#26
Posted: 7/13/15 at 7:09pm
My friends are my sources
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Dear Evan Hansen — Page 2
#27
Posted: 7/13/15 at 7:13pm
"My friends are my sources "
Your "friends" aren't sources.
#28
Posted: 7/13/15 at 7:18pm
Why not? They're reliable
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#29
Posted: 7/13/15 at 8:09pm
I saw this on Saturday night also. It was really good, although a little long if you ask me (its 2.5 hours with the 15 minute intermission on top of that). The set was really cool and effective, if not very reminiscent of next to normal (and some of the staging also). It's truly an ensemble show and the cast delivers. I liked some of the subthemes going on, particularly youth vs older dealing with grief. Very funny also.
I'm not sure how this would do on Broadway (certainly could transfer to NY), but I also didn't think next to normal would've ran as long as it did.
#30
Posted: 7/13/15 at 8:18pm
Maybe in a small house
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#31
Posted: 7/13/15 at 9:11pm
If you have "sources" [if you even have "friends"] please identify them.
The show is done for a small house. The Booth, or Circle will be effective theatres for this type of play. An oversized theatre, such as Rodgers or Misnkoff, will be w-r-o-n-g for this one.
#32
Posted: 7/13/15 at 9:33pm
Both the Booth or Circle would be good, however, at this point in time, the shows there (HTG and FH) are doing well and will most likely be around for a good while.
#33
Posted: 7/13/15 at 9:44pm
I know. The American Airlines would also be a perfect size. But, that belongs to Roundbout. How would the Small Shubert be??
#34
Posted: 7/13/15 at 9:48pm
I could see this going into the Golden or the Lyceum in the Spring after their upcoming tenants pack up.
#35
Posted: 7/13/15 at 9:50pm
"How would the Small Shubert be??"
Aren't we talking about Broadway houses? The Little Shubert is not a Broadway house. I think the show would do great off-broadway.
Also I don't think the producers should be super picky when it comes to picking a a theater. Someone has to get the Lyric after On the Town closes, even though it's not the best house to play a small show like this.
#36
Posted: 7/13/15 at 10:18pm
Just a couple of points of information before the questions come out:
On Friday night's program, there was NO listing or songs or scenes.
Yes, there were T-Shirts available along with Dogfight albums [same composers as Dear Evan Hansen]. I don't remember if there were any magnets, buttons or cups. [Next to Normal albums, too -- since it also was under development at Arena]
Updated On: 7/13/15 at 10:18 PM
#37
Posted: 7/15/15 at 12:05am
Just got back from tonight's performance. The director, Michael Greif, came out before the show and told us that they had been working on it over the weekend and that they had reworked some stuff, including taking out a scene and putting in a new one. This was my first time seeing it, so I don't know exactly what those scenes were - but the point seemed to be that it's still very much a work in progress.
Anyways, overall I liked it quite a lot. I'm not really familiar with the composing team's other works, but I enjoyed most of the songs and felt that they blended in well with the story being told.
I actually didn't have a problem with the length - I was involved enough in the story that it seemed to go by pretty quickly. My only real complaint is that the last 30 minutes or so did seem a bit... Anticlimatic. There was some moving stuff there, but I think it could become a lot more powerful and effective with some tightening up and possibly a new song or two.
Updated On: 7/15/15 at 12:05 AM
#38
Posted: 7/15/15 at 6:46am
Thinking of seeing it while in DC on business this weekend. Given the current staging any suggestions about orchestra versus balcony or other location tips? I know the theatre is relatively small.
#39
Posted: 7/15/15 at 10:53am
The theatre is so small it wouldn't matter. The orchestra is almost like a stadium seating also. You won't miss anything (apart from the band/orchestra) either from the overhang. I was glad I sat in the orchestra, however.
#40
Posted: 7/15/15 at 12:38pm
I'm glad to hear that the show is still being modified. I saw it last Saturday and thought that while there was a lot to like -- the music and lyrics were very good, and the performances excellent -- the show overall was somewhat uneven. There was one scene in the second act that was entirely superfluous (perhaps that was the one removed over the weekend), and another that seemed to have the wrong emotional tone. This certainly has the potential to be a very good show.
#41
Posted: 7/15/15 at 3:31pm
#42
Posted: 7/17/15 at 11:27pm
I'm looking at buying a ticket for Sunday's matinee since I'll be in the DC area, but am debating waiting and trying to get half price HOTTIX at the box office. Right now, there's decent availability on the site. I've never been to Arena Stage - any advice?
#43
Posted: 7/18/15 at 4:48pm
BroadwayWorld released some photos yesterday. It looks like a glorious production!
#44
Posted: 7/18/15 at 4:56pm
Why do you say the production photos make it look like a glorious production?
#45
Posted: 7/18/15 at 6:12pm
"Why do you say the production photos make it look like a glorious production? "
Okay, maybe glorious isn't the right word. I do, however, think the set and lighting look awesome. I've heard many good things about this show itself, so I just kind of assumed it would be a great production.
Updated On: 7/18/15 at 06:12 PM
#46
Posted: 7/18/15 at 6:14pm
FYI, Arena stage has a 'pay your age' program for ticket-buyers under the age of 30. It's available for any seat in the house!
#47
Posted: 7/18/15 at 11:22pm
Looks like some panels that probably move. I don't see that as being glorious at all. I wonder if this is aiming for like 2nd Stage? I can't imagine it doing so well on Bway.
#48
Posted: 7/19/15 at 11:08am
I saw this yesterday; I've heard there have been a lot of changes this past week.
It's a pretty engaging story and the characters (if sometimes not likable as people) are entertaining to follow.
Each song is about 10% too long and have that sort of Monday Nights New Voices feel to them. If you took most of them out of context and put them in a benefit they'd be perfectly at home. Rachel Bay Jones' solo in Act 2 is the exception, and was my favorite song. The best one in Act 1 is a comedic number (the first scene where Jared and Evan are composing the emails). It needs more of those. The other songs in the score, while pretty, all pretty much blend together.
This show needs the young/not too long audience I saw at Finding Neverland. I can tell that most of the slang and social media references are flying over the heads of their parents and grandparents. But I also appreciated that it didn't seem contrived and that the creative team also engages in this slang and technology, because it didn't hit the weird uncanny valley of language that can happen when you write for much younger characters.
I feel like this show would be great at Second Stage. Circle in the Square also came to mind, but that won't happen for a while.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#49
Posted: 7/19/15 at 2:46pm
I'm hopefully seeing this on August 1. I'm excited. I'm so happy that Arena Stage has "Pay your Age". It makes seeing theater really helpful. I wish the Kennedy Center had a similar program.
#50
Posted: 7/22/15 at 11:42am
I saw this last night and was completely blown away. As someone who has grown up in a high school environment very similar to the one in the show, I found the entire thing to be unnervingly relatable. This truly is a show for the current young adult generation, but what is so universal about it is the relationships between the parents and their children. I cannot imagine any mother sitting through this show without being moved immensely. Pasek and Paul are by far my favorite composers since Sondheim and I think this might be their best score to date. I can not get the songs out of my head. I had some minor issues with the book (especially in the last ten minutes of the show), but I was told by Benj that they are planning to implement a ton of changes tonight so hopefully some things are fixed. I found most of the cast to be absolutely phenomenal, and Ben Platt is a revelation. I seriously think he is delivering one of the greatest musical theatre performances I have ever seen. This show is really special and I hope it has a long life after Arena Stage on Broadway and beyond.
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