GHOST first preview?- Page 4

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 7:34pm

I was there last night! I absolutely loved it. It's not a perfect show, but it is visually and aurally stunning. Sure there may be lots of ballads, but Caissie sounds incredible. The tricks were really astounding and most of the animations were fairly cool. In my opinion, the ensemble is quite useless and just there for the sake of having an ensemble. I definitely got annoyed by the doubled shadows of the ensemble dancing on the screens. They were noticeably out of sync most of the time and it was very distracting. The most effective use of the screens were definitely the subway scenes and the external NYC scenes. Moya Angela was terrific. She must've had ZERO rehearsal time and she started off a little stiff, but once she got in the groove of it, she was really something special and I wouldn't be surprised if she had a future in the role full-time. Richard Fleeshman really surprised me. Though Caissie sounded incredible, Richard was really the highlight for me. He over-acted a few times, but that can be reigned in. He was in great voice, acted the part well and was much looser and goofier than I expected. Bryce Pinkham was really great in such a strange role.

8.5/10 for me.

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 12:32am

i was there last night as well and this thing is horrible. The music is completely juvenile, the lead "actors" need to be at cedar point theme park singing theme park music or find an acting class at t-schreiber studios to go to asap.
What a joke.
"Once" looks like the greatest thing in the history of musical theater in comparison. Ugh. Next.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 12:36am

really enjoyed this when i saw it in London...it's warm. incredibly directed with exceptional staging and Cassie Levy is a major talent and Richard Fleishman is so hot and talented that its just good warm theater

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 12:36am

@bwayphreak234--- The set is basically three big giant screens. The three panels move different ways throughout the show to create different sets such as Sam & Molly's apartment, the Office where Sam and Carl works, and the place where Oda Mae Brown works. There are also two conveyer belts that moves set pieces on throughout the show as well.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 12:38am

Friends were at show last night. Got a text at 2 am saying how much they loved it. I'm even more excited now.

[KylePKJP]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 1:54am

I don't understand why it appears people can't like this show without being personally criticized. It's senseless. Is the show going to win a Pullizer? No. It is the absolute best thing to hit the musical theatre stage in decades? Again, no? But it DOES have a few good songs, some interesting orchestrations, technological visuals that, as I understand, have not worked or reached this level in past Bway shows.

It doesn't have to be your cup of tea, but there's no need to slam others who find delight in the music, the scenery, or the story. Everyone is free to hold his/her opinion, but don't criticize someone who found enjoyment out of the album or the show. I, too, hated Ball of Wax. I agree with a lot of people on that subject. Yet I love With You, Suspend My Disbelief/I Had A Life, Rain/Hold On, and Nothing Stops Another Day, and the Finale.

I also don't get the sheer desire expressed on this board for the show to fail. Hundreds of people came together over two continents to put this production up. Theatre is something that NEEDS to be supported. You don't have to love it, but you can certainly applaud the achievement of getting it on the stage.

It's in early previews and I am sure that by opening next month it will be tight and stunning.

Y'all are free to hold and express your opinions, but there's no cause to slam and take personal shots at someone for liking the show. I've never seen a show that hasn't had it's faults, as I am sure this one does.

So go on and hate, but don't hate on the the people who believe they got their money's worth and had a good evening out at the theatre. I can't wait to see it after steadily listening to the soundtrack since last summer. Again, it's not perfect but then there seems to be this unattainable standard of excellence so many shows are held to on this message board. I hope those who are anxious to see GHOST take the self-righteous crap critcisms lobbed at them personally, or at the show, with nothing more than a grain of salt.

[Ejm105989]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 1:55am

Saw it today and I thought it was lovely. I loved the visuals and liked how they incorporated it, into the show. Some of the songs did sort of sound the same and I honestly only remember 2 of them. The audio was acting a bit funky as well. I wasn't crazy about the choreography personally, but overall I would say that it was pretty good in my book.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 12:38pm

@KylePKJP ---- "Theatre is something that NEEDS to be supported. You don't have to love it, but you can certainly applaud the achievement of getting it on the stage."

PREACH. Truer words have never been spoken. :)

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 1:05pm

Does Oda Mae still burst out through the closet during Are you a believer?

[Steve2]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 3:35pm

Any thoughts on Row C Center Orchestra (or Row D/E Side Orchestra on the aisles)? I haven't been to the Lunt-Fontanne since Addams Family and just can't remember the stage height. Normally I wouldn't want to sit in Row C but if it's between that and Row Q I would rather sit closer (unless the stage is too high).

Most of the first half of the seats in Center Orchestra (except the 1st 2 rows) are Premium.

Thanks!

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 3:41pm

@jamiekennywicked -- Yes she does! :)

Posted: 3/18/12 at 6:54pm

Steve, its too close. Try for front mezz

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/18/12 at 7:30pm

Why isn't the song "I Can't Breathe" listed in the Playbill? I could have sworn I heard Richard Fleeshman sing something after Sam died.... o_O?

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 3/19/12 at 3:27am

@kyl3fong2 I was there Saturday night and I don't really remember him singing anything after that. Then again the whole thing is sort of a blur now. Second thought he did sing something really quickly...

I enjoyed the show not because I liked it but because it was what I had expected. From hearing the music I knew that I was not going to be a huge fan.

Some Highlights:

Oda Mae: Moya(the understudy) was great she sped through a line or two and almost flubbed but other than that she kept the show going. She had the audience eating up every moment she was onstage. I also second the notion that the suitcase thing during "Outta Here" should be changed. She almost tripped and fell a couple times and once hit an ensemble member ever so slightly on her way down. Sometimes it looked as though the ensemble was fighting with the suitcases to get them to move. One young lady got stuck and was a couple steps behind because of it.

Cassie Levy: What a voice? That song with With You was so pure the sound just resonated and I felt every note she hit. Her part is majorly underwritten though.

Richard Fleeshman: Good googa mooga that opening scene with him shirtless! I was in the first row which by the way is not a good seat. Get further back in the orchestra or front mezzanine, and I almost wanted to grab for him he felt that close. His voice was wonderful also. I just feel like he over acted a lot of his scenes where he was supposed to be upset he came off as a little teary. Loved his rendition of Unchained Melody and his acting during that scene was just playful enough to make the relationship seem real.

Set was wonderfully done. I like the use of the lights.

The Special Effects were phenomenal. *Spoiler Alert* The floating things and that whole office scene blew my mind. All except for the part where Sam picks him up. *End Spoiler*

The Bad

Book: Ugh to this whole book. Couldn't we use some new lines for Oda Mae. That whole second subway rap scene needs to be trimmed and the rap needs to go all together. The ghost scene also gave me frightening flashbacks to the previous owner of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater (Addams Family). If they are going to do that scene trim it and please get some new costumes did everyone there die before the 1940's?

Songs: "Gotta Let Go Now" The song went on forever and I found myself falling asleep then the 1 and 3 clap gospel section was awful, just god-awful.
Loved "With You" just brought me close to tears.
"Focus" (CUT IT! PLEASE AND PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY)
This show is really ballad heavy and I like that about it. I just wish that the ballads were more memorable then they were. Most of them I don't remember a line or bar from them. Only ones that come to mind are "With You," "I Had a Life," and "Suspend My Disbelief."


The choreography: I don't know if anyone touched on this but good goodness does everyone onstage have to look like they are having epileptic fits every single scene? I sometimes felt as thought they have a chorus just to have one. This show could easily be done without one and just a couple supporting characters with a swing or two for the Oda Mae spiritual healing scene. Those darn projections of the dancers were so annoying also. If you keep them please make sure they are in sync with the people doing the actual steps.

Overall I would give the show about a 7 our of 10. I just hope it finds and audience with Newsies, Evita, and all the buzz that Once is getting.


Updated On: 3/19/12 at 03:27 AM

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/19/12 at 4:03am

I hear the distant drums of a critical clobbering approaching 46th street next month...

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 3/19/12 at 1:28pm

Why isn't the song "I Can't Breathe" listed in the Playbill? I could have sworn I heard Richard Fleeshman sing something after Sam died.... o_O

I remember him singing it on Thursday, I don't remember when though. Weird.

[basketcase]

Posted: 3/19/12 at 1:32pm

"I Can't Breathe" happens after Sam has followed Willie back to his apartment, before he walks into Oda Mae's shop. I don't know why it isn't listed in the Playbill either, other than the fact that it's only about a minute long.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/19/12 at 6:26pm

@basketcase-- OH! That's right. I remember him singing it now. But yes, very strange that it isn't listed in the Playbill considering that the song is its own track in the cast recording.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 9:59am

Saw the show last night. I liked it, didnt love it.
These are just my opinions, and there may be spoilers.

Some of my criticisms may be due to the fact that I was 5th row center, and this show probably reads better from the rear orch and front mezz.

I admit to being a Dave Stewart fan, and the score is very good, with some phenomenal numbers. I would say this is the best shot at a Tony for the show.

The leads were all fine, but each had their problems, some of which are not their fault.

Caissie Levy has one of the most beautiful voices I've heard in a long while. Pure and effortless. I didnt buy everything she was selling as an actress, but she was fine. AS someone pointed out, her role is not to be the stand out. She spends most of the time weepy and sullen. She made no real missteps, but didnt bowl me over unless she was singing.

Fleeshman was good. I didnt see the overacting so many have mentioned. I found him charismatic enough for the role. Neither he or Caissie are helped with their central relationship by the scale of the show. Their intimate moment in the beginning was superimposed by a weird montage of body parts on the scrim in front of them. Still, I believed him more than Levy or Pinkham.

Pinkham was fine, but a bit too intense. He projects "bad guy" and you wonder why Sam and Molly dont see it before. He could relax a bit, imo. That was nitpicky of me, as he is good, maybe still finding his balance. I loved him in "Bloody Bloody..." where his intensity worked much better.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph was in the show, and I sometimes wished Moya Angela was in. Ms. Randolph is very uneasy all over the place. She acts the scenes well, and that is her comfort zone. I did appreciate that she did not do a Whoopi impersonation. The role is hers, but every time music started for one of her numbers, she fell out of character. There were clear breaks particularly in her 11 O'Clock number. AS soon as she turned front and the ensemble joined her she was someone other than Oda Mae. When the number finished she turned into Oda Mae again. This also happened in the numbers in her parlor. I think she is a good comedic actress and the role is hilarious...I just wish she looked more comfortable. Interestingly, at the curtain call, where she got huge applause and got the audience to their feet, she seemed unhappy. It was strange, and I read it that she was disappointed in herself? I dont know.

The ensemble was just strangely placed throughout and doing odd choreography. I liked it if they had a purpose as in the number, like walking the streets of NYC or in "I'm Outta Here" where they are in Oda Mae's head...but there were too many numbers where it seemed like they wanted to show a crowd and the choreographer made them do strange hip hopish moves. It was so unnatural to me.

I liked the subway scene and Tyler McGee AND his number. I read complaints on these threads and really was entertained and it moved the story. I didnt find any of the score bad enough to be cut. Even "On a Dime" didnt bother me. Again, it moved the story. Carl is trying to convince and even seduce Molly. It's part of the story.

The sets are a highlight and we were probably too close to completely enjoy them. The special effects were quite good, even if we got a glimpse of how they were done. There was over amplification on many of the numbers imo.

Why the eff are they making that poor woman walk on those luggage pieces. It is clearly dangerous. Imagine when a swing has to go on? I did give Ms. Randolph credit for getting through it, but it took so much away from her performance it just wasnt worth it. I dont know too many people who could trust 20 people moving your floor for you.

One question...did Sharon Clarke have sunglasses on? To me that helped ruin the number as they seemed to be there so she could cheat and look at where she's going. I also couldnt understand half of her lyrics. Such an uncomfortable number. Let her just stand there for goodness sake!

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 1:17pm

@doodleNYC---

Funny that you thought that Pinkham was projecting the "bad guy" image and was too intense. I thought the exact opposite. When I saw the show in the West End, the actor playing Carl played it off the bat from the first office scene that he was after Sam's money and you could tell that he was bad. But I thought that Bryce did a very good job of making Carl more 3-dimensional, and in the first office scene he seemed like he actually wanted to help Sam out and not take something from him. Pinkham played the role as not just "the bad guy" but the "guy who is suppose to be the best friend yet greed gets in the way." I thought he was superb on his interpretation of the role.

And in answering your question about Sharon D. Clarke, YES, she did wear sunglasses when she performed "I'm Outta Here" as well.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 1:48pm

Kewl kyl...funny tho, that it was the beginning when Bryce seemed to give away his intentions, glaring at the little red book, etc.

He may be just working on the character at this point and we may see different interpretations? Since it's previews, I have to give him and Da'Vine some slack while they settle in.

Did Clark look so nervous on those suitcases?

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/21/12 at 1:54pm

When I saw the show, it was well past its opening in the West End (I saw it in early September last year), so no. Clarke was gliding across the suitcases gracefully when she performed.

On Broadway I saw the understudy as Oda Mae and when she had to start walking on the suitcases, she forgot a line of the lyrics, most likely because she was concentrating on walking and not falling off those moving boxes lol

But yes, maybe Pinkham is still perfecting and working on the character, but when I saw it I thought he was fabulous in the way he played the role of Carl.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 1:19am

I saw the show and really enjoyed it. Moya was incredible. At this point she seems really comfy in the role. She was relaxed. The question I have is with the three leads and the projections. If one of the three leads is out do they change up the projected photos of the specific actors. Hard to do with Sam and Molly.

[basketcase]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 5:15am

@Bettyboy, as far as I know they have projections for every Sam/Molly combination to use when there is an understudy.

[MillieDillmount]

Posted: 3/22/12 at 5:34pm

I saw the first preview last Thursday, I enjoyed it for what it was, but it certainly isn't a favorite. I do want to go back at some point to see how the show is changing, though. At least I hope it's changing!

I felt the same way that most of you guys have said. The ensemble is useless. I really think this show would work much better if it was smaller. It really just needs the leads. I felt all the ensemble songs were pointless and did nothing to advance the plot; and they seemed really long to me. And it was really bothersome for me too when the projected dancers didn't match up with the dancers on stage. At first when I saw it I thought it was cute, but as it went on, I was questioning what the point of that was.

I honestly don't remember much about the score, which is sad. I love to be singing the songs for weeks after a show, I at least should remember them the next morning, I didn't. I remember they were gorgeous in the moment, they just didn't stick with me. But I LOVED both of the leads voices. Every time Richard would sing I would secretly wish he would just never stop. I thought him and Caissie sounded fantastic together. Just wish I could remember the songs more.

A lot of the special effects were cool, and made the show enjoyable. I just loved the very last special effect, that was one where I was looking around, trying to figure out how they did it. It was a great note to end the show on, one last 'wow factor'. I also loved the scene towards the end when Sam beat up Carl but we couldn't see Sam. I thought that was fantastic acting on Carl's part, and I enjoyed the effects. It was a fun, intense scene.

One thing that bothered me; why did they have the brick layer at the top of the set? It was used once for like a minute and that was it. Why would the set designer have something permanently on the stage to use once? I was thinking about that a lot during the show.

Overall, I felt the show had some really intense and well acted scenes that really sucked me in. Then they would have a cheesy ensemble number that just completely pulled me out of the story. Maybe this show would work better as a play? This was the first time I saw a musical and enjoyed the scenes more than the songs. There is some really nice moments in this show, I just wish the creative team would work to fix the duller moments.

Has anyone seen the show more than once yet? Is the show changing at all yet?