DOCTOR ZHIVAGO Previews- Page 7

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 12:03pm

Serious question... Did Michael Bay direct this musical?!?!

So many explosions, gun shots, and sudden violence. It just never ended. I've jumped less watching Paranormal Activity films (although I was in row G).

Anyway, I'm a person who enjoys a good Jekyll & Hyde style darkly romantic, ballad-heavy melodrama... so I enjoyed the night. Some really miraculous singing by Mutu, Barrett, and Nolan. As Pasha, Nolan brought a lot of fire and a very confident performance, his voice soared. I also thought Barrett gave an excellent performance, and her voice is crushingly beautiful. Her first act number "When the Music Played" was heartrending and a vocal master class. And boy is she gorgeous (the whole cast is pretty stunning!). Mutu, with his very Jekyll sounding voice, was a very strong male lead. Leading man looks and singing chops and he's working harddd up there. Loved the physicality in his "Ashes and Tears". Hewitt was sufficiently villainous but he oversells it a bit, a little too Scar from Lion King. 

There's easily 20 moments in this show when you could just crack up laughing at the schmaltz/melodrama factor. Some truly hysterical histrionic dialogue. Also the "now we're in the countryside!" choreography of "Women and Little Children" made me snicker. But look, that's what this is, a Nicholas Sparks novel of a Broadway show. I think there's a time and a place for that. The music, the costumes, the effects (except for those cheesy ass projections), the scenery, the romance, it was all very well delivered. Overall I enjoyed this night more than Gigi, American in Paris, and The Visit. About equal with Rotten, Vegas, Last Ship & On the 20th century. Maybe less than Sideshow. But again, I'm someone who revels in a good silly-emotional Wildhornian score. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 12:49pm

Seeing it this evening. Have a few shows ahead of it on my list to see but with all of the comments here and elsewhere it has piqued my interest a bit more and I am looking forward to this evening.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 1:53pm

Guys, what are you even talking about? Please tell me you are making some of this up. Or at least keep this open until I come back from vacation so I can see it for myself.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 1:59pm

^ Hahahahah actual lol.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 6:57pm

According to the DZ website, they have this to say about Amy Powers: "Amy is an Emmy®-nominated lyricist and songwriter who has made her mark across multiple musical genres. Two songs she co-wrote for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard were multi-platinum releases for Barbra Streisand, with "As If We Never Said Goodbye," ". I knew she wrote a version, but who is to say she actually wrote one of the known songs from the show. She isn't even credited anywhere for lyricist. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 7:32pm

"According to the DZ website, they have this to say about Amy Powers: "Amy is an Emmy®-nominated lyricist and songwriter who has made her mark across multiple musical genres. Two songs she co-wrote for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard were multi-platinum releases for Barbra Streisand, with "As If We Never Said Goodbye," ". I knew she wrote a version, but who is to say she actually wrote one of the known songs from the show. She isn't even credited anywhere for lyricist. " 

She most certainly is and I believe she sued for that credit. I don't remember the specifics of her leaving the project but I do believe there was a law suit at some point and she is credited on the last page of the CD booklet for the original cast and American premiere recordings in all capital letters: "The producers greatfully acknowledge the role of Amy Powers in the lyric development of Sunset Boulevard."

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 8:02pm

She did the Sydmonton version of Sunset I believe?  I believe ALW found her when she was a lawyer.

She has an interesting resume since then: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Powers

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 8:15pm

So, wait... When exactly did Mutu get back to the show?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 8:24pm

Tuesday, 4/7.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 8:57pm

"A Nicholas Sparks of a Broadway show..."  Boris is turning over in his unmarked grave. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 2:40pm

I think the Nicholas Sparks comment was a bit of an exaggeration. The show still focuses quite a bit on the war and the more violent aspects of the story. There's maybe two or three love songs? It's not romantic enough for a Nicholas Sparks novel! I actually don't mind the violence but I think it confuses people because their marketing is still pushing the romance and the show isn't only about that.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:02pm

What is the set like for this, and are there a lot of scene changes?

 

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:07pm

Yeah but The Notebook is also about Alzheimer's, American social class structure, and women's rights, ya know? 

Maybe Titanic would have been a better comparison as it centers around an important & tragic historical moment, but is still a sweeping melodrama. But that's already been a musical ;p 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:10pm

I think I'm going to wait until the show is frozen to check this one out. Does anyone know when that will be/when the press perfs begin? Thanks.

[tgrabon2]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:30pm

Having never seen the film or read the book I went into Doctor Zhivago blind. It was a real slog like a flashback to a grade school Russian history course and just as exciting. In the middle of the dreck was the occasional song with lyrics out of a Hallmark card.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 6:00pm

I don't know if Amy Powers ever wrote for Hallmark but she was nominated for an Emmy for Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 7:18pm

"I think I'm going to wait until the show is frozen to check this one out. Does anyone know when that will be/when the press perfs begin? Thanks."

I think April 21. I'm waiting at least until after May 3. I'm not sure why they don't just make it a romance to make it more palatable if they can't handle telling such a big story.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 8:03pm

It opens April 21st. The press performances are usually before opening night nowadays.

[broadwayfan24]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 8:44pm

Unless they make some major changes, I cannot see this getting good reviews. We'll see though. I've clashed with the critics' opinions before.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:14pm

"What is the set like for this, and are there a lot of scene changes?"

Act I is a basic unit set with variations, and Act II is a different unit set with variations. They both share a steeply raked tile floor with projection screen and scrim at the far upstage wall, and Dr. Tolstoy's desk downstage right. There is a show curtain formed of randomly stacked chairs and tables-- I guess an allusion to Les Miz's "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" metaphor for the casualties of war... or something...

In Act I, a series of neoclassical walls with columns move on and off stage to modify the shape of the space. At times a staircase or windows are featured (usually with projections of rain or snow on the windowpanes). Ceiling headers lower for attic scenes. An empty railroad car chassis can pop into view and track downstage whenever a train car is needed. Bleak, stately, formal, the whole Act is mostly in blue-gray and black.

Act II is surrounded by permanent portals of gray concrete. You get a glimpse of waving wheat fields in projection at the top of the Act, and late in the evening the "abandoned winter palace" is finally shown-- jagged portals of plexiglas icicles and some giant Dr. Caligari-ish window shards. Violent, heartless, anti-romantic in the extreme. And gray, gray, gray. Definitely NOT David Lean's Dr. Zhivago, that's for sure.

 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 12:20am

That does sound more like the Ice Palace in the novel.  Which raises a good point.

The fact that this show is bad (or good for that matter) not with standing, as others have pointed out there's a disconnect here.  The marketing, the use of Lara's Theme, all want to appeal to those who loved Lean's film (and, at least in their memories, was all about snowy romance.)  Obviously the show itself is not interested in those aspects (which I give them SOME credit for I suppose--it seemed like it would have been an easier route to just go full on over the top romantic.)

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 8:16am

The show is not only at odds with the film; it's aesthetic is at odds with itself. Brutal violent staging, a palette of black, slate and gray, and vast deep box of a set with no attempt to humanize the characters all compete with poor Lucy Simon's melodies yearning to be heard in the gloom. How love could bloom at all in such a deadly cold world is something somebody involved with this show should have considered before all those staging and design choices were made.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 12:34pm

Saw the show last night

First of all, I never realized how huge the stage of the Broadway was until I saw it last night. My God, you could stage the real revolution on it. Could someone explain to me why the floor of the stage resembled a version of the old video game Q Bert?Very distracting and serves no purpose.

The show will remind many of a Wildhorn show with soaring ballads etc. Those expecting to see the Lean film on stage will be disappointed. First of all, the film was 3 1/2 hours long whereas the show, less the intermission, is about 2 1/2 . The first 10 minutes or so of exposition is a bit confusing. After that, it kicks into high gear. Mutu is perfect for the role of Zhivago as is Barrett as Lara. Hewitt is a standout as Komarovsky. The real revelation is Paul Alexander Nolan as Pasha/Strelnikov. He has a power ballad in Act 2 called No Mercy At All which is as powerful as anything on Broadway now. He knocks it out of the park. The projections were OK but not to thrilled with the sets.

Entire parts of the Lean film are missing and entire parts here were nowhere to be found in the film. Which is truer to the novel - this or the film? I agree with a previous poster re the romanticism. The film was more on the romantic side .

This was hard to musicalize but they did a very credible job here. This will be compared to a Wildhorn show. Sad to say, I doubt the critics will be kind but hopefully I am wrong here. Mrs R is already bugging me for the cast album. Hopefully, it will get done.

By the way, the last 10 rows of he theater are blocked off and they do not sell these seats. The orchestra was full and upstairs was about 80% full. Not bad for the last day of the Jewish holidays. The merchandise was sparse. One non fitted Tee & 3 or 4 fitted. They have the magnet of course plus a pen and pencil set with Dr Z on it . In addition they had the elongated coffee mugs and a red book with Dr Z on it with blank pages in it.

Updated On: 4/11/15 at 12:34 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 1:11pm

I;m going tomorrow. I am really curious about this one..

 

[nathanjones]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 1:50pm

"How love could bloom at all in such a deadly cold world"

That is literally the point of the novel. It's set mostly during the Russian revolution/Civil War, which were obviously horrific. At least there wasn't a cannibalism scene.

Long time-lurker, but also saw this last night and have enjoyed reading the different responses.

People saying there's an identity crisis between the syrupy music and the stark violent staging are correct. But I found that friction kind of weird and interesting... on Broadway usually music, book, direction and design all illustrate the same idea. So this is kind of refreshing. Even if it doesn't entirely work.

I don't understand - did people want an ornate Gigi set in a story set during the violent formation of a pseudo-socialist dictatorship? That would be bizarre.

Mr. Roxy - the stagefloor is in a European floor pattern you see in a lot of palaces.