Coram Boy Reviews — Page 2

I didn't notice this one posted yet-

Variety's negative:

"Onstage, this over-produced epic seems burdened by the shadow of the RSC's legendary "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby," which it desperately wants to be, adding spiritual heft to its gritty plot with an ethereal dash of 'Angels in America.'"


Variety

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Well Clive Barnes in the POST HATED it, an all out Pan!

He gives it one star and says, "Do Not Handel".

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05032007/entertainment/theater/do_not_handel_theater_clive_barnes.htm

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Joe Dziemianowicz thinks is a weak version of the London production in his negative review and says:

"Brit hit is ms-Handel-ed"

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/culture/2007/05/03/2007-05-03_brit_hit_is_mishandeled.html
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ERIC GRODE at the NY SUN Raves:

"Beautiful, Bountiful ‘Coram Boy'"

http://www.nysun.com/article/53717
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Matt Windman at AM NY is fairly positive:

http://www.amny.com/entertainment/am-coram0503,0,7755122.story

Updated On: 5/3/07 at 07:49 AM

I wouldnt have even acknowledged Clive Barnes' review, and to be honest with you, I am upset that anyone even mentioned/posted it ! I have no problem with ANYONE not liking a show (although I wouldnt call it a "pan")- Basically, because reading the review, I wondered if he even SAW THE SHOW !!!!!

Read it again----- do you see the phrase "Coram Man" anywhere?I didnt ! This is the essential to the plot, and he didnt even mention it ?? !!

Nor did he mention Fleischer, Parry, Camp, or even Maxwell !!

Once again--- hate ALL if their performances if you like, but do you think you can mention them !!!??? A show that has a 40-member cast, and runs almost 3 hours, and we get a review (and I use the term "review" lightly) that was more suited for
"Dora The Explorer- Live" than a Broadway production !!!

At least Isherwood (and I still cant seem to figure out if he liked the show or not--- though I lean towards more positive) took the time to write a real review !!!

No need to apologize---- it wasnt bizarre---- it was HORRIBLE !!! My 10-yr old nephew could have done a better job.

Did he think his intended "pun" of "Do Not Handel" would suffice !!!???

I understand its the NY Post, but he should never be allowed to write another review. Regardless of his "thoughts" of the show, it goes a lot deeper than he went into.

Plum, since you saw it at the RNT, do you think it lost anything here not being presented on a thrust stage?

Also, I think I read something about the original cast not coming over because of the laws for child actors.

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Geez... I was really hoping this play would be better received than this. I've been captivated by the idea of it since I'd heard about it. Watching the little snippets of video in the "Word of Mouth" review excite me. I hope it will be around long enough for me to save some money for another trip to NYC.

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Geez... I was really hoping this play would be better received than this. I've been captivated by the idea of it since I'd heard about it. Watching the little snippets of video in the "Word of Mouth" review excite me. I hope it will be around long enough for me to save some money for another trip to NYC>>

I agree, but word of mouth (and the curiousity factor) will keep it running for awhile, IMHO-

I have seen the show 5x now, and 95% of the audience reaction to it seems to be extremely positive- Last night the audience went nuts at the end-

<< Last night the audience went nuts at the end

Well of course they did Testing. It was opening night! The majority of the audience was made up of friends and family of the cast and crew, or other people related to the show.
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Maybe I should edit my prior post to state that each time that I have seen the show the audience reaction has been extremely positive, with a loud applause at the end-

And I wouldnt be too sure about the majority of the audience being friends and family of the cast and crew (and YES... I understand that it was opening night) - Did you poll the audience?

The fact that the opening was on TDF means, if nothing else, that there was going to be a pretty large number of people NOT related to the cast and crew- We were in the Rear Mezz, surrounded by TDF ticketed audience members. Numerous people that I spoke with outside the theater were also simply "regular" people, with absolutely no relation. Most of them had no clue as to what the show was about.

Don't hate yourself, Plum. Your observations are dead-on. The show is boring, plain and simple. The characters are underwritten and the play is performed at such a breakneck pace that you barely get a chance to care about any of them. The music serves no purpose other than to move things along when the playwright has nothing to say, which is often. I'd forgotten most of the play by the time I turned my cell phone back on.

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Barnes is a bit long in the tooth so maybe age has caught up with him.

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He may have done that

To think, he was once the Times theater critic & the arch enemy of David Merrick. I wonder what the old Abominable Showman would think of Broadway today

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