Flying Over Sunset - Previews Thread- Page 13

[barcelona20]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:05pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "TaffyDavenport said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Don't know how to use the FSTM212 code on Telecharge. Is there somewhere to put the code in checkout? Appreciate any help anyone has!"

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/

"

Ah. Flying Over Sunsetisn't listed there anymore. Ugh."

Try TodayTix instead

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:12pm

Wayman_Wong said: "''Of the 3 main actors, who is likely to go leading [at the Tonys]?''

The Tony race for Best Actor in a Musical already looks like one of the most competitive in years, with Billy Crystal (''Mr. Saturday Night'' ), Hugh Jackman (''The Music Man'' ) and Rob McClure (''Mrs. Doubtfire'' ). That leaves two other slots that could go to Harry Hadden-Paton and Tony Yazbeck (''Flying Over Sunset'' ), Or maybe Myles Frost (''MJ the Musical'' ) could get in if he gets raves."

Crystal/Frost/Jackman/McClure/Yazbeck are my current Absurdly Early Predictions. I'm not expecting MJ to do particularly well in terms of reviews, but the marketing has done a good job of centring Myles Frost and his story as a newcomer making his debut that I could see him getting in even if the show as a whole underperforms. Crystal is such an icon that I could only see him missing out if the show winds up being a total disaster, and even then he could manage to sneak in on good will.  From the reactions I've seen here Yazbeck's tap dancing numbers as well as the fact that he's playing a movie star make him most likely to attract attention.

 

Other possible contenders - Jay O. Sanders is a highly respected enough actor that in a weaker year he could get a Tony Shalloub-eque nomination for Girl From the North Country. If the Funny Girl revival turns out well, Ramin Karimloo could make it in, and if A Strange Loop manages to transfer in time for the eligibility window, watch out for Jaquel Spivey.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:18pm

barcelona20 said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "TaffyDavenport said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Don't know how to use the FSTM212 code on Telecharge. Is there somewhere to put the code in checkout? Appreciate any help anyone has!"

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/

"

Ah. Flying Over Sunsetisn't listed there anymore. Ugh."

Try TodayTix instead"

Put the code in the box that says "Promotional Code."

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:35pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "TaffyDavenport said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Don't know how to use the FSTM212 code on Telecharge. Is there somewhere to put the code in checkout? Appreciate any help anyone has!"

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/

"

Ah. Flying Over Sunsetisn't listed there anymore. Ugh."

There’s a box to input the code and pull up the offer. It 100% still works, it’s just not listed on the Telecharge Offers homepage.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:37pm

gibsons2 said: "JSquared2 said: "gibsons2 said: "Wick3 said: "Thx kwoc91! I haven't been to those theaters yet. It looks like the non-profit ones are the ones without a bar. I've been to theaters run/owned by Jujamcyn/Shubert/Nederlander and they all had concessions."

Stephen Sondheim theater (Mrs. Doubtfire) doesn't have concessions"

Do you mean not at this particular time? Because the Sondheim absolutely does normally have concessions."

I don't know if normally it has concessions, it was my first time in the theater, but we were told immediately upon entry that there are no concessions in the theater due to Covid concerns."

The night I went (November 3), they sold bottled water in the mezzanine.  I was talking to the bartender about 20 minutes and watched him.  It was $6 (!).

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 3:39pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "TaffyDavenport said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Don't know how to use the FSTM212 code on Telecharge. Is there somewhere to put the code in checkout? Appreciate any help anyone has!"

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/

"

Ah. Flying Over Sunsetisn't listed there anymore. Ugh."

There’s a box to input the code and pull up the offer. It 100% still works, it’s just not listed on the Telecharge Offers homepage."

 

Ahhh I see. Thank you so much. Appreciate you.

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 10:35pm

Thank you TafftDavenport for sharing the code. I got a great seat for a performance next week.

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 11:02pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "TaffyDavenport said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Don't know how to use the FSTM212 code on Telecharge. Is there somewhere to put the code in checkout? Appreciate any help anyone has!"

https://www.telechargeoffers.com/

"

Ah. Flying Over Sunsetisn't listed there anymore. Ugh."

Put the code in on the left.

[steven22]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 11:04pm

I just got out of the show and really enjoyed it. The cast is incredible and you can tell they're having a ball performing this. The plot needs to be tightened a little and some pieces of the show may need to be ironed out but I look forward to returning soon. 
 

I'm crossing my fingers there's a cast recording in the near future. 
 

Carmen Cusack is absolutely amazing in this...

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/12/21 at 11:18pm

Oh, dear. Not a lot of kind words to give on this. And the buzz in the audience coming out of the theater after was decidedly “Let’s get as far away from here as possible to talk about what we just watched.”

I’m just not sure what the point of it all was. Lots (and I mean lots) of talking about some very surface-level grief and identity issues, a group of actors who have clearly never experimented in psychadelics, and some very Diet Sondheim tunes do not a musical make. With the exception of a very early act one tap number for Tony Yazbek, the show fails to generate any kind of reason for existing.

Act two needs some HEAVY cuts and rethinking to make this show worthwhile. Act one spends 95% of its runtime setting up the personal lives of the three leads, leaving us with a final 5% promising a very different second act that’ll open the show up in a similar way LSD opens up the characters. But the moment never arrives. They just talk and talk and talk and sometimes that talking is singing for no reason. It’s pretty interminable. Even the moments of whimsy go on for too long past their welcome.

I guess the performances are fine, but frankly, I can’t say I cared enough about anything that happened to say anyone was particularly effective. The show is that much of a black hole of entertainment.

[A Director]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 12:01am

ColorTheHours048 said: "Oh, dear. Not a lot of kind words to give on this. And the buzz in the audience coming out of the theater after was decidedly “Let’s get as far away from here as possible to talk about what we just watched.”

I’m just not sure what the point of it all was. Lots (and I mean lots) of talking about some very surface-level grief and identity issues, a group of actors who have clearly never experimented in psychadelics, and some very Diet Sondheim tunes do not a musical make. With the exception of a very early act one tap number for Tony Yazbek, the show fails to generate any kind of reason for existing.



Act two needs some HEAVY cuts and rethinking to make this show worthwhile. Act one spends 95% of its runtime setting up the personal lives of the three leads, leaving us with a final 5% promising a very different second act that’ll open the show up in a similar way LSD opens up the characters. But the moment never arrives. They just talk and talk and talk and sometimes that talking is singing for no reason. It’s pretty interminable. Even the moments of whimsy go on for too long past their welcome.

I guess the performances are fine, but frankly, I can’t say I cared enough about anything that happened to say anyone was particularly effective. The show is that much of a black hole of entertainment."

Are you saying the actors have to experimented in psychedelics to be in the show? Perhaps you could share your personal experience in that area with them.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 12:12am

A Director said: "Are you saying the actors have toexperimented inpsychedelics to be in the show? Perhaps you could share your personal experience in that area with them."

That is so clearly not what I’m saying. One of the first things actors learn is how not to play drunk, and there was clearly very little care put into interpreting anything close to a realistic psychedelic trip other than some admittedly effective projection, lighting, and sound design.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 3:31am

I loved the set and lighting design and I found the score to be quite lush. It is the book that needs work. At this point I do not know how much of that could be changed. The characters could be richer and their journeys could be more interesting. The two male characters for example start from an emotional repressed place which makes them rather dull. The Grant character could have had a public persona and a private one which might have given the actor more to work with.The female character is given more to chew on.There is a fair amount of sitting around and talking which at times is tedious.

Act 2 needs to be much shorter.  It is way too long. There is a number or two that could be sacrificed. Cues could be picked up as well. I grew impatient with it.

The stories of the three leads are told separately through out the show and I think it would have been more interesting to have interwoven them. The female lead sounded great although at times I could not understand her lyrics. Tony danced well and a Harry was ok. I would have preferred a stronger vocalist. Robert Sella found some welcome humor and there was one bit that had me laughing for a solid minute. I will not spoil it for you. Some ensemble members had lovely voices.

In most modern musicals the songs propel the story forward but I did not find this to be true with this musical.

I do give props to everyone involved because it is an ambitious undertaking with a fair amount of promise. But if you criticize it as a whole it has a ways to go.

 

 




 

 

[jbird5]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 7:56am

Saw this Friday night with house maybe 70% full.  Score was a vast improvement compared to “Trevor”; interesting mix of genres.  There’s a music hall scene from Cary/Archie’s past that I wasn’t sure was not an actual vintage music hall song.  The little girl was amazing (I know).  Cary was portrayed as straight cis male although there was a throwaway reference to Randolph Scott.  And there was his entire childhood of course.

The opening scene with Aldous in the drugstore was terrific.  The weakest of the three was CBL’s introduction. I wasn’t a fan of the theme song and the scene was far too long.  It’s mentioned that CBL was a conservative Republican and Aldous and Cary are left wing but Gerald shuts down any talk of politics.  Agree that Sella is a lead but he has a better shot at a nomination this way.  Cusack and Yazbeck are the best hopes for lead.  I’d give a nom to the kid also.  I hope they are remembered come spring.

The second act was a bit of a mess.  When you set something up like this, it’s tricky to find a resolution.  Lapine comes close.  I’m sure many female and male patrons will enjoy Tony in his swim trunks.  After about the ninth reprise, the theme song did grow on me.  The female supporting actresses were mostly given little to do although there is a hilarious and sexy appearance by Sophia Loren.  And the bit with her mother’s leg was amusing for awhile.   Nihal was given a bit more to do than the women.

there was noticeable lack of POC in the audience, but this is another show about rich white people and their problems.  As a semi-rich white person I enjoyed it.  Was looking forward to seeing Erika but that part is pretty minor.  

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 8:44am

The second act being seen as a mess by some reminds me of another Lapine effort—Sunday in the Park with George—and how long it took for that second act to really work consistently in productions.

[jbird5]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 9:18am

JasonC3 said: "The second act being seen as a mess by some reminds me of another Lapine effort—Sunday in the Park with George—and how long it took for that second act to really work consistently in productions."

I would add Into the Woods.  I think it’s just a problem when you have with an interesting premise and then have to bring it to satisfying conclusion.  I don’t think this is limited to musicals or plays - look at Mare of Easttown or Game of Thrones.  It might be better for the writer to have the ending first and then work backwards.

I might add that Beowulf Borritt comes through again.  He’s been a favorite of mine since Therese Raquin.  His sets and Judith Light were the only redeeming parts of that show.

[christinelavin]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 11:26am

This post is about sound. I watched the first preview from the first row of the loge, 6 seats from the end on the left side (actor's left). It was hard to catch all the dialogue AND the lyrics from up there, but it's a problem I've noticed with this theater before.  I watched "War Horse" from up there, but on the right side, and had the same issue.  I never make the same mistake three times.  

I came back on Friday and got an orchestra ticket (H 505) which was not in the center section, but two seats from the aisle and much closer to the stage. The sound was much better and I liked the show so much more when I could hear clearly what they were singing/talking about; didn't have to guess or fill in the blanks. 

Interestingly, the two people sitting to my left and I were the only people in our section that were laughing consistently.  During intermission I asked them if they had seen the show before, and they said yes, they were there for the first preview, but had sat in the middle orchestra section, last row, under the overhang, which they had been warned had sound issues, which turned out to be difficult for them.  They thought having great sight lines would make up for any sound issues, but discovered that overhang made catching all the lyrics and dialogue hard.  So they came back the next night and by coincidence sat next to me, who had a similar issue with the sound in the loge.

I know this is an issue in that theater. Back a few years a friend and I saw South Pacific many times -- including the first preview and the final matinee, and many last minute tickets after standing in the cancellation line.  A show like that drew a lot of older audience members, and at every show we attended, at intermission there was a long line of people getting the headphone hearing devices.  The fact that they were getting them at intermission, not prior to the show, was because many of them normally didn't need them for theater, but for that show they discovered they did (yes, I asked some of them).  I'm very interested in all aspects of performing, and if the audience can't easily hear what's happening, that's a problem.

I'm grateful that I could buy a second discounted ticket to see this show again, and maybe it's just not possible to create sound for that room that works consistently for all. But I would recommend that you sit as close as you can.  I enjoyed it so much more the second time, just surrendered to the languid pace and watched it unfold.  

I appreciate a theater that doesn't crank the volume like many do, but the downside is that when it's a subtle, thoughtful show, like this is, the audience shouldn't have to work hard to grasp it all. I'm in my late 60s, but the two people sitting next to me, very fit, looked to be between 30-40. I guess we all could have gotten the headphones during intermission of that first performance, but that's a whole other issue. But if you have any doubts about your hearing, I'd recommend you get the headphones. You don't have to use them, but I wished vanity hadn't gotten in my way during the first preview. 

 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 2:03pm

The theatre has always had sound problems when actors are singing in the opposite direction from where an audience member is sitting. They are harder to hear and understand. I have never understood it considering the actors are wearing microphones. Someone explained to me one time why it was happening but I cannot remember the reasoning.

Another take away I had from the show was that it was hard to empathize with the characters. Again it seemed like a weakness in the book and how it was structured. Part of me wanted to know more about the characters before they initially took the drug.

Someone said that if you read the booklet they have available in the lobby before seeing the show,  it enhances the experience. But one should not have to do that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 9:29pm

I saw it Friday night (last night 3rd preview I think). Totally disliked it but scenery (one piece reminded me of Into the Woods) and Carmen has a good belting song in act 2 and Tony has a great dance/tap in Act 1.

I didn't care at all about the characters. 

What is up with all the walking around in circles on stage suppose to mean?

[musikman]

Posted: 11/13/21 at 11:56pm

Well, all I can say is it’s a fascinating, beautiful mess.  The title number (especially as sung by Carmen Cusack) is absolutely rapturous. Several other terrific numbers in the piece as well, but it’s in serious need of some dialogue cuts. There’s so much to love in this piece, but it’ll need a tighter focus, or a reason to be (especially in the second act).

All that said, I’m so grateful a piece like this has a chance on broadway. An honest to god serious, challenging, and risky piece of theatre.   I’d so much rather see something  like this than the next jukebox biopic or movie adaptation.

cast is uniformly terrific.  

[Bsmusicd]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 12:26am

I saw it yesterday and found it to be a very enjoyable night at the theater. That's not to say I loved every minute of it (or cried through the whole show as I did "Caroline or Change", but there is much to admire.

Tony Yazbeck and Carmen Cusack were both tremendous and the production was masterfully staged. The score was nicely crafted and beautifully orchestrated. It has been interesting reading the comments. Some sequences others hated I enjoyed and vice versa. My feeling was that in the first act the stakes felt very low (Yazbeck's stunning tap number being the exception). It was just one long introduction to the characters.

I actually preferred the second act, although I agree with others that it felt too long. Without giving anything away, there is a hilariously zany number for Cary Grant. I wish the writers had brought more of that energy. The male characters are very stiff upper lip Brits and I wanted to see them break out more. Cusack gets a terrific 11 o'clock number. I was genuinely moved by the connection the characters made at the end of the show after their trip. It seemed like how long winding road to get there, however.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 6:10am

Jimbo2 said: "I saw it Friday night (last night 3rd preview I think). Totally disliked it but scenery (one piece reminded me of Into the Woods) and Carmen has a good belting song in act 2 and Tony has a great dance/tap in Act 1.

I didn't care at all about the characters.

What is up with all the walking around in circles on stage suppose to mean?"

I think the walking in circles had to do with time ticking by and not being able to regain time lost. It could have also been about walking in circles and ending up in the same place….sort of like the treadmill of life for those who are stuck. But it felt like a clock thing to me.
 

I was sitting house right and there were some beautiful reflections on a scrim of some sort with images of the actors onstage…….kind of like the characters were reflecting on their past. I think come Tony time there will be nominations for set and lighting design and perhaps the score.

I may be in the minority but I actually thought the zany Cary Grant number could have been cut.
 

I thought Carmen was miscast in Call Me Madam. She is much better in this.

 

 

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 6:23am

Can someone help me understand what all the walking around in circles on stage is suppose to be?

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 6:48am

The post immediately preceding yours offers one possible interpretation.

[Wick3]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 8:38am

@christinelavin, I always thought the sound design folks of the team would address the acoustics issue of the theater. I've only seen King and I, Oslo, and My Fair Lady at the Vivian Beaumont and didn't have sound issues but then again I used LincTix and sat in front side orchestra.