DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES Previews- Page 4

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 11:32am

I really wanted to like this. I love Adam Guettel. But ultimately, this was a huge bust. Brian and Kelli did the best they could with the weak script, but I found myself more disappointed in the overall score. I wanted more from the father and sponsor character at the end. I won't be surprised if this ends up with an award snub with just a nod to Kelli and maybe Brian for acting.

I thought this was Michael Grief's laziest direction by far. That made me the most disappointed.

Rush was pretty easy to get. $50 was the perfect price. I was second row right back mezz section.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 11:38am

Tom Aldredge received a Tony nomination for Passion, and didn’t sing a word in it. 
 

There no rule that a character HAS to sing for the sake of being in a musical. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 12:15pm

Musicaldudepeter said: "Who is the perceived frontrunner for Best Actor and Actress in a Musical at this point, however early? Is it Redmayne and Rankin for Cabaret? Does O'Hara have any shot at winning her second for this?"

O'Hara does but also the girl from Hells Kitchen, Eden Espinsosa - Lempicka and Rankin. James along with Jonathan Groff -Merrily and Redmayne. Are the top contenders in each category!

Updated On: 1/14/24 at 12:15 PM

[SingOutLouise3]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 12:40pm

Saw this last night (Saturday, 1/13, house left orchestra, row L). 

I’m glad I saw it! Yes, it’s devastating, heartbreaking and I was in emotional knots by the end. It took me a couple songs to get into the sound Guettel has created for this story, but after that, the score along with Craig Lucas’ book worked for me.  

For anyone touched by alcoholism this will be a tough one IMO. Their love is entangled with their drinking … we watch the dangerous impact drinking has on their lives and family.

I know I would like it even more if I could see and hear it again. 

The audience felt fidgety which was distracting. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 1:16pm

kdogg36 said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "Yes, it seems a crime that Sharon Catherine Brown and Byron Jennings are given so little to do."

I don't agree with this. Writers should add material only if it furthers the story or otherwise contributes to the meaning of the show, not to give specific performers more to do. I do think there's room in the show for both Kirsten's father and Joe's sponsor to have a song, but I understand why the creators wanted to keep the score so tight."

A couple of people here seem to think that we are demanding they rewrite the story to make Sharon Catherine Brown's character(s) the lead. You're missing the point: its frustrating to see someone THAT talented (in this case vocally, but in general) "wasted" in a show and not being given an opportunity to show off their talents. I dont necessarily think the production should have given the babysitter a solo, I just found myself hoping Brown would sing, or Jennings would get something more to do. 

i ALSO think the show/story could have benefitted from some other characters' perspectives, but as was mentioned, thats not this story, and I dont fault the production for not straying from the source material. 

[sammytravels 2]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 11:13pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I really wanted to like this. I love Adam Guettel. But ultimately, this was a huge bust. Brian and Kelli did the best they could with the weak script, but I found myself more disappointed in the overall score. I wanted more from the father and sponsor character at the end. I won't be surprised if this ends up with an award snub with just a nod to Kelli and maybe Brian for acting.

I thought this was Michael Grief's laziest direction by far. That made me the most disappointed.

Rush was pretty easy to get. $50 was the perfect price. I was second row right back mezz section."

Did you do the TodayTix digital lottery or an in person rush?  Many thanks 

 

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 12:00am

Give Kelly the Tony.

Otherwise this show is not fun to spend time with at all.  I can't imagine people recommending it to friends.

 

[bk]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 2:00am

Auggie27 said: "Broadway Flash: we agree. I'm not seeing the show until Wednesday, but I can't shake its power, revisiting the numbers in performance sequence on Spotify. By the third full listen, I was completely sold on the score as an exquisite piece of world building. It has that unique quality of nailing both time and place and tone of the prism on the familiar (to Boomers perhaps) story. No, this is not sentiment-driven (like Mancini, whose iconic theme some people seem to miss; so wrong for this telling) This is a new set of eyes and ears on these characters, and the result is a jarring, scary point of access. Discordant, open-ended, slivers of imagery-driven. Yet the palette shifts, and we we land on "As Water Loves the Stone," a small, lush romantic moment in the middle, Guettel isn't afraid to give us a dark melody to hold onto, as Joe holds on. But the score's cumulative impact feels a big part of its success: by the end, that haunting reprise of "There I Go," we've been immersed in these lives."

I haven't heard a note of this score, but must take exception to your saying that Mancini's theme is somehow "sentimental" - it is anything but sentimental. The theme itself is haunting certainly, but sentimental? And his actual score for the film is one of his best and it is very dark and brooding when it needs to be. I just don't get the "sentimental" part. In actuality, there is nothing I find sentimental in the film.

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 9:09am

RUkiddingme said: "Give Kelly the Tony.

Otherwise this show is not fun to spend time with at all. I can't imagine people recommending it to friends.

"

A musical doesn’t have to be fun. Look at most of the Sondheim catalogue. I don’t go to shows to have fun, I go to think and feel, and Wine and Roses is certainly one of those musicals. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 9:37am

This one is certainly proving to be polarizing on the boards. I really admired this at Atlantic, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again on Broadway this weekend. It's not a happy or feel-good show. If you want that, there are PLENTY of options on Broadway right now that fit that mold... this just isn't one of them. Like ljay just eloquently said, "I don’t go to shows to have fun, I go to think and feel". 

Kelli and Brian are both giving what I think are the best performances of their careers thus far in this. It's a shame this likely won't be open when the Tonys occur in June barring an extension... I think both of them are VERY worthy of wins, but the fact that the show will have been closed for a couple months isn't going to work in their favor - especially in such a crowded season.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 9:46am

I went back to listen to some of the Mancini music but found this tidbit of information much more intriguing and haunting. 

"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am.

The song was released as a single in 1971, becoming a breakthrough hit for Withers, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1971.

Withers was inspired to write the song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of."[3]

For the song's third verse, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way: "I was this factory worker puttering around," Withers said. "So when they said to leave it like that, I left it."[3]

Withers, then 31, was working at a factory making bathrooms for 747s at the time he wrote the song. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career.[4] "Ain't No Sunshine" was the first of Withers' three gold records in the U.S.

Withers performed "Ain't No Sunshine" on The Old Grey Whistle Test.[6] It won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972[5] and is ranked 285th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

I will never listen to this song the same way again.

Updated On: 1/15/24 at 09:46 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 11:19am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "A couple of people here seem to think that we are demanding they rewrite the story to make Sharon Catherine Brown's character(s) the lead. You're missing the point: its frustrating to see someone THAT talented (in this case vocally, but in general) "wasted" in a show and not being given an opportunity to show off their talents."

I understand, and I'm honestly not trying to give you a hard time! But I don't think it's fair to count this as a negative against a production. Short of writing new material for a character, the only other way to remedy the situation would have been to decline to hire a performer because they're too talented for the role, and that doesn't seem like a good solution either.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 11:57am

Okay, you don't find the title song to the film sentimental. But since you haven't yet, do listen to this musicalized iteration of the story, the way it's been composed (mostly) without traditional melodic lines, and perhaps you'll understand why the two styles of music - Mancini's lush midcentury pop stylings and Guettel's jazz-infused dissonance - are polar opposites. That's my ultimate point, picking up on the number of posts here and in the initial summer threads about "missing" the easier access via Mancini..

Updated On: 1/15/24 at 11:57 AM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/15/24 at 12:10pm

kdogg36 said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "A couple of people here seem to think that we are demanding they rewrite the story to make Sharon Catherine Brown's character(s) the lead. You're missing the point: its frustrating to see someone THAT talented (in this case vocally, but in general) "wasted" in a show and not being given an opportunity to show off their talents."

I understand, and I'm honestly not trying to give you a hard time! But I don't think it's fair to count this as a negative against a production. Short of writing new material for a character, the only other way to remedy the situation would have been to decline to hire a performer because they're too talented for the role, and that doesn't seem like a good solution either."

Oh, I agree. Its not a ding against the show that its tiniest parts are played by immensely talented people. I'm just reporting my own experience of anticipating/hoping for these guys to be given something to do. I'd rather they have jobs than not, and I'd also be fine if the show was just a two-hander between the two leads (which in many ways it could have been). But yes 100% the usage of Brown/Jennings has nothing to do with the show's strengths/weaknesses. 

[hicaesar]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 11:07pm

I attended Tuesday night's performance - I bought tickets for Brian and Kelly and they did not disappoint - simply incredible singers and actors - the best of the best. I also thought the Lighting Design was particularly lovely especially with the water reflections.  The set worked well for the show.  

The story is both drawn out and rushed at the same time and I definitely don't understand the choice to not have any other characters involved with this show. What about these friends trying to help with AA, babysitting etc. - what is their story? He got through his addiction, how bad did it get, how close did she get to giving up on him? 

The price is worth it for Brian and Kelly's performance but I don't see this show taking off. 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 5:53pm

Caught this again this weekend after seeing it at ATC earlier last year. The show is exactly the same with just some neon signs added to the set. Kelli O'Hara and Brian D'Arcy James are turning in truly incredible performances. Top notch in every aspect. The motel scene alone is a master class in acting.

I admired and liked the show a lot at ATC. However, I think I got even more out this one the second time around. It's a very unique and challenging piece that honestly feels like "a breath of fresh air" after some of this season's new musicals. It really can't be compared to anything else on Broadway right now.

The score, like the show itself, is challenging. It has a sophisticated elevator music vibe to it, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all! The vocals are, obviously, divine and impeccable. Both Kelli and Brian fill the cavernous Studio 54 with their resounding voices in the same way the shook the roof of the tiny Atlantic.

As someone who has battled and overcome alcoholism first hand, I can testify that the portrayals and themes are spot on albeit maybe a little heavy handed at times. 

I highly recommend this in general, but especially to theatergoers who are looking for something that's more than just a fluffy good time - this is a thought-provoking musical that is full of intense and raw emotion. I really hope this gets the attention it deserves come Tony nominations time.

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 8:32pm

I saw the matinee yesterday (TodayTix Rush - Orch H6) and this show left me feeling very cold.

Oddly enough, Adam Guettel's score is absolutely beautiful, but the source material itself does not lend itself to justify musicalization. Much like with "Back To The Future", there were just so many times I found myself sitting there wondering why they are singing.

The book was just so bland and dated. I feel like a musical about this would've worked 50 years ago when the movie was still fresh and people's attitudes about alcoholism were different, but we've come a very long way since then. I felt like there were absolutely no real stakes in the show other than BDJ and Kelli (who do the best with what they have, the latter with more success) going back and forth in falling off the wagon and dipping their toe into the melodramatic without fully diving in. Even the movie had a scene where Joe Clay ends up in the hospital in withdrawal and having DTs - which might've given a little more severity to the story. Instead, this felt like a very precious, almost music-box, portrayal of alcoholism and how it impacts lives.

My other gripes were with the scenic and sound design - The scenery felt way too small for the theatre and so much of the intimacy and quiet devastation it was trying to convey was lost on me. Also, I wish the orchestra was in the pit, because this isn't a show where everyone is singing in dulcet tones often enough where the orchestra overpowered them.

Finally, I haven't seen an ensemble that has been criminally wasted this much since OHIO STATE MURDERS. Aside from the three or four characters other than the leads, everyone else is just basically part of the scenery and I can only assume that this otherwise do-nothing ensemble role must be the easiest paycheck to collect.

[South Florida]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 7:21pm

When do we get to say we've overcome it?

As someone who has battled and overcome alcoholism first hand, I can testify that the portrayals and themes are spot on albeit maybe a little heavy handed at times.

 

Updated On: 1/22/24 at 07:21 PM

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 8:25pm

I hated this. She drinks one chocolate martini and she is an instant alcoholic? Also, the score is so utterly atonal and unappealing. A very unfortunate ticket buy. I would have rather seen Harmony again, and I hated Harmony. 

[Chaz Hands]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 8:27pm

I saw the show this weekend, and while I don’t think it was a perfect show, I liked it better than most of the new recent musicals that have opened on Broadway.

I can’t see a world in which this isn’t nominated for at least Best Musical, Best Score, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Yes, the ensemble was under-used. Yes, there weren’t any hummable tunes. But there is so much beautiful singing and storytelling happening on that stage. If Kelli doesn’t win the Tony for her performance, I’ll be flabbergasted.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 8:30pm

Matt Rogers said:

"I hated this. She drinks one chocolate martini and she is an instant alcoholic?"

Sounds like you don't know how addiction works. 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 8:34pm

Chaz Hands said: "I saw the show this weekend, and while I don’t think it was a perfect show, I liked it better than most of the new recent musicals that have opened on Broadway.

I can’t see a world in which this isn’t nominated for at least Best Musical, Best Score, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Yes, the ensemble was under-used. Yes, there weren’t any hummable tunes. But there is so much beautiful singing and storytelling happening on that stage. If Kelli doesn’t win the Tony for her performance, I’ll be flabbergasted."

Best score?? You’re probably right that it will be nominated just because of who he is but seriously???? It is almost like he stuck a paper bag over his head and jus plunked whatever keys his fingers landed on and called it a score. I found it to be truly abysmal. 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 9:05pm

TaffyDavenport said: "Matt Rogers said:

"I hated this. She drinks one chocolate martini and she is an instant alcoholic?"

Sounds like you don't know how addiction works."

I do. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 10:15pm

What is the obsession with wanting the ensemble to do more? The story isn’t about them. They weren’t going to rewrite the source material to give the babysitter and toy store owner storylines. Very talented actors taking these minor roles is their own choice. 

Updated On: 1/22/24 at 10:15 PM

[willep]

Posted: 1/22/24 at 10:33pm

I just think they were superfluous and the show could’ve been just the two of them, the daughter and the father.