Could N2N be this year's AVENUE Q?- Page 3

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:04pm

It is? I thought it was the musical version of 'Patch Adams' using Huey Lewis songs. My bad.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:09pm

Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx also composed a song entitled "Vote Your Heart," sung by the entire cast, about why they felt they should win Best Musical.

"Vote Your Heart" was not about why they felt they should win Best Musical. It was about Rod seeking advice on who he should vote for president of his rotary club. He didn't know weather to vote for his old friend, the very wealthy guy, or the hot guy -- and the cast instructed him to vote his heart.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:11pm

You're right, CATS. I had forgotten just how clever it was.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:15pm

First off, the dancing dresses is part of the boy's lavish dream sequence. It makes sense. It's suppose to be this big, fun number. It's about this presumably gay boy's fantasy. It makes sense. And the tutu's is part of the the curtain call. It's not part of the show. It's suppose to liven the mood the way the big dance number at the end of Hair does. It helps the audience leave with a smile rather than depressed.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:36pm

so its better throw spectacle for spectacle's sake in just to manipulate the audience into leaving with a smile?

So, should and angel come down from heaven and heal Diana so that people leave next to normal with a smile?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:39pm

Well, before that encore/curtain call parade, I don't think that most of the audience isn't depressed. They're supposed to feel moved. And that would be a good feeling and an accurate representation of the ending of the story that was just told. It doesn't end on a depressing note.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 6:39pm

Yes. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/19/09 at 9:32pm

I could not disagree with you more, jordan.
I have now seen the show ten times, and there has not yet been a performance where the cast has been giving less than a 100% percent. I was there on Wednesday, and I severely doubt between two performances the show took a nose dive.
Thanks (yes, that's sarcastic), DRSislove, for essentially saying my entire family is delusional. We all know what we experienced. I'm glad you've never seen anyone giving less than 100%. A ton of them were on Friday.

Also, when I saw Billy this past February, the kids were what pulled the show through, otherwise the performances were half phoned/ half performed.
Thank you jagkfb for validating that our experience might not be so rare.

I wasn't into BILLY ELLIOT, either. I don't understand the hype. With the exception of the choreography, which was mostly spectacular, there wasn't much of a musical there. I much preferred Elton John's scores to AIDA and LESTAT. His score for BILLY ELLIOT wasn't distinctive enough to stand on its own. I found the book to be choppy, lacking flow.

Just when I thought I was going to walk away and say, "This was an OK musical," that encore happened. This musical wasn't about telling a story. It was about providing spectacle. I very much walked into the theatre wanting to LOVE it, and I couldn't have been more disappointed.
And Foster... So you're allowed to WANT to love something and be disappointed but I'm not? Hmmm... Pot, kettle much?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:38am

It's not a depressing ending, but it's bleak.

I think Aaron Tveit coming out in boxers and a towel is a "crowd pleaser" as well. Please, tell me how that helps the story?

Either way, I still felt more emotion watching Billy Elliot. Maybe - being an actor - I just felt more of an emotional connection to that show than Next to Normal.

And I don't think you can compare the two scores. I don't think either of them are perfect. After awhile - especially the second act - the songs in Next to Normal tend to blend together and just form one massive pop-rock song. And those ballads just kill the momentum to me in Act 2. But the same can be said for Billy Elliot. I don't really care for all the songs, but in the context of the show they work, but I don't own the cast recording or anything.

I think they're both good musicals, so if either of them wins I'd be happy. But people always say the Tony voters go for the big musical over the smaller intimate show.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:40am

Either way, I still felt more emotion watching Billy Elliot.

Because they manipulated you too.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:44am

And how did they do that? Did they drug me when I wasn't looking?

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 11:51am

Could N2N be this years AVENUE Q?


No.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:33pm

I don't really want to get involved with this, but I did feel so much more emotion at Next to Normal than Billy Elliot. When I saw Billy Elliot with Trent last November, I really loved it, but I didn't feel any connection with the cast. I never once felt like crying, or joyously happy for the kids. I just felt like I was watching a show being played out. It was a great show, but still just a show none the less.

On the other hand, at Next to Normal, I felt such a connection with the family, like you were a part of the family, going with them through all of the ups and downs. You felt all of the emotions the family felt, shared in their sorrow and joy. I was moved to tears during this show, annd I can't say the same for Billy Elliot. They seem to be on two very different emotional wavelengths. I did love Billy Elliot, I just didn't feel the same as I did for Next to Normal.

Just my two cents.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 3:40pm

After awhile - especially the second act - the songs in Next to Normal tend to blend together and just form one massive pop-rock song. And those ballads just kill the momentum to me in Act 2.


- Oh boy. Do you not realize that the second act is almost entirely sung-through for a reason? Having big production numbers, and stopping for applause, would completely take the audience out of the story, and would destroy the emotional connection the audience has with the story and its characters.


Updated On: 4/20/09 at 03:40 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:03pm

That's not at all what I'm suggesting, but a distinction between the numbers would be nice. I didn't mind it so much, I'm just reporting back with some people next to me said. I did feel - the same with Tale of Two Cities - that the second is ballad heavy. I just don't think we need the whole "anyway I'm leaving..." song. I think the first couple of lines sort of sum that whole thing up.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:09pm

It just occurred to me that I don't remember a single song from Billy. I remember the moments on stage, but I couldn't sing you the tune.

If Diana would have just said the line "so anyway I'm leaving", and then whatever few lines to sum up the reasons, THAT would completely kill the momentum and seem so out of place. Throughout the entire show and the second act especially, the story is told through song and the book is just transitional. It wouldn't make sense for Diana to just speak that emotional, pivotal moment.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:13pm

I didn't say she had to speak it. But that song is pretty laughable. It's pretty obvious what she's doing with the first line of the song, so why then do we need to hear it stated over and over again for the next 3 minutes?

And I can see your point with Billy, although the opening song is always stuck in my head. The worker's chant or whatever. I thought that was a beautiful song.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:19pm

She's explaining why she's leaving. You don't leave your husband of 20 years, who's stood by you through that sort of experience, without some attempt to explain yourself.

But, I will admit that one song I could do without is "Maybe", when Diana sort of patches things out with Natalie. It's a nice moment but it goes on a bit long.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:23pm

To be fair, RentBoy86, I don't like BILLY ELLIOT or NEXT TO NORMAL, but I can fairly say that Best Musical is going to go to one of these two shows.

Unless the votes are split between the two, and 9 TO 5 comes up the winner.

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:26pm

"Maybe" is one of my favorite songs in the second act and is absolutely needed, there needs to be some sort of closure between Diana and Natalie.

Out of all the songs in N2N the only one I think I wouldnt really miss if it were cut is "Why Stay? / A Promise" but I'm sure a lot of people will say that moment is needed as well.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:30pm

I agree something is needed, but Maybe just drags some times. But it's a VAST improvement from Everything Everyone Ever Told You.

I think Why Stay is needed, but it's a little awkward how it just jumps into it after It's Gonna Be Good Reprise.

[snl89]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:34pm

Actually, I'm not the hugest fan of So Anyway as a song either. It's just never been one of the songs I've really really gotten attached to. That said, I think it's important to have it in there in it's full form because it provides for that transition that has to occur. Right before that, you have Diana patching things up (or at least beginning to patch things up) with Natalie, and Henry comforting Natalie in this really poignant and uplifting moment. It would just not work to have Diana abruptly come out, say "so yeah, I'm leaving", and then that's that. It wouldn't allow the audience any time to process the full extent of what she's doing, and it wouldn't allow Dan the time to get to the emotional state he needs to be in for I Am The One (reprise). I've never personally thought of the song so much as something that's meant to stand out on it's own. Rather it's just supposed to allow for the time it takes to get from this uplifting scene with Natalie and Henry, to this scene where Dan has truly hit his lowest low, and finally acknowledges Gabe. You just need that in between time, and So Anyway is the way to have it. It's a really good transition song I imo.


And in regards to Maybe- I agree, the way it is on the cast recording is too long and kind of unnecessary. But luckily they DID cut it down pretty significantly during previews, so now it's pretty short and to the point :) I've always loved the part where Natalie comes in, and all the stuff that follows. I just felt like the beginning part dragged on. And now they've cut out that whole "fly to the devil you know" bit, so it's really much better. Diana says a couple of lines and then it gets straight to the heart of it with Natalie coming in. So it makes for a really nice moment now :)


I really do feel like the creative team has done SUCH an amazing job editing this show. It really, really flows well now imo, and I DON'T personally feel that there's a single song or scene that's unnecessary or that drags on at this point.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:37pm

Ah ok, that would make sense because I saw the 2nd preview, glad to hear they cut it down!

And I agree...it's AMAZING to hear the previous incarnations of this show and all the retooling that's been done!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:37pm

I think both of those moments are needed, but maybe could have done better or in a more creative way, I don't know. It just sort of makes the show drag to have so many ballads so close together, ya know?

And yeah, Foster, I'm not sure what you were saying, but I agree with you, and if either of them wins I'll be happy, and it will be one of them.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 4/20/09 at 6:56pm

The simple fact is, most of the shows can almost definately survive without the awards (Shrek ala Beauty, 9 to 5 ala Wicked or Legally Blonde, Billy Elliot ala Aida or Saigon), but Next to Normal stands the chance of becoming the Passing Strange or Xanadu, closing almost immediately after Tony Season.