GLORY DAYS.- Page 7
GLORY DAYS.
Featured Actor Joined: 5/7/08
re: GLORY DAYS closed per playbill#150
Posted: 5/8/08 at 6:54am
I agree that the show and the writers should have received much better guidance. What continues to mystify me is why little to know work was done to overhaul the show after the Signature production. Virtually every critic and numerous (supposedly) trusted Signature theater goers, who were asked for their list of criticisms of the show, told Eric Shaeffer about the glaringly obvious book problems with this production. They were all completely ignored.
When Eric Shaeffer started Signature, he was hailed as some sort of wunderkind. The theater had some early successes and continues to live off of its reputation, but the quality of the shows has been diminished over the years, although some DC theater patrons continue to buy in to the Signature and Shaeffer hype.
Now that Eric is in the big leagues, and the Artistic Director of a multi-million dollar theater, he had better start showing good artistic judgment or I fear that there will be more of these incidents. A very reliable source inside Signature, who is just sick about this fiasco, sent me an email last evening, saying that the Signature management is not concerned about the flop, and that it will "be forgotten immediately" because of the new show opening there with Chita Rivera and George Hearn (the Visit). If this is accurate, it shows that they have not a clue about the ramifications of producing a show and shepherding it to Broadway, only to have it flop. The whole thing is sad. I continue to feel bad for the writers.
re: GLORY DAYS closed per playbill#151
Posted: 5/8/08 at 7:07am
I'm sure the powers that be at Signature do care, but I doubt they would admit to what they're really feeling about "Glory Days". I have heard about Signature Theatre for years, and finally ventured over to see their production of, "Kiss of the Spider Woman". I thought it was an excellent production.
That being said, they probably are focusing their energies on "The Visit", plus, Eric Shaeffer isn't directing that production.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/03
Jaystar has more "FRIENDS" than anyone, just check Facebook!#152
Posted: 5/8/08 at 8:04am
I am sorry for the people involved. Especially the mothers of the writers who I am sure are just crushed.
But the author of this thread has made it more about him, so in his words, can we move on?
Jaystar wrote:
"Oh Mike...are we going to this again? we used to be buddies here .. remember XANADU days....on my thread.. you even came up with the word fANADU..what happened?
WHY DO YOU Take all the oppurtunity to jump on my throat? I hate to do this....
Let's face it...you got upset with me bec. I hung out with WBAF and you never gotten over it...
******
wbaf from singingbackup
on 12/28/07 @ 12:53:47 AM
next time we chat remind me to tell u what awful thing WBaF did to me...twice.
Hope ur holiday is great
*****
^^^^ you were upset with him bec. he did not showed up with your supposedly "date"
Now- I went to see SOUTH PACIFIC with RyToast and he is friends with WBAF. He showed up at the stage door..so what do you expect me to say to him? oh please DO NOT hang out with me bec. someone hates you? or please DO NOT GO to my tree house bec. one of my friend does not like you bec. you did not show up?
Yes. I made plans with him the week earlier..but why should YOU include me on your fights with him...WHY?
You got upset at me when I posted that I stage door with him...per your pm
*****
i gotta say from singingbackup
on 3/16/08 @ 12:25:25 AM
After the way WBAF treated me, I am kinda surprised you hang out with him, guess you condone that kind of behavior
****
I responded to you and you never answer me back:
Call me tommorow and we will talk from jaystarr
on 3/20/08 @ 09:06:33 PM
Mike
I waited for days....
I want to talk to you tommorow... okay youre still my friend! actually my 1st friend here..so I dont wanna loose you
Jay
*******
I went to jeffreydogg's party to greet him.. I was in a hurry bec. I will be seeing GYPSY and remember I never met you in person, so I did not noticed you in table full of guest... and what have you done after I left -you made some snarky comments after I LEFT- what made you think NO ONE in that table is not a friend of mine and did not tell me what you said...but I let it go...
I talked to jeffreydogg on my cellular to talk to you-- but still you never call me...
******
then you got upset at me for being friends with Without A Trace:
this is what i mean from singingbackup
on 3/16/08 @ 05:07:08 PM
from your post today
"I made plans with RyToast to see Next to Normal (actually supposed to be last 3/1 but I cancelled it bec. of the snow storm in Boston & CT) and lunch with RyToast, Without A Trace & Wanna Be a Foster, but due to unavoidable circumstances...we had to cancelled it on the last minute. Though these two sweet guys, RyToast & Wanna Be A Foster..."
SWEET GUY? really. And from reading your post it doesnt sound like he called you for lunch, and what could you say but yes, sounds like you had plans well in advance..... read your own words and your own actions.
And I know back in June/July we discussed how mean, nearly cruel WithoutATrace was on the board to anyone who was a fan of Xanadu, basically calling us losers and idiots for liking such 'god awful' crap (or words to that effect.) Those of us of a particular age too.
********
Yes.. I did not like Without A Trace before but you know what...after I met him.. he is the sweetest guy and I MOVE ON...and put the past behind me...
Wanna BE A Foster never did anything wrong with me...he is always nice to me.. so why should I treat him bad?
Please these personal attacks of yours is getting old.. I am sorry to post this.. but PLS LET ME KNOW ~What Have I done to DESERVE your bullying? or hatred towards me?
Mike.. I am ready to move on...you have no idea on how many people I did not get along here first~ I did not hold any grunch/ ill feelings towards them... I met them in person and I learned and MOVE ON... Please do the same thing....and let's not embarrassed ourselves furthermore. Please!
J*
PS Guys- I apologize for the drama...I just DONT deserve to be treated like this. My conscience is clear and I have not done any wrong doing.
also the I just copied and paste the article from Playbill saying one performance..."
And as they say in the Hokey-Pokey, "That's what it's all about!"
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/8/04
Jaystar has more 'FRIENDS' than anyone, just check Facebook!#153
Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:28am
Sueleen, you are right, their mamas must be devastated.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
Jaystar has more 'FRIENDS' than anyone, just check Facebook!#154
Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:35am
What continues to mystify me is why little to know work was done to overhaul the show after the Signature production. Virtually every critic and numerous (supposedly) trusted Signature theater goers, who were asked for their list of criticisms of the show, told Eric Shaeffer about the glaringly obvious book problems with this production. They were all completely ignored.
I think its pure arrogance on Shaeffer's part. Especially considering how few changes were made between the Signature production and the Broadway production.
Opening night on Broadway...was that the end result of what he wanted the show to be? Was he happy with what was served to the Broadway audiences?
I also agree that Signature shows have become rather run-of-the-mill. I typically see half of their shows per season. Most are okay to good...few (none that I've seen anyway) are great. I think I've lost faith in their product and perhaps that tempers my enthusiasm.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
Jaystar has more 'FRIENDS' than anyone, just check Facebook!#155
Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:23am
From today's Washington Post:
But while the novelty of two extremely young talents crashing Broadway created considerable publicity, the online chatter ran from befuddled to venomous, and the box office was dismal. During last week's previews, the show grossed just under $47,000 and played to about 22 percent capacity.
Signature's 'Glory Days' Ends One-Day Broadway Run
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
Jaystar has more 'FRIENDS' than anyone, just check Facebook!#156
Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:52am
Is this thread actually for real?
Or is Karen Finley about to pour chocolate sauce on her cooch?
Jaystar has more 'FRIENDS' than anyone, just check Facebook!#157
Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:52amIronically, I just got an e-mail from the Signature a few moments ago asking for donations because musical theater is the "most expensive kind of theater to produce"..."signed" by Eric Shaeffer. Love the timing.
Glory Days#158
Posted: 5/8/08 at 11:08amI was looking at the pictures of the opening on Broadway.com and under one of the pictures it mentioned that Eric Shaeffer was working on this project for 5 years. I'm wondering what the ramifications will be (if any).
Glory Days#159
Posted: 5/8/08 at 11:31am
Today on Seth's Chatterbox:
May 8, 2008 - Cast of Glory Days
:O !!!
Broadway Star Joined: 10/30/06
Glory Days#160
Posted: 5/8/08 at 12:21pm
I remember seeing Billy (must have been a preview). It opened and closed after one performance Saturday March 22,1969. I recall an almost all male cast; I understand there was one female.
p.s.
Clive Barnes wrote in The Times on Monday:
The failure of some little fly-by-night farce is of no particular account to anyone but the actors and other people left unemployed by the producers' irresponsibility.
Glory Days#161
Posted: 5/8/08 at 12:32pm
I basically agree with the "at least they can say that they were on Broadway" people.
This reminds me of an interview I read with Farrah Fawcett-Majors after "Bobbi Bolland" closed in previews. Referring to "Oldest Living Confederate Widow" which had opened and closed on opening night just a few weeks before, she said, "At least Ellen Burstyn got to have an opening night."
On another note, I had forgotten that the revival of "Take Me Along" only played one night. When I read about "Glory Days" I was wondering if it was the first show to do that since "Dance A Little Closer"...
On yet another note, I've always toyed with the idea of recording an album called "One Night Only" with songs only from shows that closed on opening night.
Glory Days#162
Posted: 11/23/09 at 6:38pm
I thought I would bump this thread to let everyone know that the cast recording of GLORY DAYS is being released tomorrow.
I think the last time a one-performance flop musical was recorded was ONWARD VICTORIA (nearly 30 years ago). The release of the GLORY DAYS cast recording is a Broadway milestone!
Edit: DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER was recorded and that was three years after ONWARD VICTORIA.
Updated On: 11/23/09 at 06:38 PM
Glory Days#163
Posted: 11/23/09 at 6:42pmGod, what a misguided disaster this show was. I was there that fateful first night with Trace. We spent much of the show keeping count of the number of walkouts.
Glory Days#164
Posted: 11/23/09 at 6:44pmoh my god yes! there were quite a few. we lasted the entire 90 minutes though!
Broadway Star Joined: 7/7/07
Glory Days#165
Posted: 11/23/09 at 7:14pm
Is it wrong of me that I want to buy this CD? I mean, the clip on the Youtube trailer that BWW has just linked to makes the album sound terrible (I quite liked the title song before from the B-roll footage last year, but the backing arrangement sounds HORRIBLE on that video!) but...it's a contemporary musical! It can't be THAT bad, surely?
I'm not a flop chaser or anything, but I really loved the HIGH FIDELITY album (I'm not suggesting the GLORY DAYS team are anywhere near as talented as Kitt and Green are...) which was a pleasant surprise, and I like most of the Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight albums I have, so... it might tide me over until Rooms comes out? Maybe?
Glory Days#166
Posted: 11/23/09 at 8:58pmI have the demo and I'm actually really curious about the full album...I'll definitely be checking that out.
Glory Days#167
Posted: 11/23/09 at 9:48pmif glory days can get a cast cd why can not they do cry baby that was a good muiscal i did not see it but i saw the tony pef and i loved what i saw. cry baby needs a CAST CD TODAY1111111
Broadway Star Joined: 10/19/09
Broadway Star Joined: 7/7/07
Glory Days#169
Posted: 11/24/09 at 5:21pm
Okay, so, this album...
First of all, can I check I've got the basic plot right?
They all get together at school to play a prank on some jocks. Jack comes out, Andy's a bit homophobic about it, Jack likes Will and this causes a big blowup because... not quite sure? Then Will sings a perky song about dumping his old friends because they weren't friends REALLY, decides he might move on with his life and then goes home happy?
Is Will gay too? I'm sure there's more to it than that but not having seen the show and not having dialogue on the album means I'm at something of a loss (plus, you know, no booklet with an iTunes purchase).
Then...um. I can guess the walkouts started when We've Got Girls hit its stride? Not going to be listening to that one very often... or the where's-the-tune-gone Other Human Beings, I think.
There's some nice music in there, and Open Road is a great standalone song that deserves a good life outside the show (Will gets some nice music, even if the lyrics are a bit repetitive) But it's just a misconceived idea for a musical, I think - the score hits some authentic enough notes, but I don't think the story is worth dramatising like this, let alone making into a musical that takes itself relatively seriously.
I don't think the album's awful, it's just a bad idea and a bit... wrong. I don't want to go on because it'll make me sound like I'm bashing it, and that would be like kicking a puppy. I'll give it a few more listens and try and think more constructively about it.
Glory Days#171
Posted: 11/24/09 at 5:41pmI hate waiting for crap in the mail. I need to stop ordering CDs and just do digital downloads from now on.
Glory Days#172
Posted: 11/24/09 at 6:01pm
I've listened to roughly half of the album so far and it's about as bad as I thought it'd be. Part of me wants to give the misguided creative team a break, but the other half is totally dumbfounded by their choices.
The bulk of the problem is the characters' attitudes, which are supposed to represent off-color (but amiable) male camaraderie, and instead come off as profane/sexist/racist. Particularly "We've Got Girls," with its line about girls "up against the wall" and "turning your Jew balls blue."
But "Generation Apathy" is where it really got terrible for me. The creators have written a song about how young America is lazy and disconnected, but the material's so sloppy you have to wonder if they were trying themselves. There's not one interesting melody or clever lyric in the whole score.
On the plus side, the entire ADDAMS FAMILY thread will be relieved to know that I had no problem with any of the pop culture references.
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