Ever After Reviews

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 10:44am

NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/theater/review-ever-after-a-slipperless-cinderella-tale-at-the-paper-mill-playhouse.html?

NY Daily News- 3 Stars http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/review-musical-cinderella-story-article-1.2242895

 

Updated On: 6/2/15 at 10:44 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 4:41pm

http://www.theatermania.com/north-jersey-theater/reviews/ever-after_73112.html?cid=homepage_news

 

Updated On: 6/2/15 at 04:41 PM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/14/15 at 12:30am

Just got home from this and wanted to hear what others had to say.  Most of the reviews said Christine Ebersole was deliciously devilish, but I found her to be an utter disappointment.  I thought she'd play it the way the reviewers described, but she seemed totally disinterested and not nearly nasty enough.  Perhaps she had an off night.  Overall I agree with all the other stuff they had to say - pretty songs and some great voices and talent but a very weak book (the audience didn't know when to laugh or clap) which wasted that talent of many.  Too much taken directly from the movie. 

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 10:02am

This show just sat there like an empty balloon. Great cast, terrible book, lackluster score, boring set and the direction was non-existent. The audience barely clapped when I saw it. I think using CINDERELLA as a base story should be banned for at least 10 years.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 12:42pm

Act I felt totally DOA to me, so rather than sit through more of the same, I opted for the earlier train back to town.

This could easily be next year's Cinderella or Gigi; an inept (but maybe financially successful) show aimed at the teenaged suburban tourist girl set, featuring lots of Girl Power and no more political or psychological depth than a graduate of PoliSci and Psych 100 can follow. I would add that I also found it unbearably "earnest" and dull.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 12:52pm

cinderella was actually good though...

[newintown]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 12:56pm

I don't agree, but chacun à son goût.

[Actriz2]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 2:37pm

I also liked Cinderella a lot, but I think that was more thanks to the strength of the cast and the material than the production itself. IMO the show that season that pandered to the t(w)een girls was Bring it On.

[NewsiesForever]

Posted: 6/15/15 at 6:04pm

When will we know if Ever After is going to have a broadway run?

[david_fick]

Posted: 6/16/15 at 1:37am

I am a huge fan of the film and actually watched it again yesterday. I'm devastated by the reports of this show. With a smart score, EVER AFTER could be a fantastic musical, but this production seems to miss more than it hits.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 11:30am

I would be surprised if this doesn't come to Broadway. The show is good, it just needs some tweaking. Plus, everyone knows the movie, and it is an easy sell. And the reviews weren't that bad.

[Patash]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 1:26pm

I'm another one who just thought the show was OK, but nothing special, despite a really tremendous cast. 

I'm more surprised that Hunchback of Notre Dame isn't going to Broadway.  I found that show powerful, exciting, and perfect for Broadway.  (Although admittedly I'm not sure how they'd deal with that extra 32 member chorus which added greatly to the production.)

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 1:49pm

I'm sure Hunchback will come to Broadway someday. They probably just want to make sure its really good first. Plus Aladdin is still pretty new, maybe Disney doesnt want another one of their shows to come for a while

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:11pm

I think this would actually be a tough sell on Broadway. I mean, they can't compete with shows like Wicked or Disney's Princess shows because they don't have the budget. For a show about Princesses it lacks a whole lot of spectacle or anything that makes it special. The music is too sophisticated for children. And the story won't hook them either. I think it would flop pretty quickly on Broadway, but I could see it doing okay regionally. 

[degrassifan]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 7:47pm

As a big fan of the movie, I enjoyed the musical. The music and songs were really enchanting. If it does not go to Broadway, I hope for at least a cast recording. Most of the performances were stellar, and the costumes were gorgeous. The pictures don't do them justice. If they were to bring the show to Broadway, these are the changes I would suggest: 

 

1. Bring back in the Brothers Grimm framing device from the movie. The whole point of Ever After is that we're seeing the true story of Cinderella, but the show did not really make that clear. Also, it seemed pretty random that Leonardo da Vinci painted Danielle's portrait. In the movie, the Grande Dame used the portrait and the glass slipper as proof that Cinderella was real. Here, it just seemed pretty random without that framing device. 

 

2. Add in Young Marguerite and Young Jacqueline during the first 5-10 minutes. It seemed weird for Young Danielle to refer to her stepsisters without us actually seeing them until the "Ten Years Later" scene. 

 

3. Make Gustave and Danielle the same age. It's kind of weird for Danielle's best friend to be about 5-10 years older than she is, especially during her childhood scenes. 

 

4. Cut down the choreography during "All Hail the Gypsy Queen." It just went on too long. 

 

5. USE REAL SETS! I was majorly disappointed with the minimalist sets. The story is set in 16th century France. I expected to see castles, palaces, chateaus, ornate sets, etc, not projections. I know we're supposed to use our imaginations, but if Danielle is climbing a tree, I want to see a real tree on stage, not a pole.

 

6. Honestly, I would probably recast the role of the Baroness. Christine Ebersole did not do it for me. I guess I was expecting something similar to Anjelica Huston from the movie, or even Cate Blanchett from the recent Cinderella film. I don't think Ebersole was wicked enough. Maybe I missed it, but there wasn't a clear reason why Rodmilla hated Danielle in the stage version. The stepmother could've been handled better.

 

7. The gown Danielle wore to the ball could've been better. I wasn't wowed. Besides it, the rest of the costumes were really good!

 

Ever After was fun, and I would love to see it again. I also loved most of the songs. If they make these changes, I think they should be fine. It has the makings of a fantastic musical. It's almost there but not quite.  

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 8:54pm

Degrassi, I completely agree. I didn't mind the Gypsy Queen choreography (that was one of the only moments of real dancing), but other than that, I think you hit the nail on the head.  Especially about the baroness.  Such a disappointment.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 7:09pm

I am a big fan of the movie, to the point that I recognized every time they lifted dialogue straight out of the movie's script. I really enjoyed the show. It had a bit of a rough start but from Who Needs Love I feel like I calibrated to what kind of show I was watching and I had a lot of fun. I don't think it's ready for Broadway. Most of the ballads are too weak and generic, especially compared to the other songs. I do think they should get whatever materials and rights they need to get together to have this performed in regional/community theatres and high schools. I did think the balance between the more adult story and the lighthearted "for children" musical was a little off but my issue was actually that the adult ballads felt weak, not the other way around. Mara Davi was a great Marguerite. She was so much like the actress in the movie and yet herself. I think they made a lot of smart decisions adapting it for the stage like establishing certain plot points earlier. There are maybe 5 or 6 songs I'd like to have on an EP and the rest could use more work. Still, it was an excellent use of my time going out to Milburn.

[NewsiesForever]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 9:47pm

So when are we going to know if the show is going to broadway, it did sell out its entire run?