Godspell - First Preview Tonight- Page 9

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 6:25pm

'I'm sure your marketing ideas are better than your spelling and grammar.

Burn!'

Yeah Blaxx, that really cut deep you vile piece of trash.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 7:45pm

I never meant to start this. But I'm not sorry.

[kyle4]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 8:00pm

i say this ALL in on my BLOG...

http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/

it is funny how people are focusing on the fact there are a LOT of NUTTY moments and acting choices... but, to me, the REAL problem is the OVERALL lack of HEART...

things don't have to be PERFECT... and i can survive " CORNY "...

but it is REALLY...

HEART-FREE !!!

as it was at PAPERMILL !!!!

just MASTURBATORY and AMERICAN IDOL-ish (redundant, i know !!)

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 8:04pm

^ LOUD NOISES!!!!

[oneoff]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 9:04pm

The completely random capitalizing, especially coupled with the failure to capitalize what you're actually supposed to, basic stuff like 'I'.

The fact that you to use ellipsis so much it makes me wonder if you get a quarter from someone each time you do it.

This (!!!) nonsense, like everything you say is so important that it requires not one, but three exclamation points.

The fact that having your blog in your signature is not enough, that you feel compelled to post a link to it in EVERY POST(see how I isolated usage there for effect?)

The sheer glee you seem to be taking from the negative aspects of the production is ugly. It's crass, hater talk, and would make me stop taking you seriously, HAD you not ALREADY ... accomPLISHed that via ... OthER means!!!

The overt narcissism that drips from every single thing you type I can handle. This is, after all, a message board full of theater fanboys, so course it's going to have it's fair share of attention whores.

But you type like a 12 year old girl. An annoying one who's usually ignored at family dinners. You'd do yourself a huge favor by re-evaluating your writing style and expressing yourself like a grown up. That's just if you want to write/blog seriously, if you want to keep sounding like a spazzy, sugared up tween.... then godspeed.

Also, it wasn't a log. It was(obviously) a piece of steel or iron which was(obviously) not actually attached to the(obvious) prop the actor was using to act out his moving of the(not) log.

On message:

-Godspell is a largely improvised and organic piece. This means that any impressions gained from the first week of previews are worthless. Give them time to find their pacing. A lot of shows on Broadway now are filled with skilled artisans doing a job for a paycheck, and they do them well, but the company filled with true believers, actors who are 110% committed to a piece, is becoming more and more infrequent. I certainly saw a group of true believers and, for that alone, I hope their show succeeds. If it doesn't, it won't be for lack of talent on the stage.

Sadly it's clear that the improvisational aspect of the production was not accommodated when they added all the technical aspects to it, and it's suffered heavily for it. When I saw it I could see exactly where in the piece both actresses injured themselves, and both of those injuries could have been prevented by a small measure of foresight from the director, not to mention a safer set design.(those trampoline holes are smaaaaaaaall). It made me wonder where Equity was during the tech process.

I saw it early, and things change before an opening, but what I saw was a very talented cast surrounded by a lot of money spent poorly, which either equals a crappy final project, or spending even more money to go back and fix things that should have been corrected in tech. Maybe Ken Davenport is a genius when it comes to marketing(because using twitter is hard), but it's clear he has a lot to learn about the production end of his business. He also needs to learn how to be a subtler sock puppet on theater message boards, Goldenboy2Davenport.

Updated On: 10/18/11 at 09:04 PM

[kyle4]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 9:26pm

it's like i entered a conversation ALREADY in progress !!!

funny !!!

thanks for your thoughts... especially the ones about making my blog successful.... it ALREADY IS successful... but should interest WANE, i will certainly incorporate some of your suggestions...

one thing i will DEFINITELY try is... to START a BLOG POST like i was in the MIDDLE of a CONVERSATION... found that fun, funny... and UNIQUE !!!

my blog's URL is in the SIGNATURE... yes... but i try to put the link pertaining to the thread in my posts... just to make things convenient...

http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/

that will bring you RIGHT BACK to the GODSPELL post !!!

GREAT meeting you !!!! i will buy a drink and TOAST you with some of my ELLIPSIS QUARTERS... actually, nobody sends me quarters for that... but i will buy that drink anyway and TOAST YOU... ONCEOFF !

[Donthatecongratulate]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 10:47pm

this board is so intense it's giving me SHILLS.
c'mon.
you loved it.

Posted: 10/18/11 at 11:02pm

People are so wishy washy on this board. doesn't ANYONE have a strong opinion?

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 11:19pm

Fightus Interruptus!

What is the stage door situation? Size? Behavior? Who comes out?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 3:50am

They have a ribbon set up at the end of the theatre doors (the end not adjacent to Wicked) to give the illusion of a barricade at a stage door, but really it's the same doors the audience exits. They all come out and are very gracious to the people at the stage door. I was there after their final show of a very long work week for them and they were still in good spirits and seemed very appreciative of the people waiting for them. No ego at all from anyone and they stayed and talked for quite a while. Out of the cast, Hunter Parrish stayed the longest, probably because people wanted to chat with him more than the others.

I didn't notice anything masturbatory in the show, at least in terms of performance. I hate over-riffing. I didn't find any of that in the show (it was done tastefully in my opinion). I did find lots of heart and care, though. Maybe we just see different things. Or maybe, as I've said, this is the absolute last show that should be judged at the first preview.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 8:08am

My feeling is if they charge full price for previews then they are ready to be judged.

This thread is really entertaining. Certainly more entertaining than any production of Godspell could possibly be.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:17pm

What about the PUPPETS?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:36pm

I think that mentality is silly. We all know better than that. It was the producer's decision to charge the money, not the actors and creative team. Would they have said their first preview was perfect? No, they would admit it was their first time in front of an audience.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:41pm

Unfortunately, the actors and creative team don't get the luxury of saying, "You can pay to watch me, but you MUSTN'T criticize me." The world doesn't work that way, nor should it.

They have had a full rehearsal period and an invited dress. In most theatres in this country, the critics come on the first paid audience night.

Godspell is hardly a work in development; the frame, the score, have all been set in stone for decades. All this production had to do was fill out a frame that has been successfully filled out many, many, many times, sometimes by inexperienced children.

So this idea that one cannot critique a professional preview really needs to be laid to rest for good. It makes no sense at all.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:43pm

And yet there's still a reason for a preview period and critics being invited after this period.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:49pm

Perhaps I romanticize theatre and am sympathetic towards the artists (how is that so rare in a board of supposed theatre goers?), but there's no doubt that things can improve after having run a few weeks, etc. Look, even Bernadette Peters got a better review from Ben Brantley when he saw Follies this time around.

I would argue that if things aren't ready or working by opening night, that's the real problem.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 1:53pm

All true; but there are also those productions that are so ill-conceived or poorly done, an intelligent, experienced theatre-goer knows that two weeks isn't going to transform it it from trash to treasure.

And acknowledging a production's flaws during previews is merely keeping it real, it injures no one; pretending they don't exist (or forbidding that acknowledgment) conversely does no one any real favors.

[labwyfan]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:01pm

I agree, Mr. Music.

The "charging full price" arguement doesn't hold water for me because there are countless ways to get a discount to Godspell, from the online offers to TKTS. And from the looks of the box office last week, not many (if anyone) paid full price. Sure - years ago, previews were offered at lower prices but that was before so many discount outlets were readily available and easily accessible.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:03pm

Well, therein lies the debate. I am an intelligent, experienced theatre-goer and theatre-doer and I had a ball at Godspell. Why don't my comments have the same weight as attention-seeking bloggers? Because mine aren't entertaining or interesting enough?

Therefore, go see this production if you want to see either a disaster or some fun in-the-round staging that shortchanges no audience member or whatever else you're seeking.

I guess I just want to put my two cents in because there are people out there who are raving about the show, people who are new to Godspell and those who are purists. They're just not on these boards or too scared to be eaten by the regular posters. (It's why I go back into hiding all the time, it's a vicious world out here!)

[newintown]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:08pm

Well, there's the beauty - you get to rave, and others get to rant. No one says that you aren't allowed to rave. YOU are allowed to disagree with THEM, and vice versa. It's called "sharing opinions," and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

As for labwayfan's comments about ticket prices - that's utterly irrelevant. If you charge ANY price at all to display your work, your audience has a right to make any comments on it they like - positive AND negative.

You can't ask someone to give you their cash and keep their mouth shut about it; that's the definition of a mugging.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:09pm

Again, this reminds me so much of the WOMEN ON THE VERGE preview thread from last October.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:09pm

Sure, I'm allowed to rave. And then I'm allowed to be called a shill and a Ken Davenport minion. I love BWW.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:13pm

HeyMrMusic, when you rave about something with such defensive vigor, including with inside information like who the first and second cover for roles are, don't be the least bit surprised to be called a shill, especially for someone like Ken Davenport who is so prone to such things.

[labwyfan]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:24pm

I was responding to other people's posts about the lunacy of charging full price for a preview, Newintown.

I agree everyone has a right to spew. Happy?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 2:25pm

I have no idea what Ken Davenport is prone to do, so I can't comment. But really, am I the only person to talk to actors at a stage door to get some gossip and spread it on here? Haha. But really, I was just curious because there are two swings per gender and both female swings went on Saturday. I was curious how that worked and I simply asked them. And then someone here asked what happened to the actor that got injured and then I answered the question.

Well, guys, I'm a shill and a Davenportian. You got me!

Defensive vigor... how else do you survive here and make your point across if you're not a bitter theatre queen? (That's kind of not rhetorical, I would love to know.)