Diana Previews Thread — Page 5

AMDA student here who received a ticket through the school and was thrilled to be at a first Broadway preview. This show has a lot of work to do but it is not a bad show by any means. Despite everything, the ensemble is really carrying weight here and doing a fantastic job, Jeanna de Waal and Judy Kaye are delivering outstanding performances, and the costume, scenic, and lighting design are all spectacular. While not all of the songs landed well, I loved the “Simply Breathe” number and thought its motif was simple and powerful. Additionally, the finale was haunting and I am still thinking about it today. The music, staging, lighting and overall execution of that number was electrifying. Like I said, not the best show but definitely not the train wreck I was expecting. If you go in with an open mind you’re bound to find something you enjoy.

"Shame on me for marrying a Scorpio” got acknowledgement applause and Jeanna gave a knowing look out to the audience."

Same thing tonight! It's a packed house and the crowd is really loving the show. I think Netflix piqued everyone's interest and this shows following should grow in the next few months.

So have they scraped that song all together! The people who change the world song?

Feel like it should end with flashing cameras.

It certainly didn’t feel like a full song. Diana walks off and then the ensemble sang like 32 more bars of music, but it clearly didn’t leave much of an impression.

CATSNYrevival said: "They cut “If” all together? The song wasn’t the issue for me it was everything after it."

They didn’t cut “If”… the last lines after Diana’s death have been changed. Ted didn’t go into too much detail with me.

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northlandfan said: "A few questions I have about the show…..
Why does the phrase about being a Scorpio get such a reaction?
Does anybody know how she gets into that wedding dress so quickly. I wonder if there’s a trap door on the floor like they had in wicked where Elphaba descends while melting..
We all know Diana wears many wigs but does Roe as Prince Charles as well?
Does anybody know why she starts singing in Spanish and French at one point all of a sudden?
Just watched the curtain call where she thanks everybody except for her own cast members?!. I found that a bit strange?
Wondering if they will be having an opening night party this year…..

"

rush tickets are front row, so I got a good view of the wedding dress. The dress and veil are structured with wire so it stands on its own. You can see the body double go down the lift right before she steps in. The show was good campy fun. The score is FIRE. The opening now has a few bars of the paparazzi singing something before Diana comes on.

maybe I’m old, I’m 40, what does fire mean?




teatime2 said: "northlandfan said: "A few questions I have about the show…..
Why does the phrase about being a Scorpio get such a reaction?
Does anybody know how she gets into that wedding dress so quickly. I wonder if there’s a trap door on the floor like they had in wicked where Elphaba descends while melting..
We all know Diana wears many wigs but does Roe as Prince Charles as well?
Does anybody know why she starts singing in Spanish and French at one point all of a sudden?
Just watched the curtain call where she thanks everybody except for her own cast members?!. I found that a bit strange?
Wondering if they will be having an opening night party this year…..

"

rush tickets are front row, so I got a good view of the wedding dress. The dress and veil are structured with wire so it stands on its own. You can see the body double go down the lift right before she steps in. The show was good campy fun. The score is FIRE. The opening now has a few bars of the paparazzi singing something before Diana comes on."

teatime2 said: "northlandfan said: "A few questions I have about the show…..
Why does the phrase about being a Scorpio get such a reaction?
Does anybody know how she gets into that wedding dress so quickly. I wonder if there’s a trap door on the floor like they had in wicked where Elphaba descends while melting..
We all know Diana wears many wigs but does Roe as Prince Charles as well?
Does anybody know why she starts singing in Spanish and French at one point all of a sudden?
Just watched the curtain call where she thanks everybody except for her own cast members?!. I found that a bit strange?
Wondering if they will be having an opening night party this year…..

"

rush tickets are front row, so I got a good view of the wedding dress. The dress and veil are structured with wire so it stands on its own. You can see the body double go down the lift right before she steps in. The show was good campy fun. The score is FIRE. The opening now has a few bars of the paparazzi singing something before Diana comes on."

So there is a rush policy?

Updated On: 11/4/21 at 09:30 AM

Cast of ‘Diana: The Musical’ performs ‘If’ on ‘GMA’ | GMA (goodmorningamerica.com)

I was at the first preview also. I was entertained. Would I see it again, NO. Some things I want to address. Jeanna DID thank her cast during her curtain call speech. She even started with thanking the understudies and the standbys. The screaming and the woos went on for at least the first 15 minutes. At times you couldn't catch the dialogue because of the screaming. It was really annoying. It finally curtailed as Act 1 progressed. It was sold out and obviously papered. The annoying girl in front of me, who I overheard saying her ticket was free, was filming the show. Finally the usher caught her and stopped for remainder. I also went to the GMA performance since it was very close to my hotel and could see it before leaving for my flight. It WAS

interesting to watch the cast interaction. Jeanna was very nice and posed for some pictures.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Jordan Levinson said: "de Waal even shook hands with some people - her fearlessness here amidst an ongoing pandemic reminded me of the real Princess Di shaking hands with patients in AIDS wards."

OMG I practically choked at the ridiculousness of this sentence. You seem completely out of touch with reality, Jordan. Or does the press rep have employees stumping on behalf of the show on the message boards now??"

Just ignore Jordan. He's still hiding at home, holding out for the virus to be triumphantly eradicated. It's really sad.

Updated On: 11/5/21 at 05:43 AM

Jordan Levinson said: "There is no eradication. I'm learning to live with this, and have already made my return to the NY theatre scene. There were points throughout the pandemic where I never thought I would be back in large auditoriums, and only my room would be my safe haven. That has long since changed.

Turns out I need to make up for lost time after all."

Well, in that case, I would like to sincerely apologize for my snark. I'm genuinely proud of you, Jordan. Thankful that you're back to supporting live theatre, and proud of you for making the choice to live your life again. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you, and that is something to be very proud of.

And I truly mean this. I know people (myself included) can be snarky on these boards, but there's no snark in this post. You took a really big personal step, and should be commended for that.

I saw the show tonight, after having watched it on Netflix several times, and I enjoyed myself immensely. For me, the show has transcended its multitude of flaws, and I simply accept it for what it is, warts and all. It has quickly become one of my guiltiest pleasures.

The only lyric changes that jumped out at me were in “Happinesss,” just because they were 2 lines that were often derided on social media. Charles no longer says, “So let me say ‘jolly well done’” as a compliment to Diana for having a son. Instead he says something like, “And suddenly our life has begun.” Then, Diana no longer says, “Harry, my ginger-haired son.” I can’t remember what she says now, but it’s no longer laughable.

The change to the ending is this: the staging is pretty much the same, but Charles, Camilla, and the Queen no longer join the ensemble, who then sing a reprise of “If,” and walk to the front of the stage just as in the recording. It’s not a huge improvement, but it works much better, and it’s no longer a head-scratcher.

On the technical front, the platform didn’t rise at the end of “Pretty, Pretty Girl,” so we didn’t get to see the last two dresses and the final quick change. Jeanna sang the lines, but the ensemble was just looking at the hole in the floor. I was a little bummed, but I felt worse for the people who hadn’t seen the show on Netflix, and didn’t know what was going on.

Updated On: 11/6/21 at 11:47 PM