CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Previews- Page 19

[Dysquith13]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 2:30pm

I was looking at the recent history of the Lunt-Fontanne, and since Beauty and the Beast closed in Summer 2007, they've had one critical dud after another. The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family, Ghost, Motown, and Finding Neverland. (A Christmas Story and the Valli/Chenoweth concerts were both well recieved and pretty successful, but weren't really full fledged engagements as glorified tour stops.) Motown, Addams, The Little Mermaid, and to a lesser extent, Finding Neverland were all pretty successful for a year or two, so Charlie looks to be continuing the theater's trend. 

[hamiltonboys]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 2:46pm

Yikes- from the looks of it, they've disabled reviews on their Facebook page. When I checked on Saturday, most of the reviews criticized the sets. Hopefully this means that they've at least seen these reviews and are going to do something before opening night?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 3:06pm

I will say "Waitress" and even "The Light in the Piazza" are based on prior things, but neither of them were "household names" the way that say Bring It On is/was. I just mean that, if we look at past seasons, the successful shows have all been original material. I mean, I don't understand why producers assume we want to pay $150 to see a story we already know with songs that are probably terrible? 

And I know Hamilton isn't wholly "original," but c'mon, it's pretty much an original musical. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 3:12pm

In the last ten years, 3 best musical winners have no prior source material (In the Heights, Memphis, Book of Mormon).

[phantom39]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 3:12pm

I apologize to all the hardworking people behind this dreck.

We've just seen this - for $139 - and I can't help but feel I was cheated out of my money. What a truly terrible, dreadful, boring production. I feel for the cast. I spent most of the second act thinking how this could have gone so wrong in the rehearsal process, and why didn't anyone say a word. I'm sure a mockup set, a demo CD, and a script were created way ahead in advance and approved by (at least) the director, producers, and more.. so HOW did THIS happen?! 

Unlike other major flops (my favorite IN MY LIFE comes to mind), the source here was actually GOOD. The previous production wasn't the masterpiece everyone was hoping for, but WHAT were they thinking shrinking that production to this terrible mess? What's frustrating is that we paid good money to be seated in a dark set-less Lunt-Fontanne and just be disappointed over and over again for 3 hours.

As other reviews mentioned, avoid this. I'd hate to see people sinking more good money into this, even for the purpose of witnessing a major flop. Again - i'm sorry for the terrible attitude here, but this has been my biggest heartbreak on Broadway in years.

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 03:12 PM

[Nycat63]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:12pm

I'm so depressed reading these reports.  I have tickets for my June NY trip because I am a huge fan of both Borle and Jackie Hoffman (way back to her Second City days in the early '90s) and figured even if the London production was so-so and they didn't change much, I'd enjoy it for no other reason than nostalgia and casting.  And I never would have dreamed the sets would be anything other than lavish.  

My 15 year old daughter (who is fairly theater savvy for a teenager) wants to see it nonetheless so I'm keeping the tickets, but it just breaks my heart to hear this. And I'm not naive enough to think they can do a major overhaul without shutting down for awhile.  Anyone think that could still happen?  I just need some hope in exchange for my $300+ ... 

 

[Joshua Boyd-Williams]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:22pm

Nycat63 said: "I'm so depressed reading these reports.  I have tickets for my June NY trip because I am a huge fan of both Borle and Jackie Hoffman (way back to her Second City days in the early '90s) and figured even if the London production was so-so and they didn't change much, I'd enjoy it for no other reason than nostalgia and casting.  And I never would have dreamed the sets would be anything other than lavish.  

My 15 year old daughter (who is fairly theater savvy for a teenager) wants to see it nonetheless so I'm keeping the tickets, but it just breaks my heart to hear this. And I'm not naive enough to think they can do a major overhaul without shutting down for awhile.  Anyone think that could still happen?  I just need some hope in exchange for my $300+ ... 

 

 

"I know when Spiderman was on Broadway, they closed for about a month to retool the show. And this was after multiple opening night push backs. So it is somewhat possible. They do still have another 2-3 weeks to make changes, and hopefully they can make some very good changes. In terms of Set Design, I'm not sure what else they could do there. I think the only thing they could do is add some more set pieces possibly, but not much else could change, as far as I could see.

 

[phantom39]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:27pm

I doubt any drastic changes will be made in the next 3 weeks, but I guess anything can happen. It really all depends on the creative team and if they too are able to see those problems and listen to early reviews (and not, lets say, remove the 'Reviews' section from their Facebook page after receiving a couple of negative reactions from fans).

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 05:27 PM

[Nycat63]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:46pm

Crossing fingers -  It's one thing to have lukewarm/mixed reviews in previews (a la Amelie, for example) but this just sounds horrific and not something that a few tweaks can salvage even assuming they are listening.  I cant imagine they want a flop on their hands though they may have enough of an advance and/or think they'll have the child/family market locked down especially come summer.  Though it sounds like it's pretty dark for the little kids so who knows what they are thinking.  Anyway thank you to all giving me hope

[Joshua Boyd-Williams]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:50pm

You're welcome :)

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:56pm

The show needs to do a Spider-Man style close and retool. It's that misguided.

[CukorLover]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 5:58pm

These reports are certainly disturbing. I'm a big fan of Gene Wilder and loved what he did in the film. I also usually trust Jack O'Brien's projects and appreciate the choreography of Joshua Bergasse ( especially ON THE TOWN). I've been following the press for the show and came upon this article on Bergasse. It looks like he put alot of work into it. Is the dance not as big a part of the puzzle as I'm led to believe? I have tickets for next month and I'm disheartened to hear what poor shape the show is in.

per Dance Magazine article:

"O'Brien is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's director, and Bergasse surprised him again when they did a workshop in June. O'Brien expected three or four numbers, but "in three weeks he did everything. I mean capital EVERYTHING, exclamation point, close quote. It was not a sketch—it was a cornucopia of originality."

The show is based on the 1964 Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which became a 1971 movie musical starring Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and a 2005 Tim Burton film with Johnny Depp. The stage version, with songs by Tony-winning Hairspray team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, direction by Sam Mendes and choreography by Billy Elliot's Peter Darling, opened in London in 2013, to mixed reviews.

The Broadway team has completely retooled it, Bergasse says. "We decided, Let's go back to the book for this, let's go back to the film, figuring which pieces of the puzzle are best for our version." There's also some new music, and, Bergasse says, "it has a different feel to it, very American. I think we have added a little more brightness and lightness.

But there's more to being a choreographer than jumping around. He devoted over a year to Charlie before rehearsals began, but only six weeks in the studio with dancers. "You never think, when you're coming up, that you're going to spend so much time in boardrooms," he says. "You'll be going from meeting to meeting to fitting. All the props and all the costumes have to be planned out before you start."

How Joshua Bergasse Won The Golden Ticket

[RW3]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 6:20pm

Does anyone mind posting the song list for the show?

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 6:56pm

The song list is on page 4 of this thread.

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 06:56 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 7:01pm

I know this is harsh, but anyone want to guess the closing date?

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 07:01 PM

[RW3]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 7:43pm

MaddieBB12 said: "The song list is on page 4 of this thread.

Ah. Thank you!

 

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:12pm

I think it will make it through the summer at least because of the name recognition alone, especially since Matilda is gone. After that is when things will get bumpy.

Today I listened to the London recording all the way through. I can't stand the Violet stuff, but other than the lack of movie songs, it's not terrible. The grandparents are funny.  

I'm seeing the show a week from tonight and I'm excited to see it for myself - for better or worse. 

 

[RW3]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:29pm

MaddieBB12 said: "I think it will make it through the summer at least because of the name recognition alone, especially since Matilda is gone. After that is when things will get bumpy.

Today I listened to the London recording all the way through. I can't stand the Violet stuff, but other than the lack of movie songs, it's not terrible. The grandparents are funny.  

I'm seeing the show a week from tonight and I'm excited to see it for myself - for better or worse. 

I listened to the OLCR today as well and "Vidiots" might be one of the worse musical theatre songs I've ever heard.

 

[littlemouse921]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:49pm

I guess they really wanted to strike home the feeling of Pure Imagination when people were seeing the show

[Willie4316]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 9:07pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Anyone want to guess the closing date?"

It seems they have a healthy advance and have opening night shortly before Tony noms, though I doubt they'll get any. I could see it running till Labor Day at most

[DonnaNYC]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 9:18pm

i also saw the matinee on Saturday.  I read these reviews, but as I like Messrs. Whitman, Shaiman and Borle, I didn't think the show could be THAT bad.  

I thought Act 1 was better than Act 2.  Everything about Act 2 was either disturbing or underwhelming.  The Oompah Loompahs were unsettling.  And the whole squirrel thing was disturbing.  

The sets reminded me of Stonehenge in "This Is Spinal Tap."   Maybe someone forgot to specify feet rather than inches?  At least the Oompah Loompahs looked more prominent.

And I was happy to see John Rubinstein as Grandpa Joe.  And Kathy Fitzgerald is always fun to watch.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:16pm

I can't help but think how depressed the cast is. I hope none of them are reading these boards or any other reviews. I wish the cast luck! Not so much the team behind it...

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:20pm

We've got to stop accepting these nothingness musicals and we've got to stop letting them get to broadway.  With the crazy prices of tickets now, audience members will soon catch on to all of these blah shows and the bubble will burst.  You can't keep increasing ticket prices each season while decreasing the quality of the new musicals.  Something's gotta give.  This foolishness has to stop.  

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 10:20 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 12:48am

Kad, never once did I say Tony winners as a quality of success. Including what you've mentioned, we've had "The 25th Annual Spelling Bee," "Spamalot," "Next to Normal," "Avenue Q," etc. 

And I don't think anyone would consider "Fun Home" or "Hamilton" to be based on material that is "commercial" in any sense. 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:28am

The argument was if the shows had ANY source material, not "commercial" source material. 

Hamilton and Fun Home were indeed adaptations if we're going there.