Happiness First Preview- Did anyone go? - Page 2

[Fabala42]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 11:24am

I ended up going to the first preview as well... stood in cancellation. To answer the question about student rush, I doubt they will have any. It's based on ticket sales, and since those are WAY high, any given show over the next couple of weeks only has 1 or 2 tickets available. But the cancellation worked out well, got my ticket at 8 PM, had time to run down, grab my seat, and settle briefly before the show.

I agree with most of what was posted, but, with the exception of the *transition* of the tooth fairy scene, that was one of my personal favorites.

I have a ticket for a later performance, so I'm glad to be able to see it once the kinks have been ironed out.

Overall, I say that the full ticket price is VERY much worth it. There were some gorgeous, tender moments, as well as some pretty funny ones as well. I left the show thinking about it, and that, in my opinion, is the best thing about the show.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 11:30am

Here are some spoiler free thoughts:

After having a night to think about the show, I really can't wait to see it again. Not because it was the best thing I've ever seen, but because it was engaging and many details could be missed on first viewing. This is definitely the type of show that will only get better with repeat viewings.

The score and lyrics are normally pretty solid, but as others have noted some the "happy moments" are not working. The worst of which is Joanna Gleason's. I was thoroughly disappointed with what they gave her to do during her big moment. It did not ring true with her character, and involved giving a blow job. (Miguel Cervantes had several lines about blow jobs as well so I guess they were on the minds of the creative team).

Jenny Powers was the star of the show for me. She has a knock out voice, and her songs are written to show off her fabulous belt. Also she looks absolutely beautiful on stage. Stroman has given her a rather difficult bit of staged choreography in the subway car, and she pulls it off very well. A true talent, and I'm glad she is getting a chance to show it all off.

Sebastian Arcelus gets the title song, and delivers it solidly. Hunter Foster has the oddest/weakest part. He has a decent number in the middle of the show involving acrobatics on a ladder, but his opening song where he twirls a crowbar like a baton needs to go.

Fred Applegate has a beautiful voice, and really sells his song, which is one of the better happy moments. It was actually touching, without being overly sweet. If only all of the happy moments were at this level!

Stroman's direction really was top notch, except for creating a few poor sightlines for people on the sides.

The show kind of reminds me of Follies in that each character gets to have his or happy moment in a dreamlike sequence. It is during these sequences that the show often comes alive. The surrounding story is a bit bizzare though. It could almost be done as a song cycle of happy moments.

I urge people to see this though without reservation. It is new, creative and takes risks. It is refreshing, and even when it misfires I was always interested in the characters. It will be interesting to see what the critics say about this one.

[mikem]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 12:01pm

A brief, non-spoiler review (I will write a longer, spoiler-laden review later):

I liked the show MUCH more than most of the previous posters apparently did. I thought it was pretty great, especially for a first preview. I was in a full-view seat, which may make a huge difference. The show is not played to the outermost sections at all and the audience in those areas must have been looking at backs a lot of the time. The show has an interesting and intriguing premise, the cast is uniformly excellent, and there are some really touching moments. The set design is very impressive, especially for such a small space (one of the set pieces seemed to get entrance applause, which is probably a first for the Newhouse!).

There are definitely things to be worked on -- hard to hear/understand lyrics, especially in Joanna Gleason's song; Joanna Gleason's segment is not the best song, seems very inconsistent in terms of character, and seems trivial in comparison to the other premises; Sebastian Arcelus's character is supposed to be the main character in a way yet there is very little character development and he is kind of a cipher (most of his lines are about his predicament rather than about him -- he needs a song or monologue prior to the last 5 minutes of the show); Jenny Powers's character's motivation needs to be presented better -- the explanation of why she is who she is didn't come across as sympathetically to me as it is supposed to; multiple characters (Arcelus and Gleason especially, and to a smaller extent Powers (as currently presented) and Foster) are not particularly likable, so why should we care what happens to them? Foster's innate likability helps his character along and his character is one where this is less of a problem than the others, but it still should be addressed.

But despite those concerns, the foundation is there and these are all problems that can be addressed in the lengthy preview period. Once they get the kinks out, this show could be really, really special. It feels fresh and ambitious and original and exciting. The show is already one of the best new musicals I have seen in quite some time, and I am definitely planning on returning.

Updated On: 2/28/09 at 12:01 PM

[AsburyBound]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 1:15pm

As far as a first Preview--I thought it was a pretty good show. Yes, there's much to improve upon, but I found myself having real laugh out loud moments, as well as questioning myself as to what my moments of happiness have been. So, if the task at hand is to entertain, plus make the audience think, then this show will succeed.

It seems from what I've read so far, the numbers that received praise, "Flashcards" (loved!) aside, were those having to do with illness, death, and dying. I agree, Helen's "Fibberty Jibbers" is poignant and special, Sorry, I felt Maurice's song was long and I had trouble with the connection between the actors. Both beautifully written songs, but happiest times come in all shapes and sizes.

So let's not forget that many of the more humorous moments are thanks to the comic timing of Joanna Gleason and Miguel Cervantes. (Even if his mic wasn't up to par on "Sex on Wheels.) As a sidebar... I don't think this song should be cut. I think it sort of came out of nowhere and needed a better segue. It also sets up what a jerk he is so later you see the contrast in his "perfect moment." ("Tooth Fairy")

As silly as some feel Joanna Gleason's "Nirvana" may have been, and yes, I agree, the chorus over-powered her voice, it was the element of surprise that made it fun... and theatrical. Same is true, for me, with the "Tooth Fairy" scene. After all the heavy stuff--this was the comedic moment to lighten things up!, but still pull at the heart-strings. Miguel Cervantes plays a selfish and crass guy. Who would imagine that his happiest moment was when he played Tooth Fairy to the daughter he has shown no responsibility for? I thought it was a big character reveal and the connection between him and the little girl who plays his daughter was genuine.

Interesting that Whizzer used the word "camp." As I was watching I was thinking that this show actually had the makings to create a cult following... a la "Jerry Likes My Corn." There's so many specific lines that I could imagine audience participation. So maybe "Tooth Fairy" and "Nirvana" fall under acquired taste?

The power numbers performed by Hunter Foster and Jenny Powers were memorable with great insight to their characters. Both were mesmerizing, in great vocal shape and executed tricky choreography really well.

Things I loved: The ensemble talent blew me away, a thought-provoking musical, and the casting was spot on -- except the aforementioned lover to Maurice. (Actors good--pairing wrong.)

Things I'd like to see improve: I missed too many of the lyrics! Shorten Maurice's and Arlene's scenes. Choreography great, but given that the audience is so close to the stage, it could be a bit more polished.

I agree with several who made this point.. this is a show that you should see more than once. There's a ton of detail, verbiage, and what seemed to be fantastic lyrics. If the orchestra doesn't drown them out.

There's an entire month before officially opening. What we think, feel and say now could be different come March 30th.

Innovative fresh theater that gets people talking... good or bad... I welcome it!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 1:58pm

I just wanted to clarify that I didn't think the whole production was campy, but only Miguel Cervantes prancing around in a glitter covered, pink tutu pretending to be the tooth fairy. The rest of the show was far from campy, and I'm sorry if I implied it was!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 2:02pm

If "The Tooth Fairy Song" and "Road to Nirvana" aren't cut/changed during the preview period, I will be very disappointed. By leaving those songs in, they are pretty much welcoming the critics to pan parts of the show. However, if these are changed and improved upon, the critics will/should give mostly positive reviews.

...and Whizzer, I think I looked over at you a few times where there were some very campy lines...can't remember them off the top of my head right now, but hopefully those will be cut/changed too...

Honestly though, I can't wait to see it again!!! I haven't stopped thinking about it since it ended last night (and I'm sure we'll still be discussing it at dinner this evening).
Updated On: 2/28/09 at 02:02 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 2:08pm

Well all the blow job lines need to go, as well as ****mild spoiler**** Joanna giving Mick Jagger a blow job in the bathroom scene.

There may have been a few other cringe-inducing lines, but nothing was worse than the tutu and the silver tinsel halo Miguel also had on. Oh, and I believe he also pulled glitter from his crouch area and sprinkled it on the bed, which was a little creepy. More than all of this, the song was on of the weakest in the show. The idea of him really caring about his daughter is cute and good. Now execute it better!

Updated On: 2/28/09 at 02:08 PM

[mikem]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 4:18pm

SPOILERS HERE

I agree that Maurice's song didn't come across as movingly as it should have -- it's an AIDS deathbed scene with a song from Ken Page for Pete's sake, so it should really work but it only semi-worked. I agree that the chemistry between the actors didn't work well, I think partially because of age differences. I have no idea how old Ken Page is in real life, but he comes across here as being around 60, and looks like he is at least 30 years older than Patrick Cummings, who is playing Albert, the dying lover. This makes it difficult already (yes, we know it is a flashback, but the actors are still disparate in age as we see them on stage -- this disparity was handled wonderfully in the WWII scene but less so here). In addition, the deathbed scene takes place 20 years earlier, and they say that the two men have been together for 11 years, so Maurice was probably around 30 when they got together, and Albert was a teenager. That introduces an element of creepiness which is completely unnecessary. They should have James Moye play Albert -- there's nothing wrong with Maurice being younger than Albert at the time of Albert's death and those two actors come across as being much closer in age -- it would work much better IMO and the missing chemistry might fall into place.

I had a very different take on the tooth fairy scene -- I didn't think that Miguel was playing it as camp or someone in drag -- he was playing a fairy-tale character who happens to be typically female in order to make his daughter happy, rather than playing a female character, if you know what I mean. I think that they should have made it clearer earlier that the daughter knew that the "tooth fairy" was her father -- until she made it clear that she was playing along, I thought that she was either really dense or she actually didn't know who her father was, neither of which are impressions I think I was supposed to have. Maybe she should say something like, "Tooth fairy, you look really familiar..." in a wisecracking tone or something like that. I thought the chemistry between father and daughter was great, and I thought the premise was fine. It kind of fits in retrospect that someone who is a player would have the greatest connection to his daughter rather than to a romantic interest, and also that he would only semi be in her life, so I think the situation works.

The only segment that didn't work at all for me was Joanna Gleason's, and that one really, really, really didn't work. I agree with the previous poster who said that it can't be corrected by tinkering -- the entire premise needs to be scrapped and they need to start all over again. It's one thing for something to be a surprise, but this surprise was not "earned" in any way and comes completely out of nowhere -- it doesn't make any sense given what we know about the character. And it certainly doesn't help us care about her character more -- her "perfect moment" is when she had oral sex in a public bathroom with a celebrity who is a total stranger? And she turned her back on her original values because all of her classmates were richer than she was? She doesn't seem regretful or conflicted about this choice in the least. Does she believe the hateful things she says on her show or does she just say them for the paycheck? Is she just a superficial hypocrite? Her character is unsympathetic to being with, and her big reveal doesn't increase our empathy towards her at all.

Given Joanna Gleason's stature, I was really expecting a star turn from her big scene, and this definitely was not it.

[Actor 7]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 10:03pm

I really enjoyed reading the many comments from those lucky people who saw the first preview performance of HAPPINESS. Excellent insights into what works/what doesn't seem to work. What size orchestra is used for this show? What kind of instrumentation was used? Was this done with a unit set on a thrust-like stage? I'm very curious. Thank you to all who posted their impressions.

[AsburyBound]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 11:19pm

Yes! MikeM, I agree so much with you! On all your points, actually...

For Helen's scene, they use a younger actress to portray her in the '40's, for Arlene's "trip" back in time, she's in costume, but for Maurice's flashback to the 80's--it's Ken Page in all his glorious (current) self. Perhaps using Alan Green to sit in the hospital bed holding hands with his dying lover, while Maurice sings that gorgeous song, would add the poignancy needed. I would have definitely been more moved.

I'm on the same page with "Tooth Fairy." I enjoyed it, although the song needs more punch. Add some rap/beat-boxing... maybe... (too In the Heights, perhaps).

Oh dear... what to do with Jonna Gleason's number?... need to ponder...

[jv92]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 11:30am

Oh won't some good soul put up a little something on The Singing Stage for the poor people who didnt buy tickets fast enough?

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 2:37pm

WOW, a lot of you were at the first few previews. I am in Row B on the far house left section, I hope it is okay. Especially for $97.00! I have never been in the Newhouse for Vivian B. anyone wanna try to take a stab at describing it for me?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 7:59pm

I saw the show last night. First let me say that I was sitting in the front row all the way to the right, and nothing was obstructed at all for me. So perhaps Stroman had made some placement changes from the way it was set up the night before.

I thought the premise was very creative and executed beautifully once it got going. I found the score fascinating. Each number felt like it was written in a different style, yet the show remained cohesive. Very fine work by Frankel and Korie here. I liked the score, as a whole piece, better than their score for GREY GARDENS.

I do feel like the opening segment, "Just Not Right Now" is very necessary and needs to stay as is. It shows these characters in their everyday lives, in present day, separated from everyone else who they are about to spend the rest of the show together getting to know.

The acting was splendid all around, with standouts for me being Fred Applegate, Jenny Powers, and Sebastian Arcelus. Applegate, especially, with the least stage time of the three, really left a lasting impression on me throughout the show, even though he leaves so early on. His number, "Best Seats In The Ballpark," was completely moving and tenderly performed. This scene was my favorite of them all.

Jenny Powers presents the best developed character of of the bunch, beginning with getting the audience to think she is shallow and will be the least interesting, and slowly allowing her truths to be revealed to the point where the audience is truly interested in her and is completely on her side. Yes, she can sing like it's nobody's business, she is a tremendous dancer, but what she really shows off with this performance are her strong acting skills. Her restrained, well rounded performance is the strongest developed character in the cast.

Perhaps it's because I had never seen Sebastian Arcelus in anything prior to this show, but I was completely wowed by his performance. He does a remarkable job with a character that is pretty confined and underdeveloped.

I actually really liked “The Tooth Fairy Song” scene. I thought it showed Miguel in a completely different light than the way he had been acting around the others on the train at that point. I found it sweet that he would do this for his daughter, and it really brought her spirits up. I do agree that it needs to be made clear earlier in that moment that he is indeed her father, and not some random guy who is coming through her window dressed as the tooth fairy. I also think that he needs a different sort of pocket to pull things out of and put things into other than his crotch. But with those two changes, I think the number would be perfect.

“The Boy Inside Your Eyes” really has the potential to be a beautifully performed number, but I absolutely agree with those who have pointed out the extremely obvious age differences between Maurice and his lover. I saw them less as lovers than as a sugar daddy and his “son.” I don’t know what Stroman is thinking here. It’s a gorgeous song, but these men do not match. Please, give the role of the lover to someone who is at least close to Maurice’s age. It just looks foolish right now, and it’s a shame, because as Whizzer mentioned above, it could be a real tear-jerker if done properly.

I really had trouble trying to figure out Hunter Foster’s character, Stanley. He was kind of an anomaly. He didn’t seem very human. But was that the point? Perhaps, but the way he is portrayed right now, the role has no range. One moment it’s a comedic, the next it’s dramatic. And I just didn’t buy it. The only way I can reconcile this character is to just accept the fact that he is not in fact a human being. And perhaps the audience isn’t supposed to find any source of humanity in him. They’re supposed to remain focused on the others, and Stanley is really just the MTA guy. Not much more. I do think that his number, “Step Up The Ladder,” needs to be cut, as it lines him up with everyone else on the train and doesn’t separate him enough into the other world being presented here that he is supposed to be in charge of. I don’t think any exposition into his background is necessary, and by eliminating this number, it would also cut down the running time of the show while keeping the focus on the others.

I am a strong advocate of any original musical. And I think it is the most fun to discuss and break down any work that has been developed from scratch (not based on a previous work, with an original score). I highly recommend people get a ticket to this show, if only to have the chance to wrap their brains around something that cannot be compared to any previous incarnation. It’s so rare nowadays to get a chance to experience a show like this.

[mikem]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 8:52pm

MORE SPOILERS

WBaF, I agree with you that the opening number does well the difficult job of presenting a slew of unrelated characters in a short period of time. It was pretty easy to follow and the characters were presented memorably enough that when they reappear on the subway car, we could remember them.

With Jenny Powers's character, I felt that they needed to make it more clear WHY she is so unhappy with her life. I felt like saying to her, "Step away from the People Magazine! Now! And all of your problems will be solved." I got the impression that she was just caught up in celebrity culture and glamor as opposed to (what I think I was supposed to feel) that she had a void in her life that she was trying to fill with her fantasies. Maybe more of an explanation as to WHY she was so dissatisfied with her life (there are many people who work at Bloomingdale's who don't fantasize so much) would have helped me understand her character more.

I also thought that Fred Applegate was great, although I kind of wish his number didn't directly follow Phyllis Somerville's. The two numbers were very similar in tone -- very nostalgic and wistful, with a "young" version of their character appearing in a bygone era. Those were the first two "moments," and I remember thinking that they were all going to have the same tone (which of course turned out not to be the case). I thought in general the ordering should be shifted. The two primarily comedic numbers (Miguel and the married couple) were also right next to each other, as well as the two "Superficiality is wrong!" numbers of Jenny Powers and Sebastian Arcelus (although I think those two are going to be the last two numbers no matter what). A little hard to know what the right order is, since if similar numbers are too far apart, the show would seem repetitive. But I think that Fred Applegate's number could be later in the show. Maybe switch around his number and the tooth fairy number, and give Miguel cancer rather than the doorman, so that Miguel accepts his fate quickly enough that he could go in the post-WWII slot.

What did you think of Joanna Gleason's number? And how was the sound design? There were major sound issues at the first preview (sound levels, microphones not working, etc).

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:14pm

Joanna Gleason's number felt to me like the writers had run out of ideas. First off, there is very little exposition into her character prior to her number. We know she hosts some radio show where she spouts off nasty things. I wanted to see just a glimmer of humanity in her character prior to her "moment," so I had a reason to care about her.

Even if they were to leave her pre-song character development as is, I want her to have a song that in some way REDEEMS this woman's lack of humanity displayed on her radio show. I was thinking, instead of the Mick Jagger blowjob number, perhaps giving her a moment when she had someone on her radio show that really made her re-question what she was doing and what she thought of herself.

The way Gleason's character is written now, I didn't care about her before her "moment" was revealed, and I didn't care about her after.

There weren't any sound issues at last night's performance. I understood all of the dialogue and lyrics, and the music didn't overpower any spoken words.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 9:24pm

"While it was great seeing all of this talent together doing an original (and I can't stress that word enough) piece, it still doesn't really make it good."

Amen.

[mikem]

Posted: 3/1/09 at 11:31pm

SPOILERS AGAIN

WBaF, I agree completely with what you are saying about Joanna Gleason's character. She is awful not only on the radio show, but also in her interactions in daily life (the "green card" comment to Miguel, the way she treats the smoothie salesgirl, etc, etc, etc), without any real shading or complexity. I think her number is maybe supposed to represent more carefree days when she was less uptight, but her present-day character doesn't come across as being uptight, just obnoxious and lacking humanity, so her moment doesn't really feel like a redemption. I hope they re-do her entire section. (I was also confused at one point when they said that 1968 was "45 years ago," rather than "40 years ago" -- are they already planning for a long run?)

I'm not sure what the best approach is to Hunter Foster's character. Part of the problem is that Hunter Foster's, Jenny Powers's, and Sebastian Arcelus's characters all kind of start from the same place (they lived their lives in a superficial way and don't have a "perfect moment"), so there is the danger of their character arcs seeming too similar to each other. I think that they are supposed to take different journeys in the piece and end up at different places -- Jenny Powers finds that when she dug down deeply, she had that moment after all; Sebastian Arcelus realizes that he needs to live his life differently if he wants to get that moment; Hunter Foster. . . well, I kind of agree with you that I don't 100% understand his character -- does he even have a character arc? He doesn't really change or learn anything over the course of the show. It seems that he's stuck as the trainman forever -- does he mind or care? Hopefully, they will work on his character development (or make it clearer that there isn't supposed to be any).

I really think all of the elements are there for the show to be fantastic if they use the preview period wisely -- the cast is perfect, the score/book/direction are all 90% there already, the set design is an impressive use of a very small space, the lighting and costumes are well-done, and it sounds like the sound design is already better. I have really high hopes for this show. So much of it already works really well -- the subway car set, the WWII scene, Fred Applegate's number, Family Flashcards, the tricky exposition and explanation of the premise. The rest just needs to fall into place.

[Sleeper2]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 6:57pm

Holy Moley!

Jenny Powers is the best thing about this show. Hands down. What an amazing talent. If this transfers to Bway, there is a nomination if not a Tony with her name on it. I really dug Hunter Foster, too. Trust me, I never thought I'd say that.

I loved the show, the score, the acting. It was an amazing night at the theater.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 5:26pm

I'm not ready to read the debating and smart criticism in this thread yet, but I definitely will in a few days. (WBAF, I always enjoy your posts!)

Right now, I just want to say that I unabashedly 100% fully LOVED THIS SHOW BEYOND ALL WORDS. Just saw the matinee and I haven't cried that much in a very long time. I loved loved loved the true ensemble nature of the show, the staging, the characters, the structure, the vivid moments articulated in the lyrics, the risk- taking surprising points of the plot, the SO character- specific and New York- specific music, the oddness and intensity of Hunter Foster's character, the truthfulness of Ken Page's scene, the lighting each time someone "passed through"... I cried through the tooth fairy scene, I laughed through the first subway scene, I never checked my program or my watch or even shifted in my chair. I bought a poster at the theatre for the first time in literally, maybe 5 years.

I can't wait to see Happiness again. I would recommend it to everyone.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 1:27pm

Loved it loved it loved it!

[notabb]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 12:17am

went back for the sat mat. the work they've done is great. "Sex On Wheels" song is gone and things seem much clearer.Great acting all around but Arcelus , Applegate , Somerville and Powers are so moving. I love this show ! Damn thing made me cry again. I want the cd now!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 1:00am

they still haven't changed Gleason's number yet??

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 1:02am

It sounds so interesting, blow jobs, etc. and a perplexing score.
Is there any nudity?
Sounds like a show that has some.
How was Rob Sapp, any flesh involved?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 9:42am

Rob Sapp doesn't have that much to do...he is not one of the main characters on the subway, but one of the supporting players in some of the "happy moment" sequences. Still, he is good in the small roles that he plays.

I won't even comment on the nudity or flesh question, since you seem to ask that for every show...

Love your NICK & NORA avatar though...

[AsburyBound]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 9:52am

All the ensemble actors play a multitude of roles...each special and unique. Rob Sapp plays a bunch of specific characters and does them all so well! The wig/costume changes were so quick and it took me a while to figure out who was who, but the ensemble definitely plays a big part in this show.