Gigi Previews- Page 2

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 12:58pm

Neon Lights, I adore your comments, please don't attack, dear fellow theatre lover! I also write reviews for StageBuddy.com and I'm at NYU in the Arts Administration Certificate program. I have a Master's in Theatre History from CUNY, so there's a lot of lovely info regarding theatre that we can share here! Be well.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 3:25pm

I'm starting to really want to see this. Hoping I am able to see it sometime in the summer/fall.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 3:36pm

I really hope that there have been significant changes since I saw this at The Kennedy Center, though I doubt that any changes could overcome the structural flaws in the show. Act I was, aside from some of the better musical numbers, agonizingly slow, but I do recall the show picking up quite a bit in Act II.

From the dramatic perspective, Gigi is so upbeat throughout, there's no reason to pull for her as the show progresses. This is supposed to be a story about how a girl is being groomed to be a courtesan by those who love her so that she can escape her downtrodden life, but there is no sense that her life at the beginning is so bad that they would take such desperate steps to allow her to escape it.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 4:04pm

The problem for me, with the Simon. Is the actual theatre going experience itself. I resent paying all that money, to go into what can only be described as a dump. Would a lick of paint or even cleaning the carpet, be to much to ask. It may seem petty, but it is part of the theatre going experience. With regard to 'Gigi' they would have to pay me to go. Sorry, but I have always loathed this show. I gave it one last chance, a few years ago in the West End. I swore then, that was the last time.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 10:46pm

Anybody go?

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:36pm

It was a nice night but much like American in Paris there just not much THERE there. The costumes are lovely, the sets are pretty, the songs are charming, the Victoria Clarke was darling. Corey Cott was very strong especially in his big act 2 number and Hudgens carries a tune quite well, especially with her very active choreography. She has a radiance that lights up the stage, though her acting and annunciation are quite stiff.

There were gaggles of late-teen girls raised on High School Musical who seemed genuinely pleased with the night. However, it's a bit of a snooze for anyone else. The character arc is just odd, and her decisions don't always make sense. A few genuine laughs sprinkled throughout, and some nice dancing, but otherwise clunky and redundant in the same ways American in Paris was. You've seen it all before, but then again, nobody nurtures an ingenue like Victoria Clarke.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:37pm

Well, well, well.

It turns out that Gigi is the surprise of the season. I walked into the Neil Simon skeptical as hell after the reports from DC, but ooh la la I'm in love!

The show is grounded by and completely belongs to the extremely talented (and gorgeous) Vicky Clark. Every expression, every note, every line reading is perfection. I thought Judy Kuhn was a slam dunk for the featured actress Tony, but no more. Competition has come to town. Her final not of Say a Prayer rivaled her most glorious notes in Fable. She is a treasure. You can hold her to the highest of standards and expectations and she will find a way to exceed them. If you're on the fence about going, she alone should sell you on a ticket.

Then there's Dee Hoty. Another vet making it look all so easy. She gets all the necessary laughs and her final scene with Clark was excellent.

McGillin no longer sings Thank Heaven For Little Girls, which I thought would bother me, but I enjoyed the two women singing it. His two duets with Clark showcase his talents nicely, and they have an easy chemistry together.

Hudgens was always going to be the wild card and she was a delight. Sure, her voice might not always be the strongest, but she brought an exuberance to the role that was infectious. I'm sure it didn't hurt that she was given such stellar Broadway talent to play off of, but she more than holds her own with them. There's a stigma going in that she is stunt cast and one could doubt her beginnings on High School Musical, but any doubts quickly vanished upon her first entrance. If Laura Osnes could overcome You're the One That I Want and Justin Guarini put his Idol origins behind him, then Hudgens can do the same here and I found her to be a lovely addition to the Broadway stage.

Corey Cott has the toughest role. Gaston is a stick in the mud who doesn't want to have any fun. It's a Bore needs a little work on his part but he handled the title song well and his falling for Gigi in act two played out in a believable fashion. Hopefully he becomes a little more sure of himself during previews.

The costumes by Catherine Zuber are to die for. Some of her best work in years. The show is a feast of the eyes.

The story is slight and the conflict basically nonexistent in act one, but what a score! Back to back nights of Lerner and Lowe for me and I feel as spoiled as can be. The orchestra is sadly on the smaller side (one violin :/), but the orchestrations do their best to hide that fact. Couldn't they spring for just a few more strings?

Nevertheless, the show is charming and put a big smile on my face. I think this has the potential to be a hit and run.

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:40pm

@Whizzer haha! I think we swapped places after American in Paris

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:41pm

Wow! Definitely want to catch this one now.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:43pm

Wonderful review as always Wizzer, so how was Joshua Bergasse's choreography and Derek McLane's set design? Do they work?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/19/15 at 11:47pm

Ha, sayitsomehow! I was just going to say the same thing!

It's funny because, yes, both shows are slight on substance, but whereas American in Paris' book actively irritated, Gigi's came across just as a piece of fluff. Plus, as you say, Gigi has Vicky Clark and American in Paris doesn't. She's a secret weapon only a fool would underestimate.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 2:31am

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Whizzer. I enjoyed it in DC and I can't wait to revisit it to see what improvements have been made.

Yes, it's a trifle, but it's a beautiful one. It's a macaron of a show.

[FutureDirector]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 2:33am

I was not expecting for the show to be good or even be able to enjoy it, but "Gigi" has turned out to be the surprise show of the spring! Clearly the best of the MGM Movies to musicals of the year that is helped greatly but Eric Schaeffer gorgeous production that is aided greatly by Josh Bergasse's choreography. While I felt that his "On The Town" work was some of the most technically brilliant work I've seen, here he finally shows of his ability for story telling and energetic stage pictures.

The production is incredibly elegantly designed, with a special shout out to Natasha Katz's lighting design. This show has a sense of style that has been missing from most of the other traditional musical comedy's of the season.

Vanessa Hudgens is actually enjoyable in a role where the casting decision initially felt was "stunty" and proves to have a great stage presence. Though her newness to live performance does translate at times. Victoria Clark gives the most polished performances of the evening and clearly comes across as the theatrical powerhouse she is. But really the star turn of the evening is Corey Cott who proves himself a theatrical powerhouse in the making with brilliant presence, wonderful timing, layered nuance and subtext in his character and of course a voice to kill.

The largest issues with the production on a whole is that all of the most interesting part of the plot is crammed into the second half of Act 2, with the last 10 minutes feeling very rushed. Some earlier cutting in the show in order to make room to flesh out the end would do nicely.

While it still may not beat "King and I" for the revival Tony, it sure was an unexpected extremely enjoyable, and oddly moving and emotional evening in the theatre. Updated On: 3/20/15 at 02:33 AM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 7:09am

Wonderful reviews!

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 8:51am

I was also there last night. Having never been initiated with the original film, I was not sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and pleased. It felt like a breath of fresh air and a big sloppy French kiss.

For someone who could’ve made this a “stunty” role with Disney flair, Vanessa Hudgens was excellent. She took all of her skills as an ingénue and used them to create a great characterization of girl coming into her own. Clark, McGillin, and Hoty, as expected, were aces in their roles and brought bucketloads of humor tinged with pathos. The real star turn of the night, though, was Corey Cott, who pretty much walked away with every song he sang and line he delivered. The costumes and set design were exquisite and ornate, and really evoked the feeling of La Belle Epoque, Paris.

We started late (around 8:10) and got out around 10:40

Merchandise: They have everything and then some (including the windowcard).

Stage Door: Oy...this was the best scenario of controlled chaos I have ever seen. People were already out there waiting by the time the show ended and the crowd was about 6 people deep and totaling about 150. The police and stage door guard pushed back everyone who didn't see the show so that those who "actually paid for the show" could get close to the front. Vanessa, Victoria, Corey, and two ensemble members all came out, and it took about an hour to complete the stage door. Vanessa was a sweetheart and signed, as well as took selfies with everyone.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 9:18am

I thought she was delightful in the GMA (or whatever show) appearance we saw. Glad to hear so many positive things!

Coming into the city next weekend, this has just moved up on my list!!!

[indytallguy]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 9:34am

"It's a macaron of a show."

Love this, Kad. So much said in so few words.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 9:46am

"The story is slight and the conflict basically nonexistent in act one, but what a score!"

Whizzer, that was the problem for me, aside from the fact that Act I seemed to drag on endlessly in DC when I saw it. There is a song in Act I titled "It's a Bore." That title is an incredibly accurate description of the entirety of Act I. My wife described it facetiously as "lots of people dancing in many colors, drinking champagne and getting drunk." Somehow, the entirety of the essential story of how Gigi was being groomed by her aunt for a "lavish" life as a courtesan was lost. Completely lost, as there was no sense at all of how badly off she must have been in her current situation . Thinking back to my very faded memory of the film, this was obviously the effect of the attempt to create a story more socially acceptable and politically correct in 2015 than in 1958. It failed, as the guts of this aspect of the plot were eviscerated.

The story and show springs to life in Act II. All of a sudden, a story blossoms.

Victoria Clark was then, as she appears to be now, the show's rock. What a professional, what a voice! Other than the book, the production was first rate in every respect. But given the problems of Act I, I don't see this as being particularly successful, as 50% of good, or even excellent, does not often make for a successful Broadway run.

Again, to be fair, this was based on having seen the show at The Kennedy Center, but that was less than two months ago.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 9:53am

I don't recall in the film Gigi being groomed to be a courtesan because she was badly off, or struggling in any way.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 10:13am

Thanks for the reviews! They pretty much solidified my wanting to be there in May! lol. I was skeptical about things then after watching their performances on GMA, I really wanted to see this.

Where did everyone sit? Tix4Students.com has seats in mezz and I found an old thread saying front mezz was better than mid-orchestra; I usually prefer orchestra but wanted to get more recent feedback since GIGI has moved into the theatre.

Thanks!

[dave1606]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 10:21am

I saw this last night and was really surprised. I was very mixed on it in DC. The show was too long and dragged. I didn't expect them to change much, between here and NY, and was honestly dreading it all week this being my fourth show in a row.

But what a wonderful surprise! They made some really smart changes from DC in several key places, and they really help the show. While the show is still about 2:45, it has tightened up and most importantly it flows much better.

They have cut down Steffanie Leigh's character a bit. There used to be a scene in act 1 where Gigi and Gaston confront her and her lover at the train station. Now this all happens at the club instead.

In act 2 there was an (admittedly fun) sequence of Gigi trying on dresses. Now they bring them the dresses in, but they skip to the next scene.

While they aren't huge changes, both really help with the pacing. In the meantime, Vanessa has really jelled into her character and her stage presence. She is a delight, and very charismatic onstage.

Dee Hoty and Victoria Clark remain the real stars of the show. Victoria's Say a Prayer was phenomenal, and got a huge response from the audience.

Corey Cott...is still the weak link for me. As Whizzer said it is a tricky character, but I don't think he pulls it off. I found him bland both here and in DC.

The real treat for me, was that my TDF seats were 6 rows back orchestra, and as Whizzer said the costumes are absolutely stunning. It was such a treat to be able to see them in such detail.

Overall, this show is in great shape and I think could definitely be a hit.

[jpiedrafite]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 10:22am

Looking at tickets - if I sit in row R in the orchestra, will I miss anything? Does the overhang cut off any of the scenic design?

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 10:29am

"I don't recall in the film Gigi being groomed to be a courtesan because she was badly off, or struggling in any way."

Kad, you might well be correct. As I said, my memory of the film is faded at best, and I might have made the assumption that the reason that Gigi was being groomed as a courtesan was due a desire for upward mobility.

I'm happy to hear that there have apparently been some changes since DC that have improved the pacing of the show.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 10:56am

"I don't recall in the film Gigi being groomed to be a courtesan because she was badly off, or struggling in any way."

That's not explicit in the book either. Although there the implicit question - if not that life, then what? - might be there for the gleaning, the story is first and foremost a love story, a maturation story, a conflict between love and self-actualization story. There is a reason we never know what Gigi might want in her life were she to completely reject the demi-monde. She doesn't know herself.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/20/15 at 11:08am

There are two other things are I forgot to mention:

Manny Stark is doing excellent work in the ensemble- a truly standout dancer and performer that always snagged my attention. He's not just a dancer up there executing steps, but someone creating a character, even if he remains in the background.

On a not so good note, they have altered and cut lyrics at two unfortunate moments. The first, and most grievous being The Contract, which is a shell of what it once was. Given how much Hoty shines in the role, I don't understand them cutting verses at all.

The other changes occur during It's a Bore. The verse starting, "Think of the thrill of a bullfight in Seville," has been cut. The verse about the Eiffel Tower being 90 stories high now has Gaston being impressed with the tower and saying it's NOT a bore...which makes no sense. If he's not impressed with the trees having green leaves every spring why should he be impressed with the tower always being the same height? I think they should restore the song to the original lyrics, which would be very easy to do.