High Fidelity....

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 1:51am

After a thorough search, nobody appears to have seen this show.

I saw it at the Saturday matinee, and here's what I think.

I think Amanda Green is an exceptionally talented lyricist. I think her work on this show is smart, funny, and intelligent.

I think Rachel Stern is an amazingly talented performer, and I enjoyed her every second she was on stage. I have no idea who she is, I've never seen her in a previous production, but she was sensational here.

I did not enjoy this show.

I did not hate it, either.

I'm not sure what the point of this show is. I'm just saying.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 1:58am

I didn't really get the point of the show either. I left the theater thinking, "Who cares?" The story didn't do anything for me. Granted though, the cast had a lot of energy and was talented.

My advice is save your money and see something else in NY. I really hate to be so negative, but I have a feeling this is going to close sometime within the first half of next year.

[.LittleWing. 0224]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:22am

I loved it. There, I said it.

This show had something that I havent seen in a long time in any show. It had life. Genuine energy and fun and talent and plain old life pouring off of the stage, out of the performers, in the dialogue, in the songs.... it was genuine. there was no big plot to reveal, no big climatic moment really. Just a story about things most can relate to.... relationships. breakups. music. sex. crazy friends who are really family. letting go. growing up. moving on... you get the point.

It was smart and there's still work to be done but it had life and i loved it.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:56am

Another thing, I couldn't really sympathize with the two main characters, Rob and Laura. *HUGE SPOILER THAT REVEALS ENDING DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU'VE SEEN THE SHOW*
























It was pretty obvious/predictable they were going to get back together, especially with the weirdness of the Ian guy (was that his name?). So it was difficult for me to feel sorry for Rob.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:13am

I totally agree, Millie.

Honestly. I loved "High Fidelity" the novel.

I adored "High Fidelity" the film.

I don't get why the musical exists.


It's not a bad idea for a musical, it really isn't. But the business that's onstage at the Imperial right now is mystefying. A bit of it works. Most of it doesn't.

I hope that a talented composer realizes what great work Amanda Green did. She deserves to hook up with someone with real talent.

I think her collaborator in this particular case did her no favors.

I'm just saying.

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 7:16am

reading the book now!

[RentHead2]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 7:16am

Okay I have seen High Fidelity and here is my thoughts on it:

It didn't have as much fun as I did at the Wedding Singer. It didn't touch my heart the way Grey Gardens did, and I didn't have my foot tapping to every song the way Jersey Boys did, and I didn't see anyone flying in the air like Wicked....but all and all I had a good time.

The sountrack to the show is enough reason to see it alone. Top five breakups, bullet among others...nonstop hits with cast members who can belt it out with the best of them. To be honest, I am going back for another dose of this one soon. And seeing Will Chase on stage in his boxers...well isn't that enough of a reason to to buy a ticket to this one! It was cute, but not the cutest! The storyline was very weak...but in the end I really felt that Will Chase and Jenn had alot of chemistry together.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 11:40am

a) There are MULTIPLE threads about people who have seen this show in the past week.

b) I hope that a talented composer realizes what great work Amanda Green did. She deserves to hook up with someone with real talent.

Whoa!! Really?? I think Amanda Green is super-talented, but I thought Tom Kitt's music was the highlight of the show. With the book a little bit lacking, Kitt's music had a ton of energy and life, and left me wanting to hear it over and over.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 11:55am

a thorough search

I honestly don't know how you could have missed the threads with "High Fidelity" in their titles.

And... do shows always have to have a "point" beyond entertaining the audience? I went. I laughed. I enjoyed the score. I felt for the characters. To me, that's the point of a show, barring complete fluff.

[theater_nut]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 12:19pm

I saw High Fidelity last night, and I have to say it is the most fun I've had in theatre in I can't remember how long.
I thought the music was incredible - catchy and memorable. The sound in the theatre, BTW, is unbelievable - I have never heard a show's music from a pit sound quite as clear as that...
The cast and acting was superb. The set is Tony Award-winning. The book is great because it is basically an adaptaion of the original Nick Hornby book and the movie. It is clever and witty because it was ALWAYS clever and witting. David Lidsey-Abaire did a great show or adapting it for the stage.
I would have liked to see Christopher Gatteli's choreography more. Certain moments I wished there was more movement. But the story, music, acting, humor and originality of this musical had me in stiches the whole way through.
There was consistent laughter all night, moments of hysterical laughter (like on Conflict Resolution) and I would recommend this musical to anyone who wants to go out and have a good fun time at the theater and laugh a lot.
I don't understand why people have such a magnifying glass to this musical. Look at Wicked - you're telling me that that musical does the book justice? It's nothing like the book by Gregory McGuire. But you know why people love it? Because it's FUN. I'm not comparing HiFi to Wicked, in fact I feel that HiFi's book does WAY more justice to Nick Hornby than Wicked does to Gregory McGuire. All i'm saying is that people like Wicked because it's entertaining. So is HiFi. It's not re-defining musical theater, it's highly entertaining - and for $100, I want to laugh. I have to say, at the end, I felt it was money well spent.
I predict High Fidelity surprising people and becoming a long running hit. Once people realize that not every musical needs to be a deep, spiritual, life-altering expereince, but most people pay money to have a few laughs, hear some great music and have fun. There is nothing wrong with that, and I highly HIGHLY recommend this musical to everyone!!

Updated On: 11/29/06 at 12:19 PM

[joe5]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 12:40pm

I can't agree more with Theater Nut. When I saw it in Boston. I felt happy when I left the show. Hoping to see it again in NYC...............

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 12:54pm

Amen, theater_nut. You said what I've been trying to say for a week so much more succinctly. High Fidelity is a lot of fun while still remaining a smart musical.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 1:02pm

My all-time High Fidelity Top 5 Attributes are:
1. Amanda Green's lyrics. Witty, modern, often drop-dead hysterical, and the driving part of the show.
2. Jen Colella's voice. Not to dredge up the wrong discussion, but she should be belting out Elphaba's songs, among others.
3. The "fantasy" sequence. Hands down, the most well-executed sequence in the show and in many shows currently open. Had the audience eating it up.
4. The "guys" who frequent Championship Vinyl. Too much fun, especially when they would suddenly break out into backup dancing.
5. Will Chase. He doesn't quite have the "I could do anything and you'd still love me" charm of John Cusack, but he's easy on the eyes, nice voice, good acting style...

The problem is the book. It's slick, pushes right through every film point as if a committee said, "we need this and this and this and this in this musical" and Abaire had to go do it.
I'm also not a HUGE fan of the score, I think it's a bit generic. Green's lyrics elevate it, when it does indeed elevate.

[joeybiltmore1]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 1:08pm

My two cents:

LOVED the score. Especially enjoyed the opening, Rachel Stern's number, It's No Problem, and the Lyle Lovett song. (no song listing in the Playbill so I'm doing my best here!)
Can't wait for the CD.

Chase is very likable, Colella is appealing and sings like a dream. Both do the best they can with underdeveloped characters. Christian Anderson stands out from the supporting cast and Justin Brill is excellent in the busy ensemble.

Well directed by Walter Bobbie - particularly the rewind scene in Act Two - and choreographer Christopher Gattelli's work is once again excellent.

***SET SPOILERS***

AMAZING set. LOVED how it would change instantly - especially the brilliant one bed one second/another bed the next trick - so simple yet so theatrical.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:00pm

I at least hope that if this show isn't a complete success in NYC, that it at least tours because I'd love to see it. It sounds like it has great potential. But I know it will more than likely get bashed for the sad fact that its a "B-movie-turned-musical."

[ashley0139]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:04pm

4. The "guys" who frequent Championship Vinyl. Too much fun, especially when they would suddenly break out into backup dancing.

I totally agree and think that these guys do not get nearly enough credit. Especially Andrew Call. They had me in hysterics. In the rewind scene, Will takes a record out of Andrew's hands when he is frozen, and he spends a good amount of time looking for it. The look on his face is priceless.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:13pm

What's the show curtain like?

[joe5]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 2:52pm

You really think that? Worse than Tarzan, hardly! I live in Boston and saw it here. I have been to NYC twice this year. Having seen six Broadway shows, Wedding Singer, Lestat, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Company and Jersey Boys. Other than Company, which I really enjoyed. High Fidelity was much more enjoyable than the mentioned above..................

[alliez92092]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:16pm

theatre_nut got it. Do you think that the musical was meant to be touching and thought provoking? No, that wasn't the point. The point of it was to be a fun night at the theatre. Out of all of the shows I've seen in the past couple of months, I never left the theatre as happy as I was when I left High Fidelity. Why can't people just accept entertainment? They did for Mamma Mia!, and if you ask me that's a lot worse than High Fidelity.

And did you really do a thorough search? Because there are a ton of threads about people who have seen High Fidelity.

[theater_nut]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:38pm

People go to the theater to be entertained.
Everything about HiFi is entertaining. That's the point.

It is witty, modern, clever and fun. Yes FUN.
However, taste is subjective...if you are looking to find some kind of a religious, mystic, devine theater experience, then you probably shouldn't be seeing a Broadway musical - I don't know - read a book, go see some Shakespeare play somewhere...The great white way needs more musicals like High Fidelity - make us laugh and have fun..

P.S., I agree alliez92092 with everything you said, thanks, except I actually did find moments of the end of HiFi that were touching (like when Rob & Laura get back together), but I know what you are saying
Updated On: 11/29/06 at 03:38 PM

[alliez92092]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:42pm

Oh, I did too of course!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:44pm

NoDayButToday5, considering the number of times you've called the show "aweful," you'd think you'd know how to spell it by now.

Anyway, I think it's very important to emphasize that yes, the show's main purpose is to entertain and make the audience laugh, but as theater_nut pointed out, the show still allows the audience to sympathize with the show's characters - something that I don't think is present in a show such as Mamma Mia. It's not deep, but it still manages to make the audience feel for its characters, and still maintains a very savvy sense of humor throughout the show. I really am wary of it being called pure fun, because I think there is something other than strictly fun hidden in there as well.

[theater_nut]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:49pm

Siamese Dream - I totally agree.
"Pure Fun" is downplaying and trivializing the show. It is definitely more than that. The music rocks, the actors display an enormous range dramatically, and its wittyness and cleverness make it have much more depth and sophistication than a show like Mamma Mia.

I think the term "Fun" just kinda sums it up in a word, but yea you are right. It's much better than "Fun" show.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 3:52pm

NoDayButToday5, considering the number of times you've called the show "aweful," you'd think you'd know how to spell it by now.

Thank you!!! I thought I was the only one being bugged by that.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 4:00pm

It's getting oh so shilly around here.