GETTIN (G) THE BAND BACK TOGETHER Previews — Page 5

We only managed to sit through the first act, we walked out of a Broadway show for the first time last night. I am not sure where Jordan Catalano sat, but in the middle of the orchestra they sat in stunned silence. The book is just embarrassingly bad, no character development and the jokes are just weak. You could tell the audience wanted to laugh but the jokes sucked... at least in the first act. I was surprised by how bad the music was, the composer wrote Band Geeks, which had some great songs. I should of known it was going to be a bad show when the producer comes out before it starts and does a warm up act. I disagree slightly with the critique on the cast. I thought they were doing everything they could to make this bad material work. We decided to leave after realizing the second act had more songs in it than the first. I can't imagine anybody other than paid interns for the producer will like this show, the critics are going to tear it apart.

Wait, can we circle back to this is apparently "semi-autobiographical" for Ken Davenport?

Kad said: "Wait, can we circle back to this is apparently "semi-autobiographical" for Ken Davenport?"


Does the main character also work for Garth Drabinsky right out of college

Whizzer. You are a treasure. Honestly. The best poster on this board hands down. I thank you for your informative and helpful first preview reviews.

So, if we go with Whizzer's review (whom I often agree) this IS as bad as we suspected.

Question for Whizzer: do you think there is any way they can make it work before it opens?

I can't even remember the last time a show cut a number during previews.

Kad said: "I can't even remember the last time a show cut a number during previews."

The last numbers I can remember being cut in previews:

The Gravediggers’ song in A Tale of Two Cities

Here I Come and Opportunity from 13

A softshoe duet for Jean Michel and one of the Step-Sisters in Cinderella

Class Dismissed was replaced by A Whole Lot Worse during Cry-Baby previews, though the Class Dismissed reprise remained in the act two finale mega mix!! (I Did Something Wrong Once was also unorchestrated at the first preview and only played on the piano.)

There may have been a few others, but it has been rare in the past 10 years to see a song cut or replaced in previews.

"There may have been a few others, but it has been rare in the past 10 years to see a song cut or replaced in previews."

And on those rare occasions, the new song basically says the same thing, and just in a different (not significantly better) way.

For instance, the 2 song changes in Grey Gardens (which happened between the move from Off Broadway to Broadway, but is roughly the same as a preview change): "Marry Well" for "Being Bouvier," and "Goin' Places" for "Better Fall Out of Love."

When you compare these to changes like "Comedy Tonight" for "Love Is In The Air," "Before the Parade Passes By" for "Penny In My Pocket," or the myriad changes Funny Girl made on the road, there's just no comparison.

teresa2 said: "I am seeing this on Sunday. Can anyone tell me the running time? Thanks."

Depends if you stay for both acts...

Dozens of millions of dollars and workshop after reading after workshop for invite-only industry audiences don't leave much space for people willing to make big changes.

The Comet cut "Natasha Lost" in previews.

According to a Gower Champion bio and other reports, "Penny In My Pocket" took place at an auction; as Horace roamed the room singing the song about his life (not all of which makes perfect sense for his character), behind his back, Dolly kept buying things in his name - a grandfather clock, rowboats, the red dress she later wore to the Harmonia Gardens - all of which were assembled into an enormous mound that Horace scaled for the end of the song. The number was said to cost $100,000.