Guys and Dolls Review Posts go here! — Page 2

Well I admire her for being such a TV actress and wanting to do something different.

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I didn't understand the nagging about Oliver Platt at first. All I needed to see was the 30 second clip of him singing and I agree with the nagging.

What clip is this? Now my curiosity's piqued (and I can't find anything on YOUknowwhatsite or the official site).

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I think they mean the clip from NY1.

I admit I am a bit of a Lauren Graham fangirl and although the she was still finding her way when I saw the show a few weeks ago, she was by far not the worst thing about this production. The role isn't really suited to her, I don't think, but she was by no means horrible.

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Oh gosh. Just saw the NY1 clip. And... Oliver Platt is...yucky. It's like he seemed too exhausted to DO or EXPRESS anything in every second of footage. Titus Burgess' Sit Down sounds awesome, though. If there's a cast recording, that'll be the one song I know I'll download.

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They're not being as hard on Lauren Graham as I was expecting.

I am glad Mary Testa is getting positive notices for her small role.

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Looks like Des is taking the Bad Blame.
It's a thin line between directing and re-invisioning a classic Musical and pasting together Beatlemania, I mean JERSEY BOYS.
Everyone has their Ups and Downs in this business.

Updated On: 3/1/09 at 09:35 PM

The Chicago Tribune is negative.

"NEW YORK— Broadway has always been a floating crap game. But as this show-killing recession deepens, beleaguered producers are clearly feeling like every new opening is like attempting a Hail Mary pass against Big Jule’s crooked dice.
The first Broadway revival of the musical “Guys and Dolls” since Nathan Lane and Faith Prince cracked up the Rialto with their follies nearly two decades ago offers a sense of what it must have felt like to been one of the victims during the St. Valentine’s Day massacre.
You’re on the wrong end of a whole lot of intense, desperate scatter-shot.
Des McAnuff’s strangely cast, uncharacteristically insecure and weirdly unfunny revival—which features Oliver Platt as the perennial bachelor Nathan Detroit and “Gilmore Girl” Lauren Graham as Miss Adelaide—seems to have about six different concepts for this show, tries to do them all at once, and manages to make none of them land."

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2009/03/gus-and-dolls-on-broada-a-floating-crap-game-ith-mriad-directions.html

Who the hell put this little girl in this hideous costume, wig and hat?

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The Hollywood Reporter is MIXED-TO-NEGATIVE:

""Guys and Dolls" is a nearly perfect musical, which it has to be to survive the frequent mistreatment it receives in the new revival staged by Des McAnuff. Filled with lavish directorial touches that add little to the proceedings and featuring several surprisingly pallid performances, the show still manages to provide a good time thanks to the brilliance of Frank Loesser's score and the hilarity of Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows' book. But those with strong memories of the superb 1992 revival starring Nathan Lane, Faith Prince and Peter Gallagher will find much to quibble about here."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/theater-review-guys-and-dolls-1003946470.story

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Maybe I missed it while checking the thread, but did Brantley post his review yet?

Wow! These reviews are consistently poor. I would like to hear opinions as to how many weeks/months this GUYS & DOLLS will be playing at the Nederlander? Casting choices seem to be the most contentious issue that all of the reviewers seem to agree on. Too bad. I wonder why the preview period didn't provide the clues for the director and producers that serious miscasting of certain actors in certain roles could sink this revival? Is there any hope this may still play for five or six months? Serious estimates, PLEASE!