Posted: 6/25/17 at 4:30pm
The tour is coming to San Francisco this week for about a month. I've never seen the play, so no spoilers please, but can anyone who's seen the tour thus far give me an idea of the quality of the performances and staging?
Posted: 6/25/17 at 4:33pm
Saw the tour in April... Was about 95% there in comparison to the Broadway production, IMHO. (some of the staging/set tricks were reduced, but overall very similar)
Posted: 6/25/17 at 6:56pm
Saw it in Chicago and I thought it was fantastic. Set was amazing. I saw the alternate Christopher (seems to do a couple performances a week) and he was stellar. Highly recommend it.
Posted: 6/25/17 at 9:17pm
Saw the show in Boston & it was really fantastic. Staging very similar to NYC from what I had read at the time. One scene has changed for the tour but we didnt miss it. Entire cast was very engaging.
Posted: 6/26/17 at 10:28am
I saw the original Broadway production twice, and although I haven't seen the touring version, I'm told they do not create the sub-stage train track for the scene with the pet rat in the London Underground.
Posted: 6/26/17 at 12:52pm
The touring company is excellent. The dialect coach is stellar and the accents are 100% believable. A couple seated next to me thought the entire company was British.
To echo adagio's comment from above, if you can, see the alternate (Benjamin Wheelwright) as Christopher. When I saw the tour earlier this year he went on for Thursday evening, Saturday matinee and Sunday evening performances. It was one of those rare moments where the actor completely disappeared into the character... an absolutely natural performance. I can also say the other leads playing his parents and teacher have the same effect. It's as if these people were plucked out of their everyday lives and dropped on stage in front of you.
As far as the staging, it's been slightly modified for the tour, which understandably doesn't use trap doors. However, if you haven't seen this production before, you won't notice anything missing. The clever "hybrid" black box setting makes it so easy to suspend your disbelief and get absorbed into the characters' world for 2 hours.
If you do attend, let us know what you think!
Posted: 6/26/17 at 2:58pm
I saw this show in IA and didn't realize how loud the parents were!
Posted: 6/26/17 at 3:28pm
The tour is excellent. The performances are wonderful and, if you happen to see the alternate Christopher, you are not getting short-changed. He is equally excellent.
As far as the set and the staging goes, I'd say 95% is the same, some innovations brought on by having to tour the set are wonderfully inventive, and I miss only a few things from Broadway.
Go!
Posted: 6/27/17 at 9:11am
This is an amazing production when I saw it in NYC. The staging itself is a character on its own. Glad to finally see it make it out here. I'm hoping it captures the magic as it did on Broadway.
Updated On: 6/27/17 at 09:11 AM
Posted: 6/27/17 at 10:23am
sbflyfan said: "The touring company is excellent. The dialect coach is stellar and the accents are 100% believable. A couple seated next to me thought the entire company was British.
To echo adagio's comment from above, if you can, see the alternate (Benjamin Wheelwright) as Christopher. When I saw the tour earlier this year he went on for Thursday evening, Saturday matinee and Sunday evening performances. It was one of those rare moments where the actor completely disappeared into the character... an absolutely natural performance. I can also say the other leads playing his parents and teacher have the same effect. It's as if these people were plucked out of their everyday lives and dropped on stage in front of you.
As far as the staging, it's been slightly modified for the tour, which understandably doesn't use trap doors. However, if you haven't seen this production before, you won't notice anything missing. The clever "hybrid" black box setting makes it so easy to suspend your disbelief and get absorbed into the characters' world for 2 hours.
If you do attend, let us know what you think!
I saw Benjamin Wheelwright when he was an alternate toward the end of the Broadway run. He is phenomenal. I do not have anyone to compare him to (other than bootlegs I watched after I saw it live...ok, I will admit it) but based on those, he was by far my favorite. He is something special.
Posted: 6/27/17 at 5:26pm
I saw it originally in NYC and then in Tampa, in a barn of a theatre. Luckily, I was sitting close, so theatre size wasn't a significant factor. The Tampa performance I saw was absolutely first rate and the actor who played Christopher (I don't have the playbill available) did not make me think of the original lead once. He was outstanding.
The only issue with seeing it on the road is theater-size. Those barns are more suited to musicals that non-musicals. In Tampa, the first row of the first balcony (there are three) is further from the stage than the last row of only the balcony at the Barrymore. So, particularly with a non-musical, I would make an extra effort to get seats as close to the stage as possible. (Hell, they are not suited to most musicals either...they are too big, but economics demand that).
Posted: 6/28/17 at 1:29pm
Agree with the statements about some of the visuals being hard to see in larger houses due to the set and how it works with the story but the tour itself is fantastic and they didn't cut any corners. Just an FYI DO NOT LEAVE right away after the bows.
Posted: 6/28/17 at 2:45pm
We see the show tomorrow night, our usual seats in Row N so hope they are close enough to appreciate the set. A friend went last night. Raves about it. He saw the Broadway production and admittedly is a huge fan of the show. I read the book this week and kept thinking this is note a story I'd read and automatically think, "Lets make it into a play." So I'm 'curious' to see how it was translated.
And...I'm slightly addicted to the music: https://youtu.be/fEndJpVkUCk
if anyone wants a Playbill let me know and I'll grab a few extras.
Posted: 6/30/17 at 3:40am
Christopher schedule per the Playbill:
Adam Langdon is primary actor.
Benjamin Wheelwright plays:
Wednesday evening: 7/5, 7/12, 7/19
Saturday matinees: 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/22
Sunday matinees: 7/2, 7/16, 7/23
Sunday evening: 7/9
Posted: 7/2/17 at 4:38pm
I went to see the play in San Francisco last night with my wife and daughter. Thanks for everyone's tips. My own suggestion, if you want to see it, is to get on TodayTix and grab $35 rush tickets shortly after 9 a.m. on the day of the show. The rush seats don't last long, but we got good ones (Section R, two together; and Section P, a single).
I didn't like the play as much as many of you did, but it's certainly an impressive technical achievement that relentlessly drives home what it's like to be in Christopher's head.
Posted: 8/5/17 at 9:57pm
Saw this today at the Ahmanson in DTLA, where it runs through September 10. Having seen both the West End and the Broadway productions, I'm happy to report that this is overall an excellent touring production with a superb cast.
Re the staging: The only things I noticed were that the rear wall escalator is gone and the subway scene is staged slightly differently. The rest of the show seems much the same.
The cast is great, and their accents sounded spot on.
As it was a matinee, I saw the alternate Christopher, Benjamin Wheelwright. Having seen both Luke Treadaway (London) and Alex Sharp (NYC) in the role, I can say that Ben is the real deal. You can add my voice to those singing his praises above. Truly an exceptional performance.
(For those interested: Ben will be playing weekend matinees throughout the run.)
Posted: 8/5/17 at 11:02pm
Im seeing this tomorrow in L.A. and know nothing about the story. Should I read up before seeing it or just follow the story as its performed?
Posted: 8/5/17 at 11:13pm
DebraR said: "Im seeing this tomorrow in L.A. and know nothing about the story. Should I read up before seeing it or just follow the story as its performed?"
Go in cold. It's a fascinating story that deserves to be told as intended by the playwright. You won't be disappointed.
Posted: 8/5/17 at 11:15pm
Great, thanks so much!
Rumpelstiltskin said: "DebraR said: "Im seeing this tomorrow in L.A. and know nothing about the story. Should I read up before seeing it or just follow the story as its performed?"
Go in cold. It's a fascinating story that deserves to be told as intended by the playwright. You won't be disappointed.
"
Posted: 8/6/17 at 1:02am
I hadn't seen the show and just caught it at The Ahmanson Easily one of the Best Plays I've ever seen. The stage craft, the set and sound design and of course these phenomenal performances
This is a must see
Posted: 9/10/17 at 1:13am
I must be the only person in the world who hated this show. It's the first time in my entire history of theater-going that I left at intermission. I found it excruciating, with an absolutely terrible lead performance. It's such a bizarrely misjudged performance that I blame the director more than the actor (though the actor's inability to maintain an English accent is all him). I was ready to leave after 20 minutes, but stayed until intermission. I've read the book, so I really didn't see the point in staying if even the flashy theatrics weren't doing it for me.
Posted: 9/10/17 at 2:14am
Hork, you're not alone. I saw it on tour in San Francisco and didn't like it at all. Unlike you, I hadn't read the book so I wasn't comparing it to that. And I had a lot of problems with the second act, which you didn't see. It's my entry in the Unpopular Opinions thread.
A lot of people love this play, and I am glad a regular play has been financially successful. I am definitely in the minority on this one.
Posted: 9/10/17 at 3:45pm
I saw this a few days ago in LA, and didn't like it at all. My husband enjoyed it, and I thought the acting (aside from the father) was fine, but the story and staging did nothing for me. I haven't read the book, but I got what they were going for, and I was not at all into it. Different strokes, I guess.
