DRS revisit 4/11 (possible spoilers)

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 12:55am

Did the lotto for DRS tonight (Tue 4/11), and saw the show again for the first time since John Lithgow and Sherie Rene Scott left. Lotto was actually a little crowded- I don't mean 'Wicked' crowded or anything, but there were like (10-15?) people who did not get tix, and every other time I've done the DRS lotto on a weekday everyone has won.

Lenore/Renee understudy, other than that everyone was in. Rachel York is a good Christine Colgate, but it was Jonathan Pryce who I totally loved, loved, loved tonight! (possible spoilers ahead...)

Norbert Leo Butz was great tonight, as always, and, I don't know if this is a usual thing that they do now, but: Pryce appeared to just... lose it, for lack of a better term... during "All About Ruprecht," after the Norbert humping. Pryce started singing, while still laughing, but he could not stop laughing. He got to about the "...inbred bichon frise" line, I believe, and just stopped, composed himself, then leaned over and went "Maestro, I'd like to take that from the top," and went through "Ruprecht" again, from the beginning, just fine. It really seemed to us like he just lost it with the funny, but like I said it could maybe be a new bit that they're doing during that song (?)

Then at the start of Act 2, Pryce didn't have his feather for "Ruffhousin...," so he said something like "and I am such a silly doctor, I forgot to bring the equipment that I need to use to test your legs" and walked off stage right to grab his feather and come back.

Oh- and the audience was really into the show tonight, which is always fun. Again during "Ruprecht," Pryce could barely get out his George Bush line: he did the "The Bushes of Tex, were nervous wrecks, because their son was dim" part, then had to hold for this loud audience applause before he could do the "but look what happened to him" part. Every other time I've seen the show Lithgow was always able to finish the "...to him" part before the audience applause.

Pryce does a lot of...playing to the fourth wall, I guess?... pauses and knowing looks and such, during the show. Which Lithgow did too, but- I enjoyed Pryce just a smidge more in the role.

Mylinda Hull did the BC/EFA plea at the end of the show (fyi they're supposedly almost out of posters, for those who might be wanting to get one.) Pryce offered to sing "This is the Hour" from Miss Saigon, in honor of the 15th anniversary of the show's opening on Broadway, in exchange for a $50,000 donation; then someone made a joke about donating $100,000 in exchange for him to not sing it.

Sorry, I feel like I should contribute more to this post, but just know that it was such a fun night, and if you haven't seen the show in a while (or haven't seen it at all) go see it! :)

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:06am

When I went on 3/25, the $50,000/$100,000 offer was for him, Norbert and Mylinda to come to our homes and perform Ruprecht... in the nude.

I was tempted, but poor.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:09am

When I was there someone bid $50,000 on auction off champagne with the cast backstage if Norbert would show her his butt cheek again. Norbert then did a little dance while he exclaimed "Show me the money!"

Pryce losing it...has become a tad normal, but it's not a new bit. Norbert just cracks him up almost every night.

And that bit with the feather is hilarious!

Glad you went back and enjoyed yourself!

What did you think of Rachel York?

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:20am

What did you think of Rachel York?

I really liked her- she's got such a great smile, and I felt like her Christine was a little more...vunerable?...than Scott's Christine was. Don't get me wrong, totally loved Scott in the role also, but... you know the scene where Christine is talking about selling the contest car and the furniture, where Lawrence realizes that she's not rich? There were a few "awws" in the audience (in a "aww how sad/ that's so sweet" way, not in an annoyingly cheesey audience on Full House way), which I don't remember ever hearing when I saw it with Scott.

And talk of Norbert's butt cheek reminds me- in "Chimp in a Suit" that part got like tween girl shrieks. I know it's Spring Break in the city and all or whatever, but it seriously sounded like everyone in the house who cheered was about 10 years old. Although- I do love being in the house left, stage right box seats during that song- you can see the complete dressing of Norbert Leo Butz happening behind that staircase. :)
(I have such a crush on him.)

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:23am

I LOVE this show. I have not laughed so hard in such a long time.

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:36am

I was there, and loved it tonight. The audience was really... alive for once. I posted a long review on the OT board.

It seemed like Jonathan lost it even before the humping- this wasn't a bit. It was a real case of the giggles. He wasn't the only one giggling- the ferret was shaking pretty hard while Norbert was "asleep."

They were having some real prop problems- the feather, the goldfish...

One of the women in the row behind me commented on you lucky lotto kids (btw, how crowded was it?): "Why are those kids in those good seats? In the boxes?" LOL.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:49am

One of the women in the row behind me commented on you lucky lotto kids (btw, how crowded was it?): "Why are those kids in those good seats? In the boxes?" LOL.

Heh- yeah, the box seats are all fine and good and fancy and such, until you're sitting in them and having to look around a speaker, and fit your legs to the side of a light support pole. :)

I totally forgot about the fish: Norbert's fish ended up on the floor after "Ruprecht," and when Gregory Jbara walked out next for his scene, he just scooped it up and put it in his pocket without breaking his stride. Aaah- live theatre.

The lotto was crowded enough that the lotto guy had to actually draw names, instead of just 'everybody wins,' and I want to say maybe 10, definitely no more than 15, names were not picked. So about 25-30 people in the lotto crowd?

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:56am

I just smirked because apparently some people still think box seats are the best ones in the house. Whereas that woman (and I) were far better off in the center front mezz. (Yay for birthday money and discount codes!)

Actually, the goldfish was more than that. Greg scooped it up in stride, considered it, and gave it to the nun with the money. Like giving goldfish to nuns is normal. Something you do when you give a wad of cash!

I felt bad during "Chimp in a Suit"- poor Greg was completely drowned out for a long time with the laughter. It's worth a laugh (and definately worth looking at), but seriously... don't drown out the next few lines of the song!

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:59am

He gave it to the nun? Huh- missed that, I totally thought he'd put it in his pocket! This is what happens when you're viewing everything on an angle from the box. :)

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 2:03am

It was pretty slick, and like his second choice of actions. He came very close to putting it in his pocket (and probably tried to fool the audience into thinking that he did), but we could see the goldfish clear as a day from the mezz.

They had a rough night with props all in all- you caught the boombox almost rolling onto Jonathan's foot and the accidental dropping of fake money during the train sequence, right?

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 2:08am

yeah, I caught Norbert's boombox- not only on Jonathan's foot, but it ended up upside-down too. And also when all of his money came tumbling out of his pocket.

You know, I did kinda miss the whole Norbert in the box seats bit right before "Oklahoma," though- I mean, it works just as well with Lawrence doing the "did I miss a scene?" line, but I liked the whole Norbert appearing in the audience bit at that part.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 2:36am

When I saw it John Lithgow had to pause between the Bushes of Tex and look what happend to him.

Glad it is still in top shape! It is one of my favorite shows. Updated On: 4/12/06 at 02:36 AM

[SirLiir]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 4:01am

No stage door stories?

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 9:22am

Oh yeah I forgot, I've never seen John get through the Bush line straight through.

Yeah I know what you mean about the box. Funny though, I've always been in the right, never the left. I mean like for John's last show I preferred it to the last row of the mezz, but most other seats without the speakers and just a better, more center view are better.

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:37am

No stage door for me. (I've actually never stagedoored in my life).

Anyone with a shred of common sense is avoiding all of the stage doors on 45th, at least for now. The "OMGOMGOMG it's JULIA ROBERTS!!!!" crime scene across the street (that many cops) is enough to make you just want to get as far away from there as possible.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:52am

I didn't stagedoor last night either- I've met Norbert once already, so I'm ok with that. :)

Seriously, though- we were among the last ones out, and the stage door area was *empty* last night. There was a barricade up on either side of the door, but no one was standing against them- totally empty. It was a little weird.

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:57am

That's because I believe Three Days of Rain had an 8pm curtain last night.

[Bruce Memblagh!]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:59am

Never stage-doored either. I have watched others groping for their moment with their favorite actor (of that current week), and listend to them being sycophantic. I mean, enough is enough. You loved their performance but seriously "you are the best. the show wont be the same without you. Noone can replace you. The show will be a flop without you. I wont see it when you leave. I love love love you. Did you see me in row A centre orchestra , I was the one that screamed every time you entered and after every song - I'm sure you did cos I'm sure you were singing just to me and I got everyone in the theater to stand up at the end" ugh! Funny to watch though.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 12:04pm

well the DRS stage door is actually on 46th, not 45th, but I guess it is possible some post-show crowd left from the 45th side of the theatre to start the all-important "watch for Julia." And some people could've been at the BC/EFA table in the lobby still or something. But it was just weird to not see anyone up against the stage door barricades when we left.

Ok, question for those who have seen the show: does anyone else get distracted by those people who think "Dirty Rotten Number" is the end of the show? And so they get up to leave and 'beat the crowd' out during the applause after that number? Only to then realize that it is not actually the end of the show, and so then they're all standing on the sides, at the back of the house, wherever, to actually watch the end of the show?

I've seen the show three times now, always from the box seats, and I am *always* distracted by seeing these folks doing this down on the floor.


(eta: I am a Broadway Star!!) Updated On: 4/12/06 at 12:04 PM

[Parsley]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 12:10pm

I rarely go to stage doors as far too often it is full of people pushing their way thru and attempting to out-do other supposed fans.

A friend of mine who is in Guys and Dolls in London said that often the cast is able to predict one or two of the stagedoor hangers-on, some of whom who have not even seen the show that performance (they just want to see a certain actor), and others of whom make it blatantly clear they will ignore most of the cast except for one or two - who they then try to monopolise and fail to allow them privacy should they need it