Grey Gardens

[renthead333]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:45pm

What's the story of this musical?

Updated On: 8/31/06 at 10:45 PM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:49pm

call me crazy but this could easily be found in a SEARCH feature. or on Broadway.com.

[jv92]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:52pm

Folkyboy, you are far from crazy. Searching can be annoying, but something as simple as this could be found easily.

And renthead, go see this show too. It's a far more fulfilling experience than your namesake.

[renthead333]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:37am

I'm jsut kind of confused about Christine Ebersoles character/s?

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:41am

It's a little confusing. In the first act, Christine Ebersole plays
Edith and Erin Davies plays her daughter, Little Edie. In the second act, something like 30 years have passed and Christine Ebersole plays the role of little Edie, while Mary Louise Wilson plays her mother Edith, Christine's part in the first act.

[renthead333]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:02am

That seems really cool!

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:23am

It's a little confusing. In the first act, Christine Ebersole plays
Edith and Erin Davies plays her daughter, Little Edie. In the second act, something like 30 years have passed and Christine Ebersole plays the role of little Edie, while Mary Louise Wilson plays her mother Edith, Christine's part in the first act.

How does that work?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:28am

^ you couldn't follow that?

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:29am

"How does that work?"

See, there's this first act. Which is an hour and a half and has nothing to do with anything. It makes no sense, and is boring to boot.

Then Ebersole comes on as Little Edie, and the second act plays like gangbusters.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:34am

Oh, that's such bullsh*t. the first act is good too...

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:41am

"Oh, that's such bullsh*t. the first act is good too..."

Really? Why?

The first act had one thing to say. Big Edie was a bitch to Little Edie.

But we know that from the beginning of the second act.

The first act took an hour and a half to tell us nothing.

Have you seen this show?

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 2:53am

And another thing.

Who the hell is going to go see this show On Broadway?

Even among the gay community, "Grey Gardens" is a bit obscure.

If the show was great, that would be one thing. But that first act is a disaster. Yes, Ebersole is great in the second act. But honestly? It's not a very good musical. I suspect "Kiki and Herb" have a better chance at recouping.

[gonnapassmealaw]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:15am

The documentary film is heralded by many as the "Father" of documentary making and is actually renown in other communities besides the gay and Broadway.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:18am

"The documentary film is heralded by many as the "Father" of documentary making and is actually renown in other communities besides the gay and Broadway."

And what is your point, exactly? Your misguided analysis of American documentaries has nothing to do with the quality of the musical "Grey Gardens."

And by the way, from my experience, D.A. Pennebaker is considered the "father" of American documentaries. Both "Don't Look Back" and "Company" were filmed years before "Grey Gardens."



Updated On: 9/1/06 at 03:18 AM

[gonnapassmealaw]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:22am

Sorry, if I sounded snappy in my first post, I was just speculating possible audiences.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:26am

No problem, love.

I'm speculating as well. But I cannot imagine that this show will find an audience.

If it was terrific, that would be one thing. But "Caroline,or Change" was TERRIFIC. It didn't find an audience. "Grey Gardens" is a very, very weak musical. Do the math.

[gonnapassmealaw]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:33am

True, true. I'm crossing my fingers for Caroline, too.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:41am

"True, true. I'm crossing my fingers for Caroline, too."

Well, it's funny, and I apologize for going way off topic here.

However, in London, this season, for the Olivier awards, they have "Avenue Q", "Wicked," and "Caroline or Change" up against each other again. My money is on "Caroline."

[gonnapassmealaw]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 3:49am

Ditto. That gem of a musical is too powerful to be overlooked twice.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 6:48am

The first act of GREY GARDENS is musically delectible, studded with pastiche-1930s musical comedy songs of a very high standard. The book of Act 1 is being considerably expanded and darkened. Three songs are being replaced, but thank God, "Will You?" and "Drift Away" are intact. The Act 1 plot serves as a backstory that informs the second half.

I'm extremely enthusuastic about its coming to Broadway.

Updated On: 9/1/06 at 06:48 AM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:13am

"The first act of GREY GARDENS is musically delectible, studded with pastiche-1930s musical comedy songs of a very high standard. The book of Act 1 is being considerably expanded and darkened. Three songs are being replaced, but thank God, "Will You?" and "Drift Away" are intact. The Act 1 plot serves as a backstory that informs the second half."

I respectfully disagree with you about that first act. Those pastiche songs did nothing for me.

But that's probably taste. You enjoyed it, obviously, so it worked for you.

However, I do agree with your statement that "The Act 1 plot serves as a backstory that informs the second half." The problem (at least at PH) was that Act 1 was endless, and only had one thing to say.

And why? The story is the second act of that show, not the first.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:29am

first of all, they are revising the first act, so to wail on and on and on is really pointless regarding this production of the musical.

secondly, if you think the first act merely served to show us that big edie was mean to little edie, then you missed out on some fairly obvious things. the first act shows you what these women's lives were like before the tragic state they came to live in. it tells you the 3 major events that caused this downfall (condensed into one day for dramatic purposes). it shows the tragic cycle of little edie trying to escape and never being able to. it develops the characters and their situation excellently.

now, fine if you don't think they succeeded at PH, but accept that that is merely your pov.

I think it's rather pointed that Grey Gardens was deemed excellent enough writing to be included in the most recent Best Plays anthology.

let's allow this new work in progress the chance to continue its process before decreeing final verdicts upon it.

Updated On: 9/1/06 at 09:29 AM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:36am

Well, "first of all," I don't think I'm wailing on and on.

And I'm not "decrying final verdicts."

I had major problems with "Grey Gardens." But my name isn't Frank Rich. So take what I have to say with a grain of salt.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:40am

From what I hear, "Better Fall Out of Love", "Being Bouvier", and "Tomorrows Woman" have been cut. Three new songs have been written, but I don't know if these are strict replacements or have been added elsewhere in the production.

And Act 1 is being considerably re-worked. Personally, I think they need to make Big Edie seem a bit less fabulous and a bit more spirit-cushing.

After seeing THE BEALES OF GREY GARDENS, I really disliked Big Edie. She's dottily eccentric and bickering biddy in the documentary GREY GARDENS , but in BEALES she is revealed as a nasty, cold woman.

Updated On: 9/1/06 at 09:40 AM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 9:52am

"After seeing THE BEALES OF GREY GARDENS, I really disliked Big Edie. She's dottily eccentric and bickering biddy in the documentary GREY GARDENS , but in BEALES she is revealed as a nasty, cold woman."

But here's the thing. Most people have no connection whatsoever to "Grey Gardens."

My question remains. Who is going to buy tickets for this thing?

There is simply no audience for it. Even if it were great (which it is not), there's no audience. Updated On: 9/1/06 at 09:52 AM