Grey Gardens--Be Staaaaauuuunch

[fflagg]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 10:16am

Saw the show a second time/first time on Bway.

I thought it was great. I like the new younger Edie; the previous one was too "on" and had no where to develop.

I am still not thrilled with Major Bouvier's solo; "Marry Well" is better than "Being Bouvier" but the overall impact is shaky. Poor Matt C does not have enough to do in Act One and his acting could be sharper in Act Two. The hair hides his face.

I also prefer the original opening and closing. And put back "Time is a thief! You can't get it back!"

But this is the most original show and score on Bway and deserves acclaim and a long run. Plus you have a cute guy manning the stage door. Who could ask for anything more?

PS/ Mercedes Ruehl was at the show in the mezzanine. And she loved it.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 10:25am

S-T-A-U-N-C-H

[Amneris]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 10:40am

i saw the invited dress and loved it too. Christine Ebersole is marv. But, Mercedes Ruehl.. I am SO very jealous you saw HER there last night. She is my hero.

[fflagg]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 10:47am

she was very nice and had to grab my wrist to inch down to the seats. i said 'you have an oscar and now you want my wrist?' she laughed.

[sally1112]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 11:47am

I am so jealous of everyone seeing this show. The Cd is non-stop in my player, I have made all my friends list to 5:15, and my speech about howit one of the greatest opening numbers ever, blah, blah, blah. They are sick of me.

I teach and will have to wait till Spring Break to come see it. I was going to come over Christmas Break but I hate traveling during that holiday it's so hetic already.

Keep posting. I'll live through you all....for now....

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 11:53am

Seeing it the end of October & look forward to the first act especially

Heard on On Stage today that 4 songs are gone & 3 new ones were put in to the Broadway version & it was hinted the CD now on sale may be a collectors item

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 5:36pm

>>>"Mercedes Ruehl was at the show in the mezzanine. And she loved it."<<<

What show were they doing in the mezzanine?

[missy2]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 7:25pm

ok....maybe i missed something...I didn't love it...

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:18pm

I think they ruined Act 1 with the new songs and changes to the script...LOVED Act 2 though...Christine and Mary Louise were perfection.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:25pm

Well it's still previews and apparently they're still undergoing changes, so let's see what the finished product looks like on opening night. I have a feeling it's going to come together beautifully.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:28pm

True true. They are making changes every day. I will definitely go see it again after it opens!

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:32pm

I can't picture it being as moving without the Toyland opening.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:34pm

The Toyland opening was fabulous, I thought. Hopefully they will go back to that. I didn't like how we saw Christine as Little Edie at the beginning...better to leave that reveal for the Act 2 opening.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 8:59pm

I saw it this afternoon, and to my thinking, the changes, all together, aren't as show-altering as some strongly opine. This will be a very subjective issue for weeks and months to come, but the new material is all stronger I believe. The romantic number in act one for the young couple "Goin' Places" has an OVER HERE feel, and it plays much younger in spirit, and even sexier, and gives the first act a break from the Jerome Kern sound (all of which I still love). Do I miss "Toyland?" Only a little. The show is tighter and gets off to a cleaner, more focussed start without it. Lovers of "5:15" fear not -- it plays well.

As to whether Edie's appearance at the top dilutes her entrance in act two -- to me, it's not a problem. She wears a far less "Edie"-esque outfit, without much make-up, and plays the scene without the brio that marks her reveal. That moment still has its own comedic and dramatic power. And I didn't miss the reprise of "Peas in a Pod" as the show now complete's Edie's emotional arc, fully without trying to remind us of a connection that plays as strong subtext. By the end, less is more.

[zepka102]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 10:44am

I saw the show last night. I was definitely curious about this show and mostly Christine Ebersole.

Act One did seem a little shaky... it didn't seem too exciting. There just didn't seem like there was much going on.

Act Two was a vast improvement. Christine and Mary Louise were perfect.

That ending scene made the show for me. The acting by both women was so dead on and so emotional. Without ruining anything, I was nervous to see exactly what the outcome was. The build up was perfect. It was so silent in there you could hear a pin drop.

As far as changes, the ending of Act One could definitely be fixed. Christine does an amazing job with "Will You," but the dramatic ending to it with Little Edie wasn't strong enough.

Overall, great show. Just fix Act One and i think we'd have a much stronger show. I can't wait to see where this show will be come Tony time!

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 11:02am

I'm one of the few people who LOVES the new ending of Act 2.

It's desolate and disturbing, and doesn't tie everything up in a neat 'We're two kooky gals' way the "Peas In A Pod" reprise of off-Broadway does.

This is easily the best new Broadway musical since CAROLINE and PIAZZA.

Seeing it again on Friday.

Updated On: 10/8/06 at 11:02 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 4:45pm

Total agreement. The new ending is commercially riskier, because it doesn't let us write off these two women as eccentrics are just fine with the way things turned out. And doesn't let an audience feel better about the characters (or themselves)when it leaves -- that makes it beyond daring these days.

Without the reprise of "Peas," the show burrows deeply into Little Edie's wounded soul, and stays there -- and critically, illuminates the way her entire life is a compromise, a trade-off. I think the creative team should be commended for not giving a B'way audience a safety net. We are meant to feel shattered by Edie's return, and shattered we are, appropriately, necessarily, without any coda to lighten the load.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 4:51pm

The ending sounds fascinating. I can't wait to see it.

Posted: 10/8/06 at 6:22pm

As someone who only knows it from the CD, can anyone PM me with a brief description of what the old ending was, vs. the new ending? I admit when I gave the CD a first listen-to, the "Peas in a Pod" thing seemed oddly anti-climactic after the awesome-cool of "Another Winter In A Summer Town", and it surprised me that that was the last track.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 7:28pm

I am thinking of seeing this show, but can you give me a basis of what its about?

[jv92]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 9:01pm

It's about Jackie O's oddball relatives, The Beales- Big Edie (Mother) and Little Edie (Daughter). At one time, they were society ladies that lived in a beautiful East Hampton home called Grey Gardens. Through the years, the home because infested with raccoons, cats and other not so nice things. Truly the eyesore of the neighborhood. In the mid-70s, the community asked them to clean the place up or leave. Around that time, some filmmakers made a documentary about their life in the dipladated home and it became something of a cult classic. Now it's a musical.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 10:16pm

I also saw the show last night. I did not know what to expect as I had not heard much about the show. Act 1 was slow moving and a took me a little while to get into it. Act 2 was wonderful. Christine and Mary Louise are great talents. I was bowled over by their performance. The audience seemed to love the show also. Go see it.