Guys and Dolls at the Hollywood Bowl...Post your comments here!- Page 2

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:37pm

Holy crap. She actually does sound all right. Total Shock.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:53pm

Her top notes in "I'll Know" could curdle milk, but she handles "If I Were a Bell" and "Marry the Man Today" quite well. Pleasantly surprised by Greene, and of course BSM sounds majestic.

ETA: Just watched "Sue Me". Scott Bakula couldn't be more vanilla here.

Updated On: 8/2/09 at 09:53 PM

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:55pm

I am fine with Ellen doing Audrey playing Adelaide too!

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:56pm

^ Touche!

[jovie27]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:58pm

Remember this was a concert guys...so most comments that are negative I don't take seriously because it was not a full production.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:06pm

@Jovie27 AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:07pm

Actually, while it was a concert, it was done in the vein of a fully staged production, with costumes, props, choreography, etc. The actors didn't use books. And anyway, what does it matter? They still sing, dance and act, whether it's a concert or a fully staged production.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:20pm

For what it is worth, Ellen Greene looked fabulous.

And, for Biel, there were a couple of problems with some notes in the very high range, but everyone I was with thought she did OK, and no one thought she seemed to be a drag on the show.

I don't know if her voice could handle something more sustained, but she could do a movie musical with her own voice (in my opinion).

BSM was just fabulous.

[jovie27]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:44pm

I am watching the YT videos and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can just get an audio of those clips...PM if anyone knows how to do that...they are great!

And yes I stand corrected, even though it was a concert...they still have to sing and dance...

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:52pm

Everyone who has seen it has said its flaw but a wonderful production. I bet its better than the revival (even though I loved it). My friend said they think they are doing Carousel next year. Is that true?

[goldswann]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 11:18pm

Saw the recent Broadway revival and actually liked it more than this production, if you can believe that. I was extremely underwhelmed by everyone except Brian Stokes Mitchell, that voice makes me melt.

[BurbankTheaterBuff]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 11:45pm

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ellen Greene, and Ken Page are three good enough reasons to see Guys and Dolls at the Hollywood Bowl. All three deliver professional Broadway level lead performances in this sometimes great, sometimes, good, and sometimes poor production.

Jessica Biel's Sarah Brown is vocally so far inferior to the rest of the cast that it is at times painful. Scott Bakula is enjoyably good enough, Ruth Williamson's General Matilda is fun and at times is "bigger than the bowl" but the evening is dominated by Brian Stokes Mitchell who's talent and stage presence demonstrates what a Broadway actor should look and sound like.

Ellen Greene's Adelaide is superb. Ken Page effortlessly performs a very fine Nicely-Nicely and steals the show away from Mitchell for just a moment with Sit Down Your Rockin the Boat. Beau Bridges struggles to deliver one of the most touching songs in the score, More I Can Not Wish You. It was like waiting in line at the DMV, you just wanted it to be over.

The evening was plagued a few times, once again, with Hollywood Bowl microphone problems. But some very entertaining staging, great Donna McKechnie choreography, perfect scenic cut-outs, and a fun lighting design were nice additions to the show.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 12:15am

From the videos, Ellen Greene's "Adelaide's Lament" is beyond cute. She doesn't quite have the voice she used to have, but she definitely has that Adelaide charm and cuteness that Lauren Graham lacked. Take Ellen's charm and Lauren's belt (?) and you'd have a great Adelaide.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 12:34am

I adore Biel's rendition of "If I Were a Bell"! Her "and if i were a banner I'd wave" is kinda fierce.

Yeah, the whole production seems kind of dull. why are folks getting so lazy with "Guys and Dolls" these days? Everything is cute but nothing is very special here.

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 2:25am

ellen greene seems to be all charm but no voice. she sounds like a total mess. biel is boring, but the girl can sing, relatively well. she actually reminds me of a weaker/less trained josie de guzman. just me?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 7:41am

www.catchyoutube.com

[gustof777]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 8:08am

I am beyond shocked at how not bad Jessica Biel is. I loved her "If I Were a Bell" And while I agree she sounds slightly strained on "I'll Know"... I was charmed by her Sarah. Good for her for putting herself out there with a bunch of heavyweights. I never ever thought I'd say this but I thought she did a lovely job and would have been fine seeing her in the recent revival on Broadway.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 9:05am

why are people shocked the Biel is not bad?

Anyone with half a brain, the internet, a copy of Easy Virtue can tell shes a good singer. Her acting has always been very impressive.
She was great in Easy Virtue and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

People on here are far to judgemental when it comes to someone who does not have a theatre background

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 11:50am

Well, after watching those vids, my reaction is the Hollywood Bowl ought to be ashamed! "Okay" should not be the standard for the LA Phil just because Biel is better than people thought she would be. She still isn't great - just average. Certainly not B'way quality. And Ellen Greene is dreadful. Her voice is shot and she's doing nothing new or interesting with Adelaide. Any high school kid could do what's she doing. Bakula is a non-entity, Bridges is horrid, the choreography unimaginative, and the direction boring. Only Stokes sells it because of his world-class voice and power.

For a venue as enormous as the Bowl, you need BIG talent. This production looks pretty lackluster.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 3:16pm

You guys are being too harsh!
After listening to clips on youtube (with their WONDERFUL quality), Jessica Biel sounds great!
She's probably better than half the actresses in NINE and she sounds better than Anne Hathaway (from what I can tell), and Hathaway is considered to be the "Go-to Hollywood Actress with a legit voice".
Biel should definately try to get into a movie musical!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 3:20pm

Hathaway has a beautiful singing voice, and earned raves when she did CARNIVAL at Encores! some time ago.
I think Biel's voice could use some training, but she definitely has some nice chops. Good for her.
Now, is Ellen Greene singing that badly as a character choice since Miss Adelaide has a cold? I dislike her in those clips, she's playing Audrey not Miss Adelaide. Biel and her do seem to have nice chemistry during "Marry the Man Today" though. Chemistry is what I think is lacking between Mitchell and Biel, frankly, I don't think Mitchell does a great job in those clips. I mean, he has a terrific voice, but the acting isn't there.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 3:28pm

I just listened to her "Adelaide's Lament"...not really a fan. Most Adelaide's sing the song in a bit of a character voice and then belt the last section "And Futhermore..." and I like it kinda like that.
She was "sick" throughout the number.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 5:29pm

Her "Bushel and a Peck" is painful to listen to, again, perhaps a character choice since Miss Adelaide is in a second rate act and she is supposed to be sick anyways, but even as a character choice, it's just very unpleasant to hear.