DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre- Page 8

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 5/2/16 at 11:54pm

There's been talks with a particular theatre. It's not the Booth. 

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 5/2/16 at 11:55pm

macnyc said: I unfortunately had a really bad seat in the balcony, BB5. BB3 and 4 were also miserable, right behind four hanging lights and two speakers. I kid you not. I complained and was told, The fine print said they were partial view! ClumsyDude, didn't you notice the light fixture that was blocking your neighbor's view?"

The seat I mentioned B6 was in the "front orchestra" to the right, not in the box. That was my mistake, because I forgot that the balcony box is BB. I did however sit in BB3 as part of the TodayTix rush seats and while it wasn't my favorite view, I still felt like I saw well enough. The girl sitting in BB1 didn't complain and I felt like her view was more partial/obstructed than my own, but I suppose everyone has their own preferences. Heck, the night I went there were rush seats that hadn't been claimed and/or used, so people around me could have moved, but no one did. 

Madela - If you meant B10 [meaning "front right orchestra"], your view will be fine and you have a great seat since B6 was my seat for first preview. I don't think they're selling the BB/balcony seats for anything but TodayTix rush, so I am going to assume that's the seat you bought. 

Updated On: 5/2/16 at 11:55 PM

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/2/16 at 11:59pm

everythingtaboo said: "There's been talks with a particular theatre. It's not the Booth. "

Helen Hayes?

[matty159]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 12:12am

Me and my friend were pretty much dead center in A 103-04.  Being slightly off center or one or two rows up would have been ideal.  I have no idea what they consider their premium seating.  I never know what to expect there.  Those seats were fine for Invisible Thread except that I felt like I had to continually cover my eyes from getting sand kicked in them.  And no one likes sand in a contact.  Ever. Especially when you don't have your glasses or contact case with you.  That said too, I still felt a mist of Platt's spit. Which whatever...you are so wrapped up in the character that it doesn't matter.  I digress.....

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 12:15am

everythingtaboo said: "There's been talks with a particular theatre. It's not the Booth. 

 

"

Always so cryptic, never so informative. 

[matty159]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 12:16am

Also, isn't the plan for the renovation of the Hayes to take place after The Humans?  It would be ideal if they want to hold off much needed fixes and put it in their own Broadway home, but it would be nice to see that old gal get her renovation first!

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 12:18am

^ I guess that technically with The Humans ending in July there is plenty of time for a (quick) renovation before a Spring 2017 opening at the Hayes for DEH. We shall see. Unless everythingtaboo can provide any insight. 

I'd personally love to see this done in the round but Fun Home probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 

[madela2]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 12:24am

ClumsyDude15 said: "macnyc said: I unfortunately had a really bad seat in the balcony, BB5. BB3 and 4 were also miserable, right behind four hanging lights and two speakers. I kid you not. I complained and was told, The fine print said they were partial view! ClumsyDude, didn't you notice the light fixture that was blocking your neighbor's view?"

The seat I mentioned B6 was in the "front orchestra" to the right, not in the box. That was my mistake, because I forgot that the balcony box is BB. I did however sit in BB3 as part of the TodayTix rush seats and while it wasn't my favorite view, I still felt like I saw well enough. The girl sitting in BB1 didn't complain and I felt like her view was more partial/obstructed than my own, but I suppose everyone has their own preferences. Heck, the night I went there were rush seats that hadn't been claimed and/or used, so people around me could have moved, but no one did. 

Madela - If you meant B10 [meaning "front right orchestra"], your view will be fine and you have a great seat since B6 was my seat for first preview. I don't think they're selling the BB/balcony seats for anything but TodayTix rush, so I am going to assume that's the seat you bought. 

 

"

I have BB 10, the box/balcony seats. Perhaps, they don't hold them all for rush. It's the only seat that would come up for me in the whole theater.

Thanks for the great info, everyone! Looking forward to it!

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 1:07am

I could see it at circle in the square after Fun Home leaves

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 1:22am

billyelliotfan123 said: "I could see it at circle in the square after Fun Home leaves

 

"

I wouldn't agree, considering how heavily they are using projection to emphasize the impact of social media that's also central to its theme.

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 1:33am

Dancingthrulife2 said: "I wouldn't agree, considering how heavily they are using projection to emphasize the impact of social media that's also central to its theme"

I meant if they were to do it on the thrust stage formation at circle. The show was performed on a thrust stage at Arena Stage I believe 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 1:40am

billyelliotfan123 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "I wouldn't agree, considering how heavily they are using projection to emphasize the impact of social media that's also central to its theme"

I meant if they were to do it on the thrust stage formation at circle. The show was performed on a thrust stage at Arena Stage I believe 

 

"

I don't think it looks like a thrust stage though, or at least they didn't use the entire stage in the DC production.

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 6:40am

When Audra did Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill at Circle in the Square, the theater was configured into a thrust stage (I think that's the correct term) with projections on the wall behind her.  I could see that working for Dear Evan Hansen, and the theater would be a nice size. I was in the Helen Hayes recently for The Humans, and it is just a mess. That place needs a major overhaul. 

Updated On: 5/3/16 at 06:40 AM

[pupscotch]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 6:55am

I think that because of the projections, it's probably best for Dear Evan Hansen to take a regular proscenium stage. I think the Booth would be perfect for this show, it's too bad it might be filled at the time-maybe the Schoenfeld or the Golden? I think the Booth is still ideal if they can get it.

 

 

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 9:09am

billyelliotfan123 said: "I meant if they were to do it on the thrust stage formation at circle. The show was performed on a thrust stage at Arena Stage I believe "

This is the seating chart of the Kreeger in DC. 

http://www.arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/the-mead-center/event-rentals/images/kreeger%20seating.pdf

 

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 11:30am

So it is a thrust stage?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/3/16 at 11:34am

"A fan-shaped space with a modified thrust stage."

http://www.arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/the-mead-center/event-rentals/performance-spaces/

[Kad]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 9:57am

I saw this last night and enjoyed it- the superlatives for Platt and Jones are certainly more than deserved. Jones delivers perhaps the best song of the whole thing, devastating and so lived-in and true.

I do think it's a tad overlong, and a tad derivative (I wish Greif had done something to make this not so immediately reminiscent of Next to Normal visually). The first act meanders and the action reaches its climax and denouement way too quickly in the second, and how it handles those I have issues with.

For the climax:

 

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Namely, I think the use of the initial letter as the catalyst for the truth coming out is contrived. I just don't see how posting that letter would lead to such a massive blowback against the Murphys. Even in the volatile, dickish world of the Internet, why would there be such harassment against the family of a kid who killed himself because of such a vague letter being made public? It doesn't ring true and felt like a need to "raise the stakes" to get Evan to confess.

 And then its aftermath:

 

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The writers seem to have just skipped over the hard part of Evan's confession- the aftermath, the repercussion. We jump forward a year and learn the Murphys told no one of his deceit. What happened with The Connor Project is unclear, aside from the orchard. Considering the viral sensation he was, at some point the truth would need to come out to the world at large. Although it's 15 minutes of fame, no stone is left unturned these days. It's all too neat and tidy.

 

[nycesq]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 10:04am

Cindy Adans in today's NY Post says it is transferring to the Schoenfeld.

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 10:20am

I agree with your points in the spoiler tags, Kad. I guess I was able to gloss over those plot points, but it would be good for the creative team to address them and make the storytelling stronger.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 10:40am

I agree...it's certainly not b'way ready or perfect....but it certainly packs an emotional punch!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 10:43am

The "resolution" (or lack thereof) is certainly what needs to be remedied the most in this show.  I hope they work on it before Broadway. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 11:04am

I agree, it does pack a punch. Even I- a notoriously dry-eyed theatre-goer- teared up during "So Big / So Small."

Which is why I would like more from the last third of the show- even forgiving the flaws in the first 2/3s. The show has too much going for it to settle for such a contrived and dramatically lazy climax and ending.

 

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There is talk earlier in the second act about producing more emails that show Connor with a more degraded mental state, and nothing really seems to come of it. It seems to me that this would be a good catalyst for getting to putting the Murphys in harm's way (if that is the route the writers wish to take to spur Evan's confession. I'm frankly not even sure that's necessary, as the stakes are already high enough, but that's just me). The emails could implicate the family more and more, with the "suicide note" as the capper.

 

Updated On: 5/4/16 at 11:04 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 1:22pm

Another thought about the ending:

 

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When Evan comes clean, I think it might be nice for him to let Conner's family know that the final interaction between the two of them included a genuine, if very brief, act of kindness on Conner's part. This might give some comfort to them, since apparently they never saw any warmth or goodness in him. This could also give Conner's family some reason to believe that everything that followed his death was based on something, however small, and perhaps provide more of a motive for not exposing Evan's fraud. It would also simply be a kind thing for Evan to do at that point, making his redemption slightly more plausible.

 

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/4/16 at 2:00pm

Kdogg, do you mean....

 

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the signing of the Evan's cast?