they quote the song lyrics I think this guy wouldn't get past the first year of an ASCAP workshop - terrible stuff.

[wonkit]

Posted: 9/11/12 at 2:09pm

off topic - but when are they going to revive some of the Newley stuff? Edgy then, and probably still edgy now. Would love to hear Esparza sing the Newley parts, as the voices are similar.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/11/12 at 4:00pm

They did "Roar of the Greasepaint" at MUFTI a couple years ago with Josh Grisetti. He was very good and sounded eerily like Newley. The score is really first-rate, but the show was messy. The book felt near incoherent.

[wonkit]

Posted: 9/11/12 at 11:42pm

"Stop the World" is probably the better choice.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/12/12 at 5:08am

I remember when A&E briefly had an "on stage" series of taped shows, one was of Stop the World. I never recorded it, and have no idea who staged it, but it must have been in the nineties--I remember the guy who co-stared with Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies was Littlechap... It is a stronger show, book wise, than Roar of the Greasepaint, though I prefer that score, but I can't see it getting a major commercial revival (it wasn't a hit in the UK, it wasn't a hit on Broadway--it *was* a hit on its pre-Broadway tour, but...). Both shows seem a bit too "weird", in a very 60s way, to really attract much commercial interest (though it always amuses me that nobody seems to remember that Feeling Fine is from a musical anymore--or Who Can I Turn To for that matter).

"Same reason that lady who directed Little Mermaid still gets work. "

Francesca Zambello has a pretty underwhelming musical theatre resume, to say the least, but she is a pretty well regarded opera director...

In regards to Chaplin, wow the lyric quotes in these various reviews are really, really dreadful. False rhymes, and cliches...

[chanel]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 2:24pm

One more bad review.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/09/chaplin_on_broa.php

[wonkit]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 3:29pm

Unrelated question - does anyone know how much alteration was done to the Barrymore for this production? I had no idea it has the capacity for an orchestra and a turntable, for example. I tend to think of it as a dramatic house.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/13/12 at 6:18pm

I suspect these reviews will mirror those of Flashdance.

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 12:48am

Saw it Wednesday afternoon after having seen the La Jolla Playhouse production in 2010. Generally, I thought it was a mostly likable show. Seeing it fully staged added a lot, and I liked many of the changes they made to Act I. That said, as many before me have said, WTF with the Chaplin Look Alike? And to give people 15min to ponder its insignificance??? The LJP version did push harder on his tendencies to chase underage women, but sadly I thought Act II was choppy and rushed in La Jolla and may have managed to get even more rushed on Broadway. It's like they got about a third of the way through Act II, realized they were on their way to a 3 1/2hr show, and so just tied everything up quickly. But I did think the actors did well with largely slightly above mediocre material...

[aaronb]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 9:13am

@grumpyoptimist -- You know, Chaplin once entered a look-alike contest and didn't make it into the finals. When I saw it, I thought that was what that scene was leading up to, but I guess not...

You can read about it here: http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/chaplin2.asp

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 9:17am

It always makes me sad when a show opens and the reviews are pretty bad plus there is a good chance the show will close in a few months. Like others, always rooting and hoping there will be a great new show that puts some excitement into the new Broadway season.

[egghumor]

Posted: 9/14/12 at 9:43pm

Someone posted Michael Musto's review earlier the thread, but CHAPLIN The Musical also takes a serious beating from Village Voice theater critic Michael Feingold.


Michael Feingold's review in The Village Voice

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 1:50am

Aaronb, thanx, but unless I missed something, they just gave no context why that scene was in. Even if they would have had him lament that he was losing himself, or everyone wanted to be Chaplin except Charlie, something other than just launching into that number. I'm much more kind than many on this thread, I've recommended the show to a couple folks, which makes the look alike scene make me even angrier at it. It adds little to the plot at a time many people in the theater just want to pee.

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 12:31pm

I saw the show last night. Overall, it's harmless, but it's also a bit pointless. Rob McClure is wonderful, as are the three female leads, but the score is just so boring and repetitive-sounding.

[mc1227]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 7:16pm

Saw the show this afternoon and, as someone who almost never pays any attention to reviews of a show, I must say that the ones that's I've read are pretty spot on. I really wanted to love it, but it was just okay. Rob McClure was wonderful over all, but his singing voice, except for the 11 o'clock number, was not pleasant and the music, the book, the costumes and scenery were just so dull and blah that it was hard to like. The audience seemed to eat it up but I wasn't on board with it.

I would expect a musical dealing with Chaplin to have some comedy connected to it, especially with Tom Meehan writing the book?? WTW?? Also, I understand the black and white era, but everything on the stage was black, white and grey and the constant colorless set and costumes just emphasized how dull the production was. I am one to always take some good from a show, so I will say the the female leads, especially Jenn Colella,who played Heda Hopper, were good, as was Zachary Unger the little boy who played young Chaplin and Jackie Coogan and of course, Rob was outstanding.

Also, a small pet peeve of mine is that the orchestra was never seen and since they are a big part of the musical, I feel they should be at least at the end, the curtain can be lifted to show them. Glad it was Broadway week and I paid half price otherwise I would be even more disappointed..

[BWFan101]

Posted: 9/15/12 at 8:26pm

I actually enjoyed it although I can't think of a single memorable song...

But I also thought Once sucked, and most people seemed to enjoy it.

[SicilianOne]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 1:27pm

@grumpyoptimist...you DID miss something. They did EXACTLY what you suggested in the show. Right before that number, Chaplin laments about how everyone wants to be like him except he himself. That was the context of that number.

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 5:04pm

I didn't say this in my review, which is mixed, but I saw the show with a friend from Canada who had NEVER SEEN A CHAPLIN MOVIE, and loved the show. I'm not sure what this says.
Chaplin Review: The Little Tramp on Broadway

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/16/12 at 5:28pm

Vocally, McClure reminds me of Euan Morton (which is funny, considering Euan was involved in workshops of the show).

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 9/17/12 at 1:43am

SicilianOne, thanx for the clarification. Hazard of going to the Weds matinee where the avg age in Mezz seemed to be about 72, you regularly get folks leaning over to their friends and asking loudly, "WHAT DID HE/SHE SAY?" while you're trying to follow the current dialogue :)

[macnyc]

Posted: 9/24/12 at 1:50pm

I really enjoyed the show, much more than I anticipated. Is it another West Side Story? No. But it's worth seeing in terms of the whole package. It is an interesting story that touches on some seminal events in our country's history. As others have mentioned, the performances were solid. Rob McClure as Chaplin, Christiane Noll as his troubled mother, Jenn Colella as Hedda Hopper, the other principals too. The little boy who played young Chaplin and other juvenile roles was terrific and got a huge hand at the end.

The main thing I liked about the show was that the book continually flashed back to the events in Chaplin's dire childhood in an attempt to understand the man he became. Turning points when Chaplin creates his Little Tramp character, and much later when he transforms into the Great Dictator, were both nicely handled. Costumes and sets were great, beautifully done in black, white, and gray, with touches of sparkle. I didn't find the color scheme boring at all. The staging was interesting too, with good movement throughout.

On the debit side, the songs could have been more memorable. Even so, I found myself humming one of the songs this morning. Also, there could have been more dancing, especially with Warren Carlyle directing. I mean, it's a brand-new musical, a blank slate. Why not open Chaplin with a fun English music-hall scene? Still, I'm happy I saw Chaplin, and I'm rooting for it!



Updated On: 9/24/12 at 01:50 PM