GYPSY Previews- Page 6

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:03am

I actually thought Danny was stunning. He was already wonderful casting, but he really found and made Herbie a real person.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:03am

KitKatBoy24 said: "3.5 hours"

I'm crossing and uncrossing my legs just reading this

[TheOnlyOne2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:06am

QueenAlice said: "Intermission now’. Sorry but this is terrible. Rose is now a kind southern woman with a church soprano. Direction and design are horrible. This is not it."

Ummm, ok u missed the entire point of this production if you've come out with micro agressions. 

[starlightlocamotion]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:08am

I've seen no mention of JOY WOODS ... how does she fare in this?

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:08am

We got out at 11:30… and I left before bows! That was the sloppiest first preview I’ve ever seen.  It might be worse than Woman on the Verge…. And those sets were insane so I can understand why that was a mess.  These sets are pieces and not anything overblown.  
They REALLY need to work out the tech.  Lights, sound, automation…. All really really sloppy! 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:20am

OhHiii said: "I am so sorry but this physical production is uglier than Funny Girl. And I mean UGLY. I’m not sure how you manage to even make the ROSE sign ugly, but they’ve done it. And when Baby June steals the entire show, it’s a problem. I’ve been very candid about my skepticism of this casting and I went in hoping to be proven wrong. I was not. She’s clearly still finding her footing in the character, but there are fundamentals that just don’t work and it starts with her voice. Audra McDonald is a legend, but not everyone is meant to play every role. Unfortunately, this is one of those instances."

A friend txt me that he felt audra's performance was calmly reserved if lethargic and tentative. The score does not fit well for her voice lacking grit and as Rose not there... As for the production he said, fugly and they have a lot of work to do during previews. Orchestra sounded lush and the theatre is gorgeous. That's all for now. O and Leslie steals the show in Gimmick!

Updated On: 11/22/24 at 12:20 AM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:28am

Famebroadway2 said: "We got out at 11:30… and I left before bows! That was the sloppiest first preview I’ve ever seen. It might be worse than Woman on the Verge…. And those sets were insane so I can understand why that was a mess. These sets are pieces and not anything overblown.
They REALLY need to work out the tech. Lights, sound, automation…. All really really sloppy!"

Sounds like George C. Wolfe is asleep at the wheel.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:28am

Disagree re: orchestra. Mostly the sound levels made it sound small when there are 25! Reminds me of how disappointed I was with how low the orchestra for Sweeney was. And one of the people on trumpet was having some major issues. 

Another glaring thing is the lighting design. The color palette is very drab for the most part, and then there are these moments of saturated cyans and magentas. Personally I’ve always felt that is a lazy lighting choice “oh it’s a sad, gotta make things blue!” But here’s it’s used in such odd moments and makes no cohesive sense with other design elements. Not that those were appealing as has been said already.  

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:31am

I'm not going to give my thoughts on tonight, I'm going to wait until I see it again in a few weeks. I want to say one thing though with the hope that the production sees this. 

The idea to perform the amount of material that they do on that front (what do you call it, that part that comes out past the orchestra?) is just AWFUL. We had normal sized people in front of us in the mezz and couldn't see half of what happened there, and that's where Audra performs the entirety of "Rose's Turn". There is AN ENTIRE BARE STAGE behind her to use, where everyone can see her perform the song they all want to see, with no problem. I'm sure not everyone had that problem but the fact we did and others moving their heads around trying to see did too, that needs to be fixed.

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:34am

OhHiii said: "Another glaring thing is the lighting design. The color palette is very drab for the most part, and then there are these moments of saturated cyans and magentas. Personally I’ve always felt that is a lazy lighting choice “oh it’s a sad, gotta make things blue!” But here’s it’s used in such odd moments and makes no cohesive sense with other design elements. Not that those were appealing as has been said already."

The lighting design was particularly awful. Not just in its odd coloring but also the use of textures and patterns. For example, in Rose and Herbie’s final scene, I kept wondering if they were trying to make it look like Herbie was standing in a prison cell or something, truly no idea what the intent was there. 

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:37am

Jordan, I think what you're referring to is a passerelle if I'm not mistaken?  I've always hated those things.  They should ALWAYS be used sparingly.

Updated On: 11/22/24 at 12:37 AM

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:41am

Agree Jordan. The passerelle was entirely unnecessary. Makes you wonder if Wolfe would’ve preferred directing Audra in Hello, Dolly. And that is directorial malpractice to stage the climax of the show out of view of half the audience (and I felt that way re: A Doll’s House). 

Updated On: 11/22/24 at 12:41 AM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:43am

This is just not good. No chemistry between the actors and it feels like Audra does not want to be there.  

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:45am

AKarp2013 said: "Jordan, I think what you're referring to is a passerelle if I'm not mistaken? I've always hated those things. They should ALWAYS be used sparingly."

Yes, thank you. I could not think of that word for the life of me. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:49am

Play Esq. said: "This is just not good. No chemistry between the actors and it feels like Audra does not want to be there. "

There are problems, to be sure, but I disagree. I thought the chemistry between Danny and Audra was particularly strong. And I thought Audra acted the hell out of it. 

The music seems to sit at a break in her voice, which is definitely an issue. 

“All I Need Is The Girl” and “The Strip” were both messy. 

Wolfe is notorious for doing lots of work during the preview period, so I have faith. 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:49am

Jordan Catalano said: "I'm not going to give my thoughts on tonight, I'm going to wait until I see it again in a few weeks. I want tosay one thing though with the hope that the production sees this.

The idea to perform the amount of material that they do on that front (what do you call it, that part that comes out past the orchestra?) is just AWFUL. We had normal sized people in front of us in the mezz and couldn't see half of what happened there, and that's where Audra performs the entirety of "Rose's Turn". There isAN ENTIRE BARE STAGE behind her to use, where everyone can see her perform the song they all want to see, with no problem. I'm sure not everyone had that problem but the fact we did and others moving their heads around trying to see did too, that needs to be fixed."

I’m not going to give my thoughts…but here are ALL my thoughts…

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:53am

Play Esq. said: "This is just not good. No chemistry between the actors and it feels like Audra does not want to be there."

I wasn't going to say anything at all, but strong disagree. It was a messy first preview but there's real honesty and impact to the storytelling here. Pedants with their protractors and compasses measuring every inch to death will hate it, but I am happily not in that group.

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 12:57am

Anyone claiming there was no chemistry wasn't there tonight. There was an abundance of chemistry.

[starlightlocamotion]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:02am

Still waiting to hear how JOY WOODS fares … but the lack of mention worries me lol 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:08am

Joy unfortunately fades into the background the majority of the time. She shines in the end. 

There was definitely chemistry between Audra and Danny, they’ve known each other a long time so that makes sense. Otherwise it all felt like they were just trying to make it through it. 

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:10am

Alright, I say all of this with so much love and respect… I’m very sad to say this was a big swing and a miss for me, and I don’t see it getting better.

The set design is unappealing and basic and the first thing I thought was “cheap” which isn’t good when you’re charging $500 for orchestra seats. The costumes were also pretty basic. I’ll echo people’s thoughts on the lighting - very confusing choices. That could improve over previews (same with Sound)

Direction wise, this all seems pretty traditional and nothing surprised me.

Choreo was fun, especially Tulsa’s number (who was great).

Now, the performances. I adore Audra, but she is simply miscast and it isn’t her fault. Even in her book scenes I was missing so much. She had no grit, strength, or fire. She wasn’t intimidating at all. I felt her Rose wasn’t wanted backstage because she was annoying, not because she was stubborn and overpowering. She and Danny had good chemistry, but she and Joy did not. Vocally, it just doesn’t fit. This score was designed for a particular voice type and it just sounds awkward with Audra’s vocals. It’s like hearing a Harp try and play a solo over a Marching Band. It just doesn’t work. I also am shocked to say that I found Joy Woods underwhelming. There wasn’t any growth or arc. I felt her transition into “Gypsy Rose Lee” was so sudden and undeserved. I think there’s no tension built between her Louise and Mama Rose. So we don’t get a payoff with her character development.

Shoutout to Leslie Margarita, who was fantastic. She brought life into her scenes and was hilarious. She and the other two Burlesque characters were great.

So, in summation, this felt like a lifeless and uninspired revival to me. Perhaps it’ll improve during previews. Audra will remain an icon.

Updated On: 11/22/24 at 01:10 AM

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:19am

And again a shoutout to Mylinda Hull’s Miss Cratchitt. When she was doing her first scene on the phone and the stage manager called for a hold and she said “I’ll have to call you back” without missing a beat and hung up. It was SO funny. And then when she returned she said something like “Sorry, this next act is having issues with their set” and it brought down the house. 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:21am

KitKatBoy24 said: "Alright, I say all of this with so much love and respect… I’m very sad to say this was a big swing and a miss for me, and I don’t see it getting better.

This. It’s just not good.  You can attack those who were there, like me, but we’re trying to be straight with you to say it’s not good, it’s not a great fit, and I can’t see it getting better.  

I’m Audra’s biggest fan, and I so wanted to see it work. It just doesn’t. 

[RJ14]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:25am

congrats Nicole again...?

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 1:28am

I...am not too sure what to say.

I'll just say here that Leslie Margarita is...winning awards for this comedic performance.