FIORELLO! at City Center REViEWS — Page 2

I almost bought those tickets! I have another show I'm going to tonight. I think I'll get the last two seats in the balcony in Row H for Sunday matinee. So many orchestra tickets available for the Sunday night from those who can't go!

I was able to get Row K in balcony for $24 for tomorrow's matinee. Will be bringing my binoculars to get a good glimpse of Emily Skinner in Act 2.

Updated On: 2/1/13 at 12:55 PM

Went last night and there was no moment of silence for Mayor Koch---but somehow his presence was felt in the room.

I have never been a huge fan of the score from the original cast recording much preferring Bock and Harnick's She Loves Me, Tenderloin, Rothchild's and of course Fiddler, but hearing it with a full orchestra totally highlighted its strengths. I am looking forward to a fuller richer recording of this and do hope they record it to enhance the mediocre OBC.

This is my second viewing of Fiorello. This Fiorello was far better than the Reprise Version in Los Angeles with Tony Danza.
Tony Danza made it feel like the Tony Danza show and not the Fiorello LaGuardia story. That version made me feel like Fiorello is an over-rated show. Pulitzer Prize?? You're kidding me.



This version was far superior. I almost understood it's Pulitzer Prize as this Fiorello was much larger on the humanity. Danny Rutigliano gives a strong and interesting performance as Fiorello. I don't know why some of the critics were iffy about him. Having an unknown in the role made me plug into the story better. He was an optimistic go getter but I got to feel and understand his pain as New York doesn't vote for him the first time around as Mayor. I loved the addition of the new song for Fiorello. It was Fiorello's answer to "Rose's Turn" and it added to the humanity of Fiorello and showed his vulnerability.

The staging of this was well done and I really got involved in the story.


I thought the choreography was spot on as were the dancers.

The beautiful Kate Baldwin, was glaringly miscast as an Italian woman. She needs to be back in Gloccamorra like places where she belongs. Her When Did I Fall In Love stressed the singing more than the acting. Emily Skinner was in fine voice and bravura prescence but when she came out with her hair down, it seemed totally out of period as was her costume. It was like the 1980's Cabaret dress plunked down in the middle of the 1930's. She was in strong voice however and her performance batted it out of the park--just an odd choice of dress and hair.

Shuler Hensley, Adam Heller, Andrew Samonsky were all spot on as was Erin Dilly as Marie and Jenn Gambatese who was lots of fun as Dora.

Overall, a solid fluid well sung and orchestrated production which made me appreciate Fiorello much more than I had in the past. . The singing and orchestra were rich and I look forward to a cast recording.

Updated On: 2/2/13 at 10:48 AM

Henrik in the Lost in Boston notes it says the character was cut out of town... It would make sense, though, for Marie to sing it--but I can't see why such a great song would be cut, then?

I had a great time! The show was lovely, the guy playing Fiorello La Guardia was absolute perfection! And the whole cast was very strong. Erin Dilly was fabulous, glad to see her in a role where she can showcase her talents, the same goes for Kate Baldwin, who got to use her higher register a lot in this show. Jenn Gambatese also got to sing with her lovely soprano voice, Jenn is dream come true, there is nothing she can't do! Brilliant performances by the entire cast.

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I enjoyed it. Encores did a very nice job and it is well worth seeing.

But I was surprised that it's really nothing more - or less - than a pleasant, enjoyable musical with a rather thin book and bouncy songs. I don't doubt Abbott's original production was very strong, but how it possibly won the Pulitzer in the year of Raisin in the Sun, Gypsy, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Tenth Man, The Sound of Music, I will never understand.

Updated On: 2/3/13 at 07:52 AM

From what I understand they absolutely massacred the book.

I don't know how much the Encores staging trimmed from the script, but if you are curious it was published in book form when the show was new (as were most musicals then) and later (1975) re-published in Stanley Richards' book GREAT MUSICALS OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE Volume 2.

There are longish book scenes between the songs, and if one is to read the script without the musical numbers it paints a fairly compelling portrait of Laguardia - documenting his ongoing battle with Tammany Hall. It is likely on the strength of these scenes that the Pulitzer was awarded. Capitol's original cast album preserves the songs, but without the book scenes they do not have the same impact. Also, as a George Abbott show, it includes many numbers designed to please the traditional "tired businessman" audience of the day. (Which explains why "Mitzi" and some chorus girls turn up in an Act Two part scene to do a tap routine supposedly from a current hit Broadway revue. Such specialties were very rare by the end of the Rogers and Hammerstein era, but Abbott still saw their value.

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I saw the Encores production and liked it well enough, but did think it seemed awfully thin in the book, even for a musical of its age. Can someone who knows elaborate on the major cuts?

frontrowcentre2, it's interesting that much of the cut material had to do with his battles with Tammany Hall. It seemed to get real short shrift, considering that it's a huge part of Laguardia's legacy.

I just re-read the first act. No book scenes were missing, but a lot of individual lines that established character relationships and motivations were trimmed to the bone or cut completely.

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I thought she sounded lovely, but her accent veered wildly between Ireland and Italy.

Pleasant enough evening; the senior citizens around me were in heaven whenever they were awake.

On Saturday night, the only time I heard her veer into any accent was when she said, "Fiorello", rolling the R in a very heavilly Itlalian accented way. It did sound a bit out of place, as it sort of came out of the blue. Her singing was impeccable.

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