Posted: 5/6/15 at 5:28pm
Below the belt? I just mean descriptively. When theatre attracts an older audience, and the star of a theatre show is >80, it follows that many of the fans may be no longer be living. That's a bad thing, if I were to provide an evaluation.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 5:32pm
Low blow. She has many fans in their mid-late '70s.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 5:37pm
Actually, it's true. They did a huge study of 18,000 people who identified themselves as Chita Rivera fans. According to the study, their average age was deceased.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 5:45pm
The only reason I went was to see Chita. I am in my 60's and it was a bucket list thing.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:19pm
Whippersnapper!
Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:23pm
Let's just say the wording of the post could have been said better.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:33pm
I hope this doesn't seem too rude but it's how I feel. I have been going to Broadway shows since the mid 70's. When I saw Chita and Gwen in the original Chicago, there was lots of talk about both of them (especially Gwen at the time) were old for the parts. They were both amazing but, they were not in their twenties or even their thirties. Then I saw Chita in Kiss of The Spider Woman, and I am sorry, but she was way too old to be playing that part... yet she won a Tony. I personally did not think it was a performance that deserved a Tony Award. Now, she is 82 and may win another Tony. If she does, it certainly will be partly due to her age and sentiment. I know this is going to be controversial, but I guess I just don't see her appeal. No disrespect meant. It's just my opinion.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:53pm
You're allowed to respectfully not enjoy a legendary performer. There were also several people on here who didn't get Elaine Stritch. And Patti and Bernadette certainly have detractors.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 7:24pm
I cannot stand Chenowench. opps i meant Chenoweth.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 7:47pm
What I don't like is that some of these performers just tend to get nominated regardless of the performance. That did not happen so much this year, which I thought was great. James Earl Jones for instance did not deserve a nomination, and he didn't get one, BUT I could have easily have seen that happening. I think there is a whole generation of performers that are disappearing. Chita, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, are all going to be gone one day soon. The next generation.. Patti Lupone, Bernadette Peters, are soon going to take their place. And the world goes on....
Posted: 5/6/15 at 7:56pm
Word of mouth characterizes the show as dark and dour and that's just not what people are in the mood for. Chita is a legend in the theater community but your brother in Peoria probably has no idea who she is thus no tourist appeal.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 8:02pm
If the show is "pitch black", why was I moved? It's about lost love and how we percieve our youth, our mistakes and then how to "move on". Chita is certainly NOT getting a "sympathy" nod here. Her performance stands up against (and for me) above any of the other ladies leading a show right now. If younger people don't realize that to see Chita is to see how "to do it" at any age, that is their lose.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 9:28pm
I saw the show again tonight and it just gotten even better than the last time I saw it a month ago. Little changes here and there, even down to a subtle wink from Chita show how much thought is put into every word, every action taken by everyone on that stage. After tonight I'm sure in my opinion that it is my favorite musical of this season and one of the finest shows I've ever seen live.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 10:13pm
I loved the show, dearly, profoundnly, found is searingly theatrical, sad, disturbing, tragic, funny, moving; yet would never expect a large majority of the New York theater-going public to respond to it. Nothing here sells tickets, folks. It would take a miracle to turn this one around. The week after the Tony's, history. That's theater, always has been, always will be.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 10:28pm
I have tickets for July 4th and while I hope it will still be open then and I have the opportunity to see it, it sounds like I may need to have a back-up plan. I did get to see Chita in Spider Woman, although she was out when I saw Drood.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 10:36pm
No matter what:
1. The show got produced on Broadway
2. Chita got the role of a lifetime which may net her a Tony
Posted: 5/6/15 at 10:57pm
It really is a success story that no underwhelming box office receipts can mar.
Posted: 5/6/15 at 11:12pm
I don't think the shows producers put this up thinking it would be a massive commercial hit.
Posted: 5/7/15 at 1:35am
"If younger people don't realize that to see Chita is to see how "to do it" at any age, that is their lose."
I agree. I have been in love with Chita since the age of 14. I will forever treasure my memories of The Dancer's Life and The Visit. Lifelong memories. Such an amazing performer.
Posted: 5/7/15 at 1:58am
Some of these ageist comments are downright disgusting. It's low for even this board.
To answer the original post, I can't see this last much past the Tonys. I think a Tony could help the show get through another short while, perhaps the summer, but the low grosses will hurt Chita's chances and, sadly, that's the award they would be most likely to get. So, again sadly, I bet this posts a closing soon after the Tonys.
A beautiful, appropriately ambitious and accomplished bow for Kander & Ebb, and Chita, together.
Updated On: 5/7/15 at 01:58 AM
Posted: 5/7/15 at 2:06am
Wasn't the whole thing that basically the producers of It's Only A Play were sort of pushed into producing this as a thank you? So maybe it's just one big write off. I can't imagine they spent a ton to produce it. Very minimal props/sets/costumes. I want to go back and see it because when I saw it I rather hated it. It just wasn't what I was expecting. There wasn't really any "book" scenes and the story just didn't feel fleshed out. I think it's a really haunting premise of a show, but I just wish there was more "action" in the sense of people actually doing something. But, to hear Jason Dainely sing that song again, I will go. And as for Chita... I just didn't feel like she did much of anything or brought much of anything to the role? She's regal, sure. But her vocals/acting weren't anything special. I'd much rather Beth Malone win for Fun Home.
Posted: 5/7/15 at 5:07pm
To make matters worse, they have tix on a papering site for $10 for 4 dates
That says it all.
Posted: 5/7/15 at 5:28pm
Oh, man. If they knew who Roxy was, his membership would be terminated in a SECOND for advertising that.
Posted: 5/7/15 at 5:38pm
I thought Smaxie put it best when she politely asked Roxy to stop taking advantage of ticket discounts and then using the existence of the discounts as a way to criticize the shows.
But it probably went over his head.
Posted: 5/8/15 at 5:20am
I'm curious--what does Mrs Roxy do while Mr Roxy is at the keyboard all day every day?
Cutting coupons?
