Flying Over Sunset - Previews Thread- Page 14

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 8:42am

Jimbo2 said: "Can someone help me understand what all the walking around in circles on stage is suppose to be?"

Maybe something about time passage? Maybe something about the monotony of everyday life? Mostly, I think they discovered a really interesting aural landscape in those transition moments and I wish it fed more into the show itself. Instead, they stick out in my mind as interesting transitional moments laid on top of a show that has nothing to do with them.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 6:04pm

Just got out of the show and I do believe Carmen Cusack is coming for that Tony Award in 2022. WOW. 

[Jimmyb1969]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 7:01pm

I just left the show. It was 3/4 full at the top and 1/2 after intermission. Boring, bloated and I think in the wrong theatre. It’s a small show. Needed a more intimate house. Nuance. And it needed a director like Mantello who knows how to move scenes along and not endless walking in circles. So much wasted potential on amping the lsd visuals. Instead we get Anastasia lighting. I would be surprised if it even opens. And if it doesn’t it’s closing first of January. Tony’s dancing and Beowulf’s sets can’t save this. The show needed an out of town session to refine it but Chicago would’ve walked out after the first and then it would’ve been DOA. 

Sad really because Broadway needs hits now to get audiences back into the seats but they are definitely not coming to see this. 

And the Soundheim score and multiple repeats of that title song…yikes. Lincoln center has such great taste. We’re all due for a miss but really bad timing. And speaking of timing why didn’t they tighten this over the pandemic so audiences are not subjected to 3.5 hours of this snore fest.

And yes Carmen is good but she has nothing to work with book wise. And Hayden was off. He’s better than this. At least we got to see Tony dance which got the biggest applause of the night. In fact the first number barely got any applause . Audiences were stunned.

Ouch!

 



 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 7:45pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "Jimbo2 said: "Can someone help me understand what all the walking around in circles on stage is suppose to be?"

Maybe something about time passage? Maybe something about the monotony of everyday life? Mostly, I think they discovered a really interesting aural landscape in those transition moments and I wish it fed more into the show itself. Instead, they stick out in my mind as interesting transitional moments laid on top of a show that has nothing to do with them."

There is also the circle of life but I would put my money on my first thought of time passage. That is what immediately came to mind. It was the clicking noise they were making. Certainly the emotional repression with the characters would justify walking in circles and going nowhere.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 8:08pm

It is going to open.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 8:26pm

JasonC3 said: "It is going to open."

Yes, it’s a subscriber house. It’ll open. And it already is a limited run (closes 2/06/2022) so I’d imagine it will play it’s   entire run. 

[jv92]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 8:30pm

 And Hayden was off. He’s better than this. At least we got to see Tony dance which got the biggest applause of the night. In fact the first number barely got any applause . Audiences were stunned.

Who's Hayden?  Do you mean Harry HADDEN-PATON?  How can we take you seriously if  you can't even get the guy's name right? And "audiences" were stunned?  So you've seen it twice? Or just this once? Why the plural?  Did one audience get replaced by another at intermission?  

 







"

 

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 10:51pm

God, even these negative reviews have me excited beyond belief! For James Lapine to still be able to create such polarizing work at his age makes my heart swell. I wish I could see this, I check this thread almost every hour. This show sounds like it's right up my cup of tea's alley!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 10:59pm

Well, I was right about how this was going to divide people. lol

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 11:27pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Well, I was right about how this was going to divide people. lol"

I’m sad I’m missing out on this, Caroline, or Change, the upcoming Plaza Suite, Company, and Assassins (I had June 2020 tix for those last three shows pre-shutdown). 

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 11/14/21 at 11:36pm

I saw it last night. I liked it, but it was SO LONG. They need to shave off about 20 or so minutes. It's not a good enough musical to justify that long of a runtime. 

[christinelavin]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 12:33am

Yes, it's long, but don't even think about that -- it's set at a languid pace, so know that, sit back and go for the ride.  I've watched it twice.  The first time I thought it was way too long.  The second time, I didn't.  It's not perfect, but nothing ever is.  The set is amazing, the choreography is strangely lulling, the actors are all first rate. 

Have you ever gone to a restaurant where you don't choose your meal -- they choose it for you? Along with the wine? You trust that the chefs creating the meal know more about food and drink than you do and will give you an experience like you haven't had before.

If you can do that, see if you can adjust your expectations.  This simply isn't like other theatrical experiences.  I really didn't like it after seeing it once, and yet -- I went back to see it again (closer, a better seat).  Who goes back to see a show they didn't like the first time?  

I can't afford to go a third time, but I'm rooting for this show.  

[dan94]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 12:54am

Was there Sunday afternoon, and while there were a couple of walkouts, it was nowhere close to half. 

I really loved this show. Carmen Cusack's big Act 2 number seriously had me tearing up. I thought you could cut "Huxley Knows", but otherwise I thought Act 2 was near perfect. 

Act 1 seemed a little long to me. Not majorly, but every scene seemed to last about 5 lines past it's expiration point. It is a show that has a different pacing than the average modern musical. I appreciated it and you learn to kind of adjust your own perceptions of time as the show goes on.

Gorgeous score. Solid book, albeit one that needs some cutting. Cast couldn't be better. And the show is visually stunning. There are certain images that definitely remind you Lapine was a photographer/graphic artist before he got involved in theatre.

It's surely not for everybody but it is so different than the standard fare currently on Broadway that it's unmissable, if only to just get your own opinion of the work.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 12:15pm

I saw the show this past weekend and, although I found it visually beautiful (the lighting in particular is absolutely stunning) and the cast is doing an excellent job, I left the show just thinking…why? What was the point? What were the creators trying to express in this piece?

It’s one of those shows where I am sure the creatives are finding meaning in moments (and in the overall story), but – at least to me and the group I saw it with – that meaning and purpose isn’t coming off to the audience. Or, if the creators intended for the piece to not say much and be more about pure entertainment, they didn’t succeed for me there either – I was quite bored throughout much of it (especially in the second half).

I also didn’t feel like the characters or story really progressed at all after the first act. Pretty much everything we see in the second act we already learned in the first (I don’t feel like each of the characters’ trips in the second act reveal more than they really did in the first), which made the second act quite a slog for me.

One other note – I absolutely loved the tapping/foot stomping choreography and wish this had come to something more. In fact, even though it is quite prominent in the first act and starts the second act out, it suddenly disappears after that.

[pollster2]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 12:41pm

Put me in the camp that really enjoyed the show. I saw it yesterday afternoon via LincTix.

Just a few thoughts:

Yes – the show is long, but it does not feel it. Looking back at the songs and scenes in the playbill afterwards, I think there are opportunities to trim the show. They could easily shave a few minutes by cutting down the openings of both acts; I did not totally understand the purpose of the walking.

This is easily Tom Kitt’s best score in a while. “Flying Over Sunset” and “How?” are both gorgeous numbers and I have been unable to stop thinking about them.

Carmen Cusack is a revelation. My only issue with her performance is that at times she sounded like Moira Rose. I realize she’s doing an Atlantic New England accent (much like Moira) but there were definitely times when it did not totally work. But again, her performance of the title song and the big 11 o’clock number “How?” are truly exceptional.

I really liked both Harry Haden-Paton and Tony Yazbeck. It brought me such joy to see Tony sing and dance on stage again.

I will add that Robert Sella was terrific and I don’t understand why his character is not featured more prominently in the marketing materials. Gerald is just as big of a role as Clare, Huxley, and Grant.

I thought the set was lovely. It is simple, yet transformative in the best ways. I thought the entire beach scene was magical.

I cannot wait to see this again because I know it will be tighter. But what a thrill to see a completely original show.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 1:22pm

Is it too soon to ask Andre Bishop and PBS to have this be a "Live from Lincoln Centre" episode?

[Luscious]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 2:37pm

I'm seeing it on December 1 and am beyond excited to finally be seeing a brand new, original Broadway musical! And thankfully, one that's geared toward an adult audience! I love the concept! And I'm a big fan of Lapine's and Kitt's work, so I have moderately high expectations. Don't know if the show will be frozen by the time I see it, but, hopefully, it will have been trimmed and tightened, I was actually surprised to hear that the runtime was close to 3 hours, Although, if it's as good as I hope and I'm enjoying it, I couldn't care less.

So... a question about the seating... my seats are in row A of the 400 section. Too close? How are the sightlines? Is the stage elevated? The Telecharge seating map makes it appear as though the first row of seats are on the same level as the stage, Is this true? Will I be craning my neck or missing anything sitting so close? I'm fussy about seating. I just want to prepare myself for what to expect. Thanks in advance for weighing in!

[Mike Costa]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 5:34pm

This is a show you want to see from the Loge.The best part of the show are the projections onto the set . 

This is a show with no laughs or tears. Unlike Mr. Lapine's previous works this show has no point which to ponder afterwards.

The songs are completely forgettable and the orchestra feels relentlessly thin.

 

Those of you complaining about sound issues should not attend performances during previews. This is what the preview is for, to balance the sound. Hopefully the plot is already established by this time, unfortunately, Mr. Lapine may still be working on this.

 

The set, effects and lighting, as well as most of the actors are first rate. The choreography is delightful but seems to have nothing to do with what is going on.

 

I regret to write  that for me Flying Over Sunset feels like a work of great ambition with little emotional or intellectual payoff. To quote an earlier post, "Why?"

[LSDOverSunset]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 7:29pm

Hey y'all, so my girlfriend and I see Broadway shows on LSD all the time - so obviously we had to add this one to the list. I saw the show on Saturday night and really had a great time, but am also looking forward to any adjustments they make. I'm going to be specific enough that for those who have seen the show to (hopefully) get what I'm talking about without spoiling too much, but I'm more than happy to clarify whatever!

We sat in D 506-507 (LincTix), and I enjoyed my seat a lot! I didn't really notice any sound issues, however where I sat there was a scene with fog that was a bit rough. The sheer amount that ended up on my side of the house (even with the fans) made the scene a bit hard to see.

The cast is pretty uniformly strong in my opinion. Each of them really bring something special to their roles, and honestly I was actually a bit surprised when Robert Sella (playing Gerald Heard) did not bow with Yazbeck/Cusack/Hadden-Patton. Say what you'd like about the book (because I have thoughts as well), but I really thought these three really nailed the material they were given.

I really enjoyed the score! The title number, Tony Yazbeck's song in act one, and Carmen Cusack's song in act two being my favorite of the night. It was refreshing (like many have said) to be listening to something new and original. 

The design, as someone who was literally tripping, was very reminiscent of the things you can see while on LSD. I thought they did a really great job altering the world around them to simulate this. Obviously it wasn't exactly the same, but it was pretty great.

The show definitely was long though I didn't quite realize it while watching the show - but this wasn't necessarily my problem with the book. The show kind of drops you right in to where their burden/struggle is (though I guess outside of Aldous Huxley) and their entry way to why they want LSD/what they carry with them. It's hard to necessarily dive in with them on their journey with this being the case, however I found that the performances by the cast allowed me to get on board with this. Additionally I found that once these characters were met face to face with what they carry we don't necessarily get breakthrough/change/etc to move forward from that headspace. When on psychedelics it is a bit of a feat to get past some of the things the characters confront, and I wish we got to see the moment of them getting past that in the moment. To get out of these instances (referred to as a thought loop) you usually need to change scenery or have people (your guide or whatever) help you remove yourself from that instance, which didn't happen really during the show.

I'd also like to comment that LSD doesn't really make you hallucinate like the way they're dramatizing (literally manifesting images/people), however I interpreted this as the representation of what they are internally visualizing/processing vs. the outward creation/manifestation of these images.

Even with this in mind, I really did enjoy what I saw and feel pretty confident that there are plenty of answers to these questions in the script already. I can't wait to see this damn show again.

(can I claim the title of the first person to see this show while tripping? can I have the cookie for that?)

 

[TNick926]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 10:29pm

Yes, you can claim the cookie for being the first to report to us about seeing this show while tripping, and certainly the only post I have ever read from someone who makes a habit of seeing shows while on LSD.

Your unique perspective is much appreciated!  And it is encouraging to me that you actually can't wait to see it again!

I'm seeing it myself tomorrow night, but I'll be experiencing it stone cold sober, as I've been sober now for almost seven years. But your post made me almost regret that I never tried LSD before I gave up mind-altering substances for good! 

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 11/15/21 at 10:54pm

LSDOverSunset said: "I'd also like to comment that LSD doesn't really make you hallucinate like the way they're dramatizing (literally manifesting images/images), however I interpreted this as the representation of what they are internally visualizing/processing vs. the outward creation/manifestation of these images."

I don't have first hand knowledge of what an LSD trip is like, but I did think in the second act there there was a pattern where a character would have a big musical number which is a manifestation of what they're experiencing, and it would end with a seemingly sober other character asking "where were you" and "are you alright", as if they didn't all take LCD at the same time and were more or less equally in the middle of it (other than I think it was established that Grant and Gerald Heard took lower doses).

What I'm getting at is maybe if Gerald Heard remained as just a guide and not taken LCD himself, he could be used as framing device to more fluidly transition between Grant, Huxley, and Luce's hallucinations. You could even keep the "Three Englishman" number - as is during the song Heard keeps insisting he's not actually English, having him also not actually being high would fit into the already established character point that he doesn't feel like he quite fits in.    

 

 

 


 

 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/16/21 at 12:07am

I am sure a few people smoked a joint or two before attending the performance.

Hopefully the director and cast did some cutting today before Tuesday’s performance.

I also noticed there was a lack of humor in the script which surprised me.

[LSDOverSunset]

Posted: 11/16/21 at 12:47am

Jonathan Cohen said: "LSDOverSunset said: "I'd also like to comment that LSD doesn't really make you hallucinate like the way they're dramatizing (literally manifesting images/images), however I interpreted this as the representation of what they are internally visualizing/processing vs. the outward creation/manifestation of these images."

I don't have first hand knowledge of what an LSD trip is like, but I did think in the second act there there was a pattern where a character would have a big musical number which is a manifestation of what they're experiencing, and it would end with a seemingly sober other character asking "where were you" and "are you alright", as if they didn't all take LCD at the same time and were more or less equally in the middle of it (other than I think it was established that Grant and Gerald Heard took lower doses).

What I'm getting at is maybe if Gerald Heard remained as just a guide and not taken LCD himself, he could be used as framing device to more fluidly transition between Grant, Huxley, and Luce's hallucinations. You could even keep the "Three Englishman" number - as is during the song Heard keeps insisting he's not actually English, having him also not actually being high would fit into the already established character point that he doesn't feel like he quite fits in.

That’s definitely a way to address it - I even wonder if they could have used the “flying over sunset” motif to get someone out of their circumstance. You’re absolutely right though, that’s the pattern the book presents and they get out of their high stakes though loops almost without completely  conflict - which I think really underlines the problem with the second act imo.

also the different between 100mg and 150mg is not so drastic that at that point the two who took 100mg would be practically sober, you’re right on that!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 11/16/21 at 12:50am

Now that you mention it, I do wonder why Gerald was included on the LSD trip, as he never really had an introspective moment like the other three, and the story probably would've benefitted from having an outside observer as a guide. I kept waiting for him to give a monologue of his own or something at the end but he never had a big moment like that. 

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 11/16/21 at 12:53am

Yeah but smoking a joint and being on acid are two entirely different things! As someone who has tried LSD, I’d also like to say that I thought the show did an amazing job simulating visuals. I did also worry like LSDOverSunset that the show furthers the belief that people actually hallucinate objects/people on LSD, but I think it did help move the plot.

 

count me in on the people who really enjoyed it! I can’t wait to see what cuts they make to tighten it up, there are some really breathtaking moments in this show and I also recommend to check it out if you can. It is so different than your average show and it’s a breath of fresh air.