Final Guys and Dolls?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 3:26am

Did anyone go to the final performance of Guys and Dolls? I know not many people liked it, but I was hoping to read some reviews of the last show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 6:00am

Anybody? Bueller?

REALLY suprising. The last show was a matinee. Where is Coolkid when you need him?

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 7:48am

I was there. Everyone got entrance applause and "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" got a partial standing "o" which went on for nearly a minute. no speeches or anything.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 7:48am

I was there and enjoyed it very much. It was my fifth time seeing the show and was definitely my favorite performance out of those. All the actors seemed to be savoring each moment onstage. "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" got an incredible response; there was a partial standing ovation and the applause lasted a very, very long time. Kate seemed to tear up during "More I Cannot Wish You." The audience was VERY enthusiastic, which made it fun. Nothing special at curtain call, but it really was a great performance.

[SB_Luvsu]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:33am

I was there this past Friday night and was pleasantly surprised that the audience was so enthusiastic. My question is, is it now acceptable for people to shout at the actors when a show is about to close? After "You're Rockin' the Boat" someone started yelling, and the same thing happened when I attended the final Saturday matinee of Gypsy (which I know was discussed at length here). I would think it's very distracting to those on stage, especially when it happens when an actor has already started their next line.

[dramadude]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 11:04am

I attended the closing Sunday matinee and was pleasantly surprised to see the show sold out. The show was fine, not as great as when I had seen the first preview, the energy just wasn't the same. I thought it was too hysterical that I found myself surrounded by older couples, each of them insistent on the show closing due to the "stars" and other prior commitments as well as their versions of what theatre should be, etc... If I weren't outnumbered, I would have let these stubborn geezers in on the economic downfall that is plaguing our country as well as the effect that a bad theatre review can have on a box office. On the bright side, my seat was amazing: second row, center mezzanine.

[dramadude]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 11:35am

Does anyone know if any promotional tracks were recorded?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:08pm

I was there on Sunday as well and thought the show was leagues better than the first preview. All the actors were really into their roles (save for Oliver Platt who really needs to stick to straight plays). Lauren Graham was the best I'd seen her (still no Faith Prince, but significantly better than the previous two times I had seen her in the role) and Craig Bierko and Kate Jennings Grant were excellent. "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" was perfect...too bad they couldn't perform that way the previous Sunday evening at the Tony Awards...I don't think the producers would have pulled the plug so soon if the performance had been better.

Also wanted to mention that William Ryall was on as Big Jule for the final performance and he was significantly better than the original actor. Glad he got to go on for the last show.

As mention earlier, no speeches or special things done at the curtain call, but still a wonderful sendoff for them and a very enthusiastic, sold out audience too.

...and i don't think any promotional tracks were recorded...

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:19pm

"I was there this past Friday night and was pleasantly surprised that the audience was so enthusiastic."

I was also there Friday night, and the crowd was very into it. Lauren Graham received sustained entrance applause, and got (by far) the warmest reception at the curtain call (Mary and Titus were also greeted enthusiastically). Too bad the Tony performance didn't approach the energy that was onstage Friday during Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat.

[Love the Tussin]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 1:02pm

A sort of hybrid final show summary and overall review:

I'm still astounded that the show received such horrendous reviews. I would have understood lukewarm reviews (I felt Platt essentially fell on his face and the projections were worthless), but it's difficult for me to see how many saw the show as straight-up terrible.

Someone mentioned above that the energy at the first preview was even better than the overall feel at the final show; I didn't see the first preview, but it's hard for me to imagine the cast being more "on" than they were yesterday. I felt like everyone turned their performance up a notch, a la most closing shows. As for tangible final show differences: Graham seemed to really play up "Adelaide's Lament," Kate Jennings Grant and Craig Bierko kissed and embraced for an extra long time during one of their scenes (drawing some laughs), Mary Testa dragged out her "Boat" diatribe even longer than usual, and Tituss Burgess received a long standing ovation from probably over 50% of the audience after "Boat." As someone else mentioned, there weren't any speeches.

On a more general note, I saw the show three times and enjoyed Kate Jennings Grant and Craig Bierko more every time. They both have wonderful voices which blend together well, and I'm still not sure how Ben Brantley felt they had no chemistry. They were entirely believable to me. Sarah's character usually annoys me, but that wasn't the case here. She seemed to have the "inner bad girl" bubbling from the start. I also liked Bierko giving Sky a sense of desperation towards the end rather than playing him as a straight-up suave bad boy.

Graham's take on the Adelaide is unique, and I don't mean that as a euphemism for "bad." It's just Lauren Graham-y. I personally enjoyed it. Platt was terribly miscast, and I don't think I've seen one person feel differently. Graham and Platt actually did have zero chemistry.

The projections didn't add anything to the show and seemed actually of low graphic quality. I tended to just ignore them. I didn't have any other real problems with the show, other than Burgess playing Nicely Nicely as strangely effeminate when neither the period nor the character call for it.

Personally, I thought it was a solid production despite its flaws with two especially strong leads (Grant and Bierko), and it's too bad it closed so soon. It wasn't some sort of revelation, but it's Guys and Dolls, and it delivered (at least for me).

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 01:02 PM