Grey Gardens 7/4 matinee

[lawyerman]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:23am

Just wanted to share my thoughts on todays performance of Grey Gardens.

i dont want to say i was disappointed bec thats a bit strong but i was certainly underwhelmed. i was expecting to despise the first act and love the second, but i found myself interested in where the plot was going in Act I and i thought Erin Davie really brightened the room, as did John McMartin. Ebersole was a little bland in Act I, if you ask me, but i was laughing at all those witty lines. It came together way better than I expected based on what I had heard.

So I was REALLY geared up for Act 2, and while I was BLOWN AWAY by how dead on those two women were in their mimicking of the characters in the film, I was really quite bored. Nothing happens. I mean, absolutley nothing. I was shifting in my seat waiting for some confrontation- and yes I know there isnt any bec there wasnt any in the film, but after inventing the entire first act out of imaginative thin air, i thought theyd structure the second a lil bit better.

i also found the songs comin right after another, and while all were serviceable or cute, only Daddys Girl, Revolutionary Costume and Around the World realy stood out, so the rest seemed a little bit cluttered without enough dialogue to set up the numbers.

so underwhelemed is where im at. that said, Ebersole was DIVINE in Act 2, as everyone knows, and Mary L Wilson was also damn good- i didnt get the sense either actress was really giving it their all, though, both seemed very at ease with the roles, thought that could be a tribute to their excellence rather than a criticism.

I will say that Ebersole's voice was not at its best- thinner and a little strained, at least more so than what I am used to from listening to uhm, footage, and i was hoping for a much more firey and fierce Around the World but it was pretty quiet.

Theater was PACKED- sold out show, people were offering me $ outside the theater for my tickets (Mezzanine, Row C, fine view, though i think orchestra is likely the best way to see the show). Its such a shame its closing in a few weeks- how is it really bleeding out with more than 75% full houses? Wont a few more months at 75% help recoup? I dont get it.

anyway those are my thoughts. heres hoping that if the houses stay sold out theyll extend a bit.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:27am

The second time I saw the show after seeing it right before opening, the two were slightly more subdued and lost a lot of luster that radiated off them at the start. After that I never cared to go back because it seemed like a lot of that "oomp" waned a bit.

That said, I also agree that Act 1 is so engaging plot-wise, whereas the second act is a hit, but the difference between the two is not so extreme. The way many made it sound was as though the first act was horrible and the second was a godsend.

Did anything special happen in "The House We Live In" that made it any more patriotic on the 4th?

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:34am

Did you fall asleep during the last scene or something? The last scene is one of the most shocking and tragic moments I've experienced in the theatre. The second DOES have a plot. And the plot is Edie's wish to escape her mother's house.

But that last scene is just wow.

[jaimiecheno]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:42am

well, to each his own, but I agree with ljay...I really enjoyed the show. THE best I've ever seen. But its obviously not everyone's dream show, or maybe not everyone can see the beauty of the 2nd act. If you've seen the documentary I think its more haunting. Also, those last few minutes of the act are some of THE most moving minutes ever depicted onstage, in my opinion. :)
Maybe since it was a holiday, things seemed a bit off? I'm sure the actors would have rather been at home with family, not that I'm making excuses or anything.
I for one could see this show multiple times and never bore of it.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 5:34am

Its such a shame its closing in a few weeks- how is it really bleeding out with more than 75% full houses? Wont a few more months at 75% help recoup? I dont get it.

I think that the producers believe those numbers will drop significantly once one half of the great Tony winning duo is no longer a part of the show. And to spend the money to hire a new actress, rehearse her, and continue to dish out the advertising bucks when they have one half less of what they were pushing before, it just seems more realistic to go out on top with the two ladies that had been there from the start.

While I personally believe that this show has a lot going for it beyond its leading ladies, the fact of the matter is that the two selling points are Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson. They are the ones that get people to buy tickets. And if the producers are barely getting by (they're still selling at a $59 discount) with these two in the show, one can only imagine that the current attendance levels will deteriorate once one of them is gone.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 05:34 AM

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:12am

Thanks for the thoughts, lawyerman, and I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as you hoped
I'm seeing it tonight, and I'll report back if it was just the performance you saw, or if they "lack luster" tonight, haha
I do agree with you, though, about "Around the World" not being as full as you hoped. The previous 2 times ive seen it, its also been much softer and timid than it is on the recording. But I guess thats just a difference between the recording and the show!
Anyways, thats really cool it was sold out- I really hope I'll still be able to get rush...

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:27am

It may not be you. From what I've been reading on other boards, the cast has been kind of walking through the show since last weekend.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:31am

Unfortunately, I have to agree about Ebersole being bland. The first time I saw the show, there was a spark that was not there when I went back.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:45am

"how is it really bleeding out with more than 75% full houses? Wont a few more months at 75% help recoup? I dont get it."

What don't you get? The show probably won't have a chance at running at capacities above 70% without Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole around. Also, the grosses are pretty mediocre as it is. If it can't pull in big bucks during the touristy summer, I can't see it making money in the winter.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:54am

"I was shifting in my seat waiting for some confrontation- and yes I know there isnt any bec there wasnt any in the film, but after inventing the entire first act out of imaginative thin air, i thought theyd structure the second a lil bit better. "

Actually there is confrontation that occurs in the 2nd act. Its not the sterotypical type between two people but is the inner struggle Little Edie is going through in an attempt to distance herself from her mother. The scene directly following "Choose to be Happy" is a direct confrontation with her mother and then proceeds with some introspective numbers. I personally found the second act to be very fulfilling emotionally and artistically.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:09am

I also completely agree with ljay889 -- the ending of Act 2 is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes for any musical. It took everything in me to prevent myself from bawling like crazy in my seat. I remember getting the chance to cry it out in the Gallagher's restroom after the show -- I couldn't hold it in anymore. That ending haunted me for days.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:09am

*Poof*


Updated On: 7/5/07 at 10:09 AM

[lawyerman]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:42am

first of all, i didnt DISlike the show. i was just not overly wowed.
secondly, the last scene was very powerful- and ebersole was quite brilliant. i didnt have an issue with any specific number or moment in Act 2, i just found it to be very uneventful- save for that wrenching moment towards the end. maybe because i knew it was coming? But at no point in Act 2 was I on the edge of my seat or intensely fascinated by what was going on onstage. I was in awe of these two ladies performances and I was certainly touched by the ending, but it was as riveting as I had thought.

as for the cast being "off"- i didnt find anyone to be a lil reserved except Ebersole, who I wouldnt say was "walking through it" but who didnt light up the stage the way I thought she would. then again, it seemed clear her voice wasnt in top form so that could be it.

as for the show staying open- the concensus seems to be that without mary louise wilson the show wont do well. i find that hard to believe- casting a new actress (doesnt she have an able standby?) might be a bitch, but the idea that without the Best Supporting Actress and with the Best Actress the show cant stay open- i just dont buy it, because not THAT many people truly care beyond the small world of broadway message boards. if the show was at 65% capacity, thats one thing. but if its selling out, ot playing to 85%+ houses, I just cant imagine that MLWs departure would send attendance down.
would the show survive the winter months, make it to holiday season? no. but do i think Ebersole could carry it thru the fall? absolutely.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:47am

You are allowed to cry in the theatre, Brody. You don't have to hold back your emotions until you're hidden away in the restroom, or behind a computer monitor.

Let it out, girl. You'll have a much more fulfilling experience in the theatre and in life.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 11:00am

I agree with the original poster here.
I paid to see Grey Gardens having read all the wonderful things about it and specifically about Ms. Ebersole's performance. I found the first act to be well acted, but utterly bland, and found the second act, while better, to be lackluster. Ms. Ebersole looked as bored as could be and while obviously skilled, didn't radiate any star power. And to answer the person who will obviously ask this, YES, I did 'get' it and NO, it didn't go over my head. I found the movie version to be gripping and intriguing, and the stage version to be bland and an obvious star vehicle for a star who wasn't giving 100%.
(I did enjoy the performances of Ms. Wilson, Ms. Davie and Mr. Cavanaugh though.)

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 11:07am

I love the show. I've seen it at least 10 times, and scored a good seat for yesterday's matinee.

I'd guess the cast is very depressed about the show closing. Pacing was off. With the exception of Matt & Erin (the Act 1 'break up' scene and "Daddy's Girl" was brilliantly ugly and harrowing) on-stage energy was very low.

I hate to say this - Christine was pretty much walking through it. She was not her usual electrifying self. She sang like she was conserving her voice and seemed to rush through the dialogue.

I can see why you might have been underwhelmed. Yesterday's was not a performace I'd want to be my first GG experience.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 11:07 AM

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 11:11am

I enjoyed the show, I've seen it twice, but I have to say - it's nothing more than a mediocre show with a GREAT cast. The cast is spot on, but the show overall is very bland.

I don't understand how some people call this show brilliant. The documentary was, but the musical pales in comparison.

[lawyerman]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:59pm

Thank you, MasterLcz.

im not sure if im relieved to know that i wasnt insane to find the show driven by a lackluster star or upset to know the one time I see the show, the leading lady was completely not into it. i for one would rather have seen Maureen Moore.

to be fair, I couldnt tell that Ebersole wasnt into it in Act I- i just thought the character was bland. And the audience went so wild for her in Revolutionary Costume, I got into it. But having heard her perform Around the World elsewhere, I remember hearing her almost shrug "in a goddamn machine" and i thought "wait a second..."

anyway, she wasnt bad, the show wasnt bad, it was just underwhelming after all the hype on this board. its a shame the show was more electrifying to watch in a half empty theater in Feb than in a sold out show on july 4.

but what can ya do. Donna Murphy for the Tony! (kidddding)

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 2:09pm

Lawyerman, your review was very well thought out and written. Master LCZ thanks for comparing past performances you saw with what you saw yesterday.

I saw the show over the Thanksgiving holiday last year and went in with high expectations. I enjoyed Act One more than Act Two, but for the life of me, I was completely bored out of my mind. There were times throughout the evening that I found myself dozing off, too. I thought the performances were very good (I liked Erin Davie), but on the whole, this show just didn't do it for me.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 02:09 PM

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 2:31pm

I will post and say that yesterday was a far cry from last Fri., when I saw the first performance after the cast learned the show would be closing. That was the most "off" performance I've ever seen.
I have seen a few besides last Fri. that were a little 'off', but I thought, on the whole, yesterday was much better. "Around the World" actually was a high point for me, as was "Another Winter in a Summer Town" and "Will You?". I thought "Around the World" (my favorite song and the one I attach the highest expectations to) was pretty good. I found de-crescendoing (getting softer) highly effective, regardless of the reason for doing it. I must politely disagree with your review and say yesterday was better than the previous performance I saw.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 02:31 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:03pm

Maybe the loss and heartbreak over the show's closing can be channeled into the actor's performances and add some more depth and richness.

[lawyerman]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:44pm

bwaygal im glad that yesterdays matinee wasnt as awful as what you saw on fri night, but arguing that the perf was "not the worst show ever" doesnt really speak to my point.

hope they step it up

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 5:11pm

I have to agree with everything lawyerman said, as I to was there yesterday. (Mezzanine, row H)

In any case, I thought the first act was rather good..the acting, songs, story itself.

Then something happened in the second act...the songs and story were very lack luster, to the point where I was THISCLOSE to falling alseep. (Sidenote: I have been bored by a few shows before but have NEVER some close to falling alseep)

Overall, I have to agree...I was very underwhelmed by this production, after hearing such praise for the show. I'm glad to know that I am not the only one who feels this way about yesterday's show (I was hoping it wasn't just me).

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 7:27pm

bettyboy-I think that may be happening now because the performance has moments of strength.
lawyerman-You're being awfully hard on this cast. They are in a difficult situation. I give them several kudos for getting up there and being as effective as they were.