IN TRANSIT Previews- Page 3

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 8:44pm

I loved the show! I had a much more positive reaction than the esteemed Whizzer and other posters. I thought the singing was absolutely wonderful. There are some powerhouses up there on the stage, and yet they're able to blend their voices beautifully when required. I had no problems with the sound design and heard everything perfectly.

First off, I would reassure anyone who is not a super fan of a cappella singing. Yes, the opening number is typical for the style, but the rest of the score is very different. Most of the songs are solos or duets, with the others providing backing vocals and harmonies. The effect is quite beautiful and theatric. 

I am chuckling to myself that posters are critical of the set. It's supposed to be a subway station and platform. It looks like a subway station and platform! What did you expect? It's not the beauty spot of NYC, but the set does the job. The two levels are used very effectively, and there is a conveyer belt that acts as the subway tracks. It glides set pieces and cast members back and forth and creates a sense of motion. 

The plot focuses on a few of the cast members, and others act as the ensemble. Margo Seibert is excellent as Jane, a struggling actress. Justin Guraini and Telly Leung are very convincing as the gay couple, and they also play other roles. Nicholas Ward has an amazing voice, and so does Moya Angela. I could listen to them for hours.

The book has some laughs, including a Frozen gag, and some poignant moments. Other posters have complained about the score being on the generic side. Although I enjoyed all the songs, I can see where that criticism comes from. Yes, this score is no Hadestown or Dear Even Hansen, as far as originality is concerned. I would put this score more on a level with Waitress's. It's professionally done but doesn't reach the brilliant level. I was happy to have seen the show, and the audience seemed to enjoy it too. I hope the show finds an audience!

Updated On: 11/14/16 at 08:44 PM

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 11:20pm

There seems to be a decent amount of positive buzz on social media elsewhere, especially from younger audience members and people for whom the hopeful message resonates right now.  It's Wicked's neighbor, and might be engendering (pun intended) a similar response.  

The arrangements are by Deke Sharon, described in the Playbill as "the father of contemporary a cappella," and he has a pretty big following. 

[Ftworthguy]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 2:01pm

Whizzer, I completely agree with your assessment.   Was at the first preview and while all of the performers are giving it their best shot, it just feels kind of pointless.   It needs to be restructured to have a point (maybe they will find that in previews????)

Erin Mackey is a charming performer, but her character could be gone and I'd be fine.   Hers and James Snyder's characters, being brother and sister, they could have played that relationship more and perhaps mined something out of that.

And you're right -- the wedding was what I was waiting for.   With Justin's character's mom coming and accepting everything, the Margo and James characters re-connecting. And maybe Erin's character meeting someone new.

I doubt it will last much passed the New Year.  

[newintown]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 2:17pm

I know Kristin Anderson-Lopez, and that she's had a bit of success collaborating with her more famous husband; but who are James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth? They seem to be relatively out of nowhere, as far as I can tell...

And how did an a capella show by four unknowns (well, three unknowns and one success working without her husband for the first time) get the funding for a full Broadway production? It's like a Micky & Judy movie! (I do note that the lead producers are all entirely new to Broadway...)

Updated On: 11/15/16 at 02:17 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 2:30pm

The same could have been asked about Glory Days, which played that same theater.  And we all saw how that turned out.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 3:05pm

FtWorth, I was discussing the show with a friend yesterday and we were discussing how little was made of the connections between the different characters/storylines. What is the point of making Erin and James brother and sister when that angle is so poorly developed; they share, what, one book and zero songs? In that one book she needs a plus one for the wedding and asks him along, but we never see the wedding, so again what's the point? 

 

Re: Justin's homophobic mother, my friend and I bother had problems with how that story was played and the end result (so SPOILERS will follow in this paragraph). At the beginning Justin and Telly (engaged after living with each other for three years) head to Texas where we find that Justin is still pretending to be straight and Telly is just a "roommate." There's lots cornball innuendo that would barely have been funny in 1996 let alone 2016. Later back in NYC, Telly finally demands Justin tell his mother the truth or the wedding is off. Telly has also rather unrealistically purchased a plane ticket and mailed it to the mother for her to visit the city. Justin works up the courage to say he's gay, but the mother stops him implying that she already knows. Still, as long as he doesn't say the words they can keep on pretending he's straight. If he says it there will be a permanent rift between them. Justin decides to keep quiet. When Telly finds out instead of being upset he says he's had a change of heart- for better or worse and all that jazz- and they'll just "figure it out" when they have to be around his mother. 

This is all highly insulting, especially when our rights are in such perilous danger under the new Pence regime. Justin needs to stand up to his mother- or at the very least if he doesn't Telly should have some self respect and leave him. I just don't buy for one second that these grown ass proud gay New Yorkers who are throwing a big wedding for themselves would ever dream of playing "roommates" around certain people. Ideally they should have the mother already know, and while not fully embrace her son's homosexuality, love him enough to support him and attend the wedding. 

[newintown]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 3:06pm

Glory Days at least had the excuse that it received a fawning review from that DC idiot, Peter Marks, leading producers to think they might make money off of it (have they learned yet not to listen to Marks?).

This little baby had a 5-week run at 59E50 six years ago, and received a brief, dismissive, mixed review from the Times.

Of course, Chaplin had several productions, all totally panned, before flopping on Broadway.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 3:12pm

"It needs to be restructured to have a point (maybe they will find that in previews????)"

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that...and for what it's worth, not even Shuffle Along did *that much* work in previews.

Updated On: 11/15/16 at 03:12 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 3:26pm

Yes, if they haven't found a point in the six years since the previous production, it does seem unlikely that one will be found in the next three weeks, particularly with Kathleen "I'm OK With Revivals But Inexperienced Creating A New Show With A New Score" Marshall at the helm.

[vampire musical]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 5:59pm

Not trying to be insulting to this production since I do really want to see it and love a capella.  But...should I buy my tickets sooner rather than later?  I saw their grosses for last week.  Unless there are some very rich producers on this I don't see how they could survive through the end of the year. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 9:04pm

vampire musical said: "Not trying to be insulting to this production since I do really want to see it and love a capella.  But...should I buy my tickets sooner rather than later?"

How much later is later?

[two ladies tickets]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 9:46pm

I got a comp, along with most of the other attendees, to see this last weekend. I would have rather watched Glory Days and In My Life again. The a cappella gag gets old after 10 minutes. The gay story line, as stated above, is offensive and there was an audible groan at the "frozen" gag. That treadmill seems like a waste of money, they should have bought better wigs. 

I noticed the performers are wearing ear monitors. Are they listening to a click track or each other or some sort of off stage accompaniment? 

Unless you can get a comp or a deeply discounted ticket you can skip it. It will definitely be gone come January. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 10:00pm

two ladies tickets said: "Are they listening to a click track or each other or some sort of off stage accompaniment?"

Would be interesting if there was an offstage band that the audience didn't hear... Since they are singing backstage even while doing costume changes, I think the in-ear is the only way they can hear what is happening at all times.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 2:10am

The gay storyline is just awful. It just seem dated. Not to say that people in 2016 aren't dealing with theses issues, but I long for the day when a gay couple is portrayed in entertainment and it's not a struggle. And from everyone's accounts, it sounds like it is handled awfully here, and that is reason enough for me to pass on this.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 9:32am

I've heard the same response to the gay storyline elsewhere. I actually questioned whether it was a period piece, as it sounds very early 90s, don't-ask-don't-tell-y era.  To return to earlier posts: this is the type of show that used to routinely end up off-b'way. It just has that vibe, that sort of Minetta Lane or Westside Arts feel to it.  We all know that off-b'way is hardly what it once was, but it seems these go-for-broke B'way or nuthin' productions aren't fair to material that's inherently more low key and scaled back. Other questions come up: was "Fun Home's" modest success at Circle interpreted as a model for other shows?  Because a 750- 800 seat house might hold anything?  It's worth noting that "Fun Home" ceased selling out about eight-nine months into its run, and though it earned a profit, its last 6 months were modest, many weeks throughout the winter and spring of 2016 it dipped severely. And it was a Best Musical with two B'way names if not stars (Cerveris and Kuhn).  I don't think "Fun Home" proved anything new, except challenging material can work, mainstreamed, if it's brilliant has well marketed (it was, despite talk about its ad campaign). This piece seems so much less likely to fill that house, whereas again, it has that Westside Arts-y vibe.  "I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change" esque. If I'm pigeonholing it unfairly, the reports at least back up the take. 

[newintown]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 9:55am

I don't think I would compare the skilled work of highly experienced writers like Alison Bechdel and Lisa Kron (tied to a truly fascinating story) to this mish-mush of old clichés from a group of relative newbs.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:04am

Wait- am I understanding correctly that the "resolution" to the gay storyline is "let's all keep lying to ourselves and we'll maybe figure it out someday"?

[MyLife]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:05am

I wonder if they ever considered renaming the musical "From Justin to Telly." 

They could always reconsider if it would get more butts in the seats.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:57am

Kad said: "Wait- am I understanding correctly that the "resolution" to the gay storyline is "let's all keep lying to ourselves and we'll maybe figure it out someday"?

 

Well, they aren't necessarily lying to themselves, but they're staying in the closet in the presence of Justin's mother and anyone else from Texas who still believes he's waiting for the right girl to come around. (In the scene where they visit the mother in Texas they attend a church service where the preacher is all fire and brimstone about the sinful homosexual lifestyle. This is played for a laugh as Telly and Justin have to sit there and smile and "Amen!" along with the rest. To think Telly would EVER in a million years degrade himself like this is ridiculous; to think we are supposed to find this funny in 2016 is perhaps the only bigger joke.)

Of course, Justin is a big shot casting agent in New York and they have mailed out wedding invitations to all their friends (and Telly's accepting family). To think this wouldn't be spread all over social media and wouldn't get back to at least one person in Texas is absurd.

You are correct though that the ultimate resolution is to stay in the closet and deal with the problem as it arises at future dates.

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:58am

MyLife said: "I wonder if they ever considered renaming the musical "From Justin to Telly." 

They could always reconsider if it would get more butts in the seats."

 

They used that joke on social media already. The only thing that would get butts in the seats is if they replaced Telly Leung with Kelly Clarkson.

 

[MyLife]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:43am

Oops, I'm not one of their 1100 followers. 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:45am

It's OK, we forgive you.

[yellibean2]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:55am

but I long for the day when a gay couple is portrayed in entertainment and it's not a struggle

There's always Falsettos. I mean sure, the AIDS crisis wasn't exactly a walk in the park but they do skip way past all the coming out cliches that it looks like this show is steeped in. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:56am

In this day and age, such a wishy-washy "resolution" is absurd.

[newintown]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 12:00pm

It sounds as unbearable as the entire braindead storyline of that unbearable It Shoulda Been You atrocity.