GHOST first preview?- Page 2

[darreyl102]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 1:42am

I just got back and LOVED the show! the effects and everything was top notch. simply amazing!
Da'Vine Joy Randolph EASILY steals the show and her scenes were the highlight of the show for me.
Levy, Fleeshman and Pinkman were all in top form and steller!
Levy has one hell of a voice!
The whole cast was in top form.
my one complaint was that Da'vine's I'm Outta Here was a little lackluster- it may have been her mic that made her hard to hear though.
Everybody was extremely nice at the stage door even though it was pretty cold.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 1:48am

Whizzer,

You're a bright guy. One of the brightest guys here. And someone I like and hold in high regard.

And surely you're bright enough to see that I compared Ghost to all the other musicals I've seen this season. (Or at least that I can remember having seen.) The conclusion being, that it is the best of a very bad lot. And that now-unmentionable title was the worst of them all. You surely knew that that's what I was doing with that list.

I'm also very surprised by your other question. You, of all people, the most ardent theatregoer here, and probably in the entire universe, ask me why I go to the theatre?


For the same reasons you do. Do I really need to list them?

And do you actually believe that I love the theatre less than you or anyone else here? I really can't believe you do.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 5:27am

Does anyone know how it differs to the London production?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 8:26am

Whizzer, I'm glad to hear you think Da'Vine Joy Randolph delivers. The story of how she got cast is kind of great.

She had just graduated from the MFA program at Yale, and her agent got her an appointment to come in and audition for the ensemble tracks that double as Oda Mae's assistants. Even though she told him she couldn't see a world where GHOST would ever work as a musical, she went in anyway. They liked her a lot right away, so they called her back to come in again to be the Oda Mae understudy. They gave her practically all of the character's material, so she came back and did both numbers and about 20 pages of sides. Because it was on relatively short notice, she thought she bombed.

Cut to a few days later, when she's washing her hands in the bathroom at Port Authority and her agent calls her and asks if she's sitting down. He then told her that not only did she get cast in the show, but after that one audition with the Oda Mae material, they were offering her the actual role flat-out.

Crazy, right?

Updated On: 3/16/12 at 08:26 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 8:35am

adamgreer, I'm glad to hear Da'Vine Joy Randolph delivers. The story of how she got cast is kind of great.

While I have no doubt she delivers in the show, I haven't seen it yet. I assume you were talking to Whizzer.

Updated On: 3/19/12 at 08:35 AM

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 8:53am

I am so happy to hear that Da'Vine is killing it!!!!!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 8:53am

Ha! I had just read your NEWSIES review, which probably explains the confusion. Edited.

[Patash]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:02am

"Cut to a few days later, when she's in the bathroom at Port Authority and her agent calls her and asks if she's sitting down."

Boy those agents sure can get their noses in your personal business, can't they?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:04am

I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks the "entire" score to Ghost is forgettable or mediocre either slept through "With You" or has a tin ear.

It's an uneven score, I'll give you that. But there are some real gems in here that i haven't heard the likes of in many years.

"With You" is one of the best Broadway ballads in the past decade. If you can't tell the difference between that and "forgettable Broadway fluff," then I feel sorry for you.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:36am

"With You" is one of the best Broadway ballads in the past decade."

That's saying very little.

" If you can't tell the difference between that and "forgettable Broadway fluff," then I feel sorry for you."

OK, I accept your pity.

Actually, I wouldn't call the song to which you refer as Broadway fluff, but it certainly is forgettable. i can't remember a single note of it this morning, and I still remember unrecorded songs from shows of 50 years ago--- much better ones, by the way.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:44am

I'm so glad you mentioned "With You," Best12Bars. Caissie Levy absolutely nailed that number last night. I have already listened to that track twice this morning...a wonderful song.

Overall, the show was outstanding and I cannot wait to go back and see it again!

Updated On: 3/16/12 at 09:44 AM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:52am

With You is stunning, and so is the act 1 finale.

[steven22]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 9:53am

Did they get rid of "Ball of Wax?"

I'm going Monday night, can't wait!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:00am

Thanks all for your reviews! I'm quite excited by this and seeing it Tuesday. Happy the show is in good shape and Randolph has clicked into Oda Mae so well. Good for her!

I do like the score quite a bit, and I agree that "With You" is one of the best songs to come down the pike in quite a while. I so love Levy's voice, but on the recording her whole performance feels "sleepy", for lack of a better term, so am very glad for the good reviews here.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:12am

doodle---I agree about the "sleepy" part (or a kinder word of "wistful"), but I think that's a large part of the role. After her husband dies, she does a lot of sleepwalking as someone who's been emotionally gutted. I commend Demi Moore for doing such an excellent job with that in the movie, and I don't think either of the leads are easy roles to play. Unfortunately, they get overshadowed by the showier Oda Mae Brown. But in the hands of less capable people, the story would tank without strong leading performances.

Back to "With You" ... very few Broadway songs in the past 20 years (I'll even add a decade) have made me cry on a first listen. This one did the job.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:19am

Good explaination, besty, and I'll agree that it is part of the role, but I'll add that even in the beginning, when she is scolding him for saying "ditto".

It's not fair of me to judge a performance solely on the recording anyway, so I'm just glad she's getting good feedback on here.

And "With You" made me get misty upon firt listen too. It's beauty is undeniable, especially when it's so well sung.

[Inspired]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:26am

I haven't seen the show but listening to the song "With You" online... it really reminds me of that Lady Antebellum song "Need You Now". When a song reminds me so strongly of another song it kind of takes me out of the moment.

[Lefou]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:28am

So after letting this show stew with me over night, here goes nothin'.

I've listened to the GHOST London recording 50 times through easy, and I've watched any kind of content possible.

I will say that when a show transfers (with 3 leads intact nonetheless) that I hold it to a BIT higher of a standard then a new show with no OOT try-out. I understand that it has been a few weeks, and a few re-writes since its been in front of a live audience. And for a first preview GHOST did not diasppoint.

The set: sparse in terms of actual pieces (with the exception of a few large ones in the apartment and the office), but full of projections (some which put other Broadway projections to shame..and some that were shameful). Perhaps the most cringe-worthy one was the porno that Caissie and Richard had recorded which played while they were making out...I'm pretty sure I saw butt. It was shocking of how few technical issues there were, in a show that relys heavily on tracking and those intense projections.

The "tricks" that others have mentioned were really one of the talking points of the show. I remember as a kid being amazed of the levatating Beast in B&B, and I felt like I was back in that seat again. I'm not going to give away anything because it would be a disservice to even try to describe these. They were done seamlessly and even made my jaw drop a few times.

However: The best trick of all was when Richard Fleeshman took off his shirt...good god.

Speaking of--the cast. Hm.

Richard Fleeshman: Sure he's sexy, sure he can croon and comes off quite charming, but he has absolutely NO chemistry with Caissie. He remains pretty flat through the show and comes off angsty a few times (see this is when I'd say "oh, he'll grow into it"--but he's already had time to "grow".)

Caissie Levy: Girl sings the sh*t outta this score. She acts slightly better than her counterpart, but there is still room for major improvement. But her voice floats through the score and she is fully committed to her performance. All in all, another fine showing for her.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph: Welcome to Broadway, girl. The audience was eating out of the palm of her hand from the moment she walked onto that stage. Her dialogue has really stayed the same as the movie's, which I'm sure plays a part in the audience eating it up, but she really puts heart into this performance. She has the 11:00 number ("I'm Outta Here"), which in my opinion needs to be re-staged. She's walking on all this moving luggage and looks like she's gonna fall, which evidently makes her shaky, and the song loses its momentum.

The guy who plays Carl (Bryce Pinkham) rubbed me the wrong way. He fits the part physically, but is so one-dimensional and really can't sing well! I was actually shocked.

The sound was great for the most part, however, the ensemble needs to be turned down...they were singing their faces off, but when they were distracting (as was that strange choreography).

Overall, I believe this show will run...not because of any amazing performances or songs, but because of the story. It has a lot of heart and you leave feeling fufilled.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:31am

I still can't quite believe Richard Fleeshman is only 22 years old.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:34am

re: "With You" ... Part of what gets me emotionally is the unexpected key change near the end after the big climax of the bridge. That last note rings out, and then there's a huge gap of silence, followed by a lower and much softer key for the final few lines of the song. That's pretty much where I lose it every time. The melody, lyrics (taken right from Demi Moore's monologue in the movie), and the arrangement are all just perfect.

As far as the earlier stuff, I will agree with you ("ditto" etc.). It all seems to be setup for what's coming later and doesn't amount to much on its own. They're good romantic roles, and perhaps in a story that was less showy they wouldn't be so swallowed up by the events around them. Still, I don't think they're easy roles to play. I re-watched the movie recently, and strangely, I was both very impressed and kinda bored by the performances of Swayze and Moore. The problem is without their "boring" setup, you get no payoff with Oda Mae's shenanigans or the story or anything else. It's like they have to work their assess of for the overall good, but with little results for themselves.

Updated On: 3/16/12 at 10:34 AM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:35am

I found the score to be VERY lack-luster and at times like songs cut from "High School Musical." "Here Right Now" is catchy but reminds me of something Troy and the gang close out the movie with. "With You" IS the highlight. A deeply moving and well performend song and moment. I'm going to try listening to the album again to see if anything grows on me.

Levy and Fleeshman have electic chemistry and since the entire piece hinges on the belief they're connected and in love it makes the weaker momments more believable. I found them bland acting-wise overall though. "Sleepy" is a great word for it. I can't even comment about their voices because the sound mixing was so off all I ever managed to hear were drums and synth, but that'll be fixed soon enough.

Randolph is a great find and is trating this debut like a coming out party. She was standard sassy black woman stock character and seemed to be giving the same feeling and readings as Whoppi, but that may be the writing/direction. Overall she seems to be be having a ball on stage except for during "I'm Outta Here." Then she walked clunkily on boxes looking like she was in pain and scared for her life. That number, like most of the score, seemed to stop all action cold and comment on it instead of driving it forward. It felt very "we need to give Oda Mae another big sassy song instead of musicalizing when she realizes she can actually hear Sam or her frantic nervousness into charm at the bank.

I agree 100% about the chorus of ghost/Addams anscestors connection. Granted the new song is better than "Ball of Wax" but it's still not really needed.


The staging, choreography, and projections overall left me cold. It all seemed repetative and uncessesary. Do we really need silhouettes of the dancers right behind them? Stock tickers flashing? Umbreallas? Renegade sentences? Hands clasping? It seemed very consant and over used and just plain dizzying at times.

The special effects are amazing and were the only time those projections seemd to work. Not to spoil anything but Sam's final exit is beautifully done. Honestly, I can be a contrarian to stage magic, roll my eyes, and say "I can see the giant wire, you fools! Stop clapping!" but I found myself in awe and acratching my head for many of the tricks. Even ones I know how are done like walking through the door (same way it was done in "Brief Encounter") I still went "cool!"

I think it's in great shape for a first preview and I may find myself going back in a few months.

[ChildrenwillListen]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:36am

Now I really want to go see it. I wasn't sure but I really do

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:39am

I've gone from zero interest to moderate interest in the past hour.

[Inspired]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:45am

I'm gonna go back on what I said about "With You"... cuz I thought the DUET version was the version in the show? But I'm assuming it's just the solo version? Which I have to admit I think is very beautiful.

So... is the Duet version in the show? Or is it just an "album track"?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/16/12 at 10:55am

According to the chat before they sang it on the talk show, that was a special "duet" arrangement of the song for that TV performance. It's not sung like that in the show at all.

Here's the version (a solo) that is in the actual show.
With You