Company Previews Thread — Page 5

“ Lenk is not a vocal powerhouse (actually neither was Craig) and though I found her “Being Alive” revelatory (and one of the few times I’ve seen the song performed where the dramatic arch of the song’s narrative has really been convincing)”

Exactly. I’m not sure why some are expecting powerhouse vocals. Raul is literally the only major Bobby that was a powerhouse singer. Sure, Dean Jones had a powerful voice but wasn’t a particularly skilled singer. Boyd Gaines had a tough time signing the score, and is the weakest Bobby on record. Rosalie Craig has a pleasant voice but almost too pleasant and not enough depth. As I’ve mentioned earlier, Lenk’s vocals and interpretation remind me most of Adrian Lester. It’s all about the acting. His performance was also polarizing for some.

I guess being Raul was the most recent Broadway Bobby before this production, and many were introduced to the score through him, they must be expecting powerhouse vocals.
I was in the third row, and her acting during “Being Alive” was indeed revelatory, and I think she’ll only get better. But I agree, when you have a serious actress who takes risks like Lenk does, it’s bound to polarize some audience members. Lenk will never play it safe, and that was very clear last night.

Updated On: 3/3/20 at 11:05 AM

What are the odds that tickets for opening night will be released for sale? If any will go on sale, when do they usually release unreserved tickets for opening night --a week or two before?



For other recent openings, I know that people have been able to purchase tickets. I'm waiting to see if any will open up before I purchase for another day.

I keep seeing mentions of Simard and others, but how were Sieber and Scott?

How was Bobby Conte Thornton?

I've loved him since ABT & Grease with Taylor.

Also, how was Etai?

hearthemsing22 said: "ACL2006 said: "So the show ran 3 hours+ last night? I know people said the intermission was long, but that's still way too long if people weren't getting out of the theater until after 11pm. Did the show start close to on time?"

I didn't look at the time before the show started, but let's see if we can do some math.

It was an 8 o'clock curtain for a 2 hour and 35 minute (according to the playbill) show. The first act was over around 9:50? close to 10:00. The second act started at 10pm. There was definitely an extended intermission-not sure how long that was. Got out a little before 11? But I think this is because it was only the first preview! Those tend to run long. I'm betting there will be trimming, cuts made, and it won't be like this. But what do I know..."

hearthemsing22 your timeline is off. The show started 10 minutes late, then Marianne Elliott made her short speech, then Act One ended at approx 9:35 and there was a 30 minute intermission. I was sitting near the exit and it was 11:10 when I got out on the street.

StylishCynic said: "What are the odds that tickets for opening night will be released for sale? If any will go on sale, when do they usually release unreserved tickets for opening night --a week or two before?



For other recent openings, I know that people have been able to purchase tickets. I'm waiting to see if any will open up before I purchase for another day."

For a show like this...I'd say it's going to be very, very unlikely that opening night tickets will be available to the public. You could keep an eye on Telecharge, but if you have your heart set on having a chance, I'd just go to the box office day of and hope you get lucky. It's not likely, but you could try. I HIGHLY doubt it will happen though. You can keep your eye on Telecharge but March 22nd, opening night, is not on the schedule there to buy tickets, its just a blank day on the calendar. When I went to opening nights, it was because I saw tickets available on the ticket site. I wouldn't pin my hopes on being able to attend the opening night.

Updated On: 3/3/20 at 12:35 PM

“Katrina Lenk, for me, even in a preview marked by the uneven pacing of a show which had (as Marianne Elliott told us before hand) but a single dress run before facing an audiencemakes about as convincing a case as possible for this rather thankless character - she is what Rosalie Craig in London was not: a nuanced and intuitively insightful actress. Lenk is not a vocal powerhouse (actually neither was Craig) and though I found her “Being Alive” revelatory (and one of the few times I’ve seen the song performed where the dramatic arch of the song’s narrative has really been convincing) I suspect her performance will continue to be polarizing for audiences who, no matter who plays the part, will find something lacking in the satisfaction of the character’s journey (see again George Furth) and simply want the thrill of Broadway belting as compensation."

But the thing is that there are actresses out there who can match Lenk’s acting AND sing the score brilliantly. Jessie Mueller comes to mind. But Lenk’s acting even felt subpar to me. While she was singing I felt like she was just as worried about her voice as I was. And her singing took me out of the story. I understand that the acting is the most important aspect, but when the singing is distracting from the acting it’s a problem. This is a musical and the singing should flow seamlessly into the character. I shouldn’t be worried about the vocals during a broadway musical. Plus everyone else in the cast sounded incredible, so it made Lenk stick out in a negative way


I consider myself a fan of Lenk’s. She was amazing in Indecent and Band’s Visit. Hence why I was so disappointed in her last night. I’m hoping that when I see it again later in the run that she’ll find it all

Bottom line for me:

The show is not without its flaws, but I haven't stopped thinking about it since I saw it last night and THAT to me is the mark of a great show.

At the moment, Lenk is singing the score in the same keys that Craig did. I'd guess, if the team feels that she is having difficulty sustaining that, they might put her songs in a different key. But the songs in these keys also sat right at the top of Craig's break, so there is something not arbitrary about why they have placed them where they have.

At any rate: those who attend future performances, be sure to report if you think they've changed the keys to Bobbie's songs.

Michael Bennett said: "Lenk almost ---almost -- even makes the now extremelybizarre marriage proposal to her (gay) best friend work after "Not Getting Married.""

I don’t see how this is bizarre. I find it very common that females and gay men make a pact to get married by a certain age if they are both single. It’s usually half joking but still lol.

“Lenk almost ---almost -- even makes the now extremelybizarre marriage proposal to her (gay) best friend work”

I had wondered how the show tackled this moment. Yeah, that sounds a bit clumsy, but we can always assume that Jamie is bisexual. Or maybe, since the show already hints at Bobbi being bi, she’s just much more fluid when it comes to gender and sexuality. It’s worth noting, her proposing to a gay man could simply drive home the line “You have to love somebody, not just some body.

No, in this production I don't believe Jamie comes across as bisexual - at all. The moment you describe could be interesting, but that isn't how it is played with this casting and this direction. The line that seems to have the emphasis here is: "then everyone will leave us alone.' His reaction, perhaps naturally, is that she isn't being completely serious. Honestly, the entire exchange loses most of its power that it had in the original and rather makes Lenk have to catapult emotionally to find some impetus to leap into "Marry Me a Little."

And this speaks to my initial post - for every interesting and insightful new glimmer the gender swap provides, there are three or four hugely bizarre and ineffectual moments like this that completely diminish the power of the original text. The solution would really be to simply rewrite more of the script to make it appropriate for the situation at hand and the roles as redefined.

Michael Bennett said: "Lenk almost ---almost -- even makes the now extremelybizarre marriage proposal to her (gay) best friend work after "Not Getting Married.""

I don’t see how this is bizarre. I find it very common that females and gay men make a pact to get married by a certain age if they are both single. It’s usually half joking but still lol.

My point exactly. In COMPANY in 1970 when Bobby suggests to Amy they get married, the audience gasps because in that moment - he is serious. It could actually happen. The story could suddenly take a hugely unexpected turn. Here it never reads as anything more serious than what you suggest and therefore isn't a valuable contribution to the character's ultimate catharsis.



Patti must be one of the first to belt it to the rafters as she did in the 1992 Carnegie Hall Sondheim concert.

Streisand, of course did it on her first Broadway album years before LuPone first sang it, though LuPone might have started singing it live before Streisand did.

Updated On: 3/3/20 at 02:17 PM