Encores’ THE LIFE - Performances & Reviews- Page 2

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:15pm

Preview Video

 James, I love you, but this made me sad. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:18pm

I was going to get a ticket to this, but after that video I changed my mind. 

[pmensky]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:20pm

I think Into the Woods is safe from getting rewrites and new orchestrations, as the website doesn’t mention any additional writers or orchestrators like it does for The Life.

[toetapper2]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:47pm

From your lips to Lear's ear.

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:49pm

i was always long 

I always needed a 120 min cassette to record act one, yes I’m one of those people

Jordan Catalano said: "forgetmenotnyc said: "Runtime was over 3 hrs."

SAY WHAAAAAAT"

 

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:49pm

i was always long 

I always needed a 120 min cassette to record act one, yes I’m one of those people

Jordan Catalano said: "forgetmenotnyc said: "Runtime was over 3 hrs."

SAY WHAAAAAAT"

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 8:52pm

They have no incentive to alter the book/score of Into the Woods. It’s not a comparable situation to their previous 2 shows. 

[Sauja]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 9:45pm

Abandoned ship at intermission. The score sounded like garbage through no fault of the cast. Horrific.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 9:49pm

Damn, it’s a shame what’s happened to our beloved Encores it sounds like.

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 09:49 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 10:23pm

I didn’t hate the preview vid but I’ve also got nothin to go off of as I don’t know the show. And is the lead performer in fact trans or just the character cause that might cause some controversy. 
 

but yeah, a lot of belting doesn’t equal quality. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 10:26pm

Is there a choreographer?

[austinyourface]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 10:40pm

Got out at around 10:20 from a 7:30 curtain. The length of the show is very much palpable.
 

i have no familiarity with The Life aside from the cast album and legendary Tonys production, but it’s plain to anybody that what’s onstage is not The Life. Porter’s heavy-handed, preachy rewrites are so incongruous with the show, they stick out like a bad hairpiece. The ending is sanctimonious and wildly out of place. The splitting of Jojo into a modern-day person and a younger self is ridiculous, and it genuinely seems like Porter was imagining the elder role for himself. 
 

The arrangements try to bring the score into a funk and disco sound, but Coleman’s music often actively resists this effort, leading to a weird disconnection. 
 

it’s a shame, because the cast is, down to a person, pretty terrific. Why is Memphis reconceived as a snakey Disney villain? No clue, but Antwayn Hopper kills it. “The Oldest Profession” is moved to late in the second act as an 11 o’clock number, which is entirely misconceived, but Ledisi delivers a show stopping performance.

 

But this isn’t The Life. I’m not sure what Porter thought he was working on, but it’s fundamentally changed the show into a far weaker piece of theater.

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 10:40 PM

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 10:43pm

Just got out of tonight’s performance. So many feelings, mostly not good. If Billy Porter wanted to write a show about Reagan, trickle-down economics,Trump, AIDS, COVID, war, government’s lack of assistance, oppression and transsexual rights and abuse, he should have written a show, not rewritten The Life to the extent he has. Not to mention that 3/4 of the songs are unrecognizable compared to the originals. I saw the original production of this show and was looking forward to revisiting it.  Maybe it will have an actual revival sometime. 

[raddersons]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 11:11pm

I have no context behind this show other than the cast singing My Body on the Rosie O’Donnell show way back in the day and otherwise went in blind. The rewrites were obvious and the new book is preachy as hell. The first act is SO long. The plot is full of holes and the show ends without anything that feels like a finale. Yes there are Tr*mp and Re*gan masks… and also an AIDS plot that disappears halfway thru. I agree the older Jojo feels like he’s a stand-in for Porter himself.

That being said… somehow it all kinda worked for me. It’s very clear that they tried to make this a period piece with some extremely 70s pimp costumes and heavily funk influenced orchestrations. The style almost crossed the line into Blaxploitation parody, but the drama kept it grounded enough. I came out of this as a big fan of the music, and got surprisingly invested in the melodrama of the characters. And the performances were STELLAR. Ledisi in particular got a standing ovation after The Oldest Profession which was well deserved.  

I’m not sure what to say here. I’m probably in the minority but despite its flaws I had a good night out.  “So bad it’s good” isn’t the right term… but maybe rather “Bad on paper but worked better than it had a right too”

Updated On: 3/16/22 at 11:11 PM

[UWS10023]

Posted: 3/16/22 at 11:41pm

My friend who went to the dress and is a senior citizen, left before it was over and noticed that others leaving early were women that were close to her age. 

[ddenoff2]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 12:57am

The sound mixer (not designer) must be deaf As on Tap Dance Kid she missed tons of cues and we constantly lose words. the EQ is harsh and almost painful or else everything is in the mud The orchestra sounds thin and it’s not just these arrangements

I miss Rob Berman
I miss Jack Viertel and his vision and wisdom
I pray they don’t screw up Into The Woods but they better get a new mixer by then

Sad Very sad

[Peter2]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 1:10am

ddenoff2 said: "The sound mixer (not designer) must be deaf As on Tap Dance Kid she missed tons of cues and we constantly lose words. the EQ is harsh and almost painful or else everything is in the mud The orchestra sounds thin and it’s not just these arrangements

I miss Rob Berman
I miss Jack Viertel and his vision and wisdom
I pray they don’t screw up Into The Woods but they better get a new mixer by then

Sad Very sad"

Agree—bad sound design. The new funk arrangements were poorly mixed and over-amplified so that both words and melody were often lost. I feel Cy Coleman got lost somewhere along the line. 

[jewishboy]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 3:16am

I don't know, that clip sounded great to me! I'm excited still.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 8:34am

A friend texted after leaving the performance "Makes you appreciate even more the work of Spielberg and Kushner on WSS. Little of that care and precision for updating a story on the stage here."

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:00am

jewishboy said: "I don't know, that clip sounded great to me! I'm excited still."

There was nothing in that clip that even resembled the quality that Encores! usually has, even with a bad show.

 

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:39am

Is it time to hire people based on their accomplishments and know-how opposed to their identity yet?

[austinyourface]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:46am

Borstalboy said: "Is it time to hire people based on their accomplishments and know-how opposed to their identity yet?"

If you’re referring to Alexandra Grey, she’s great. She sounds great, she acts well. The fact this Life flops has nothing to do with a trans actress, and everything to do with Billy Porter being a poor director and writer. 

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:52am

austinyourface said: "Borstalboy said: "Is it time to hire people based on their accomplishments and know-how opposed to their identity yet?"

If you’re referring to Alexandra Grey, she’s great. She sounds great, she acts well. The fact this Life flops has nothing to do with a trans actress, and everything to do with Billy Porter being a poor director and writer."

I think they were referring to the new Artistic Director.

[Kimbo]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:58am

pagereynolds said: "austinyourface said: "Borstalboy said: "Is it time to hire people based on their accomplishments and know-how opposed to their identity yet?"

“I think they were referring to the new Artistic Director."

And – if so – what exactly is HER identity??

[austinyourface]

Posted: 3/17/22 at 9:59am

Lear deBessonet is an accomplished director who led the Public’s very successful Public Works program and directed many acclaimed productions off-Broadway, so I’m not sure how she would count as someone hired solely for her “identity.”