Gigi Previews — Page 4

Growl, you're a sweet thing.

Well, I've never thought that the stage version of Gigi was anything much more than a watered down imitation of the film. If the movie is champagne, the stage version is affordable prosecco, maybe.

But this new stage version is less prosecco than plain cheap Cold Duck. And a very thin Cold Duck to boot. "Thin" describes the sets, the fabrics used in the costumes (which could pass for budget rentals), the orchestrations (if there's a statue of poor Fritz Loewe, it's weeping real tears), and the performances.

I found this production to be less Gallic, less sophisticated, less fin-de-siecle than an episode of The Big Bang Theory. The entire chorus (all 12 of 'em) have been staged to move as if elegance is a quality achieved by gesticulating like a desperate drag queen playing to the 15th row of a hostile audience.

Poor Dee Hoty seems to be under a similar idea, using her arms like semaphore flags. One might think that Howard McGillan would have developed some effortless panache after so many years, but his is a leaden, overworked, and artificial portrayal. Victoria Clark achieves a quality of underplaying, but so much so, her character seems to want nothing more than to sit down.

But my greatest complaint with the tone of this re-write is personified in the two youthful leads, both very young, very contemporary, and very, very, very American. Gigi here is a smart independent young gal and Gaston is a safe unchallenging lad merely a few years her senior. There's no appreciable age difference, or even much of a gap in sophistication.

There's little here reminiscent of the beautiful film, and absolutely nothing of Colette. But re-making the show like this may be what could make this Gigi succeed financially - appealing to a contemporary teenage feminine mindset sometimes works out. And how many Americans even know the difference between a courtesan and a prostitute nowadays, anyway?

Updated On: 3/24/15 at 08:54 AM

It's a bore. Nothing remotely Gallic on the stage. Nothing remotely sophisticated. It's just BAD.

It's just not very good. Wow, it's just not. No one manages to shine here, sadly, because the book and direction are just so leaden. The critics are going to have a field day with this one. Vicky Clark, once again, seems like she's in another show - one where she is the only actress onstage. Howard McGillin manages some sweetness. The less said about Dee Hoty here, the better. And the young leads are just young and contemporary. There's no awareness that there even SHOULD be an elevated sense of style to play this piece.
I guess the fault truly lies with the abysmal direction of Eric Schaeffer. It's non-existent. Or it's just about the worst direction I've ever seen in a Broadway house. No cliche unturned. I've seen better direction in high school productions. I'm not kidding. IMHO.

Chacun à son goût.

I don't understand the idea of Gaston being young. Where's the pressure in him settling down and finding a wife if he's in his early 20s? There is no ticking clock pressing on him to stop being a "bachelor."

The only reason he's young is to eliminate the "creepy" factor of him falling for Gigi, whom he's known since she was a little girl.

Plus, how is he "bored" with dating and romance and playing the field when he's only been doing it a short while (unless he started at twelve)?

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Updated On: 3/25/15 at 06:46 AM

I enjoyed many things about Gigi. It is nice to look at, with particularly nice costumes and decent dancing. I enjoyed most of the cast, too. I felt kinda bad for the lone African-American guy in it, saddled with the doubly unfortunate stereotype of servant/prissy confidante to his mistress. And I'm pretty sure Dee Hoty is getting the response she's getting because she actually makes an impression - what kind that is, I won't say. Vanessa Hudgens was also pretty good - I'd like to see her in something else, perhaps something modern and new. She is pretty captivating on stage, not just another movie/TV star trying to legitimize their career with a stab at stage work.

Act One was much better than Act Two, which seemed to never end. It was then that it felt like somehow they were trying to make a full evening out of a rather thin show. Turns out that none of these characters are all that interesting.

I have to say, though, that if you go into Gigi expecting more than 3rd rate My Fair Lady, then you aren't going in knowing much about the Gigi. It is certainly not on par with other Lerner and Loewe shows.

Maybe timing is everything. I saw it the day after I saw It Shoulda Been You. Those of you decrying that Gigi is the worst show you've ever seen need to see THAT. Your opinion might change. Add Gigi to the "meh" pile, and move on.

Updated On: 3/25/15 at 07:59 AM

"I have to say, though, that if you go into Gigi expecting more than 3rd rate My Fair Lady, then you aren't going in knowing much about the Gigi."

Zing!

I wonder how much they're changing in previews. I also think it's interesting that their lottery is only running through previews.

Anyone here who also saw it in DC? What sort of changes have they made?

Judging only from the film, I could see a young Gaston working, more or less. It might not be an improvement, but it wouldn't necessary fail as a choice. I could see Gaston's jadedness 'before his time' arising because he's becoming dimly aware that the playboy role everybody expects of him is not what he wants, but he can't quite articulate it to himself yet and can't see the possibility of other options. For example, one doesn't need to be along in years to find it difficult to celebrate an ex attempting suicide (even if you take the interpretation that the alleged suicide attempt was itself another fake social ploy).

You could tell she was enjoying herself up on stage.

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^ Fascinating that they're limiting the winners so much - the rear Mezz was at least half empty when I went earlier this week.

Saw this for a second time tonight. This show has really grown on me- couldn't stop thinking about it since I saw it a last week, and it was even better a second time.

The show seemed more cohesive to me this time around, and the themes were much more apparent, but of course this could simply be a function of seeing it a second time. I did notice at least two lines that had been cut from when I saw the third preview. The last scene between Gigi and Gaston, when they leave Maxim's, still feels very rushed however.

Also, I'm in love with how Corey Cott is taking the end of "Gigi" up the octave. He sounds so great. And honestly I'd see the show again just to see him perform "Gigi" again.