GOOD VIBRATIONS review by Munk

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:03am

I know the other night I said that BROOKLYN was the worst musical I had ever seen...well, now I am eating my words - I spoke too soon. BROOKLYN looks like a masterpiece compared to GOOD VIBRATIONS - which is absolutely awful in every respect.
I thought if nothing else, I could sit back and enjoy the great music with hopefully some dancing - because although I'm not a fan of MAMMA MIA! as a show, it's definitely something I can watch and have fun. GOOD VIBRATIONS has no fun in it - atleast not for the audience. I never thought that ANYONE could make the Beach Boys' timeless music sound terrible - but alas. I'm not going to go into great detail because no one can say it better than Ben Brantley: it makes every other show on Broadway look good, and that is one of the truest things anybody has ever said.
This show has, without a doubt, the absolute worst choreography, sets, and direction. The story line never makes sense, the book is deplorable, the sets are hideously, unnecessarily ugly and pointless, and the direction is all over the place, unfocused, and really made me question why anyone would put money into this show. I was shocked by how pointless and gruesome the set was - Heidi Ettinger has done some brilliant work in the past, mainly with THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, THE SECRET GARDEN, and BIG RIVER (winning a Tony for the last 2,) but here it were almost as if she tried to make the set laughable and terrible.
John Carrafa has not done his career any good by being attached to this show - especially because it's his directorial debut. His choreography is usually weak and tacky, but in the past it has worked marvelously in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and URINETOWN. It boggles my mind at how absolutely wretched the choreography is - there are even some repeat steps that appeared in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES - maybe he thought people forgot. From typical, cliched, awful "movement" to mock waves and swimming - it is deplorable from top to bottom. It wasn't even as if I could laugh at it and enjoy it's badness - I was bored to tears.
The songs are all performed with terrible arrangements, you usually cannot comprehend the lyrics, but most of the voices are actually quite good. None of the songs make any sense with the plot, but then again, there really isn't a meritable plot so it doesn't matter in the end. The show ends with my favorite Beach Boys' song, "God Only Knows," and it actually sounded quite good - but it was an awful way to end the show, was staged terribly, and made absolutely no sense.

There's really no point in going any farther, because I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to effectively articulate just how completely, utterly horrid and painful this show is. I can't even critique any of the cast, because they don't act in this show - it was as if they were just running around playing, making fun of a really bad show. It is seriously mind boggling.

To anyone who consideres seeing this show: trust me, and do not waste your money - there isn't one reputable part of this show, and anyone who has seen it will back me up. You will leave the show feeling cheated and depressed. I'm not just trying to be negative for the sake of being negative - I'm a Broadway fan just as much as anyone else is - but for as long as this abominable, atrocious, painful, lamentable, miserable, pitiable, appalling, beastly, unfortunate, blameworthy, disastrous, disgraceful, rotten, sad, sickening, dishonorable, disreputable, horrifying, intolerable, dreadful, faulty, grievous, heartbreaking, tragic, unsatisfactory, wretched, pitiful piece of garbage is on Broadway, the future of American theatre and the future of Broadway musicals looks unbelievably dim and depressing. Thank GOD for new shows like DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 01:03 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:05am

I think now would be an even *better* time to say I told you so.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:07am

I can't regret seeing this show more - it was misery.

[insomniak]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:08am

Emcee, please. Can't you see that Munkustrap has been through a truly tramautic experience and needs to be treated with sensitivity and kindness? I'm so very sorry this show happened to you, and everyone else unfourtunate enough to spend money on it.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:10am

I liked this show. But then again I'm all for the dumbing down of Broadway and commercialization. May the money cuking producers win!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:10am

No nia, because I told him so. I too was traumatized by this... montrosity.

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 01:10 AM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:12am

I no longer have a brain, it evaporated during the show.

[TGIF]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:12am

"but for as long as this abominable, atrocious, painful, lamentable, miserable, pitiable, appalling, beastly, unfortunate, blameworthy, disastrous, disgraceful, rotten, sad, sickening, dishonorable, disreputable, horrifying, intolerable, dreadful, faulty, grievous, heartbreaking, tragic, unsatisfactory, wretched, pitiful piece of garbage is on Broadway"

How about ghastly?

No, I shouldnt say that I haven't seen it. But I will be staying away from it.

[TGIF]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:14am

Maybe this flopping will keep other jukebox musicals from coming to Broadway.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:16am

But the question is - Did you like it???

[insomniak]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:17am

Maybe Munkustrap and Emcee can start a petition to get Surgeon General's warnings put on the playbills: WARNING. THIS SHOW MAY LEAD TO DEAFNESS, TRAUMA, BRAIN EVAPORATION AND DEATH.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:18am

Excellent idea. Munk, you in?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:19am

It should be a LAW that there is a warning on all posters, playbills, etc. It's really unfair at how terrible it is.

Tiff - YES! I LOVED THE SHOW IT WAS AMAZING! Couldn't you tell?

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:24am

The music is so good though. Who cares about the acting, directing, choreography, and story? Can't we all pretent we're on a cruise ship?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:26am

That's the only thing that got me through Mamma Mia. "Plot" is thinner than Lara Flynn Boyle during Ramadan, but the songs make it more enjoyable than I'd care to admit.

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 01:26 AM

[TGIF]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:27am

*sings "Don't you wanna take me on a sea cruise. OOee OOee baby. OOee, OOee baby. Don't you wanna sea cruise"*

Dang, thats going to be stuck in my head for awhile...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:27am

The original music is good. They way it has been abused and adapted for the stage in unforgivable. It sounds terrible. I cannot express my hatred for this show enough - I would gladly recommend BROOKLYN over GOOD VIBRATIONS any day - atleast you get something enjoyable in BROOKLYN. Even DRACULA, NEVER GONNA DANCE, and BOMBAY DREAMS look absolutely brilliantly amazing compared to this giant piece of garbage.

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 01:27 AM

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:29am

Hey!!! I liked this show. It was the first show I've seen on Broadway. My first night in NY (last friday) I saw this show and enjoyed it. I thought it was fun and I enjoyed watching it. Lol so my best friend and i were in the front row and we were fresh outta california and they were up there singing bout it and lifeguards and guess what we r lifeguards from california. lol it was funny

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:31am

Oh dear. Well...understandably, your first time seeing a Broadway show always holds a place in your heart...

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:31am

Munk, you didnt even like the end when the beach balls were thrown out in the audience?!?!? I htought that would sell anyone to liking the show!!!

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:32am

My first Broadway show was SUNSET BOULEVARD starring Betty Buckley in 1996.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:34am

You could do much worse!

My first was a boy named Trevor. Oh wait. I mean, Aida.

[insomniak]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:37am

That's not always true, I saw CATS first and I'm not remotely attached to it (no offense meant, Munkustrap). My first musical was really The Sound of Music, I guess, if you'd count the movie. I watched it so many times when I was little. Julie Andrews is fantastic.

Back to topic.

When do we burn the theater?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:38am

No, I hated the ending. Whoever thought "floating" surfboards would be a good way to end a show is beyond me. They tried to copy MAMMA MIA's post-curtain call "Mega Mix," but failed miserably - mainly because MAMMA MIA has better hands behind it. It was a stellar cast and very exciting music. The Beach Boys' music has never sounded so tired as it does here on Broadway.

John Simon said it all - this show is indeed salvagable - throw the whole thing in the garbage.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 1:59am

In addition, if you're planning on going to see GOOD VIBRATIONS, don't. Stay home and burn your money instead, it's the same difference.