'GIANT' first preview

The running time was 3 hours 10 minutes tonight.

...Anyone with actual thoughts on the show?: LOL

This isn't gonna be very thorough but here are some of my thoughts:

I was there last night and really enjoyed myself. As someone who generally enjoys LaChiusa's work I will say this music felt much more accessible. Much more sweeping epic film score kind of music infused with some country/mariachi/jazz flavors. Also, having a 25 piece orchestra certainly doesn't hurt.

I thought Brian D'Arcy James and Kate Baldwin were wonderful as was Katie Thompson. Wasn't a huge fan of PJ Griffiths.

As far as design, the set was very simple and really beautiful. They use a lot of sky expanse projections. On SR a giant staircase slides on and off for interior scenes; on SL is a giant water tower for external scenes. The lighting was beautifully done. Kate's dresses were gorgeous as were many of the other costumes. Sound seemed to be having some issues but they'll be worked out.

if the stage is, for our sake, 25 ft deep the upstage half has a giant platform lofted about 10 feet high. Thats where the entire pit is. There is also a scrim that slides up and down to at times cover the pit and at times cover the space beneath them. There looked also to be like an aisle on the most downstage part of the platform where actors would walk across. It's somewhat difficult to explain so I hope that some of that made sense.

It's in the Newman.

Sorry to be "that guy," but I know Giant hasn't been on TDF, so how has it been ticket wise? Could I rush it day of? etc.

I got a student rush for $25. well worth it.

Saw it yesterday afternoon via rush (actually rushed Saturday night, but idiotically didn't check the ticket and showed up late, but they kindly allowed me to past-date the ticket). For future reference, all showtimes for Giant seem to be at 1pm for matinees and 7pm for evenings.

RippedMan, definitely give rush a try, especially as it's early in the run. Check the Public's twitter account, as they usually give daily updates as to rush availability.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed it. I actually forgot that it was LaChiusa for a good part of the first act because the score was so accessible. I didn't love the functionality of the physical space, especially the movable scrim, but thought that the uses of the turntable were effective. The first act felt quite long; it ran about 1:35. Could listen to Kate Baldwin and BDJ sing forever. In particular, I loved Baldwin's characterization as Leslie, as well as John Dossett as Bawley; in smaller roles, I enjoyed Miguel Cervantes and Natalie Cortez; wasn't a fan of PJ Griffith or Mackenzie Mauzy. I'll definitely be returning, if I am able.

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I saw the Sunday matinee and absolutely adored every second of it, and everyone in it. If this moves, this could get Kate Baldwin her Tony.

On a reasonably sad note, does anyone know what happened to Michele Pawk's voice? She gives a GREAT performance here, but it is obvious that she sustained some kind of injury at some point. She sounds incredibly ragged, and its only noticable to me because of how she used to sing?

She is a one of my favorite actresses in straight plays. Her work in A SMALL FIRE at playwrights a year or so ago, so extraordinary. SO extraordinary.


I think she did Seussical between those two shows (Night Music and Cabaret)

Anyone else seen this? Any good? A friend called it 'better than Scandalous' but didn't elaborate.

Hoping to see it later in the run.

I caught the matinee yesterday and enjoyed it a lot, but I like the three act structure in DC better, and I missed some of the cut songs. I admit that I'm a crazy LaChiusa devotee, and I saw the try-out in DC twice. It needed some minor fixing, but really I thought it was a masterpiece, and easily one of LaChiusa's finest scores.

The breaks between the three acts seemed more natural, and the characters and plot were able to develop better.

Some differences I noticed:
The sequence in Virginia was much shorter. Unfortunately this meant cutting a beautiful song for Bick called "Lost in Her Woods." I wish so much that they would reinstate this for Brian D'Arcy James; it's almost painful to not be hearing him sing it as he is turning in such a lovely performance.

Jett had a song called "Elsie Mae" about his truck that he sang to Leslie when she got lost on her walk. It was very catchy and made Jett seem sleezier and slimier. I remember his "Dog is Gonna Bark" song being bigger too and having more of a dramatic ending. You definitely don't get much resolution of his storyline in this incarnation.

Act One ended originally with the arrival of Dossett's character and he had this huge story-song called "Coyote." It may have been deemed padding, but he performed it with virtuosity and it was a nice ending for the act.

Act Two started with "I Miss Our Mornings," which has now been moved to the beginning of this second act.

There was a beautiful song for Leslie called "A Stranger" about her want to travel and Jett offered her travel in his new ride "Lady L."

Act Three really got to develop the kids. I don't know if it was just Jessica Grove's performance, or if it was the part, but L'il Luz seemed more fully realized in DC.

All that said- What is left is wonderful, and where this production (in general) eclipses the try-out is in the performances. Kate Baldwin is so freaking good! I mean vocally and acting-wise she is dynamite.

The three hours fly by, and that's all the more reason that it never needed trimmed down to begin with. I left wanting more, not less.

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