Can Can- Page 2

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 12:11pm

BUMP. Did anyone see this? What was the run time?

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 4:08pm

Wondering how it went! Any updates?

[Patash]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 4:55pm

Sorry but no one will ever top Ann Miller in a Kenley Players production of the show, when at the end she whipped off her skirt, climbed on top the judge's bench and did a huge tap dance number.

I thought they should have changed the title from Can Can to Tap Tap, but they didn't.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 5:01pm

So typical of dear John. If it entertains, who cares if it has anything to do with the show?

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 11:02pm

What was the run time? I just need to know for trip planning.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 12:08am

Saw it today. It was not magnifique. Baldwin is a gorgeous singer, but miscast in a Bette Midler role. The whole hinge was a bore. The"plot" doesn't even kick in until an hour n.

Patti Columbos choreography was terrific, Jason Daniely delivered the best performance of his life, and the result was... Dull.

It's third rate Porter. The production is good, but could not overcome the material.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 12:09am

Went tonight. The run time was 2 hours and 30 minutes. Started at 7:30. Ended at 10

My review.

This is an entertaining production of a very flawed show. The major problem with the show is you know within the first five minutes how it is going to end. Madame Pistache was in love with Judge Aristede and Vice Versa. He never went through with his love because he came from a higher class family and she did not. So they went their separate ways and she scrounged her way to the be the head of a dance hall.

They are reunited when the Judge goes into her Can Can Parlour and decides it's obscene and arrests all of the girls. He pines for her; she pines for him, There is no dramatic tension or wonderment how this will end. And that is the problem with the musical.

The sets were stunning; the costumes spot on; and actors were giving it all. Jason Danieley is in glorious voice and is quite believeable as the high class Judge who yearns for Pistache. Quite effective also is the charasmatic Michael Beresse as Hillare, the art critic who goes into partnership with Pistache. Also quite funny is the gentlemen playing Boris, Greg Hildrith who is an aspiring Sculptor. One of the highlights is a sword fight which included all of the above characters and two more. These actors are giving their all.

The Can Can dances are a delight. I smiled from head to toe each time there was a Can Can dance. And of course the music is first rate. Unfortunately, that predictable book with no dramatic tension weighs the whole thing down.

As for Kate Baldwin, she is in glorious voice; looks great but she unfortunately is miscast as Pistache. Kate made an amazing Sharon in Finians Rainbow and would make at
a great Marion the Librarian or even a Mary Poppins. She just doesn't have the toughness to make Pistache work. Scrounged her way from the street to start a Dance Hall? More like she scrounged her way from Vasser. Why did they cast an ingenue in a character role? This character worked her way up from the streets and has a set of steel balls. Kate Baldwin just does not have that in her demeanor it is a big problem with this production. I kept wondering what Lupone or Chita Rivera would have done with it when they played it a few years back. If this has legs they need to recast the beautiful and talented Kate Baldwin with someone more appropriately tough.

The highlights are the sets, the can can dances, the hard working cast, the men, the sword fight, the costumes. Working against it is a well intentioned Kate Balwin who just does't have the "balls" to be Pistache and the very predictable love story.

Having said that, it's a nice production worthy of being seen. Just not perfection or ready for Broadway in my humble opinion.

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 12:09 AM

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 12:23am

Golden boy, we saw the same show.

The big problem is there is no story. The first hour of the show is "la la were the follies" and where is the story in that?

It is a Long time before the plot kicks in. In the meanwhile we get a lot of second rate Cole Porter songs.

Good production, crappy show, miscast Baldwin.

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 12:23 AM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 12:43am

Was it funny?! Its supposed to be funny, and the pictures look amazing!!

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 12:43 AM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 7:43am

C'est Magnifique
Montmartre
Allez-Vous En
It's All Right With Me
I Love Paris

Not to mention the title number and a couple of decent comedy songs.

Second-rate Porter?

No, just Porter of the 1950s, trying to write songs better integrated to the plot and setting. He's writing in the style of a French chanteuse singing songs by Marguerite Monnot and Michel Emer written for Piaf.

Personally I'll take the honest emotion of the CAN-CAN ballads over phony operetta ditties about "Wunderbar". (Though there's nothing in CAN-CAN that can touch "Always True to You, Darling, in My Fashion", what can?)

***

I'm not sure I understand the complaint about the lack of dramatic suspense. Compared to what? Is there any doubt how the plot will resolve in KISS ME, KATE? ANYTHING GOES? Any other Porter musical comedy?

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 07:43 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 9:09am

"Quite effective also is the charasmatic Mark Bergasse as Hillare, the art critic who goes into partnership with Pistache."

Who in hell is Mark Bergasse? Hillaire Jussac is played by the quite well-known (in NY, at least) Michael Berresse.

"Was it funny?! Its supposed to be funny..."

No. The new book is so bad, it makes a Benny Hill sketch look like Shakespeare. Even the usually hilarious Greg Hildreth is left to flounder in a sea of unfunny gags dredged from the Comedy Graveyard.

Terrific dancing, however.

[musicaltheatreman2]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 1:11pm

I wish Patti Lupon was in this!

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 2:34pm

It wasn't funny as much as mildly amusing.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 4:54pm

Is there a song list in the program? Are they using any trunk songs? Have they found a way to shoehorn "Friendship" in there somewhere?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/3/14 at 7:13pm

"Freindship" is from an entirely different period (20 years earlier) and would stick out like a sore thumb. The characters in CAN-CAN are French, or at least musical-comedy French. (ETA Sorry, I see now that you were joking about that particular song.)

It wasn't funny as much as mildly amusing.

And THERE we have the problem! Not in allegedly "second-rate" songs or a lack of dramatic suspense.

Somebody famous once said, "A musical comedy can be tuneless; it can even make no sense whatsoever. But it has to be funny!"

Updated On: 10/3/14 at 07:13 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 1:07pm

Yes, I was joking, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had done that. I know "Friendship" from Anything Goes yet I don't believe it was actually written for that show. It just seems to have creeped its way into most revivals. I also have a recording of Something For the Boys where "Friendship" found its way into that production as well.

I'm still curious to know which songs are in and which songs have been cut.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 1:12pm

"Friendship" was from DuBarry was a Lady.

[ddenoff2]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 2:30pm

ACT I
Montmartre/Maidens Typical of France
Never Give Anything Away
Quadrille
Maidens Typical of France (reprise)
Live and Let Live
Apache
C'est Magnifique
Can-Can
Come Along With Me
Come Along With Me (reprise)
I Am In Love
Allez-Vouz En

ACT II
Who Said Gay Paree?
Montmartre (reprise)
It's All Right With Me
Every Man Is A Stupid Man
Never, Never be an Artist
I Love Paris
Allez-Vous En (reprise)
If You Loved Me Truly
I Love Paris (reprise)
C'est Magnifique (reprise)
I Love Paris (reprise)
Finale: Can-Can









Updated On: 10/5/14 at 02:30 PM

[evic]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 3:03pm

The last revival on Broadway stunk and was a huge flop. How do they expect this to be better? Kate is gorgeous with beautiful voice- but so wrong for Pastiche. Patti in that part?-LOL......could sing the **** out of it- but she is in her mid 60's! They would have to change her name to Oldstiche.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 3:17pm

You mean Pistache. Pastiche is something else entirely.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 4:06pm

Is that the song list from this production? Because Jason sings the HELL out a song called "I Am in Love" at the 2:01 point in this video and it's not on that list.

[evic]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 4:08pm

Thanks for the correction Samxie.

[ddenoff2]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 4:16pm

Took the song list from the Playbill from last night. It wasn't in there but it's "I Am In Love"

YES Jason sings the hell out of that song…and others.

To those who said other productions were flops, this production is not those productions. Completely new book revised by Joel Fields & David Lee based on Abe Burrows' original book. Completely new director, choreographer and cast. Certain recent productions of Guys & Dolls or West Side Story may not have been individual favorites either.

I always see a show before I judge, regardless of word of mouth.





Updated On: 10/4/14 at 04:16 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 5:10pm

"I Am In," penultimate song in Act One from ddenoff's song list, would be "I Am In Love".

Amazing to see "If You Loved Me Truly" remains.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/4/14 at 8:19pm

I didn't list "I Am in Love" or "Come Along with Me" because I'm not that fond of either, but speaking of stand-out songs, both were minor hits in their day. The score of CAN-CAN is literally packed with so many Porter hits, it doesn't even require interpolation.

Except for "Friendship". There's always room for that, even if the references are American and from 50 years after the time of the play.