Dames at Sea Previews — Page 5
#102
Posted: 10/8/15 at 12:48pm
I just saw the show last night, and though I had a fantastic time, I don't see it surviving past the season, let alone the next two months. Much of my show's audience didn't get the jokes, and at one point I heard someone say behind me, "Am I supposed to think this is funny?" which is never a good sign.
Leslie is clearly the star of the production, and gets the best reception out of the whole cast, next to our heroine, Ruby. The dancing was spectacular, and the jokes about Ruby getting straight off the bus were fabulous. I sadly though can't say the rest of the show was super memorable to me, and I can easily tell why this has been such a Off-Broadway friendly property for this long. It is definitely for Theater fans, Old time movie buffs, and those that are history buffs as well. But if you aren't any of those three things, much of the material will fly right over you.
I wish them all the luck, but I can't say I see this staying at the Helen Hayes for much longer.
#103
Posted: 10/11/15 at 8:24pm
Saw the show last night after seeing the Spring Awakening matinee and all I can say is I am still smiling. I regret seeing both shows on the same day because each deserves to be appreciated on its own as the two musicals couldn't be more different. The show was sold out much to my suprise, and was in great shape. In my opinion it's currently the happiest show and cast on Broadway and rightfully so. The overture/"opening credits" is ingenious. Kropp plays the old school ingenue with such heart that you buy into her extreme mood swings. The innocence she brings the character is on par with Laura Osnes' Cinderella, bringing life to an otherwise one dimensional stock character. My only qualm with Kropp, would be her use of a New York accent for character from Utah but that may also be part of the satire of the 1930s movie musical, but I will get to that later. Mara Davi is truly the rock that keeps the madhouse together, as her character is the only one that fully realized And not missing a screw. Move over Christian Borle because Leslie Margarita is the new scenery champ chewing champion on is the new scenery champ chewing champion from Everett what way the Great White Way. She knows how to wring every drop of laughter out of a line or even an action, like moving a ladder. Mona is a role that seems destined for one of the Grand Damns of Broadway, and Queen Lesli earns her title.
The show is really about the women, but the men stand their own, with Cary Tedder making a good argument to be Broadway's next golden boy.
The dancing is impecable, and never outstays its welcome, much like the entire show. It is paced so well that you never have a chance to get bored.
My only qualm with the production is the 30s movie musical aspect, which is not that recognizable, but then again I have maybe seen 2 in my lifetime and knowmore about them through the Great Movie Ride than actually watching them. This may be for the best though as most of the references made early in the show are lost on the audience.
In the end it is truly the happiest 2 hours I have had on Broadway in a long time. Just sit back, relax, turn your mind off, and enjoy the merriment that is Dames at Sea.
Updated On: 10/11/15 at 08:24 PM
#105
Posted: 10/15/15 at 3:20pm
Waiting for this to show up on TDF again.
Ticket sales don't seem to be great.... Why isn't it up on TDF?
#107
Posted: 10/17/15 at 1:34pm
saw this last night, loved it, audience was a little light for a friday evening but lots os loud applause and a standing ovation at the end, this won't be a huge hit but i could see it getting through at least tony nominations (it can't cost more then 250k a week to run)
#108
Posted: 10/17/15 at 3:00pm
According to last week's grosses, they are only making 33.44% of their potential. Average ticket price is $46.30, and top ticket is $227.00. Are they giving out comps somewhere?
#109
Posted: 10/17/15 at 3:44pm
I recently saw this a second time. The first time I saw it, I was up in the mezzanine off to the side. The second time I was in orchestra in the center. I enjoyed it much more being closer. I wouldn't advise sitting in the first few rows, though, because the stage is pretty high and you will miss seeing the feet during the tap numbers. The show is a lot of fun and the cast is simply magnificent and really brings the show to life. The story is light and fluffy beyond belief, but it's still fun.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#110
Posted: 10/17/15 at 11:47pm
Polka Dot2 said: "According to last week's grosses, they are only making 33.44% of their potential. Average ticket price is $46.30, and top ticket is $227.00. Are they giving out comps somewhere?
I wonder if it might have something to do with the $19.33 promotion for previews.
Saw this today and was unexpectedly charmed. I don't see it being a hit, although I hope it is, if, for nothing else, six actors who work their tails off and look like they are having the time of their lives. Their sense of fun is infectious and I found myself, repeatedly grinning from ear to ear.
I can only echo the rave for Lesli Margherita. She wrings every laugh out of every line. Cary Tedder is adorable and Danny Gardner makes his dancing look so effortless. Mara Davi is the glue, holding the cast together and Eloise Kropp made me tired, watching her incredible tapping.
The direction and pacing are spot on and there is never a lull in the 1 hour 55 minute show.
I see a potential problem, however. I wonder how many people will have any frame of reference for what the show is poking fun at. I can see how the show might elicit an indifferent shrug, without a modicum of awareness. In 1966, it was only about 30 years after the films the show references. Add 50 more years and we're talking 80+ years. It may just be too much to expect.
So many jokes fell flat and for a musical to receive only half a standing ovation, I wonder if that is telling.
On the other hand, I had a great time. I loved the cast and enjoyed the songs and look to return and see it again. In fact, when it was over, I wanted to just give the show and everyone in the cast a big hug.
#111
Posted: 10/18/15 at 12:01am
I saw this last week and thought it was totally... fine. I feel the cast members who really seem to fully click with the material are Margherita and Bolton- "The Beguine" is the true comedic highlight of the entire show. The other four lack that playing-to-the-back-row quality and idiosyncrasy, despite being very capable singer/dancers. But this show is really a vehicle for 6 character actors- and this cast only has 2. As such, a lot of stuff falls flat. It doesn't fall flat on its face, but... flat. I wasn't bored, certainly. But I could only come away thinking, "That happened and was fine."
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#112
Posted: 10/18/15 at 2:21am
I am on the side that wishes there was more bite to the satire. I didn't go in with any expectations but somewhere in the middle I started missing The Drowsy Chaperone, maybe around Singapore Sue. The movie framing device didn't quite work for me either. I'm in my 20's but I like a lot of older movies so I got most but not all of the references. I don't think it's that necessary to enjoy the show. That is, I think you don't need to know those movies to understand the humor but it helps if you like those movies because that's where a lot of the dancing comes from. The dancing in this show is great. It's amazing how much they are doing up there on that stage. Danny Gardner was the star for me when it came to the dancing but I think Mara Davi held her own with him and Cary Tedder also had his moments. But no one was bad certainly. John Bolton played all his moments for the greatest effect. To me, Lesli Margherita unquestionably had the best vocals followed by Mara and then Danny. That Mister Man of Mine was fantastic in a way that I hadn't been able to see in her press performances. I had a lot of fun with it but less a show and more as a series of musical numbers. To call this plot paper thin is an insult to paper. I got where the humor should be but without The Drowsy Chaperone explanations (i.e. jokes) for the most part it played straight which I think was a problem. I also didn't get the sense of a small show ("The point behind the spoof is that these six performers are trying to do the equivalent of an old Warner Brothers musical on a budget of about $50."
which I think could have helped as well. The music is pleasant but not at all memorable. If anything, it made the songs it was referencing get stuck in my head more than the actual music from the show.
I want to keep the negativity to a minimum so I'll just say that for me, Eloise/Ruby was the Karen Cartwright of Dames at Sea and prevented me from fully embracing the show.
"Has the theater been renovated at all since ROA?"
The interior looked OK to me not having been there before. Some of the seats were a little beat up looking though (fabric scuffed off). Since they wouldn't make any sense for ROA, I assume all the old movie posters and decor are for Dames at Sea so they did try to decorate a bit.
"Davi and Gardner during the Choo-Choo Honeymoon dance break took me to church."
Agreed.
I held my breath a little preparing to be uncomfortable but the Singapore Sue number didn't bother me.
#113
Posted: 10/19/15 at 12:24pm
I saw the show this weekend largely because I heard Lesli Margherita was incredible, and she indeed delivers a Tony-worthy performance - the best I've seen this season. She is on (or above) a level of Andrea Martin in Pippin on Beth Leavel in Drowsy Chaperone. She's a brilliant comedienne (and singer and dancer) - you can't take your eyes off her. The rest of the cast was excellent as well, and if you have any familiarity with classic movie musical stories like 42nd Street, you will laugh throughout the show. I knew nothing about "Dames" (other than the original helped make Bernadette Peters a star), and the marketing did not help the show, but I'm so glad I went. If you like musical comedy, go see it.
#114
Posted: 10/19/15 at 12:32pm
I loved this show!
It's such a joyful, joyous production with fantastic performances and zippy direction. I hope it finds an audience; my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
#115
Posted: 10/19/15 at 2:20pm
Afraid I can't share the enthusiasm for Margherita. I didn't find her imperious or haughty enough. I much preferred the way Mona sounds on the original cast album or Christine Ebersole's performance as a diva in 42nd Street.
It's a cute show, but I wonder if there's a modern-day audience for a charming satire of the 1930s Warner Bros. musicals.
#116
Posted: 10/21/15 at 3:27am
I would argue that part of Margherita's genius is that she doesn't play the diva in the typical haughty fashion. She manages to make everything funny without chewing the scenery like so many in similar roles do. I would see Dames again just to watch her.
#117
Posted: 10/21/15 at 2:01pm
Saw this last week and enjoyed it a lot. Very entertaining, especially the dancing and Margherita's performance, both of which deserve Tony nominations. The rest of the show was "good enough."
I went in not having seen a live production of it before, and I was surprised how much it felt like "42nd Street Light." Yes, I know that stage musical came later, but the film came before.
If this were an Off-Broadway production, I would expect it to have a respectable run. On Broadway? Not so sure. It lacked impact, whether that be physical (as in sets, cast, big names, lights, costumes) or emotional (hilariously funny or heartbreaking or powerful, etc.). I'm not sure how long a "good" show without real impact can last on Broadway.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#118
Posted: 10/22/15 at 1:46pm
I learned my lesson about BWW preview threads after reading dozens of raves for "Gigi" and then wasting money on a poor show. Same thing seems to be happening here. DAS is not a bad show, it's just...meh. In 1968, when the nostalgia craze was in its infancy, this must have been a lot of fun - I don't think there had ever been parodies of WB musicals before. (And I'm sure Bernadette was amazing.) But in the last 47 years, this idea has been done to death, and far better. The book has few jokes (other than pointing out the obvious flaws in the 1930s plots), the score just makes you long to hear the original songs that are being parodied (they're way to close to the originals to not make you think of those), the tap dancing, while excellent, is routine, and the cast doesn't milk the roles for all their inherent humor. To top it off, we're seeing a small, charming off-Broadway show mounted on Broadway with virtually no upscaling - there weren't even guns on the ship!
If this gets good reviews, I'll be shocked - if it actually survives, I'll eat my hat.
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