Grand Horizons Previews

[broadwayfan128]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 8:25am

Anyone here going tonight ?

Has anyone found how long the show is ?

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 10:02am

FWIW, the listing on TDF's site has it at 2 hours and 15 minutes.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 1:47pm

I'll be at the matinee on Saturday

[hveasey]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 2:35pm

Going Sunday night, hoping to hear good things from the first previews.

[theaterdarling]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 2:47pm

Saw this on big stage at Williamstown this past summer and was extremely disappointed - so looking forward to hearing of vast improvements. That production was not reviewed, I assume acknowledging the need for significant further development and/or not to put the critical kibosh on the Broadway production. I hope for everyone’s sake they made a lot changes --as in tear-down-and-build-it-back-up-from-the-studs-type changes.

Will say that the cast I saw it with, Jo Beth Williams, Jamey Sheridan, Thomas Sadoski, Priscilla Lopez, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ashley Parker (some of whom are in the Broadway cast) were fantastic. I don’t know how they held the mediocre characterizations and ho-hum themes afloat but they were a well-oiled machine and injected much needed energy into some pretty hacky dialogue. Ferguson, for example, stepped into the character void by just doing an amped up version of Mitchell in “Modern Family” but with much less well-crafted lines to say. Enjoyable to watch, but ultimately just masked a lot of the plays flaws.

When the premise of a play is grown children gather at their parents’ retirement village condo to hear their senior citizen mother announce she wants a divorce, one automatically assumes that long simmering resentments and family secrets will be bursting forth. With that well-trod template, it might be important to lend the resentments and the secrets some punch and originality, but Wohl did not. There were perfunctory character arcs and passable dramatic structure but accompanying insights, revelations etc. never rose above average sit-com level.Given that the play is set in a retirement community, it would be easy to remark that this is the easily pleased audience the play was aimed at, but that would be insulting to  seniors in a retirement community, who are much more energetic, funny and insightful than the play I saw.  

I was only familiar with Wohl from a local (SpeakEasy- Boston) production of “Small Mouth Sounds,” which was an interesting exercise (for those not familiar a play with almost no dialogue) and I know she had critical success this season with “Make Believe.” Both are plays are based on ore interesting premises which she delivered on somewhat (did not see “Make Believe” only going by reviewed I read), so I hope she had the wherewithal to credibly and more imaginatively rethink “Grand Horizons”.

Here’s hoping Broadway gets better version than I did and it is worthy of the cast they assembled. I wish it well and will be happy to hear good reports.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 7:19am

Are there any reports from the first preview people would like to give?

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 8:21am

God... awful.

I felt sorry and embarrassed for the performers on stage for having to utter some of the drivel— and worse —- that they, and we, were subjected to.

And theaterdarling, you needn't regret having missed Make Believe. It wasn't as bad as this, but it wasn’t any good either.

[inception]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 12:20pm

Well, guess we know why they embargoed reviews from Williamstown. Seeing this Friday night. After Eight: What time did it get out? Thanks

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 12:31pm

^

 

Two hours and twenty minutes.

One intermission.

[jbird5]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 5:37pm

Didn’t think it was terrible. Cromwell and Alexander are both immensely watchable. They are the reason to see this play. Lopez basically has a cameo. I kept imagining JTF and Sadowski as the sons. McKensie and Urie are good, but I think more flashy performers would have helped liven things up. Ashley Park was good in a non-singing role. There’s some decent writing here.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 11:17pm

After Eight said: "God... awful.

I felt sorry and embarrassed for the performers on stage for having to utter some ofthe drivel—and worse —- that they, and we,were subjected to.

And theaterdarling, you needn't regret having missed Make Believe. It wasn'tas bad as this, but it wasn’t any good either."

And you usually like almost everything so this must be really, really bad. Think I'll go ahead and see it anyway just to be on the safe side.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 1:33am

If After Eight hates it, it must be amazing...

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 12:22pm

Honestly don’t get how this writer keeps getting produced.

[Debbie77]

Posted: 12/25/19 at 8:06pm

 


Five of us saw the 2pm matinee on Xmas eve. We enjoyed it very much. We range in age from 27 - 61.  The crowd was most definitely on the elderly side. We sat in the rear orchestra and there was much note taking from the reserved rows of production personnel sitting behind us. I think there will be tweaks, but we enjoyed it just the same.

Debbie

 

Updated On: 12/29/19 at 08:06 PM

[inception]

Posted: 12/28/19 at 12:02am

I never really watched "Everybody Loves Raymond" when it first aired, but now one of my local channels back home plays reruns of it in these 2 hour blocks of 4 episodes back to back, so sometimes I end up watching it if I'm flicking channels and land on it. There's usually some dumb jokes about dealing with mothers or mother-in-laws etc etc that makes me laugh.

This is basically a racier version of "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "Modern Family" or whatever. It was dumb, but I laughed. Everyone has at least one scene where they get to show off a bit, which probably explains how this got such a good cast. Michael Urie's role is the most thankless - basically a sad gay with issues, but you know, a FUNNY sad gay with issues. Priscilla Lopez and Maulik Pancholy both have very small parts.

Probably the funniest thing of the night for me, was at intermission in the lineup for the men's room.  There was a small group of women that seemed to include Jane Alexander's daughter-in-law.   When her son, of about 13/14 came over one woman asked, "How are you enjoying it?  Isn't your grand-ma doing so good up there!"  

He replied, "Well actually I was kinda uncomfortable when...you know..."

Meaning:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

When her character discussed receiving cunnilingus

I wonder how he fared during the 2nd act?

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 12/28/19 at 9:31pm

I saw the matinee today. The writing was decent and the acting was great all around. I definitely didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. The audience seemed to really enjoy it as well. I also had a bit of an older crowd. Without spoiling too much, I'll just say I liked how this was structured overall and while it may seem like it's predictable, it also kept me guessing until the very end. I was pretty invested right away and stayed that way throughout the play. Really good Act 1 cliffhanger that sparked some nice conversation during intermission. 

No merchandise as of yet.

 

[Damiensta]

Posted: 12/28/19 at 10:21pm

Saw this during weekend. It’s not as bad as people wrote before. Is it a Pulitzer winner, no. But I had a few laughs n wasn’t bored. I have to say Michael Urie character was the worst. There was just no redeeming quality to the character. I was also impressed with Ben Mackenzie in his broadway debut. He kept up with veterans like Jane A. And James C.

the theatre was full and was leaning more to older crowd. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 12/29/19 at 11:13am

i liked this. nothing groundbreaking but after a slow start, i enjoyed it.

i wish Wohl would cut some of the more outlandish "please laugh at us! we're so outrageous!" lines, but they dont kill the play, just make the audience roar as commanded. Wohl writes well, if predictably, though I didnt see the ends of Act 1 or Act 2 coming--and the final moment was certainly touching.

the biggest problem is the way she writes the two central characters. Jane Alexander is doing masterful work, though Ididnt find her character believable, even though she has some of the best lines and Alexander delivers them perfectly. Cromwell does grumpy curmudgeon well but again, i didnt find his character believable (or at least I didnt find the other characters' reactions to such a ****believable). again, this was a hindrance but didnt stop me from being engrossed and enjoying these two- especially Alexander.

the supporting players are mixed. Ben McKenzie is trying his best but didnt make much impact. Ashley Park is great but its a small part; she deserves more. Maulik Pancholy and Priscilla Lopez have little more than extended cameos; he makes alot of his, her not so much. Michael Urie has the best written character and while I hope they tone the histrionics down a little bit  as they tighten through previews, he was a delight. overlooked last year, id be thrilled if this got him some award recognition. 

if youre expecting the Next Great Play! (im seeing the inheritance today...) you'll be disappointed, but its a good night out. certainly glad to see new American (female!) playwrights opening on Broadway.

[kevinr]

Posted: 12/30/19 at 2:00pm

I'm curious about the stage door for this.  I'm a huge fan of Jane Alexander & James Cromwell.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 12/30/19 at 4:16pm

kevinr said: "I'm curious about the stage door for this. I'm a huge fan of Jane Alexander & James Cromwell."

I met Michael Urie and Ashley Park. I saw James Cromwell and Ben Mackenzie exit. Neither stopped but both smiled and said hello to the crowd. James was wearing a Bernie 2020 sweatshirt so he got some comments about that. There were a few people who tried to stop James for a photo as he crossed the street and he gave it to them but I thought that behavior was incredibly rude.

 

[broadwayfan128]

Posted: 12/30/19 at 5:59pm

RWPrincess said: "kevinr said: "I'm curious about the stage door for this. I'm a huge fan of Jane Alexander & James Cromwell."

I met Michael Urie and Ashley Park. I saw James Cromwell and Ben Mackenzie exit. Neither stopped but both smiled and said hello to the crowd. James was wearing a Bernie 2020 sweatshirt so he got some comments about that. There were a few people who tried to stop James for a photo as he crossed the street and he gave it to them but I thought that behavior was incredibly rude.

"

No one stopped Ben ? 

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/30/19 at 7:32pm

I was a big fan of Make Believe and found it original, unexpected, and moving. So I was glad to get the chance to see this. I enjoyed Grand Horizons, but it’s clearly not in the same league. I laughed at the jokes and enjoyed the performances. For me, it was a good way to spend an evening. I had a good discount, and I recommend looking around for those. 

[kevinr]

Posted: 1/1/20 at 4:24pm

Did anyone meet Jane Alexander?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 1/1/20 at 4:45pm

the playbill is super ugly....

[JSquared2]

Posted: 1/1/20 at 5:44pm

LightsOut90 said: "the playbill is super ugly...."

Thanks for your valuable input.