#51
Posted: 10/12/16 at 1:59pm
I will never understand why they messed with the beginning of the show so much from its run at the ART - I loved "Better"
Finding neverland tour — Page 3
#52
Posted: 10/12/16 at 3:45pm
im really excited that jujamcyn is providing a lottery for some tour stops!
#53
Posted: 10/12/16 at 3:52pm
Can I get one, lol
My father (AIDS)
My sister (AIDS)
My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS)
The gays and the straights
And the white and the spades
#54
Posted: 10/12/16 at 7:06pm
CarlAlan610, I loved "Better" too, and I also loved that weird-ass opening number with the clocks. The choreography and dance skills in that first one were arresting.
#55
Posted: 10/12/16 at 9:55pm
rcwr - I agree. I also loved Rearranging the Furniture - but I understand that it didn't really propel the plot forward. I will never get over how they ruined this show. I LOVED it at the ART with Jordan and HATED it in NYC.
#56
Posted: 10/12/16 at 10:03pm
CarlAlan610 -- Oh, yes, "Rearranging the Furniture!" My BWW avi is that! Yeah, I guess it didn't advance the plot, but it served as characterization for Mary Barrie and revealed the disconnect between James and Mary. I appreciated the madly excellent comedic dance skills of Jonathan Ritter, Ron Todorowski, Mary Page Nance, Emma Pfaeffle, and Melanie Moore in that number.
I never saw it in NY, but every change I read about or saw clips of looked tepid and disappointing.
#57
Posted: 10/15/16 at 5:38pm
Does anybody know if they are offering rush tickets or are popping up on goldstar?
My father (AIDS)
My sister (AIDS)
My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS)
The gays and the straights
And the white and the spades
#58
Posted: 10/15/16 at 7:02pm
I've said this before, but I thought that the charm of the A.R.T. production was a result of the aura of whimsy that seemed to drive the first act. That aura seemed to meld much better with the score as well. When I read about the changes that had been made, it seemed that they had sacrificed the whimsy in favor of "New York slick". Harvey added his real dog, his TV stars, his "concept album" and his slick marketing campaign, and it became just another product to be sold to the public. There was no longer anything that distinguished it from any other show. I'm glad I saw it in Cambridge.
#59
Posted: 11/9/16 at 3:35pm
Caught the show last night in Cleveland... A bit of a forward: I saw the show three times on Broadway and loved it.
As for the changes, The new opening was quite lackluster. It fell very flat for me. I was kind of bored. I didn't realize they cut the "Pirates of Kensington" number as well as "All of London is Here Tonight" and "If the World Turned Upside down". The two songs that replaced it were just... blah.
Sylvia now sings the opening of "Believe" Most of the show as the same between that and the end... Though they did cut the bit when Frohman talks about Cucumber Sandwiches, which then made the reference later not really relevant.
The original Finale is replaced with a reprise of "Believe" which totally takes away the emotional impact of the end. It totally took me out of the show.
Cast was solid. Christine Dwyer was great as Sylvia and Tom Hewitt was pretty fantastic as Frohman. Kevin Kern was about the same as when I saw him on Broadway and the boys were delightful. The projections didn't bother me as much as someone else that I read on here...
Bottom line, if this had been the show I saw on Broadway, I'm not sure I would've liked it as much. But it was still a decent night out.
#60
Posted: 11/9/16 at 9:12pm
I must have been at the same show. I also saw it last night in Cleveland. And I echo your review perfectly. I saw Finding Neverland twice on Broadway and loved it both times. I had friends in Cleveland and made them watch with me last night. It was really embarrassing because the first half hour was dragging. I was getting really bored and my friends were falling asleep. This is a perfect example of fixing something that did not need fixing.
They changed the entire show. It is no longer the show that was presented on Broadway. From the opening until 25 minutes in is completely new and replaced the entire first 25 minutes on Broadway. It is not until "Believe" that they return to the Broadway show. The new start is just plan bad. The new opening reveals the entire cast of Peter Pan in costume with the stage fully lit, completely destroying the mystery of Tinkerbell interacting with JM Barrie and completely ruining the moment when the show, "Peter Pan", is opening and they reveal everyone in costume. And it is for no reason at all. They freeze in place while the new opening song is sung. That "Welcome to London" song does not grab your attention at all and is not catchy in any way. It also dumbed down the show and just straight out told you the plot instead of presenting it. "Hi, My name is JM Barrie. I am a playwright at the opening of my new play. But I have been in a rut and have not written anything good in ages" (those are not the exact lines, but that's essentially what he says).
JM Barrie then gets a solo number after the "Welcome to London" and it also does nothing for the show.
I could not figure out why they decided to have Sylvia open "Believe" and continue throughout the song. She is supposed to be also discovering her joy and playfulness due to meeting JM Barrie, so she should not already be singing about how you have to make believe. They got rid of the bear on roller skates for just a lame bear costume.
I was happy to see the second act was mainly unchanged. Until that ending. Why did they change the ending? You are absolutely right that sudden "Believe" reprise with the boys being joined by the rest of the cast, Peter "flying", etc really took away from the emotional ending. The original ending was so uplifting with each boy catching a fairy and then releasing it.
Are they touring with a smaller orchestra as well? The sound did not seem as full as it did on Broadway. Part of that might be due to the theater house being so large.
It is so obvious where each of the new scenes are because those are the places the show now stumbles. None of my friends felt the emotion of the show and all said it was sort of boring. I ended up feeling bad and paying for dinner.
#61
Posted: 11/9/16 at 9:29pm
"Are they touring with a smaller orchestra as well? The sound did not seem as full as it did on Broadway. Part of that might be due to the theater house being so large."
The orchestra is cut down to 8, and it's a standard touring sound system as opposed to a large, full surround package that was on Broadway.
#62
Posted: 10/19/17 at 2:33am
Per Facebook, it appears this is Christine's last week. Any idea who her replacement is? I'm kinda bummed, she leaves the 22nd and I'm seeing the show on the 24th...
#63
Posted: 10/22/17 at 10:54pm
I saw it this weekend in Indianapolis, and the new opening grew on me since I saw it last year in Chicago. Billy Harrigan Thige was my favorite JM Barrie by far (Ive also seen Kern and Morrison). He was the best dancer and brought a new energy to it. The kids were great. I still do not like the changes at the end.
Overall, a very good and a enjoyable night out.
#64
Posted: 10/24/17 at 8:31pm
So Lael Van Keuren is the new Sylvia! https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/lael-van-keuren-489653/#touring
My father (AIDS)
My sister (AIDS)
My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS)
The gays and the straights
And the white and the spades
#65
Posted: 10/25/17 at 4:26pm
We have tour tickets in Providence that we're going to have to unload as we just booked a much-needed last minute vacation for that week. Did see it on Broadway so didn't feel I'd be missing much, but seems like they've made some substantial changes.
#66
Posted: 10/25/17 at 5:33pm
taragel2 said: "We have tour tickets in Providence that we're going to have to unload as we just booked a much-needed last minute vacation for that week. Did see it on Broadway so didn't feel I'd be missing much, but seems like they've made some substantial changes."
I was at Christine's final performance Sunday evening, then at Lael's first performance last night. Both were absolutely wonderful in the role. Christine's final was very emotional. Lael stepped into the show like she's been doing it for years. Her voice is incredible as well. I wasn't quite taken with the show on Sunday, but having it sit with me a couple days then seeing it again, it's grown on me. The show has a ton of flaws, but by the end I'm ultimately moved.
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