Posted: 8/7/18 at 11:29am
Posted: 8/7/18 at 12:34pm
emaxman said: "And LOL critics? You're a bunch of people posting on a chat board. That hardly makes you a reliable source."
For the record: I was using the word "critics" in the casual sense. As in, "people who are criticizing the show." Like when people say "oh well so-and-so had his critics but most people liked him"
Posted: 8/7/18 at 10:26pm
Posted: 8/7/18 at 10:32pm
emaxman said: "And? Okay forget everything for a second. Do you see how many negative comments about this show there are? And how many are from people who have ACTUALLY seen the show? I'm allowed to react how I want to how disrespectful people are being on here. And LOL critics? You're a bunch of people posting on a chat board. That hardly makes you a reliable source. Write your own original musical and then get back to me. This toxic environment is nor worth investing in. I just wanted to say it's a fun, funny, original musical, which aren't something you come across lately. PLEASE GIVE A SHOW A CHANCE. Also, once you see it, don't say it deserves to close, or put down the producer...do you know how HARD everyone works? To say things like people are saying in this post is rude and obnoxious. There's no need for it. Grow up."
Sit down. You don't get to dictate how others feel about this show. How arrogant of you! The show is charging people to come and see it. Anyone who sees the show is allowed to say what they think about it. Most of these posters paid money to see this show and are fully entitled to share their thoughts on it. I'm kinda amazed that all of this has to be explained to you. When you put art out into the world commercially (and otherwise, really) you are doing so knowing that everyone who experiences your art has the right to trash what you've created.
Write your own original musical and get back to me? Have you ever disliked a movie? WELL, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO UNLESS YOU'VE MADE A MOVIE!!! Ever not like a pop singer? WELL, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO UNLESS YOU'VE EVER BEEN A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE POP SINGER!! No show deserves to be given a chance when theatre tickets are expensive. Shows EARN a chance by giving us good content. YOU grow up and understand that the world doesn't revolve around you or what you think.
ALSO... giiiiiiiiirl, you can't say that people on chat boards aren't reliable sources... while trying to be a reliable source on a chat board. GIRL, come ON.
(Also, I'm sorry and I know that this is going to annoy you... but it's very apparent that you know someone involved in the show or you're involved in the show. And you're hurting the odds of people seeing it, not helping it. Chill.)
Updated On: 8/7/18 at 10:32 PM
Posted: 8/8/18 at 9:42am
I went last night for free and thought it was anti-funny, cliche ridden, full of tired and ripped off jokes and caricatures, and just overall embarrassing. Not to mention, I felt that MANY of the laughs/moments of applause are manipulated and forced.
I can't lie - there were plenty of people around me who were laughing and seemed to be enjoying themselves, which is great for them. I suppose the experience of live theater is always exciting and I'm sure that people who'd been in high school/garage bands could relate.
I want to note before going on that I don't wish to bash any of the actors. They are all giving passionate, energetic performances and I appreciated the hard work they're doing for a show that I can't vent enough about.
Thoughts:
To me it felt like a wannabe (majorly, majorly wannabe) collage of D-list buddy comedy from the late 90's early 2000's only SIGNIFICANTLY less funny.
You have your high school crush/sweetheart (still as conventionally "hot," slender, and cliche as ever) stuck in her hometown wishing a "good guy" who wants something "real" would come along.
You have your (FAILED attempt at a) Zach Galifianakis doofus who "LOVES FRUITY PEBBLES!" and likes to sit on your lap for STORY TIME!! They've written the most paper-thin, unsubstantial versions of characters who have already been tired cliches forever.
You have the "funny reveal" at the end that one of the two antagonists is gay. That's the "joke." Being gay, I'm not offended by this, I just don't think it's funny because I don't see the joke. I love a good gay joke/gay culture joke etc... but I feel like the reveal of someone "tough and tatted" being gay got tired YEARS ago - its just not a joke to me anymore.
You have, of course, your too-easy Jersey jokes.
Also - has anyone who has seen it before experienced one of the actors break character and start laughing??? That happened last night and it felt so planned to me. Two of the actors broke character and were cracking up which understandably got the audience laughing. It felt like a tactic to me for a show that's not funny enough* (*at all), but maybe I'm wrong.
I can't even get into all of the millennial/teenager cliches.
Certain parts just felt completely and unsuccessfully ripped off from other buddy comedy movies and things like The Wedding Singer.
I also don't understand the reliance on the TIRED, TIRED, cliche Indian stereotypes! Apart from them being potentially offensive, they're just so overdone and not funny anymore!! The babbling, strict Indian father? The arranged marriage? I could go on and on.
I thought the book was atrocious from start to finish. Its either offensive, cliche, or anti-funny (often all three at the same time) with the exception of a few shining moments from the ensemble. Also, worth it to reiterate that everyone was giving passionate, fully-energetic performances.
I also could've done without the curtain speech.
Lastly, I thought the big act 2 shock-comedy number was the lamest, most repetitive, predictable, failure I've ever seen in a musical comedy.
I don't think I've felt this strongly since Amazing Grace.
Updated On: 8/8/18 at 09:42 AM
Posted: 8/8/18 at 1:17pm
Nailed it, somecheapfrenchthing. I had all the same thoughts. Except I paid...ugh.
Posted: 8/8/18 at 1:27pm
Somecheapfrenchthing, you covered a lot of what I thought. The actors on stage are good—normally, I find Mitchell Jarvis hilarious and I think Paul Whitty and Tad Wilson and names more people need to know and are doing their best, but it feels like you’re watching a movie that Adam Sandler passed on.
Posted: 8/9/18 at 10:30am
Chatted with Mr. Davenport and John Rando about how the show came together, how it found its setting and more:
Gettin' The Band Back Together' springs Broadway tale from Bon Jovi's hometown
Lemme know your thoughts.
Updated On: 8/9/18 at 10:30 AM
Posted: 8/9/18 at 11:25am
emaxman said: "You clearly feel like you can boss everyone around, which is just sad. You clearly don't have any respect for the theater community."
So it's only acceptable to boss people around when you do it?! Plus, it is often important to put self-respect ahead of respect for the theater community. People aren't going to say they liked a show because the people tried hard and gave it a good effort, especially not after putting $16.95 of their hard-earned money and their time (often worth more than the ticket cost) into seeing it.
Posted: 8/9/18 at 12:01pm
For anyone who follows DoubleD Reviews on Youtube, he just posted his review of the show yesterday and you can tell he's trying so hard to say something nice lol.
Posted: 8/9/18 at 5:56pm
I just watched the Broadwayworld clips. I still hope to see this during my upcoming trip. Who is the shirtless, tattoo, goatee guy in the clip? He is fine.
Updated On: 8/9/18 at 05:56 PM
Posted: 8/9/18 at 8:12pm
Posted: 8/10/18 at 12:22am
Check out Ken's latest social media post. He initially used #IDontWantPressPerformances and then edited to #IDontWatchPressPerfmrances. Freudian slip?
Posted: 8/10/18 at 1:07am
Updated On: 8/10/18 at 01:07 AM
Posted: 8/10/18 at 1:09am
Posted: 8/10/18 at 1:10am
YES! That happened the night I was there too. My friend said it reminded him of when Jimmy Fallon used to break on SNL. But to me it felt rehearsed. Then I heard from a friend involved with the show that they actually put it in the script for those characters to break there. Weird.
Posted: 8/10/18 at 1:13am
I don't remember them breaking character when I saw it. But I also don't remember the guy coming out as gay either? Maybe I was daydreaming at that point. It's forgettable. Honestly, I think Head Over Heels is the best of the 3 new shows.
Posted: 8/10/18 at 11:50pm
Posted: 8/10/18 at 11:50pm
Posted: 8/13/18 at 9:38am
I can't believe I'm saying this but I saw it this weekend and actually really enjoyed it. I had a blast, and so did the rest of the audience it seems. It's definitely not a well-written show but the cast is really great and I had a better time at this show than I did at a lot of other recent musicals.
I wish it well but I still don't think it will succeed.
Posted: 8/13/18 at 10:06am
Has anybody received the free cast recording? If it is a digital copy it is free. An actual cd, the cheapest shipping is $6.95 Curious what the physical cd looks like.
