In My Life Continuity Problems

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 3:25pm

How many people noticed the many, many continuity problems in the show? Why don't we list some of them? I'll start with the fact that Liz and Vera are clearly Hispanic, while J.T. is almost Aryan.

[Penny4Eyes]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 3:49pm

vera isnt hispanic...shes indian. chiara is my friend so...just trust me with this one

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 4:06pm

even furthering my point, of continuity problems.

Another one, just to get the ball rolling:

Liz, the Hispanic mother, sings an Italian 'aria.'

[MusicalComedyMan]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 4:09pm

And the mother is dressed like she's living in the 50s - which would make TJ in his 50s if the show was happening today or makes the show take place in the 70s (which also isn't the case)

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 5:57pm

i have so many ideas to fix this show, Joe Brooks should just hire me, I can totally save it

hahh!!!!

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 5:58pm

However, I think that for some reason he doesnt want it that fixed. it is supposed to be completely bizarre and absurd, which it certainly is.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 5:58pm

Brooks believes that the show is perfect as is....which is why he didn't take it out of town.

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 6:02pm

" I didn't want to take the show out of town," Brooks said. "This is my home. I felt like I wanted to put it up here first. We did three readings and two workshops. And you know, I thought that was good enough."

http://www.playbill.com/features/article/95239.html

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 6:08pm

well its not what Joe thinks, who ever said


"It takes a Joe Brooks to do a Broadway show"

the correct term

"It takes a village"
Updated On: 10/2/05 at 06:08 PM

[theatregirlie]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 6:13pm

Joe Brooks is crazy.

My friend Tracy was fired from the workshop because she wouldn't sleep with him. True Story!

The show is a LEMON! A waste of a theater! Brent Barrett told me Princesses isn't coming into town because they don't have a theater!

Why are shows like that kept out of a theater when shows like IN MY LIFE are on B'way.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 6:24pm

I don't think it wants or needs fixing. Take out the absurdities and surreal qualities and you have an extraordinarily boring show -- an insipid love story crossed with a disease of the week movie. We've had enough boring "perfect", "logical" shows -- the Winston scenes and God on a bicycle moments are the only things that save this show from pure mediocrity. Brooks very obviously wants these bizarre elements in the mix. He's not stupid or crazy (well, not clinically anyway) -- this is all part of his vision. Smoothing it all out and making it into yet another other boy meets girl love story is precisely what he DOESN'T want, and good for him. Why be boring when you can be outrageous?

He could cut a few ballads (they all sound the same and none of them do anything to advance the plot), do some rewrites in the book to better establish characters and situations, but frankly, this isn't the kind of show that can bring in a top show doctor and be "fixed." Hiring Tommy Tune or somebody (which would never happen -- Brooks is too much of a control freak) would be a huge mistake. The more a real "pro" director would make cuts to turn this into something more conventional, the worse this show would be. To just have the show be about the love story would be bland and unwatchable.

Now if you want to cut the love story out and make the show just about God's opera, that's a show I might pay to see. Execessive, campy, nonsensical and over the top, it would go down as the most bizarre show in Broadway history. As it stands, interweaving the two plots together makes for quite an entertaining show.

Frankly, at this point, the show is "unfixable" in the traditional sense. They've cast their lot with this vision and they should keep it as is. You could add or subtract a couple of numbers and tighten here and there, but the show is what the show is and the critics are gonna have a field day with it. Mind you, as I said, this isn't a "bad show," but this slate of critics doesn't know what to do with something so completely different from anything they've ever seen before and will likely just trash it. My hope is that at least a few will recognize that the show is quite intentionally surreal and bizarre and while it has many flaws, it's also very entertaining.

Updated On: 10/2/05 at 06:24 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 6:29pm

Margo, I agree completely!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 7:32pm

well said!! bravo! bravo! *standing ovation*

princesses is just as well thought out as IN MY LIFE is, so I dont think it deserves a theatre any more than any other show does.
Updated On: 10/2/05 at 07:32 PM

[nyc]

Posted: 10/2/05 at 11:22pm

Yes, the show has problems; many problems. Unfortunely "Liz and Vera are clearly Hispanic, while J.T. is almost Aryan" is not a problem. Put it together. JT is a light skinned Hispanic "passing" for white. That is what the song "I Am My Mother's Son" is refering to.
Joe Brooks wrote the book and lyrics; and on top of it all, he directed and produced this show. Joe Brooks the producer is not going to tell Joe Brooks the lyricist to go back and change some things. It a Joe-ocracy.
Joe Brooks' son have Tourette's. That's where he got the crazy idea he could write a love story involving some one with the disease.

[Starchild]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 1:16pm

I agree with Margo Channing. I was entertained by the show. The whole giant lemon thing at the end made me laugh tho. How many critics are going to use that symbolism when they kill this show? Like ALL of them? I did not hate the show. Parts I thought were cute. I really enjoyed the voices of Jenny and Vera and Liz. All in all, I probably wouldn't recommend anyone spend hard earned money, but for a laugh if bored, buy a TDF ticket and go.

this is pretty much just FYI, and really not important except for the inconsistencies thing, but... I might be wrong, but I met the husband and son of the woman who plays "Liz" in the show, and I'm pretty sure she's black. Very light skinned, but I think of African American decent. Of course, I don't know her, but that was my impression.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 1:28pm

Someone who knows the actress playing Liz said that she's apparently Indian (or of Indian descent).

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 1:36pm

You say it has problems as if that comes as a surprise!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 1:42pm

I have a date with my "special beau" to see this show on Friday night. We're both excited about seeing this trainwreck!

[Starchild]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:48pm

Margo, I think the one of Indian descent is the actress who plays the little girl, Vera. Liz is the mom. The actress who plays Liz (her name is like Pamela Golden, something like that) her little boy is about 3 or 4 and he cold not stop waving during her song, he kept waving at her, it was really cute. He told everyone in line getting tickets this was "my mommy's show." HE REALLY enjoyed the show!

[Penny4Eyes]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 6:08pm

i said vera is of indian descent, not liz. i dont know liz although ive said hi when i was backstage with chiara after the show