"Coraline" the Musical Makes West Coast premiere in SF

[RockyRoad]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 1:54am

Don't know if you saw this..."Coraline" is now a musical with music from Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields.

It's making its west coast premiere this holiday season at the SF Playhouse.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-CA/SF-Playhouse/36443847667

Can i just say this way cool. The Magnetic Fields rock. Loved the movie. So wish I could see this.

Updated On: 8/11/10 at 01:54 AM

[broadwayjules]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 11:01am

Interesting...they should get French and Saunders to reprise their voice roles!

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 11:42am

This played Off-Broadway two seasons ago and I hated it.

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 12:05pm

I, too, saw this when it was off-Broadway --- and I thought it was god-awful.

[WSS2]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 4:05pm

I saw it off-Broadway..brillant, unique, and wonderful.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 5:52pm

The only adjective of those three I agree with is "unique".

I thought it added nothing to Neil Gaiman's original and fantastic story (unlike the movie). David Greenspan was campy, self-indulgent, and drained all menace from the Other Mother (her death song was ****ing atrocious). In fact, the production as whole drained much of the menace from the story. Songs were unmemorable and repetitive, performances were amateurish. Jayne Houdyshell was fantastic, as was the lighting and overall "look" of the piece.

But I walked out thinking, "Most of that was avant-garde for the sake of being avant-garde."

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 6:05pm

I've only ever heard the cast recording. It's interesting, that's for sure. What exactly went on during the Other Mother's death song? And the finale ("One Long Fairytale") seems so random on the album.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/10 at 6:42pm

The Other Mother's death song ("Falling") featured the Other Mother standing in place caterwauling this obnoxious and pointless song, as her simple costume elements were removed (to reveal a very normal looking David Greenspan in very normal everyday clothing). iTunes claims this song is only 2 minutes and 20 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime in the theatre.

The finale song featured the oft-discussed mouse orchestra (which also showed up at the end of the book, in a more subtle manner). By which I mean, the cast appeared in silly marching band hats with ears on them and sang about following your tail.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/12/10 at 10:06am

Kad, I could not agree more.

FaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAlllllIIIIIInnnnnng.

I was 10 seconds away from screaming, "JUST SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY."

What nails on-the-chalkboard, awful experience.