Emcee's A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN review- Page 2

[andyf]

Posted: 2/11/05 at 8:01pm

"She is a brilliant comedienne..."

Indeed. She was SO funny. And she was still a good singer even though she didn't get to growl...WHO KNEW??!

But seriously, it was definitely nice to see her having so much fun onstage again after hearing from everybody how much fun she wasn't having On The Record. I definitely didn't love the show, but Emily made it far more than bearable. "Love is the Reason": A-DORABLE.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 12:14am

Oh, don't get me wrong. I thought her acting was top-notch. She had brilliant presence and was hysterical. I was just bummed out that we didn't really get to hear her sing like we know she can.

[andyf]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 12:46am

EMCEE, now is not the time for damage control. We all know that you said ESkins cannot sing or act or at the very least growl. Own up to your poor taste. Embrace it.

I'll love you anyway...not really.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 12:47am

mhmmmmm. I'm a heartless bitch, you know it!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 8:33pm

I just got back from today's matinee of the show and had mixed feelings about it.

First off, there are incredible similarities between A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and CAROUSEL, which predates it by 6 years. TREE even had a dream ballet, the death of the hero and a graduation scene finale. Too bad it doesn't have a better book.

As Mirian said, there are really two shows here: the love story and the story of Cissy (Emily Skinner). Neither one really works, but the music is quite good and it was terrific to hear "Make The Man Love Me" and "I'll Buy You a Star" sung so well. The cast was very good, but the production just didn't "click".

The Talk-Back was enjoyable, but there were no members of the original cast present. It seems that every single one of them has passed on--even the little girl who played Francie.

[andyf]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 9:26pm

"Too bad it doesn't have a better book."

TRUUUUUUUUUUE THAAAAAAAAAAAAT. I walked out after the show and was talking to somebody outside and was relieved to hear them asking their friend "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BABY??" because I thought maybe I had just missed it.

Next. "First off, there are incredible similarities between A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and CAROUSEL." daisy said the same exact thing when we walked out.

And to rearrange this last part. "...the production just didn't "click." Agreed. BUT "The cast was very good..." AGREED. If I didn't feel like death I would have seen it again tonight. Emily is insanely adorable, but the production didn't really do anything for me.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 10:37pm

I also saw today's matinee. As hard as the cast tried, they just couldn't overcome the material. For example, Cissy's fake pregnancy was stupid. Obviously just there for 2 minutes of comedy. And then they never refer to the kid again.

I don't understand why they didn't stick with the original story. I think the story of a young girl's coming of age in a poor family would have been more interesting. If they followed the movie a bit more closely, I think it would have been great.

Updated On: 2/12/05 at 10:37 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/12/05 at 11:16pm

Maybe the fake pregnancy worked better in the original production. At Encores! the book is pared down a bit, you know.

Yes, Emily was adorable, and Jason sang incredibly well, but the show just didn't pull together.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:15am

Just back and dog-tired.

Enjoyable but ultimately forgettable. Emotionally uninvolving plot, some gorgeous numbers. Padded with too many 'neighborhood people up to hijinks' dance numbers.

The Nightmare ballet was BAD.

Updated On: 2/13/05 at 12:15 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:27am

A looooooong evening and everyone around me was asleep intermittedly throughout -- several people left at intermission. To me, it felt like "Meet Me in St. Louis" without Garland and the magic. A nice enough score (with FAR too many reprises -- SEVEN for chrissakes!!!) and good performances (Jason Danieley has a gorgeuos voice -- much better than I've ever given him credit for; Emily Skinner did very well with the comedy -- though one imagines what Shirley Booth must have done with this role), but definitely not my kind of show. Old-fashioned not in a necessarily good way. Most certainly, this is a show that can be experienced, for what it's worth, simply by listening to the cast album -- it needn't be staged ever again.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 6:11am

Margo - Even though I think I enjoyed it more than you did, I'd have to say I pretty much agree.

And the biggest 'hole' in the plot was - how DID Katie & Cissy get that damn piano? Was that scene cut for ENCORES! Was it ever there?

[Jon]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 8:18am

There is absolutely nothing in the original script about anyone owning a piano. That must have been a directorial decision for this version. For that matter, your post makes it sound like Katie and Cissy live in the same apartment. They don't.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 8:24am

"For that matter, your post makes it sound like Katie and Cissy live in the same apartment. They don't."

Uh....I know they don't live together, cookie.

And there was nothing in my post to intimate that they did.

But if you think so, more power to ya...

(You want some coffee? You're up early)

Updated On: 2/13/05 at 08:24 AM

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 8:36am

Thanks for your opinions on TREE. Sorry to hear it has not aged well. I enjoyed the original, but also found it a bit curious and emotionally uninvolving. Again, I blame the librettists for not knowing what to do. As for Shirley Booth, one has to put himself in 1951. She was not so much playing a character in TREE as much as recycling Mabel from Three Men On A Horse and Ms. Duffie from Duffie's Tavern on the radio. So audiences were well acquainted with the shtick and the voice. It was like coming home to a well loved relative! And because she had worked already with Abbott, he knew exactly how to highlight her talent. The scene where Cisss feigns childbirth could have been lifted from Getting Gertie's garter or Up in Mabel's room. Still known to audiences in 1951!

Miriam

Updated On: 2/13/05 at 08:36 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 11:08am

I think the original TREE may have thrived on Shirley Booth's name for a few months--it was a very hot ticket for a while. However, once the word-of-mouth got out about how lackluster the production was caused the box office receipts to plummet. Please remember, the original production lasted less than 300 performances. This show was never a hit.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 12:25pm

Joseph:

Most definitely, TREE was never a success. But all of us old Broadway broads have a soft spot in our hearts for the show. Perhaps it was the score, our remembrances of Shirley Booth. But somehow whenever we hear of our old TREE we sigh and our eyes grow a little moist. Go figure!!!!

Also, Naomi Mitty, who played the original Francie, passed away in, I believe, 1990 or so. She was very young: 50 or so. The actress who played the original Hildy was alive back in 2000. I don't know what happened to her. I knew one or two of the dancers in the original production but lost contact with them a long time ago.

Miriam

Updated On: 2/13/05 at 12:25 PM

[ShineOn]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 1:35pm

I think the biggest hole for me was definitely... WHERE THE HELL IS OSCAR JR.????

I mean, they even have little Hariette at the end... but... the only way I imaged they stilled HAD a son was because of the line, "We gonna have a baby... finally... I mean... again!" HELLO... the phantom son!!!

Of course, the piano thing was a big confusion as well. Agreed that the nightmare ballet was frighteningly shameful.

I did enjoy it quite a bit more last night than I did Thursday. I haven't decided if it was because I had much better seats or if it was because it was a bit tighter. Either way, I left far more pleased.

I also think Emily's accent was the most remnant of an actual Brooklyn accent in the entire cast. (Although she was heading a little down Edith Bunker lane... but it totally worked.) The rest of the accents were totally inconsistant or off a bit. (Though HOW adorable was Ms. Anderson?!)

But hey, whatever. Accurate accents or not, no one can deny Sally or Jason's freakin' unbelievably crystal clear and powerful voices.

I also think little Katharine Faye Barry was adorable. The whole time I kept thinking she totally reminded me of the American Girl doll Molly, and then I read her bio to find out she had been in the revue. Of course.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 1:57pm

At the Talk Back the choreographer went on and on about his insights on the Halloween Ballet. I kept asking myself if he was talking about the 7 minute mishmash I'd just seen on stage. I've seen better conceived ballets on high school stages.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 2:13pm

SERIOUSLY! I've seen better vision at my seven year old neighbor's dance recitals!!!

Updated On: 2/13/05 at 02:13 PM

[sparky310]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 6:20pm

to all..and daisy..i think you all need to see the show again..or at least pay attention..everyone of your storyline questions (save for the oscar jr) are in the show...i saw it once..and i didnt fall asleep..and as far as aging..this show is not Wicked...it's not LA CAGe..what do you want..no all musicals are meant to be the over the top over produced glam shows...i disagree with all of you..i thought the show was well done..well acted and it was a relief not to have the husband miraculously come back at the end having survived the accident and now is a reformed alcoholic...and Daisy..dear..edith bunker..hmmm..try listening to the original recording..you might gain some insight into ms. skinners..brilliant choices.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 6:45pm

*coughs* I think Emily's accent was brilliant... I was joking about the Edith thing. I was prolly more pleased with Emily's choices and delivery than most people (since a lot of people felt "underwhelmed" by her performance... hmph).

I definitely did NOT like the nightmare sequence, though. The son thing needed to be worked out.. and the line, "Come on, Cissy, we're gonna go get that piana," rings a bell, but things magically appeared and disappeared too often.


PS: Why "to all AND daisy"??? Since when don't I fit into the category of "all"?

I'd also like to say I didn't fall asleep either time. In fact, the second time I was dancing along to most of the numbers and my eyes were glued to the stage during the more dramatic ones. I had a few qualms with the book, sure, but on the whole I enjoyed the production!

[andyf]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 7:03pm

I probably could have gone to sleep, but I didn't want to miss Emily.

Thoroughly un-underwhelmed.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/13/05 at 9:27pm

Did anyone else notice that the authors wrote themselves into a corner? In the original story, there was a brother. So when graduation came, the mother went to the brother's graduation and Cissy went to Francie's. But in the musical, there is no brother and one of the biggest plot holes was the mother not going to the graduation because she was too embarrassed that Francie didn't have flowers, after making such a big deal that Francie would be the first in the family to graduate. I thought they could have covered that much better than they did (both in the 1951 version and Encores).

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 6:49am

I went last night and I LOVED IT! I'll post a full review a little later.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 2/14/05 at 11:45am

Looking forward to your review.

Miriam