CHITTY breaks down- Page 2

[babykitty_00]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:16pm

I guess that's the excitement of live theater..you never know what might happen. I'm seeing Chitty December 9th and I hope all is fine, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it wasn't.
Thanks for the report!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:25pm

This is a horrible thing to say, but I'd actually like to be at a performance when the car breaks down. Apparently when it does, Jan Maxwell has a free-for-all with ad-libs. And that woman is so brilliant that I'm sure they're a riot.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 1:32pm

I was there. I felt horrible, like it was my fault. I'm like an accident waiting to happen at Broadway shows. First Wicked, now this. I left, called my sister and told her I was going to be blacklisted from the audience of every Broadway show.

I was just really bummed that the cast didn't come out like the last time this happened and just perform for everyone. They definitely weren't making enough announcements and the audience around me was really impatient. Even when they finally started up after the 45 minutes, they only made an announcement back in the lobby, not in the house.

I had tickets to see something else at 10pm, so I had to leave before the second act. I felt horrible, it's the first time I've ever left a show early and I really didn't want to leave, but I really wanted to see Sides and that's definitely closing Oct. 28th, so I had to chose that. I'm definitely want to go back and see all of Chitty though, I wanna know what happens!

[thetheatrekook]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 1:36pm

orange - did you get the name of the house manager? i was there as well, and i've got his phone number and email if you want it to see if you can get comp tickets to another show since you had to leave. pm me if you want the info.

[Di2]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 2:10pm

If shows relied on talent, excellent scores/books and plot lines then these kinds of things wouldn't happen.

Don't you think something is wrong with a show when a "trick" gets more press than the human actors do?

I would be p*ssed if a fake car got better billing/bow then me.

What happened to good old song and dance numbers along with a great story??

Take that million dollars it cost to create that car and give it back to your actors that are working their real live butts off...

Just my thoughts...(**runs to avoid the backlash**)

[Lorelai]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 3:14pm

I saw Chitty during previews and not too far into the first act they had to stop because of technical difficulties but it was with the sound, you could hear the actors but there was a lot of feedback. LOUD feedback.

[ken8631]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 3:46pm

Im just glad that the car breaking down didn't result in any injuries to anyone in the cast.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 3:49pm

Yeah, they just had to sit there quietly in the darkness in the car for a few minutes while the audience stared.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 4:05pm

I think there's something very inherently wrong with the fact that, say, the car gets more applause than the human actors do, Di -- but it's sort of just something that with the nature of this kind of theatre, we've got to accept. There's too much baggage in beginning to go into whether or not this "type" of theatre is even condonable at all, but Chitty's not entirely awful just because of its huge prop. It has some decent song and dance, and a nice story, too. Yes, the draw is the trick -- I agree with you there -- but it's not the only thing the show has going for it. I do wish more attention is general was paid to the stunning acting talent, though.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 4:39pm

I was there also. During the break in the middle of the first act (the very long one), the ushers brought in disabled children, who made a bit of noise and left at intermission. Anyway, I did not notice that the car did not have a raft or wings, because it was my first time seeing the show.

The fact that the break was so long distresses me very much. There were many young children in the audience who will forever associate musicals with waiting in a theater 45-minutes with nothing to do. Though an unconscious connection, they will forever hate musicals.

Regarding the car's standing ovation, that is not entirely true. The car got a great reaction because the audience was relieved it was working. Also, the audience is already standing when the car comes out during the bows, because they are getting up to leave and don't expect it to come out.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show despite the wait, and loved everything about it, especially the actors.

[Great Show]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 4:42pm

I saw Chitty twice in London and thought it was magical. That said I have heard it has not gone down well in the U.S is this right?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 4:44pm

In terms of reception of the car, I didn't just mean that it got a standing ovatation at this particular performance -- I was speaking in very general terms.

I've seen the show eight times (go on, laugh) and every single time, that car has gotten better reception than the actors, whether it be an obvious standing ovation, or simply applause that is significantly more thunderous.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 4:57pm

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Well, you said.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 5:05pm

Thank you, dear.

[RuprechtJr.]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 5:41pm

Out of (probably ignorant) curiosity, how DOES the Chitty car fly. I don't see any wires, lifts, floats, anything (I haven't seen it live, just video clips.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 5:46pm

It's hard to explain, but it's lifted from the bottom... sort of. The lighting makes it so you can't see, unless you're sitting very, very close at a certain angle.

[RuprechtJr.]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 5:48pm

Is it like a forklift type thingy or a rising platform?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 5:49pm

I think I'd describe it more like a forklift.