Chita Reviews

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 6:38pm

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/ChitaRivera.html

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 6:50pm

Loving all the Gwen love in that review!

the spirit of Gwen Verdon, musical theatre's greatest triple threat.

That's the truth!

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 7:02pm

Broadway.com is positive.
http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=522581

Gwen Verdon seems to be getting the most love out of these reviews!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 7:55pm

Does this show have a show curtian? if so, what's it look like. Sorry, i guess that's sorta off topic. thanks.

[DoogieB]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 8:04pm

The red carpet was rolled out a little while ago and searchlights were up.

Posted: 12/11/05 at 8:44pm

Where are the reviews?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:05pm

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2005/12/12/theater/reviews/12chit.html

Intended as a setting for a glittering ruby of a star, the production elements often dim rather than enhance Ms. Rivera's natural incandescence. Never entirely, though. Which means that "The Dancer's Life" remains a must-have ticket for aficionados of the American musical.

They should not, however, expect confessional stand-up of the stripe delivered so memorably by Elaine Stritch in her one-woman show of three years ago. Updated On: 12/11/05 at 09:05 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:12pm

Oh PLEASE. They are completely different shows. Chita is entertaining us with dances to go along with her stories.

All Stritch did was throw a stool around. Her stories HAD to be better. That was all she had.

Brantley is a rube.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:18pm

The show is way to scripted.

But it's a chance to see Chita live onstage.

Critics need to get over themselves. I doubt someone's going to say, "OMG Chita Rivera live onstage! Oh, but the reviews weren't 100% positive. Well, I guess we'll skip that one."

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:27pm

You're not saying that Stritch's WASN'T all scripted? It may not have seemed it had she not felt the necessity (or had Wolfe not felt the necessity, whatever) to throw that stool to another location every so often, which screamed "scripted."

Sorry - I loved that show, it was great, but in my opinion, that whole stool thing was a mistake and a distraction and a reminder that you weren't just watching someone regale you with great stories off the top of her head.

Updated On: 12/11/05 at 09:27 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:32pm

Except when Chita speaks it is so obvious that there's a script - and that it isn't her words - so to speak.

And it isn't that she's a bad actress, not at all. Just that the lines are so dull.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:36pm

But then she dances, so who the f cares about the rest?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:36pm

Ben Brantley - the all American plum.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:38pm

Rube. He is a rube.

[evic]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:45pm

She deserved a WOW production-and they missed the boat completely- it was so dull, cheap looking, and for a woman with an incredible career-unexciting. It is impossible to recreate the Dance At The Gym with 10 dancers- so why bother. That opening with the warming up was such a cliche and the audition in the second act-what was that???- Take the video showing in front of the theater and show us what a star she was-and is- what incredible rarely seen clips that showed her true talents that would have had the audience in extasy. At least give the star another dress for the second act. Of course no one can dance as they did 35 years ago, and we shouldn't expect to see that, but being given snippets and un inpsiring stories did not cut it for me. Really a shame....she needed a homosexual to direct it. We still love her

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:45pm

"But then she dances, so who the f cares about the rest?"

That was at least mildly sarcastic, right?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:52pm

Not in the LEAST. Honestly. Why would you go to see her do a one-woman show? She's Chita Rivera. You want to see her dance.

In fact, I'd be perfectly happy if she didn't say a word.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:57pm

To me, that's an awful lot like the "Omigod, but she belts a high F!" mentality.

Personally, I'd be perfectly happy if Chita just went up and danced as well, but if she IS telling a story...yeah. I care about how that's coming across as well. I haven't seen the show yet, so I can't exactly say I agree that the script is flat out bad or anything, but I WOULD care.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:59pm

I haven't seen it yet either. I just know that an evening of her dancing would be entirely thrilling.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:00pm

It isn't bad. It's just Chita doesn't connect with the words...

But your analogy is all wrong. It's not about seeing an actor dance...it's about seeing HER - Chita - dance.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:05pm

I don't get how my analogy is all wrong. Because it's Chita, aspects of her show that may be lacking should just be overlooked while if it were someone else, they wouldn't be?

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:07pm

No. Because people aren't going to see whether or not the script is beautiful as much as they are going to see Chita onstage...alone.

Of course, a well-written script is a plus.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:10pm

Well, then you could make that excise with a lot of shows that ARE lacking. Wicked. Mamma Mia. People are loving them, and not even seeing the flaws. The Rent film.

I'm playing a little devil's advocate here, but...

[James2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:12pm

Do NOT call Ben Brantley a rube! He and I are e-mail pals, and while I haven't met him yet, I can already see he is a very nice man. In fact, he said he may even get to show me around the New York Times Building when I come to New York in January.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:12pm

Well, the point is Chita's show is about seeing Chita do things she's done before. There's only a new song (or two) - which is fine...and a script to connect songs she's done before.