HOW TO SUCCEED Begins Previews Tonight!- Page 7

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/8/11 at 8:44pm

Having seen the original production in its first month, having loved it and felt the electricity coming from the stage, I was mightily disappointed in this revival.

First and foremost, it's as ugly as sin. All those horrible octagons, mud brown colors, it was a true eyesore. It was painful to look at, and that's not good.

Daniel Radcliffe is affable and sings clearly. The role requires a sense of irony, and he doesn't project it. He's bland.

Of the other actors, I thought Rose Hemingway gave the best performance, and John Larroquette was good.

I liked neither the staging nor the choreography, and I believe both undermined the show's qualities. So many numbers were ruined by being overly choreographed, or having distracting business taking place while the principals were singing, among these The Company Way, Grand Old Ivy, Been a Long Day, and Cinderella Darling.

Another missed opportunity.

[ashleymsu]

Posted: 3/8/11 at 10:29pm

Perez Hilton posted a song tonight. I'm pretty impressed.
http://perezhilton.com/2011-03-08-daniel-radcliffe-how-to-succeed-in-business-i-believe-in-you-track#respond

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:01am

I agree with After Eight about everything except this:

Daniel Radcliffe is affable and sings clearly. The role requires a sense of irony, and he doesn't project it. He's bland.

Of the other actors, I thought Rose Hemingway gave the best performance, and John Larroquette was good.

I found Daniel to be exceptional. His singing was decent, but nothing to write home about. His charisma, however, was absolutely sensational. He had me in the palm of his hand the entire time. Rose Hemingway was the bland one. She has a very lovely voice, but she walks around the stage like she's taking a high school acting class. You're on Broadway now, sweetheart. Time to lose the training wheels of posing and inflecting so that the audience "knows" you are playing a specific character. I was pleasantly surprised by Mary Faber, of whom I am generally not a fan. Christopher Hanke was terrible as Frump. Wasn't a fan of Blanchard playing Jennifer Coolidge as Hedy.

[willep]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:23am

I saw the show again tonight (I first saw it on Saturday) and they have added something. When Hedy makes her pirate entrance after the pirate dance, she now has a huge pirate ship and is in this body form thing as the lady at the bow of the ship. They then turn it into a gag when she has to put her hand on the bible, cause the mermaid arms are fake.

[Blanchardfan]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:08pm

I absolutely loved Tammy Blanchard as Hedy. She was spot on with every cue. She had the audience roaring with laughter everytime she came out. She was funny as heck. Will go to see it again soon. I rate the entire cast with an A+ performance.

[James2]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:39pm

After seeing the show last Thursday, I'd say Daniel Radcliffe should host the Tonys this year.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 5:56pm

Saw it last night. Blanchard, I loved Tammy Blanchard also. It is a cute show. I am still not crazy about the score though. At least not all of it. Radcliffe did a great job and danced his little butt off during "Brotherhood of Man". I was even tapping my feet during that number and the audience went nuts at the end of it. I really liked the set. That honeycomb thing going on was cool and very cool colors. Laroquette was fun also. A very pleasant evening at the theatre.

[bundy5000]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 7:07pm

How is the stage door been? Is it possible to get an autograph if your seeing the show? I know that there are always people who live at the stage door the minute barricades go up.

[CarmenDeBris]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 7:48pm

I went on a Saturday so keep that in mind but it was a nightmare...I was right by the exit and by the time I got out it was already chaos....there were people packed across the street...cops everything....I couldn't even SEE anyone when they came out. Its awful...but I dunno what its like on a weekday.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:51pm

I just saw the show tonight and I was very impressed by Daniel Radcliffe! He truly is a triple-threat talent. During the opening number I thought his voice was a bit shaky, but as the show continued he improved greatly. He really can sing! And his dancing was not stiff and unexciting like other star turns (John Stamos springs to mind), but very energetic and fun! He really looks like he is giving it all he has and it really works. "Brotherhood of Man" was a real crowd-pleaser, the cheers and applause lasted several minutes and I even saw people giving a standing ovation for that number.

I really don't have anything negative to say about this production. The songs are classics and very memorable, I loved the sets & ensemble, and Radcliffe shines.

The show let out at 11pm tonight because intermission ran 30 minutes because one of the ensemble members became sick and the standby had to fill in his role. So the actual length of the show now is about 2 hrs, 45 mins. And the leads all have individual bows now.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:24am

Could someone please describe and/or post a picture of the curtain? I saw some production shots and the look and feel of the design is very interesting.

[willep]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:29am

The curtain is a colorful cityscape with a big building in the center that has windows shaped like all the set pieces are. I think there is a picture somewhere...I will see if I can find it.

[willep]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:32am

Here ya go (from earlier in this thread)

http://yfrog.com/h74w7ddj

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:33am

Thanks willep! :)

[willep]

Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:35am

No problem!

[TragicFlaw]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 12:14pm

Has anyone used the rush for this yet? How is it? Recommended time for getting there on a Sunday?

[CarmenDeBris]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 12:42pm

From what I've heard people start showing up between 7 and 8 AM.

[TimesSquared]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 5:47pm

Just as he did with "Promises, Promises", Rob Ashford completely misses the spirit and the point of another great musical.

I'll begin with what's over the title. Daniel Radcliffe exhibits absolutely no devilish enjoyment of his own guile as Finch. It seems instead, despite the script, that this Finch is merely a clueless kid having an extraordinary run of good luck. This is unforgivable, given that Finch's machinations are written into his every line, informing his character, and propelling the entire satire of "How to Succeed". Radcliffe's singing is weak, like his Broadway predecessors in the role, but Bobby Morse, lacking a pretty voice, still managed to make his every song a tour de force, and his "I Believe in You" a showstopping soliloquy. Radcliffe's voice is a bit easier on the ears, but no amount of vocal quality can substitute, in any musical, for acting the song—especially when a performer is directly engaging the audience. His deer-in-the-headlights rendition of "I Believe in You", was about nothing but getting the notes right. Someone here mentioned his look of terror during the song. That's what I saw too, terror. But unlike the poster, I don't believe it was a choice. He acquits himself well in the dances—but really, who cares? Finch doesn't need to dance well. He needs to command the stage and carry the entire show—Radcliffe just hasn't got the chops. Does he embarrass himself? No. Do I want to pay good money plus devote an entire (very long) evening to see an actor successfully tread water? No.

The rest of the cast left me pretty cold too. I enjoyed Rose Hemmingway. She managed to avoid being dragged down by the leaden touch of Rob Ashford's alternately over-done (musical numbers) and non-existent (book scenes) direction. John Larroquette is merely ok but does have some good moments. Rob Bartlett as Twimble/Whomper is just not up to the task of the dual roles, and the brilliant irony of "The Company Way" is completely lost in a flurry of pointless acrobatics and ridiculously complex stage business. The less said about Christopher Hanke's Bud Frump (an exact replication of his character from "Cry-Baby"), the better. In my opinion, the only actor on that stage who truly understands the style in which this material needs to be played is Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones, who has maybe ten minutes of stage time. What happened to the tradition of great Broadway character actors? I know they're out there (witness Finnian's Rainbow). Too few directors of revivals realize how indispensable they are to classic Broadway shows. These shows were originally BUILT on the talents of these seasoned pros.
Rob Ashford chooses instead to populate all his musicals with uniformly attractive but bland dancer-clones. Don't get me wrong, they dance magnificently, yet I never believe them as a cross-section of any demographic except "Broadway dancers, aged 20-30". Okay, ONE guy was a little rounder—nice concession to human variety, Rob. Where are the short people? Where are the quirky people? Where are the FUNNY people? Where are the CHARACTERS?

The choreographic choices are just odd: "Cinderella Darling" as a TAP number?! The abstract, constipated movement of the opening number was similarly confounding. "Bring on the Chorus"-overkill manages to smother the numbers "Rosemary" and "Grand Old Ivy". The set design is a generic, mid-century amalgam of "Hairspray", the recent "Bye, Bye, Birdie" revival and—surprise, surprise, "Promises, Promises". I liked the costumes and wigs, but having already pillaged "Mad Men" for "Promises", why did Ashford decide to turn Heddy LaRue into a carbon-copy of Joan Holloway from that series? Looking at Tammy Blanchard in that get-up, I couldn't think of anyone else, and found myself wondering why there wasn't a gold pen on a chain hanging around her neck.

During the curtain call, I realized the failure of this production was evident in the opening moment of the show: the voice of the titular book, is a recorded voice over by Anderson Cooper. Where did a casting idea like that come from? I'll tell you. In the last revival, the narration was voiced by Walter Cronkite. Walter Cronkite was chosen for his classic "announcer" voice, not because he was a news personality; his over-the-top authoritative tone made the narration hilarious. Anderson Cooper, great journalist that he is, does not have anything approaching that kind of voice. His narration sounds like it's being read by a distracted stage manager on an off stage mic. Every line of Cooper's falls flat—and of course it does! He's a journalist, not an announcer! Rob Ashford doesn't understand the difference or why it even matters. He's just concerned with creating gimmicky moments that make you think: don't forget the director!
I wish producers would start forgetting Rob Ashford.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 6:02pm

TimesSquared,

You pinpointed to the letter everything that is wrong with this misguided production.

What a disappointment, and what a waste.

And I share your opinion of Rob Ashford.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 6:06pm

I wasn't crazy about some of the choreography. The "Old Ivy" number was a bit clunky. My friend was also not impressed with "Cinderella Darling" being done as a tap number. Actually, he was really annoyed with it! I have never seen the show until now so I had nothing to compare it to. I thought it was fine. I will agree with Anderson Cooper's voiceover. It wasn't really commanding and kind of just there. he has no real "personality" in his voice. But still, an enjoyable evening at the theatre!

[musicalman2]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 6:19pm

TimsSquared, I have to disagree.

You say that Finch evidences no devilish enjoyment. That is not accurate. Throughout the show he does these takes to the audience at key moments, accompanied by a lighting change. They are quite amusing. He is thoroughly enjoying the moment. I think maybe what you are talking about was the tendency of both Morse and Broderick to give their performances a send up all the time. Personally, I find that annoying when they wink at it a lot.

He completely wins over the audience with those moments, and lets the script and action speak for itself without "playing it" all the time. I found it refreshing.

The other thing his portrayal does do, which the others did not is make clear that he really wants to succeed -- not just to dupe everyone or con everyone, but because he does want to rise in the company and be a success. Not just a successful con man. I think it is a simpler and cleaner performance, with a character who is a lot easier to like.
Updated On: 3/11/11 at 06:19 PM

[TimesSquared]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 7:57pm

Hey Musicalman!

Those "I know what I'm doing" looks at the audience and the accompanying stings from the pit have always been a part of the show since the original production. Metaphorical "winks" at the audience are too often employed by actors who don't trust the material they're working with, and when that's the reason they do it, it never works. But Finch's winks are built into the show. We're his co-conspirators in subverting this crazy corporate culture.
Finch is a shameless climber, right to the end of the show. And for that matter, so is Rosemary! Listen to her dialogue and lyrics. She's as bad as he is. That's the kind of fun the writers were having with this send up, and satire this sharp is particularly hard to play. I blame the direction more than I blame Radcliffe.

That said, I love to disagree on theater (it's part of the fun) and I'm glad you enjoyed Radcliffe's take on Finch.

[musicalman2]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 8:08pm

Hey TimesSquared!

Yes, I know the winks are built in. What I meant to say was, I didn't believe it was really necessary to play his enjoyment of his ruse more than that.

And I agree, love chatting about theater, especially when you're wrong!

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 11:39pm

"The other thing his portrayal does do, which the others did not is make clear that he really wants to succeed "

What utter nonsense. Did you even see Morse's performance on the stage? He most certainly did want to succeed. And the way he played it was the right way, the way the show's creators wanted it to be played, not the way of Broderick or Radcliffe. The latter, sad to say, is in over his head here, affable though he may be. And to say he's playing the role better than Morse... it's beyond laughable.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 5:06am

So a great number of people have posted the audio of the show on youknowwhattube and I listened to most of it.

Here's a suggestion: take out your OBC recording with Bobby Morse and Rudy Vallee and Bonnie Scott and listen to any song; ANY SONG from the original and compare it to the current revival.

Then come on this thread and try to sing the praises of this production. (Hell, listen to Matthew Broderick's version as well).

The leads have ZERO idea of what they are saying. Sure they get the words right and fairly in tune, but there is NO sense of delicious irony, in fact no sense that the two leads even understand the songs. For instance, in "Rosemary" Finch blathers on about hearing music and Rosemary thinks he's nuts and then he proposes and the current Rosemary shouts I hear it I hear it before Finch's voice dies away. No timing whatsoever, and absolutely no modulation; just "I hear it, I hear it" at the top of her voice.

Now listen to the OBR. Listen to how a professional with some Broadway experience (and real Broadway talent) delivers those lines.

The producers may know how to hire one of the stars of the biggest film franchise in the world but this show does not know how to succeed in the business of musical comedy.

Updated On: 3/12/11 at 05:06 AM