Did anyone see VANITIES last night?

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 10:05am

I know it was the first preview and would love details!

[joanntom]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 10:52am

I'm waiting for some reports for the left coast from some friends who were going to try and get cancels at the box office. They said that it was sold out on line. If not they were going tonight.

[joanntom]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 10:52am

I'm waiting for some reports for the left coast from some friends who were going to try and get cancels at the box office. They said that it was sold out on line. If not they were going tonight.
Updated On: 8/23/08 at 10:52 AM

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 12:46pm

I sure hope someone did! I can't wait to hear reviews

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 1:49pm

I read a review of a workshop held (I think) in 2006. If that review is to be believed, the musical hews very closely to the original play, with songs sort-of-stuck in at certain points. There's also an epilogue, detailing what happens to the main characters.

[joanntom]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 2:07pm

Cryptically told to me that it went great for a first preview, that the music and orchestrations really convey the mood, period and the transitions between scenes was amazing.. also the 3 girls are awesome . And that the book (the play) worked well.. lots of kinks to work out and few rough patches but the audience really got into it...and that the Set continually surprised them>> awaiting further details

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 2:42pm

I see it tomorrow night so I'll post something.

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 8/23/08 at 3:08pm

Thank you!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/24/08 at 12:24pm

Any idea which theater it is going into on Broadway?

[joanntom]

Posted: 8/24/08 at 12:46pm

well, I would guess.... The barrymore or the Cort? Sunday in the Park was fabulous at the Booth--so lets throw that one in for good measure,,,,,

[pretendworld]

Posted: 8/24/08 at 4:10pm

there was a cool post on anneliese's thoughts at www.uber.com/anneliesevanderpol

she said that after the previews close, she'll be on break till january - i thought it was hitting broadway in november?

[pretendworld]

Posted: 8/24/08 at 8:04pm

update:

on anneliese's myspace blog, an entry posted today said that vanities will begin performances on Feb. 2 at a Shubert theater to be announced. The official opening will take place later that month.

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 1:55am

I saw it tonight (preview). The 3 actresses are all wonderful, sets and orchestrations are very good. The book needs quite a lot of work to flesh out the story better and to make the audience really identify with the 3 ladies. Songs are good and advance the plot but none are bonafide "hits". Judith Ivey's direction is spot-on. Audiences tonight were receptive but only a minority was enthusiastic.

I anticipate quite a few changes between Pasadena and Broadway. The show has potential to be a hit but it's far from finished IMHO.

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 2:01am

I read in an article that Heifner had to cut a lot of stuff in the script for songs and what not and had to sacrifice some good character/plot development. It made me think...hmmm that's prooobably not good...lol. But i'm still stoked for it!

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 2:08am

I saw what was either the 3rd or 4th preview Sunday night at the Pasadena Playhouse. I never saw the original play but its success record speaks for itself. The question is does the music add anything significant to it. Apparently playwrite Jack Heifner thinks so because he makes quite a point of it in the program notes. He also tells us --

(SPOILER ALERT)

-- that the fourth scene of the show - the final scene - is original to the musical. It has the three ladies getting together at the funeral of the mother of one of them in 1990 - 27 years after the story begins. It's a reconciliation scene and the show closes on a high, unlike, I gather, the play.

Before this, I would have to say it's an uneven affair. The 2nd act is much stronger than the 1st - and the 2nd act has only five songs in it. This is the heart of the matter. The dramatic scenes between the three ladies work just as well or better than the musical scenes.

David Kirschenbaum's songs are just not that strong and despite the great voices in the cast - Annaliese Van Der Pol, in particular - they don't do a whole lot to enrich the story. It struck me as odd that, although the story takes its characters from 1963 to 1990, the music never acknowledges that - never changes its style. It stays with the generic soft rock sound it lays down right at the beginning.

The best song by far is a 2nd act number for Joanne, "The Same Old Music" which Susan Stiles performs for all it's worth and then some and really stops the show - the only time that happens. But Joanne is the showy part. Mary (Lauren Kennedy) and Kathy (Van Der Pol) are much subtler characters and both actresses do very well with them. Kennedy especially has some wonderful moments.

The aging process works well - the women are equally convincing as teenagers and as the 44 years olds they become. All three women look great which is a plus since many of the costume changes are on stage and they spend a lot of time in their slips. They have genuine chemistry and the audience clearly empathized. The lady I was with loved it and the lady on my other side was weeping openly at the end - so clearly the show resonated.

Still, Vanities is not where it will have to be to succeed on Broadway. The two scenes of the 1st act seem to lurch from moment to moment with little dramatic momentum - the songs actually slowing things down. The 1st act curtain is so awkward that it caught the audience by surprise when the lights came up.

The play, Vanities, was a hit off-Broadway. It feels at the moment like that's where the musical belongs too.

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 2:20am

Correction: I said Susan Stiles in my review. It's Sarah Stiles, of course.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 1:15pm

How was the set? Show curtain?

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 1:32pm

No show curtain. The basic set was a bare stage with three vanities - mirrored dressing tables - for the three ladies, which converted to high school lockers, etc. as needed. This changed in Act One for a College Sorority House room and in Act Two for a New York apartment. The vanities returned physically and metaphorically throughout.

[joanntom]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 1:41pm

ok more details

The set: changes with each time period by sliding in and out from all different angles with a big sort of art board -like back wall

as the cast changes on stage the sets change with them and the 3 vanities transform into everything from lockers to Apartment pieces.


The orchestrations really reflect the time periods. "Let life happen" is very 70s esque that you feel like its the opening of one of those variety performances for yesteryear. " Fly into the Future" and " Cute boys" are solos in scene 2 that take the one dimensional former cheerleaders to 2 dimensions. "Same old music"- Joannes scene 3 brought the house down earned her exit applause.

Also, the chemistry between the 3 was dynamite. and it posed the question at the end of "is it worth it to fight for friendship"


What my colleagues loved most was that there were no bells and whistles... just 3 girls on 3 paths and their transformations both physically and emotionally had some power to them and that by NY the kinks and missing links would hopefully be worked through. The fact that there will be other songs for girls to sing other than Wicked will be welcome.
They left humming "Organized life" and a theme song that was carried through the show....




Also-- it will be interesting to see how the Tonys stacks up this year for best actress in a musical with 9 to 5, shrek , Pal Joey, Vanities, and Billy Elliot

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 4:38pm

Does anyone know if they have student tickets at the Pasadena Playhouse?

[pretendworld]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 5:19pm

yeah they do

http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/groups_and_students.htm

also on anneliese myspace you can get $20 tickets for specific dates

www.myspace.com/anneliesevanderpol

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 8/25/08 at 5:42pm

Thanks. I tried going to the Myspace link you posted, but I can't read her the $20 ticket bit on her blog because I am not her friend on Myspace. That is alright though.

I am going to pass along this information to my friend who lives in Pasadena.