I left SWEET CHARITY at intermission- Page 5

[robbiej]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:00pm

The last revival did...right after Mama, Look Sharp.

And I, for one, thought the revival (particularly at the Critereon Center) was absolutely spectacular.

[DAME]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:01pm

It had a intermission. I saw it at the Gershwin by the way. It was also spooky caue there were only like 50 people in the audience.

Updated On: 4/14/05 at 02:01 PM

[ckeaton]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:02pm

Come to think of it Robbie, the Geva production put the 1776 intermission there too... which I thought was an awful place to put it. After a rather quiet, debbie downer of a song. The old logic of big act 1 closers that send them out buzzing...

Perhaps they should have lifted a wailing John Adams to the roof in a constitutional cherry picker.

[midtowngym]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:04pm

I walked out on Newsical after 7 minutes--i counted. The director was standing behind me (i was seated in the last row), so i did this modern classic--"hold my cellphone to my ear and pretend i'm whispering and then nod to the director as I exit, as if to say 'sorry, phone call.' Then go to a fag bar for a drink.

Updated On: 4/14/05 at 02:04 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:04pm

Well--and while 1776 is a brilliant show, Dame didn't have to sit through a bad production of it.

And ckeaton--I know what you mean. I have worked on shows that have awesome second acts. But the first act HAS to be good. You can't have the ushers reassuring people to stay. (Hot Shoe Shuffle anyone??)

[swifty]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:08pm

IT LOOKS LIKE HER FRIENDS LOST 2 MILL THAT BARRY WOULD NOT PUT UP

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:08pm

oh well, it's a fact of life.

While I would never walk out, because I don't want to waste my money...I think sleeping during a show is rude. If I were on stage I would prefer you to leave than sleep - at least I could say, "Well, someone was there - must have gotten sick."

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:11pm

I walked out on Harrigan and Heart. but I had the runs and didn't think it was worth the effort. Updated On: 4/14/05 at 02:11 PM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:12pm

Last show I walked out on was Urban Cowboy - left at intermission because I just couldn't figure out how such an awful production had made it to the Broadway Stage.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:26pm

I've walked out on a couple of shows that I thought were unbearable to sit through (The Civil War, Man of La Mancha in Madrid), but usually curiosity keeps me in my seat for the second act, even in bad shows (Notre Dame de Paris, Closer to Heaven). I just didn't think Sweet Charity was that walk-outable. Brooklyn and Good Vibrations, I can see it, but this? Nah.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:35pm

Matt - I saw your comments about Man of La Mancha on another thread - I'm sorry they butchered it that much. Its always been my favorite show and it amazes me how some directors feel they need to spoon feed an audience..just to get a point across!

[justme2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:41pm

Well, I for one am not telling anyone to "stick it out" and stay at a show that they are not enjoying. Or stay at a show that they specifically came to see crash and burn and then, gasp!, be amazed that their pre-conceived opinion made them actually, truly, hate the show (amazing!).

I am not telling anyone they are wrong to leave at intermission.

I am pointing out how WRONG it is to leave at intermission and THEN run home to your computer and post threads about how awful, terrible, dissapointing, heinous, etc, the show was.

There were several shows I wanted to leave...Blood Brothers, PHANTOM, and Titanic being three that come to mind immediately. I didn't, as I felt that for any opinion of the show to be valid, I had to see where the show went and ended up. It's only fair.

[magicmanst]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:42pm

I still say that this was a stellar production of Sweet Charity. It seems to me that those who have disliked it have more problems with the show than this staging. it's certainly not a show for everyone, but if you like the material, I couldn't imagine you being unhappy with this Broadway production. The dancing is ridiculously good, and the performances are all top notch. I also found the ending very fulfilling. It's a tough show to end, as the journey we watch Charity take part in lacks a true beginning, middle, and end, but the empowerement she attains by the end of the second act is dead-on. I'm a little worried about Ms. Applegate taking over the role of Charity, as D'ambrose hit it dead-on, but I have confidence. The role of Charity is far more about charm and personality than a whopping voice and killer dancing skills, and to that regard, Christina will be able to deliver(hopefully).

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:42pm

Those are three shows that I also wanted to walk out on- but stayed to see if I might be wrong - but I wasn't!

[bjivie2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:43pm

I love how there's this "I hate Sweet Charity" thread and there's another "Sweet Charity is brilliant" thread. The magic of theatre...

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:50pm

I think once the show has opened, it's fair to say

"The show was so bad, I left at intermission".

The only thing I don't give MEF (who is a cool dude) is that previews can be (and should be) a place for trial and error. And even though the show was done in two previous cities, we don't know whether or not it is undergoing major revision.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:55pm

redhot - It was even worse than spoon-feeding! It was simply directed by someone who knew absolutely nothing about the show. The main reason the production came back (it was a revival of a production that ran several years ago) was because of a national celebration in honor of the 400th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote by Cervantes. There were major Don Quixote events happening in every major city. Jarico and I saw the original Picasso drawing in Barcelona in a Quixote art exhibition.

Honestly, I don't even know how to describe how bad that production was. I think the only thing worse it could have featured was to cast Haley Joel Osment and Calista Flockhart as Cervantes and Aldonza.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:59pm

justme2 - Go see Man of La Mancha in Madrid. At intermission you will flee to the nearest computer if for no other reason than to purge from your mind what you have just witnessed. Believe me, it can be justified.

[DAME]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 2:59pm

Matt;
How was Spain?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:05pm

Best vacation of my life! Unlike mef at Sweet Charity, I never wanted to leave Barcelona. I'll PM you the link with the pics.

[justme2]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:12pm

redhotinny-

Yeah, I wasn't wrong either. Phantom, Titanic and Blood Brothers were three shows that should have been shut down in previews.

But...someone must have liked them? Oh yeah...WISH liked PHANTOM....

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:16pm

Justme2: Saying PHANTOM is a bad show is your opinion. It certainly not the best, but to say it should have closed in previews? Are you drunk? And a hell of a lot more than WISHIHADATONY must like this show - it's been running for 17 years.

You think TITANIC and BLOOD BROTHERS should have been shut down in previews? Please - I do'nt know what productions of BLOOD BROTHERS you've seen, but the ones I've seen have been brilliant. And TITANIC, how you can say it should have closed in previews is assinine.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:18pm

I will say it again, people---I don't really care that you found it rude that I left at intermission. They got my money, and they don't care if I stay or not. I want to thank JRB, Munk, Robbie, WISH, and all of the other people who realize that what I did was rude in no way.

To those of you who found it rude that I left, I am going to post a list of shows that I stayed all the way through right now:
DRACULA, THE MUSICAL
TALLER THAN A DWARF
PRYMATE
URBAN COWBOY: THE MUSICAL
DROWNING CROW
SAFE SEX
Ally Sheedy in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
GOOD VIBRATIONS
BROOKLYN
The Tom Selleck revival of A THOUSAND CLOWNS
McREELE
WICKED (twice, no less)

[DAME]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:18pm

Oy munkustrap178,
You are missing the point. They did not close in previews because obviously someone like them. Different strokes for different folks. Hey; a lot of people hate Wicked. And I do believe Phantom to be crap ( try telling that to my mother).

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 4/14/05 at 3:57pm

I agree with Queen Moppet, I would never leave either. First of all tixs are too expensive and I always find something to love.