Stand-by Joined: 2/17/07
And these shows are in previews -- plenty will change between now and opening. Zhivago at almost 3 hours will change a ton to cut it down to 2 hours and 30 minutes. I generally don't see shows until they are locked. Made a few exceptions to that rule this week.
Ebon -- you make your own decisions so??? This is the third thread I've read this morning thanking us for making the decision for you. This, Fun Home & Neverland.
A show of Zhivago's size is going to have a lot of difficulty trying to make changes.
Stand-by Joined: 2/17/07
Changes happen in big shows too. Not a true statement at all.
"but nothing really happens that catches fire."
I realize that the person who made the above statement was speaking metaphorically, but it made me chuckle because ironically, it is actually only the second time that i have ever seen an actual fire onstage (first was Pippin).
Anyhow, more on topic - i very much enjoyed the show. Lots of beautiful songs and wonderful singing by Tam Mutu, Kelli Barrett, and the other female lead who played Tonia (sorry i forgot the name). And Tom Hewitt and Paul Nolan had some great singing as well. It was 3 hours, but it flew by for me in just about every scene, except the one where the army is singing a highly repetitive song in the trench for what felt like 10 minutes. That is the only place where i would cut it down.
^ The fire to which you refer felt so hot, even in the mezz, that the only thing I can compare it to was heat that emanated from the bed that Sherie burned in WOTV.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/2/14
I'm excited to hear the cast album for this one. It seems like there could be some great songs in this show.
Not that it matters, but my comments about the violence were to communicate that I felt there were particularly disturbing moments and more graphic images compared to say other musicals set amidst a war - like Les Mis.
As for merchandise, there were t-shirts and maybe pens when I was there. Not much was on display. Could be more at this point.
Interesting that this show uses spoken dialogue when the characters should have been singing -- somehow, I just assumed that Dr. Z. would be sung through. As for the absence of a competitive duet between Dr. Z. and Pasha regarding who would get the girl, I had to smile, because Tam Mutu once sang such a song in his role as back-up Phantom in Love Never Dies: "Devil Take the Hindmost." That song was brimming with testosterone. It sounds like this show needs something similar.
It sounds to me like the book should have taken a page (sorry 'bout that) from the Gone With the Wind movie or the Les Miz musical: One battle scene -- especially a graphic battle scene -- is enough.
Aren't there 3 battles on the barricade in Les Miz?
Ebon,
Clearly, you do let people's thoughts on here affect your decisions. Not necessarily a bad thing if you are on the fence with limited opportunities. But you should't summarily dismiss things, either. There isn't a single show in recent memory that hasn't had its ardent admirers and equally ardent detractors on these boards. (Okay, Baby It's You came close to unanimous loathing...)
As for your itinerary, let me add my thoughts for your consideration: "But I am excited for my May lineup (Something Rotten, Living on Love, Beautiful and On the Twentieth Century #2)" Haven't seen Something Rotten yet, and won't be seeing Living on Love I don't think. But I HATED both Beautiful and On the 20th Century. And I LOVED Fun Home and Finding Neverland!
To each his own! I hope you enjoy your upcoming trip.
"A friend who went tonight said a woman in the 4th row started screaming hysterically and so they stopped the show and security had to come and pull her out, but they're not sure what caused the woman to scream like that."
It's reported Harvey Weinstein was sitting next to her.
"But I HATED both Beautiful and On the 20th Century."
You do realize that's just your own (minority) opinion, right?
^ While I didn't HATE Beautiful and On the Twentieth Century, I can't say I was a huge fan of either one.
That was Michael Mayer who did Thoroughly Modern Millie, not Des McAnuff!
Ah...my mistake. I still don't think it's any surprise McAnuff finds work.
Anyone have a song list? Have they added any new songs compared to the song listing on Wikipedia from the Australian tour or is it the same?
I do. I haven't seen a single show of his that felt good. Guys and Dolls = terrible. JCS = terrible. The Fansworth Invetion = terrible.
JeffreyKarasarides,
Yes, I know I have a "minority" opinion on those shows. Exactly my point to Ebon. It was suggested that he lets opinions on here guide what shows he sees. And I'm saying he shouldn't because just because the "majority" likes something doesn't mean that it is great, and vice versa.
This board is bound to slaughter any musical show called Dr Zhivago. Guaranteed.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
Saw it last night. What a clunker. It's a shame that gorgeous score is bogged down by such tedious lyrics. In their desperate attempt to shorten it, the cuts are obvious, glaring and confusing. The performances are decent at best, with Lara a real standout. As usual, Des McAnuff proves himself to be one of the most baffling directors in today's theatre.
I actually like a lot of the score. It fairs better on repeated listenings. I can only hope that they'll announce a cast album soon. I want the show to do well but I just don't see this being able to stick around long enough to find an audience. It's also not really a love story in the traditional sense, not the way they're advertising it, and the plot is more than a little difficult to follow unless you're already familiar with the material. There are also so many great new shows this season. The odds are stacked against it, but pointing that out dosen't mean I'm slaughtering the show or wanting to see them fail.
I do. I haven't seen a single show of his that felt good. Guys and Dolls = terrible. JCS = terrible. The Fansworth Invetion = terrible.
Well, I guess if that's all you've seen, then I can understand why you personally might not like him, but why he gets work is not really a mystery.
Though everything negative I read about Farnsworth had to do with the thin episodic script and not the direction (which was mostly positive for McAnuff).
"but why he gets work is not really a mystery."
Well, Des McAnuff is still a two-time Tony Award-Winning director of Big River and The Who's Tommy, as well as the director of the long-running hit Jersey Boys.
Des has also been attached to this show since at least 2006. The show has been in development for years it's not like they were looking for a director and randomly decided to go with the Jersey Boys guy.
Updated On: 4/1/15 at 03:26 PMVideos