Got my Grey Gardens ticket — Page 2

ok.

So I'm just in from my front row seat at Grey Gardens.

First off, the good, and there is a hell of a lot of it.
Christine Ebersole is incredible, pulling off both roles with aplomb and just being a great all around performer. All the roles were exquisitely played in this truly excellent production. There were very few sung moments that did not move the action forward. Every word of dialogue was packed with meaning, every lyric obviously painstakingly crafted, but not labored.

Problems: It's very hard to be sympathetic to the very flawed people, every single one of them, but by the time Jimmy's corn song was over, I realized that's what makes them unique characters, you must love them in spite of themselves, they have made bad choices, they have hurt the ones they love, they have let each other down and still they find love for one another...well I guess that's what real people are like.

As for the post about the racist song, realize it has a place, it's one of the first character flaws we run into, a harbinger of things to come, as it were.


The music, lyrics and book all conspired to make a truly good contemporary musical that tells a story, although sometimes you think in the second act "who are they talking to?" but given the source material, it's ok.

all in all, this totally makes up for Drowsy, which wasn't bad, but by no means is it in the same league with this work.

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Just a small note, it's Jerry.


Glad you enjoyed the show!

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Fenchurch...I'm assuming you rushed?

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I got student rush tickets for $25. Very close, but excellent seats.

I would agree, just about every song moves the plot along, as any good contemporary musical should, but this show does it with such aplomb, it's magnificent to watch.

And Michael Korie's lyrics are as good or better than Sondheim's, but without the "look at me, i'm being clever!" factor that spoils so much of Sondheim.

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Updated On: 5/25/07 at 03:06 AM

I know every song furthers the plots or helps develop the characters but I thought some of them were a bit unnecessary. Mind you, I'm a big fan of the show, and think the score is the best of the season (and last season too for that matter), but there was a point I rolled my eyes when they sat around the piano to sing yet another recital song for the umpteenth time. Mostly during "Hominy Grits"--I much would have preferred if they had sacrificed this song and left "Body Beautiful Beale" (a mildly revised version).
Munk, while I thought THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA was a brilliantly written show, I prefer the GREY GARDENS score. My statement was very subjective and I wouldn't completely disagree with you in that regard. I just haven't found a score that moved me as much since CAROLINE OR CHANGE.

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I agree that the first Act is a bit tedious, but overall, the show is very good---

On another note, and sorry to swtich topics, but why do they sell Balcony seats at the Kerr?

The view is absolutely atrocious !! I had a 1st row balc seat this past Tues (luckily our row was able to move down at intermission), and unless you leaned forward the entire time, you could not see a thing !!

There were a couple of numbers that I thought might have been extraneous, but I didnt catch every word. The patriotic song she performs for Jerry, I didn't think it was totallly necessary, but I have yet to listen and find out what all the words are yet.

How different is this from the Off Bway version? How much plot was excised? I would have liked to have seen it now. I may go back and again and take another look at it in a few weeks, there are people I want to share it with. My partner is a cultural anthropologist and I think he would like it, although I was embarassed to take him to Drowsy. We were both kind of mortified at moments in Drowsy.

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Anyone else think it's funny that Fenchurch called THE DROWSY CHAPERONE pretentious?

Good point, Munk. It's true, I didn't get Little Edie's yearning to perform as much as big Edie's so it was a bit of surprise when she started dancing in the second act.

But I understand now.

And Drowsy is absolutely pretentious, but that's ok, it was still fun.

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Fenchurch, I agree with your comments about Sondheim sometimes writing "overly clever" lyrics. I don't think that everything that Sondheim touches turns to gold. I know that is sacrilege to most of you, but that is the way I feel.

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Updated On: 5/25/07 at 02:45 PM

Why does anything Fenchurch post turn into why Sondheim isn't that great?