Has anyone seen SCANDALOUS lately...? — Page 3

So does anyone else have an opinion about this show, or is this thread just going to continue to be broadwayguy2's moment in the sun of snarkiness?

Yes, that will do, thanks.

Still baffled by the process here, all of the workshopping and out of town vis a vis what's on view in October 2012. The last production in Seattle created a sea of indifferent press, all available to read, much posted here and elsewhere, yet managed to engage serious producers' interests and financing. Even considering their subjective religious investment, who expected big financial returns on this property in 2012? The show's absence of a point of view is the most telling. There's no Che character to EVITA-ize, and if it's a neutral, history channel take, with narrative omnicience and a journalistic objectivity, why bother? Docudrama with power ballads? This is a strange project about a great subject, made stranger by its journey, the track record of its creative team, and finally the pile-on of backers and its absence of a star above the title to pull in a wide demographic of audience members, which the gifted Carmello cannot do.

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She could act any age (her "teenage Aimee" was an amazing coup de theatre)

LIES. SUCH LIES. That whole scene was terrible. Carolee was acting like she was 9 years old, NOT 17. When she was walking the edge of the stage like a balance beam, she looked like a little kid. Also, she was talking as though she were an adolescent, not a teenager. I don't think she really gets what 17 year olds are supposed to sound and act like.

It has nothing to do with modern characterization. I'm talking about the pitch of her voice. She was talking as though she were a small child. She was moping like a 5 year old not getting her favorite toy. Watch Little House on the Prairie. Just because it was in the early 1900s doesn't mean that 17 year olds sounded like children.

"George Hearn just gets trotted around with this look on his face that screams "Yes, I have to say this".

He also looks either like someone who has to pay alimony (which I don't believe he does) or someone who needs enough weeks to get his insurance (which he probably does). Well, a man's got to make a living. And for this he moved down from VT?

In the early 1900's woman's life spans weren't that long. Many died in childbirth. A 17 year old would be quite grown up. An extended childhood is a rather recent developement.

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The KKK bit would work better if it was in any way referenced again later. There is no repercussion from the public in the show for accepting their money, nor any from them for not using it the way they want.

I can't remember if they even mention that they kidnapped her or if that is from Gifford talking about it outside the show

This was the first show in all of my years of theatre-going that put me to sleep. I tried to fight it but at some point during the second act, I nodded off.

The show itself is quite an embarrassment. Like others have said, it is not fun or campy, and you can't even mock it. It's just a boring disaster. I can't even say that Carolee is giving a great performance because there's only so much you can do with such poor material. And why does she have to belt her head off during EVERY song she is given to sing? Were they expecting every number to be a showstopper? It's not even worth mentioning the rest of the cast, other than to say that there's so many talented people being wasted right now at the Neil Simon.

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Also, I forgot to mention that someone was calling for a doctor in the audience during Roz Ryan's big number in the brothel during act 1 and there was a bit of a commotion but they didn't stop the show!

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the story has such potential- they need to make the KKK part more of the story and cut out a WHOLE LOT of the rest of it (please dont make it any longer!!!) Aimee was actually kidnapped by the KKK twice in her life- why was this never mentioned?
I still am not sure WHY she was on trial- did I miss that??
I saw it the 2nd week of previews- please tell me there have been some major changes since then.

jbm2, there were a few numbers in act 2 listed in the playbill that were cut last night, so I guess they are making changes. I'm not sure the cuts made the show better but at least it made it mercifully shorter.

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Updated On: 11/10/12 at 02:53 PM