IN MY LIFE REVIEWS- FIRST PREVIEW- Page 6

[steveshack]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:37pm

As a writer of musicals, I have to admit that a part of me winces when I read reviews that totally ridicule someone else's work because I know how hard it is to write a musical. However, all these comments are reminding me of the worst, most hilarious musical I ever sat through. It was in London and it was "Bernadette! the musical" about the life of Bernadette, the Cathlic saint.

Set in France in the 1700s (?), it began with a big choir in hooded black robes singing a Gregorian chant. Suddenly the set parted to reveal a little village not unlike the opening scene in the movie of "Beauty and Beast" to the accompaniment of go-go bells (think "Copacabana"). And from there it went positively downhill. What made it hard for us was that we were at the very last performance and everyone around us was watching it like they were in church. We were laughing so hard at the attempts to be serious and religious -- like when they rolled out her cave-niche onto the stage and it looked like a squashed donut -- that we were upsetting everyone around us.

Ah, life. I'm just sorry I'm not there to see In My Life.

Now, has Margo put a review yet?

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:46pm

so did anyone rush this show? what time did you get there? where were the seats?

i'm sorry if these questions have already been answered!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:50pm

Cathywellerstein, may I suggest that you get an early start and create your "In My Life: A PLEA" thread right now. I'm imagining something along the lines of, "If you like lemons, pirates or skeletons, PLEASE give 'In My Life' a chance! The actors work REALLY hard!"

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:52pm

The rush, is day of at the box office for $25 or so. liotte did it for last night, she said she got there a little after noon, I think. Her seats were front row center.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:58pm

thanks smartpenguin!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 1:02pm

Oh I think IN MY LIFE is going to be way more popular then LENNON. Nobody wanted to see that show. Nobody talked about it. Nobody cared. IN MY LIFE is a must see event.

[Steve2]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 2:23pm

As for Brooks, he has complete confidence in the power of the project: "When we did a workshop last year, people walked out crying. Men, women, sobbing. This show has a huge power."
In My Life Article from Broadway.com

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 2:24pm

Oh I cried. I cried and cried and cried! It was SOMETHING!

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 2:35pm

Agree, I couldn't stop crying from laughing THAT HARD.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 2:59pm

So could someone tell us how that great ditty, MY MOTHER'S SON works in the concept of the show? Is it supposed to be tongue in cheek? Is he at a really bad audition? What?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:00pm

Bring tissues. I don't ever recall crying with laughter to that extent before.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:02pm

they are making a cast recording?!!! WHAT??! why?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:04pm

totally agree Margo. bring tissues and i wish i had brought a pad and paper...to jot down those dreadful lyrics.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:05pm

oh please post your reviews on the IN MY LIFE messageboard!!

www.inmylife.tk

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:09pm

I reached in my pocket, grabbed a pen and scribbled the following in my Playbill -- I won't give the context so as not to spoil it for others:

"If I could come back just one more time
I would watch out for that "One Way" sign ....."

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:10pm

And Brooks may have the distinction of being the only composer in history to rhyme "rumor" with "tumor."

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:14pm

That's OK, I am pretty sure Dean Pitchford is the only lyricist in history to rhyme "attitude" with "screwed."

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:22pm

Tiny Toon making fun of any musical while plugging the BKLN The Musical site just really lacks credibility.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:28pm

hahaha FindingNamo hahahaha, that's so true.

Keep the reviews coming, I think this show is like a car crash. Ithink curiousity will keep this show alive for a while. The fact that nobody knows how to describe it or explain it. I mean hell, i'm willing to fly to NYC to see it right now hahah.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:38pm

Margo, I cant wait to read your review.

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:42pm

"So could someone tell us how that great ditty, MY MOTHER'S SON works in the concept of the show?"

It doesn't. JT is explaining to Jenny that it was his mother who taught him about music. Then he sings the song while his mother appears behind a scrim on the wall ala Pillowman. She is standing in a kitchen and, as stated before, is for some reason dressed like it is the 50s. She keeps waving to an invisible person playing in the backyard, probably JT. It was one of those moments when the show stopped dead so someone could sing and not move the plot forward at all.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:43pm

MY MOTHER'S SON was completely sincere. As was much of the piece. Although it lapsed into absurdity...none of it was really 'ironic'. None of that hip, wink-wink kinda thing that's so de rigeur these days in Broadway musicals.

It was meant to be anthemic, I believe.

Wow...just...

Holy SH*T.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:43pm

So there's no intermission? Is there not going to be an intermission ever? how long does the show run?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:45pm

it started about 8:10 and we got out around 9:55.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 3:45pm

And no one here yet seems to want to ask the question:

Why is JT's family Puerto Rican??? I mean...Christopher J. Hanke is as Nazi youth as you get. But mom and sis seemed from a different ethnic background.