Grey Gardens: Could Anything Have Been Done?- Page 2

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 9:45am

Thank God Roscoe is in the tasteless minority.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 9:53am

Ah, yes, it is much better to be in the majority isn't it? Of the majority had loved the show so much, it might still be running, mightn't it?

And it should also be remembered that a significant part of the show's appeal was Christine Ebersole, and when the show finally closed it had been pretty clear for a while that nobody was going to be able to replace her (although pretty much any competent actress could have done the same Little Edie Beale impression).

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 9:59am

Sad sad sad you are.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:00am

LOL. Idiotic idiotic idiotic you are.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:05am

Oh, my.

That's the best you've got?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:08am

No, but I thought it was about what you'd be able to understand. Gotta tailor the response to the audience.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:09am

Such big words for such a little boy!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:10am

Okay. You're right. GREY GARDENS was the highest accomplishment in the history of human endeavor. I'll leave it alone.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:11am

I dont think much could be done. The closing of Grey Gardens is indicative of the times. I mean, a critically lauded, complex, dark, heartbreakingly funny, subversive musical does not stand a chance in the distractable state of entertainment. If it doesn't do cartwheels and explode, people lose interest. I think people read less, do less research on shows than in the previous decades and the show with the loudest ads or the familiar premise will win the audience.

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:12am

It's the all about the marketing, IMO. I think more and more Broadway shows are falling victim to bad marketing and stupid producers.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:15am

See, Bettyboy, that's just the thing. The horse is dead, by now, but I didn't find GREY GARDENS to be any of the things that you describe it to be. I'd apply all of your descriptions to the movie, certainly, but not that show. The musical seemed rather dull and uninspired to me.

[auggie]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 10:30am

Count me as a theater fan who has seen way too many shows that did not get GG.

[Parks]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 11:47am

There's productions planned in Japan!

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 11:51am

This was the best show I've ever seen. It tugged at my heart like nothing I've ever seen. I'm not sure any show will ever move me in such a special way. I wish there was something that could have been done to keep it going. Had the other producers been able to buy out the controlling ones, they could've tried keeping it open. But, it wasn't to be, and sadly we lost a great treasure of a show. (And Christine Ebersole's performance was the greatest I've ever seen in any show. I wish the show had been recorded for PBS instead of or in addition to Company.)

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 12:06pm

No. I loved GREY GARDENS, but the show had run its course on Broadway. Though the ad campaign was lousy - about as bad as the one this year for PASSING STRANGE, Ebersole promoted it everywhere. I'm glad that it won her a well-deserved Tony.

And the score was the finest original Broadway score since FALSETTOS.

I'm delighted that GREY GARDENS is being done reigionally.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 12:27pm

The only argument I have here is in people posting that the producers were inexperienced. Bad decisions were made, maybe. Marketing could have been better possibly. But I don't buy the "they were inexperienced" argument.

When all this drama was raging last year (see all those Goddess Ebersole vs. the evil Dohenys threads!) I went and did my research. East of Doheny was not inexperienced. Their list of shows produced was actually somewhat impressive.

If anything, from the tone of the interviews I read and heard with Ebersole, it sounded like a terrific power struggle between two very dominant women. Sad for the show, but sadly, not a new story for Broadway.

[jv92]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 3:37pm

How can I contact Ken Bloom (Author of the Broadway Musicals book that lists Grey Gardens as one of the 101 Greatest)? I want to thank him for putting Grey Gardens in there and quesiton why Light in the Piazza, Nine and Pacific Overtures are not included.
Now onto the question asked-

"Had the other producers been able to buy out the controlling ones, they could've tried keeping it open."

What a fabulous idea. And you know what? That would have worked. Alden, Swinsky, Schloss and company were ENTIRELY behind the show.

And the Gondas weren't inexperienced- they were lazy.
Does anyone know how Frankel and Korie feel about this? They seem to be trying to make nice with Kelly Gonda. They posed for pictures with her at the documentary screening. They haven't said a word about what happened. Are they just grateful it got on at all? I don't blame them for being grateful, but still- she ****ed up their show.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 4:26pm

Yeah, I thought that was strange to see Korie and Frankel at the screening with her.

But if it truly was a power struggle between Ebersole and Gonda, it makes sense. Maybe they didn't want to get in the middle?

All I know is, the show's future suffered terribly as a result of all that drama. And that is a dirty shame!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 7:51pm

The subject matter was a hard sell. The same held true for Sideshow

No falling chandeliers or helicopters - pure & simple. It probably should have moved to a different theater & played Off Broadway. I think it might have fared better there.

[cfmiller]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 8:21pm

A small theatre (Buck Creek) here in Indianapolis is putting GG on next year. I am excited to see their approach. They tend to do offbeat shows (Side Show and Parade are two recent ones) so I am hopeful.

[me2]

Posted: 5/3/08 at 1:08pm

Sorry, I've been away from a computer for a few days.

I was at Barnes and Noble last weekend, and Bloom and Vlastnik just updated the book.

You know, I thought I saw the show listed in the next touring season in my area, but I could also have dreamt it. :)
Broadway Mouth: Casting Quandaries III: The Problems Created By Maria

[me2]

Posted: 5/3/08 at 1:15pm

I must have dreamt it. It's not listed on my touring venue's page.

Interesting note, though, the ugly new Phantom logo that people were commenting on somewhere on this board is being used to promote the tour. People had thought it was just a special piece of artwork for the anniversary, but . . .
Broadway Mouth: Casting Quandaries III: The Problems Created By Maria

[me2]

Posted: 5/3/08 at 1:18pm

More investigation. Another touring venue is producing the show and using Broadway photos as part of the promotion. So I wasn't dreaming, hallucinating, or nearing the brink of insanity. At least not about that.

[carolineorchange]

Posted: 5/3/08 at 1:21pm

It's not so much an question of if anything could have been done when you look at what was ACTUALLY done... the fact that it made it to Broadway to begin with is amazing!

And not because it's a bad show, but because it's not the type of show that usually gets there. The fact that it had life after it's Off-Broadway run is amazing. That fact that it has two recordings out there is kind of amazing. The fact that it won Tony's for it's actresses and got nominations is amazing. It stayed open as long as it could have.

What it comes down to is it's just not every body's cup of tea. It's not homogenized and bland enough to appeal to everybody like a Wicked or a Hairspray. It's for people with specific tastes.

[haddaddy3]

Posted: 5/3/08 at 1:30pm

I can't wait to see Victoria Bussert's interpretation of it at Beck Center in Cleveland.