Cirque does Broadway: PARAMOUR Previews- Page 3

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/17/16 at 11:06pm

Mark Long's favorite quote is:" blaaaaaaaaa"

 

Sounds pretty remarkable.

[laughingplace]

Posted: 4/17/16 at 11:23pm

No one please watch this show. Go to vegas 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/17/16 at 11:45pm

Been there - done that. Multiple times

[SweetLips]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 4:04am

I don't care who, but would someone ANYONE,  PLEASE go and see this apparent fcvking mess and report and place it gently in this thread that is all about its PREVIEWS. [Yes shouting [quietly]].

 

Thank you

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 6:18am

I'm going to tonight's preview, SweetLips and will let you know what I think!

[SweetLips]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 6:21am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I'm going to tonight's preview, SweetLips and will let you know what I think!

Thank the Lord for sanity [and the Whizzer].

 

SL.........x [for WM].

"

 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 10:49pm

Yikes, I thought this was a mess on nearly every level. I couldn't believe how much book and original score there was and how little "Cirque" was woven into it. Mostly it was just boring, but the ineptitude of the atrocious lyrics (everyone has an angle when you're caught in a love triangle) was good for a few laughs and the book has enough WTF moments to make for some fun conversation at intermission and after the show. 

 

Jeremy Kushnier plays the most talented director in the world; he doesn't make movies he makes films. "He never makes a movie or a picture or a flick, he makes a film- get it- a film!" When he is short a leading lady he discovers Indigo James (Ruby Lewis) performing in a club. She's fresh off the bus from Indiana, but she's already hardened and playing Joan Crawford rather than Norma Shearer. She's also a lyricist, writing her own songs with the help of composer and unrequited lover Joey (Ryan Vona). She's hired to star in Kushnier's film and Joey is hired to write that one perfect love song. (Indigo has trouble with the lyrics- well she's never been in love, of course!) 

 

The film is a bizarre piece of work, seemingly made up of famous movies that couldn't have been made yet, including Casablanca, Calamity Jane, Gone With the Wind, Some Like it Hot, Mata Hari, King Kong, Cleopatra and others. It's hard to tell if Indigo actually starred in all these films or if they are comprising the one film that will make her a star. She is both uber famous and still working on writing that perfect love song with Joey. 

 

The few Cirque set pieces come off the best; Kushnier hilariously tells Indigo that even with everything going on around her all eyes are always on her when it couldn't be further from the truth. Why he would even want to add these acrobatics into a film whose sole purpose is to showcase his leading lady is mind-boggling. Why even bother with this insipid and nonsensical book? Just have Kushnier be a director looking back on his filmography and each stunt/song can be a scene from one of these films. 

 

The score is all wrong at all times. The Calamity Jane number sounds like modern country and numbers in the 1950s sound like Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing. 

 

Even the the dancing was unimpressive, especially after the wowing tap seen in Shuffle Along. This felt anemic by comparison. 

 

This was my first live Cirque show, and I have to assume that the other incarnations must be much better. If not, I have no idea how this franchise became so popular. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 10:56pm

Oh no. I've seen several other Cirque shows and even the worst ones (Alegria, Kooza) sounded miles better than this. I might still enter the lotto, though!

Thanks for posting!

[laughingplace]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:00pm

Cirque can do wondrous things. I know this is illegal but I don't care https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOrnGzv_sE4.  But I wonder why on earth they wanted to do a musical. What works as a circus does not work as a musical/ Why not just do a circus show? With lots of acrobatics.   You might not win Tonys  but you will have bums on seats. Lizzie I loved Alegria . What are your favourite shows?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:05pm

Saltimbanco, Quidam, Love, and Dralion.

[RW3]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:10pm

"everyone has an angle when you're caught in a love triangle" Wow, that is bad. Why the hell did Cirque not hire an ACTUAL musical theater composer and lyricist for the show. This sounds like ANOTHER flop for Cirque.

[laughingplace]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:10pm

I saw Dralion and thought it was the worst show in the world. I loved all the other ones though

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:11pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "This was my first live Cirque show, and I have to assume that the other incarnations must be much better. If not, I have no idea how this franchise became so popular."

I love Cirque and have been to many, but every time they try to dive into narrative, it tanks. It's always the broadest, non-speaking story that is practically mime, just killing time for the next stunt to kick in. Even some of their huge shows like KA waste too much time on story.

I mean, I obviously love stories, but they try to have such threadbare narratives, arguably in the name of access as far as a global audience, but really, 40% more stunts would make everyone happier.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:16pm

I feel like no more than 25% of Paramour was acrobatic/stunt work. There were really only 4 set pieces in a 2.5 hour show. The first 45 minutes felt like your average book show that you might see at NYMF. There was more acrobatic work in the Pippin revival than in Paramour, and it served the story better there too. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:18pm

Wow, that sounds even worse than their previous attempts...

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:26pm

Thanks, Whizzer. It only took 56 posts for someone to properly answer OP.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:28pm

MichelleCraig said: "Thanks, Whizzer. It only took 56 posts for someone to properly answer OP."

 

On a preview thread, you start at the end and go back until you find Whizzer's review. That is when any preview thread truly starts.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:29pm

I've always been put off by the "including Broadway musical elements!" angle, since it just suggests an outsider take on Broadway shows that can't possibly be coming from a sincere or disciplined place. Still sad to hear it's a lot of bad book and songs. Wow.  

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:30pm

Agreed!! Haterobics, you are so right...

Updated On: 4/18/16 at 11:30 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 11:58pm

Is the design interesting or is there any spectacle? Why they felt like Cirque needed to be pushed into a musical is a dumb idea. Just make a new Cirque show. 

[brdway411]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 12:01am

And I though Zarkana was crap....avoiding this like the plague!!!!!

[Pootie2]

Posted: 4/19/16 at 10:06pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "I feel like no more than 25% of Paramour was acrobatic/stunt work. There were really only 4 set pieces in a 2.5 hour show. The first 45 minutes felt like your average book show that you might see at NYMF. There was more acrobatic work in the Pippin revival than in Paramour, and it served the story better there too. "

 

What was all that money spent on? I wonder if insurance varies by the amount and type of acrobatics in a show like this too.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 11:15am

UGH! Too late for me since I have tickets to attend on May 9th.

I have seen most of the touring and resident Las Vegas shows. The best are the resident Las Vegas shows because the sets are pure spectacle due to the amount of money thrown at them. The touring tent shows are also fantastic for me because of the intimacy of them. Unfortunately, on the second time around on the touring circuit the tent shows get revised to arena productions and those lose a lot of the impact because of the vast openness in the building. Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall could have been so much better but it fell flat...the same for Iris in LA.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 1:48pm

I stopped trying to take it seriously after "Indigo James." Thanks for the report, Whizzer!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 2:14pm

Is this Banana Spiel bad or worse.?Pardon me if spelling is wrong and I will correct it forthwith