Did anyone actually see Marie Christine?

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 9:14pm

OK so we all either intensely love or intensely hate the cast album, but what was the actual show like? Did anyone see it?

I ran a search for Marie Christine, and many things come up, but there's little discussion of the show itself, how it was staged, the costumes, etc. Everyone just seems to be arguing about the show based on their impressions of the cast album.

I must admit I was a bit taken aback by the mostly negative reviews I found while Googling the show, considering the reputations of its creator, director, and star. What are some reactions from real people?

[pianoman215]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 9:19pm

I hated every second of it. Horrible music, horrible production. The only thing good was seeing Audra McDonald in both acts instead of having her disappear from one of them until bows.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 9:23pm

Saw the last show.It was interesting & not everyones cup of tea

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 11:12pm

Saw it and loved every minute of it. The music was unlike anything I heard before and it made me very excited. I still think it's an amazing score. Audra is well Audra and was worth the price itself. Mary Testa was also amazing in it. It def isn't for everyone. Most LaChiusa stuff is like that. But I prefer a strong uncompromised choice then a well let's try to me daring but keep everyone happy, middle of the road choice. I think there's a bad bootleg of it circulating somewhere.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 11:22pm

I was at the last show and my friend and I left during intermission.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 11:29pm

It's unfortunate that Audra attached herself to such a poor project. She was on a Tony-winning streak until that show.

Updated On: 8/16/06 at 11:29 PM

[LI Larry]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 11:31pm

i saw it. I remember being bored to death even though I loved Audra. I hate musicals without any melodies. BORING!

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:38am

ok I'm not just saying this cause I actually liked the show, but there's this little criticism that's been thrown about when talking about LaChiusa, Guettel and Sondheim. People listen...There's no such thing as a musical with no melody. You either like the melody written or you don't. Just because it doesn't sound like Richard Rodgers or Jerry Herman doesn't make it unmelodic. I could actually site several spots in Marie Christine that are actually very melodious. Now if you didn't like them fine, you're more than welcome to shout that to the hilltops. To say that these composers don't write melodies is an ignorant statement frankly.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:46am

Well said...

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:47am

Yup. Jazzysuite, I agree completely.

[gustof777]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:50am

I was going to say...it may not be the most hummable show out there but I thought it was one of the most haunting scores out there. I don't know because I didn't see it so I can only comment on the music but for me it is easily one of my favorite scores and introduced me to a whole new type of theater. I think Audra's performance on the CD is amazing and after listening to the CD performance I'm shocked that she didn't win. And I would hardly call this show poor material...as Jazzy said LaChiusa is uncompromising in his music. I thought the music fit PERFECTLY with the story of the show. It's a very dark but yet beautiful score. I think it was a very daring move on Audra's part and I love her performance on the cast recording. Her "I Will Give" still gives me goosebumps and scares the sh*t out of me. I know that you aren't looking for someone who only knows the cast recording but I feel I need to defend this show because I think that the music is amazing and the score is very important. I have heard from some that the direction was somewhat misguided but that was just my friends opinion and he still loved the peice...just not so much the production if that makes sense. I also have a hard time believing that it could be that horrible of a production if the perofrmances by the entire cast were as good as they were on CD. I realize that a good performance on CD doesn't always mean a good on stage performance but it had a top rate cast. I just really hate hearing people give the whole "no melodies" argument

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 8:46am

I saw it when I was very young, and it was the show that began my love affair with Michael John LaChiusa's work and serious musical theater. Honestly, I don't think Audra ever was or has ever been better than she was in this show. There was nary a weak link in the cast, with Anthony Crivello, Mary Testa and the like all turning in beautifully crafted performances. Loved every minute of it, and I still cry when I hear the cast recording.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 8:59am

I saw it, and didn't like the production.

However, I love the show, and think Michael John's work is phenomenal. Audra turned in a terrific performance, as did Testa. My problem was with Graciela's direction.

I had the same problem with "Bernarda Alba."

Danielle is a terrific choreographer who just doesn't cut it as a director, in my opinion. (Felt the same way about "A New Brain.") Her work as a choreographer is stunning ("Ragtime," "Drood," "The Rink") but she doesn't seem to succeed often as a director/choreographer.

However, her staging of "Hello, Again" was terrific, IMO. So who knows.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 10:36am

A dreary show with a dreary score and a miscast, inadequate McDonald.






Sister Luke
The Belgian Congo

[Barihunk]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:21am

I saw it and while I wanted to love it, I left feeling oddly unfulfilled. I felt Daniele's staging was uninspired. The set made poor use of the Beaumont's expansive stage. LaChuisa's score was top-notch in many places but the ending was anti-climactic for me. For a show based on Medea, the intensity level was burning at a pretty low level thoughout. I kept waiting for Marie's big "mad scene" - an aria that just seared the soul. It never came. While I didn't love it, I certainly don't dismiss it out of hand as some have. I felt it was a worthy effort. I would like to see another director have a go at it and collaborate with LaChuisa to up the stakes a bit more. McDonald, given what she had to work with, was fairly brilliant and deserved better for her first star vehicle.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:25am

Hit or miss score, the highlight being "Way Back to Paradise" for me. Bad direction from Daniele. Uneven cast, especially in the acting. McDonald was very good, as expected by then.
Testa was quite good as well...she always is. Her discovery at the end was intense.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:42am

I always have felt that Marie Christine belongs in an opera house instead of trying to pass itself off as a musical play.

If musicals are larger-than-life, operas are larger than larger-than-life. Marie Christine is quite large in that sense.

It is a shame no opera company has picked it up.

[elvisitis1302]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:43am

Saw it and LOVED it.
In my opinion, this is the best score ever composed for the Broadway stage.
Audra was a powerhouse.
Mary Testa was marvelous.
Anthony Crivello was a little weak, but not weak enough to ruin the show for me.
People who say that the show was boring must no understand it completely...
And people who say the score is garbage...get your hands on a copy of the full score and read as you listen...you WILL be dazzled...

[JBSinger]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:14pm

Saw it. Enjoyed it and wanted to like it more. I thought the score (and still think) was impressive, especially in Act One. Audra's vocal acrobatics were simply stunning. The song about her voodoo powers is amazing. "Way Back to Paradise" was fun even if the maid's voice was squeaky. "I will Give" is so powerful. Mary Testa and the back-up girls were all terrific. I too was waiting for a big "crazy" aria in Act 2, but she just walks off stage, kills the kids, and comes back on. Wasn't crazy about it being a flashback from prison, but it worked. i am more impressed by the score and Audra than the show as whole.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:17pm

"I too was waiting for a big "crazy" aria in Act 2, but she just walks off stage, kills the kids, and comes back on. "

Bingo, JBsinger. What was that about? The whole point of "Medea" is her killing those kids. In the Danielle production, the most crucial action happened off-stage.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:32pm

I suppose they were keeping to Greek theatrical tradition, although Audra wasn't carried off in a chariot at the end of the play so I suppose they really could have depicted the violence on stage since obviously people go to Medea updates to see little kids get killed.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:56pm

I get it, Ronin, and I agree, to a point.

However, "Marie Christine" didn't kowtow to any of the rules of Greek Tragedy. Ergo, it just lost out when the denoument happened off-stage.


Updated On: 8/16/06 at 12:56 PM

[gustof777]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:57pm

what was the staging of the finale because the music is far FAR from anything I would call anti climactic

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 1:04pm

Gustof,

You're absolutely right. MJC's music is amazing. However, in the LTC production, Danielle chose to have the action happen off-stage.

It was one of her many mis-steps in this production.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 1:04pm

Gustof,

You're absolutely right. MJC's music is amazing. However, in the LTC production, Danielle chose to have the action happen off-stage.

It was one of her many mis-steps in this production.