Grease First Preview Tonight- Page 3

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:46pm

I MUST SEE THIS!

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:46pm

Thanks Wanna Be, your review was everything I expected...I won't be rushing out for a ticket anytime soon, methinks.

PS Love the Arden pic.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:47pm

This was WORSE than the LAST revival? Ouch...


<---- My face right now.

Updated On: 7/24/07 at 11:47 PM

[TapTapTapioca]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:49pm

Ivan- Can you stop?! You are dreadfully annoying.


Osnes is wonderful with the small amount of stage time she has. She gives a gorgeous rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” mid-way through the show.


She has a little amount of stage time? That seems weird.

Updated On: 7/24/07 at 11:49 PM

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:51pm

Sandy has very little to do in the stage production. Rizzo is really the female lead of the stage version.

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:51pm

"I won't be rushing out for a ticket anytime soon, methinks."

While I agree with you, a small part of me really wants to see it just so I can feel better about myself.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:54pm

Me too.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:57pm

Well, let me tell you. I spent $111.50 on this dreck and I am not feeling very good about myself right now. But I know what you mean. At least with flops like IN MY LIFE, it was on of all the papering services, so you could at least see it for free.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 11:58pm

I've thought that this show had disaster written all over it ever since they announced reality casting... (although Laura along with some of the supporting cast did provide some hope, and I'm disappointed to hear that Kathleen Marshall failed to deliver anything "special"). I can't say I'm surprised to learn that my feelings are confirmed.... thanks for the review.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:00am

I hate to say this, but as much as I love Kathleen Marshall, I blame her for this amateur production. The choreography was HORRIBLE...nothing original, nothing difficult, nothing even fun to watch...I absolutely adored her choreography in The Pajama Game, but this was a total disappointment...and her direction was so bland as well.

Laura was fine as Sandy (though I thought I would enjoy her performance more than I did). I loved her "Hopelessly Devoted To You" and a few more of her solos, but some of her line deliveries need serious work. And yes, she did have surprisingly little stage time.

Max, in my eyes, is not a Danny Zuko. He doesn't have the look, the attitude, the voice, the acting chops. He wasn't a complete disgrace, but I think the part should have gone to someone else.

Jenny Powers stole the show. I loved her Rizzo. Definitely the most professional actor up on that stage. Congrats to her.

Also nice to see Allison Fischer (Lestat), Kristen Wyatt (High Fidelity) and Jeb Brown (High Fidelity, Ring of Fire, Bring Back Birdie) up there. The ensemble, as a whole though, was bland too.

To sum up, there is really one person to blame for this show (and it pains me to say this) and that person is Kathleen Marshall. I expected a lot more from her.

The stage door was a complete mob scene with little girls pushing and shoving their way in front. There were barricades, but they weren't set up properly and it was pretty much a huge mosh pit. I did manage to get out quickly enough to get in the front, but it was still one of the worst stage door experiences I've had. The cast was extremely nice and they were glad that the audience reacted so positively to their first preview (the audience as a whole loved it). Also, a bunch of professional photographers were there, and this guy from USA Today snapped a picture of Max signing my program and he asked me for my name, so if any of you get USA Today and you see my picture in it, please scan it and post it on the board. Thanks!
Updated On: 7/25/07 at 12:00 AM

[Ivan the Wonderful]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:02am

Well excuse me, tappy, but I KNEW that when Austin lost this show was doomed.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:04am

Saw it.

First off, no one can outdo Billy Porter's BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT. That number wasn't great in this revival, but who can judge it compared to Porter's?

I felt the book scenes were painful, the jokes not funny (not the delivery, but the jokes) and the acting wooden. The musical numbers were, on the contrary, full of life and brought the house down.

I think Max Crumm did a fantastic job - he has a great voice and can dance exceptionally well. Laura Osnes is beautiful in person but did not leave much of a lasting mark in her small amount of stage time. She was great and I'm glad she won (and I am doubtful any of the other Sandy's could do a better job).

The real star, here, is Jenny Powers who brought the house down with THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO.

Robyn Hurder (Marty) is HOT HOT HOT!

I have never seen an audience so energetic and, despite any shortcomings of the production, I had a complete blast at the show.

ETA: The final moment where we get Sexy Sandy was so awkwardly staged no one knew how to react. And the audience had trouble deciding how to react as well. Updated On: 7/25/07 at 12:04 AM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:08am

I do want to see it, but not until I'm comped in. NOT spending money on this. I just can't.

My question is, is there room for improvement? At all?

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:09am

A couple months ago I had a dream (more like a nightmare) that I saw Grease and it was the worst thing I had ever seen. After the show I had no memory of any of the scenes or songs and most of the actors were terrible.

Anyway, is it weird that I want to see this just so I can say: "Oh yeah, I saw that horrible production back in the day."

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:09am

I'm glad we all agree that Jenny Powers was excellent.

...and no, there is no room for improvement unless Kathleen Marshall rechoreographs and redirects the entire show. I'm sorry, but it's true.

[Craig]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:11am

As I've said with Xanadu, and several other shows. It was a first preview people. I haven't seen it, so I can't comment - but I would imagine that the production can and will be improved by opening night. The performers will be in their groove. This was their first time in front of a paying crowd. And unless I'm mistaken - their rehearsal time was really short.

Just saying..

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:12am

I think tightening up and retooling the book scenes will go a long way. They were a drag.

A lot of the original material was cut, it seems.

P.S. Ice cream cone spaceship...

[TapTapTapioca]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:12am

Well excuse me, tappy, but I KNEW that when Austin lost this show was doomed.

An hour ago you were saying how this production was going to be great. Make up your mind.

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:17am

No one has mentioned Matthew Saldivar in their reviews. How does he do as Kenickie?

[Ivan the Wonderful]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:17am

I try to stay positive. I knew in my heart it would blow without Austin but hoped I was wrong. But I wanted it to be good.

[iluvny04]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:18am

Aside from the overall crappy reviews most people are giving it, there is still hope for this show I mean its only the first preview, but things could turn around. I know I'm being a bit too optimistic, but you know what a little positivity never hurt anyone. The problem I have seen with most posters(not trying to genralize here, but if I do please ignore it) the problem is that once dislikes a show and I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but whether its a flop or not people try to force their neativity on a show just because they don't like it and granted that someone does like it, most of the time they bash them for being different. They say they're alright with someone having an opposing view, but most of the time I see people cramming their own oipnion down someone's thorat whether they like or not. Now for the future I think we should all practice a little thing called respect. Meaning if someone likes something they can and if someone doesn't like it they don't, but at any time whatsoever does it make it right for anyone to start bashing someone else just becuase they think different or have different taste. Now I think Grease can do a 180 and I think the show does have potential. Just my two sense.

[iluvny04]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:21am

A few additional thoughts, I haven't seen the show yet, but I still think it can work and just don't write off just because Austin is not it, please at lkeast give Max a chance

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:21am

I know I'd like to be proven wrong, iluvny04 - countless dollars given to my Xanaddiction shows just that!

But I just don't see it going that way. They'll be laughing all the way to the bank though!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:22am

If you go in expecting the worse, that's what you'll get.
If you go in wanting and letting yourself have a good time, you will get it.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/25/07 at 12:23am

Regardless of what WBAF and I think of this show, it will definitely be a huge hit. The audience loved it...granted WBAF and I are probably much more cultured than they are...but those are the type of people who will see this show and love it...just like they did this evening.

Matthew Saldivar was fine as Kenickie...nothing special. They all looked way too old for high school now that I think about it actually.