Chita 11/25 Matinee - MANY SPOILERS!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 6:45pm

Terribly disappointed. Ms. Rivera's life, sadly, isn't interesting enough to have a show made out of yet. Yes, she worked with a lot of famous people (plenty of dropped names), but everything is glossed over in 10 minute incriments.

Commentary on select sections:

Act 1 begins with the lights up. For five minutes, you're watchign the dancers warm up (acted out, of course). Nobody realized what was going on, so nobody paid attention. They warm up to a muddled mix of famous 'Chita' songs, America, Big Spender, All that Jazz, etc.

Mi Familia Loca - The highlight of the show, even the new song by Ahrens and Flaherty "Dancing on the Kitchen Table" was great. This segment had the most spunk and it showed. The dancing was excellent, and the dialogue was hilarious.

The Gypsy Life - Something to Dance About, I'm Available, Camille, Colette, Fifi, Garbage, Can-Can (cut), and Mr. Wonderful - Done with a backdrop of topless women. Why, I don't know, but it was very distracting. The songs are done in bits and the dancing is, to quote Chita, is mostly "left to our imagination."

West Side Story - A Boy Like That - she does three variations on the song, happy, depressed, and angry. It was her audition song for Leonard "Bern-Steen" as she pronounces it, until she adds how he corrected her. It is at this point you realize that you're watching a living legend. Dance at the Gym - Chita's off stage for most and it drags. Somewhere - would have rather seen America performed.

Co-Stars - Put on a Happy Face/Rosie - Done behind a screen, dancing with 'Dick Van Dyke'. Don't Ah Ma Me is great. Big Spender is done with Deidre Goodwin, who is the best dancer of the cast. Nowadays, the Act 1 Finale, is done with the empty spotlight, to symbolize Chita's hero, Gwen Verdon. Very poignant, but there's no major oomph to the end of the act, leaving everybody sitting thinking 'that was it?'

Choreographers - Chita standing dead center while everyone dances in the style of Fosse, Robbins, et al, around her.

The Shows - Second best section -Class, Cheif Cook & Bottlewasher, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Where You Are, blended in with a new song called A Woman the World Has Never Seen. It discusses her fears of being on stage, etc.

The finale, All That Jazz, with Little Chita (a great Liana Ortiz) is done with no oomph whatsoever.

It was a very slow afternoon. Chita was great, needless to say, as were the ensemble, but it was just uninteresting.

At the stage door, she didn't sign, but her 'people' took Playbills and Window cards backstage and she signed them. Updated On: 11/25/05 at 06:45 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 7:08pm

Forgot to mention....

I put all the blame on Terrence McNally's horribly crafted book. It needs a total rewrite, or, maybe, having Chita write it herself, so it could be more like 700 Sundays than Lennon.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 7:25pm

Gahh from the way it sounds - the show needs some major revisions before the show opens. And I have a feeling that's not going to happen.

But considering I haven't seen Chita live before, I am thrilled I now have chance. And not to mention I can see her perform songs from my favorite shows (Chicago, WSS, BBB, Charity.)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 7:25pm

Thanks for the great review. :) Too bad this didn't meet your expectations.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 7:30pm

It needs A LOT of work, but seeing her on stage (maybe for the first time for a few people) is definately worth it.

I wished that she would have included at least an excerpt from America, Hot Honey Rag, or Folles Bergeres (which is alluded to in musical underscoring). If she didn't want to dance it, she could have had the ensemble do it, like everything else.

She mentions, in passing, the car accident which left her with 6 pins in her left leg and the traditional "you'll never dance again." She followed this up with a high kick.

As I walked out of the theater, I was greeted by a promo person handing out "I Just Saw Chita" buttons. Great collectible.

[zelda]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 7:57pm

i am amazed. not sure what show you saw. i saw it and loved every minute of it. her life is a broadway show. the up tempos, the ballands, the drama, the comedy. not sure what you expected, but i thoroughly enjoyed myself and would go back 10 times to watch this Icon of the American Musical Theatre.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 8:03pm

I can say the same thing to you, Zelda....haha. I'm a big fan of hers, but I just wanted more.

[zelda]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 8:34pm

i'm sorry you didnt answer my question though.. what what more did you want.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 8:37pm

I just had a thought, And by the way - I DO thank you for your review and your honesty, Given the chance that (and Chita AND TM would have known this possibility of happening going into this show) this show may not have been well recieved during previews in NY, Do you think it possible that there is an "alternate" version of this whole show that they already have, ready to go in the case that most people felt the way you did? One that perhaps is much more revealing and a tad "dishy"? If it were me (and it is not, of course) I would have had 2 versions ready, The one that you saw and another that I may have rather not done, but in the case that my version wasn't going well - ready to go by opening night. Is anyone following me here?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 8:43pm

I was expecting something more upbeat....maybe a few full songs....a more interesting book perhaps? possibly, quite possibly, more than just Chita sitting on a chair.
Updated On: 11/25/05 at 08:43 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:04pm

I adore...worship...pray to...Ms. Rivera But I just wish the show was more relaxed, easy going. Just Ms. Rivera on a stool chatting about her old shows and the ensemble playing her, at least for the major dance numbers. I did not enjoy "More Than You Know" because of the arrangement but my mother said it was her favorite number along with The Kitchen Table...go figure.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:08pm

I also think the final number, "All That Jazz" has to be all Chita! I understand the meaning of the little girl but this is Chit's big number. This is the one that didn't get away. No one thinks of Bebe or zeta-jones or ute...they think of Chit when the vamp to "All That Jazz" begins.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:10pm

that is funny yankee. I would have liked her to sit a little more. And maybe a nice crisp white blouse with some cleavage and dark pants and killer pumps.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:11pm

yeah, a different costume after a while would have been nice.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:14pm

and maybe a bit more dishy...she was super pissed when the producers of te movie Bye Bye Birdie went to London and tried to film a matinee of the show to teach Janet Leigh Chita's part.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:17pm

^ Interesting. But they basically cut all of Rosie's numbers (besides the ballet) for Janet.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:25pm

She didn't include "The Apple doesn't Fall" anywhere?? That should have been put in FIRST. Funny, The title of the show and then the selected pieces that were chosen and how they are done, With what I have heard so far, I would have done this show (Including rethinking the title) a LOT different. Yes, Chita is an absolute GODDESS, However, Since Elaine Stritch raised the bar on Bio-Shows back in 2002, You just can't ride in on your own laurels, even if you ARE Chita Rivera. The other thing that is strange is when you say she stnads center stage while the chorus demonstrates the choreography, Now, If she were not able to dance any more - Okay, But she STILL dances better than most half her age. This is very disturbing, It sounds like her Cabaret Shows are more intruiging than what you saw on the Plymouth Stage (I keep forgetting the new name of the Theatre and who cares, To me it will always be the Plymouth.)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 9:29pm

Schoenfeld....

She mentions Strichie a few times....and how she's still terrified of her.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 10:03pm

I just saw the Video on Chita's "Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life" website and WOW, Such a wonderful few minutes of GREAT Clips too, It has her & Gwen from "CHICAGO" in color as well as another clip of her & Gwen doing the "Hot Honey Rag" (WOW!) which is from either the TONYS or a Variety Show, But is to DIE For (Too bad they don't have the clip I've seen with the scene they cut from "CHICAGO" where Chita is banging on a drum set while Gwen blows the Sax, THAT was a HOOT!) It also has part of a commercial(?) from "The Rink" with a few glimpses there as well as her doing the title number from "Spider Woman" (I know someone here recently asked how it was done, well you can see it here!) and scenes with Judy Garland and Chita on the Ed Sullivan Show as well as with Carol Burnett and a HOST of other stars, It just shows you how great Chita Rivera IS, She IS a GODDESS and she is a Sweetheart too, I was watching the clip from her going up to get her TONY win for "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and watching her hug Ben Vereen with that BIG "Chita Hug" (Everyone should be lucky enough to experience one of those in their lifetime!) anyway, Here's the link:
http://www.thedancerslife.com/

Click on the DOWNLOADS section and there is the video!

Updated On: 11/25/05 at 10:03 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 10:13pm

AMAZING video.

Is that what's being shown outside of the theatre?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 7:10am

It's an amazing tribute on video. It was used as a part of her Kennedy Center Honors presentation.

[Marquise]

Posted: 11/26/05 at 9:36am

~ yes chita is a puerto rican goddess.
all the way!!!
una leyenda!