Gun & Powder

[GetUp&LiveIt]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 11:25am

Well this looks amazing. Solea Pfeiffer and Emmy Raver singing a song from the new musical "Gun & Powder" at Signature Theatre

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Solea-Pfeiffer-andEmmy-Raver-Lampman-Sing-Freedom-From-GUN-POWDER-20200120

[macnyc]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 12:10pm

Maybe I’m extra crabby today, but would it be too much trouble for the press release to mention that this is the Signature Theater in Washington, D.C.? How about if BroadwayWorld would link to the correct theater in the article?

To save them the trouble, here’s the link:

Gun and Powder at Signature in Washington, D.C.

End of rant! 

Updated On: 1/20/20 at 12:10 PM

[lachri5]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 11:18pm

Just back from the theatre. I was really impressed! Beautiful score, powerhouse vocals, entertaining drama. This needs to transfer to New York. Without big names, it probably makes more sense to go Off-Broadway. But honestly this can fill a Broadway house nicely. Not to say it's perfect, the 11 o'clock number for the supposed villain was kind of odd, but rewrite a few songs and tighten up a little, this show has the potential to be amazing. It's already enjoyable as is. I hope this production isn't the end for the show. At least please record a cast recording. I would love to listen to The Way I Am over and over again.

[Fis]

Posted: 2/20/20 at 4:31pm

This show deserves a long life. It's remarkable that this is a first effort for this young, talented creative team of Ross Baum and Angelica Chéri.

There's lots of evidence that they've worked and reworked this for years, rewriting and throwing out scenes and songs, so I HOPE that's a sign that they and the producers will listen to the feedback and be open to more changes, because with a few tweaks it can be a best musical level show with a long commercial life.

I hate to harp on what's wrong, because 90% is right. Baum's music is remarkable. The casting is mostly perfect. The book is touching and funny. The story and pace are mostly great.

Having seen it multiple times and discussed with a lot of audience members, It's pretty clear to me what should change:

1. THE PRODUCTION DESIGN. God bless Robert O'Hara. He's done some great work that I love, but musicals are not his sweet spot. And Jason Sherwood's production design for Evita was a minimalist beauty. And Signature is known for doing beautifully minimal versions of bigger musicals; BUT this show SCREAMS for a bigger production. Most of the plot develops around a locale called The Boneyard. But the setting is only hinted at, with minimal set pieces and some suggestive projections. Big mistake. The Boneyard is a critical character in the show. Pfeiffer's character must fall in love with The Boneyard -- be mesmerized by its opulence. 
    
2. IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH. Similarly, to succeed as a commercial musical this cast needs to expand by at least 2 more performers to fill that stage, and particularly to fill out the scenes in The Boneyard, to turn its "entrance" with the song Frenchman Father into more of a production number. The songs are beautiful, but too many of them are solos. There's also a little problem where Dan Tracy has to play both the white plantation owner that the sisters hate and are escaping from, AND the man Pfeiffer later meets and falls in love with. They. Can't. Be. The. Same. Guy!
    
3. DAN TRACY. It pains me to say this, because Dan Tracy is a terrific actor, singer, and as far as I can tell a very nice person and cast mate. But he is too young and too small for the role of Jesse. The character should be unlike anything the sisters have ever seen -- a tall Texan that you could believe is independently rich, a man with a past and the charm of a predator. He doesn't necessarily have to be older, but he does have to project a lot of world weary experience, and be both charming and intimidating. It's not a role for a young pretty boy who's physically smaller than Raver-Lampman and Pfeiffer.
    
4. THAT SONG. Peter Marks nailed it in the Washington Post review. The second act climax is a long 11 o'clock number sung by Jesse, a character that we really don't care about. It's possible that another actor could pull it off, but the smarter choice would be to kill this song and see how well the show plays without it. We don't really need to watch him sing through his logic, because in the end, we don't care.

I really want to see this show have a life, and I HOPE that the producers address these issues, arrange one more tryout in another city, and then (fingers crossed), get the show to Broadway without losing Solea Pfeiffer, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Marva Hicks, Donald Webber, Yvette Clark, and Awa Sal Secka (others great too, but these folks are all wonderfully cast in prominent roles). 

[Rosette3]

Posted: 3/7/20 at 11:41pm

Fis said: "I really want to see this show have a life, and I HOPE that the producers address these issues, arrange one more tryout in another city, and then (fingers crossed), get the show to Broadway without losing Solea Pfeiffer, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Marva Hicks, Donald Webber, Yvette Clark, and Awa Sal Secka (others great too, but these folks are all wonderfully cast in prominent roles)."

Looks like they are auditioning for ensemble members based on below casting notice.

https://www.playbill.com/job/gun-powder-nyc-ecc-female-dancers-031120/00000170-8c2d-d72f-a9fd-cc2fa9e70000 

I hope this is a sign a future transfer somewhere. I saw the production and loved the music. I think it has potential to be something great, with Solea Pfeiffer in particular. 

[lachri5]

Posted: 3/7/20 at 11:51pm

I enjoyed the show a lot and I couldn't agree more about "That Song". Oh man, it has to go! It's like they're going for Accustomed to Her Face, but we don't care about the character enough to want to sit through a 10-minute melodyless emotional journey. It went on for way too long and was frankly hard to watch. Aside from that, there are a lot of great songs that I would love to listen to on repeat. I would definitely see it again if it goes to New York.