60'splayoff said: "I was there last night. It was a very exciting and electric evening. If you haven't watched the curtain speech, Sonia Friedman said something like "2 or 3 days ago we didn't think this was going to happen" and also it was their first time running the show. They prepped us for possible stops, but there was only one hiccup with an offstage costume change in Act 2 after Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat (which she lost her mustache halfway through and chucked it into the pit lol). Jane was left onstage to ad-lib/start the scene with Beanie offstage, but she eventually entered.
I actually liked the design- some may find the central tower that opens and closes, revealing different locations, a bit constricting but I thought it worked. However, if you're off to the side like I was, you're distracted by the crew setting and resetting a lot when the tower is closed. Also, those spiral staircases on each side are a sightline nightmare. Overall though it was effective, creative, expensive- the big estate window was gorgeous!
I thought Jane Lynch was a surprise standout. I'm not super familiar with the original book, but I feel like Harvey gave her a lot more to do. She gets some really tender moments with Fanny. I was a little unsure of Ramin in Act One, but he won me over by the end of the show (and no, not just because of his shirtless moment). He sounds delicious and you watch his charm melt into angry desperation. He stopped the show with Temporary Arrangement which felt very Guys and Dolls- but maybe a little out of place... Once again, not a FG expert, but I feel like Henry Street & Sadie, Sadie were expanded and are now ensemble dance numbers which I really enjoyed.
Last thing I'll say... it was SO HOT in there last night. For god's sake Jujamcyn, crank the AC. I understand they've been teching the show and the lights have been on all day, but I was BOILING. Wear a tank top underneath your winter coat, otherwise you'll be schvitzing for 3 hours!!!"
The moustache coming off in rat tat tat tat happened in london, pretty sure it was staged.
In fact this production sounds a lot like the London production in terms of how they're approaching and casting it. Going the opposite of Streisand to avoid comparison and going for a comic actress who is more suited to the humour and mugging and hamming it up for laughs (certainly how Sheridan Smith played it) but can carry a tune.
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