Invisible Thread Second Stage — Page 2

Clyde, I went last night and while I wasn't part of the standing ovation I was certainly clapping loudly for (to me) the sheer power of their voices. They were hitting some amazing notes, effortlessly, and I think our crowd went nuts over that power and not necessarily the song itself.

PJPAN, I was there last night too. I feel like it was a mixture of both for me. I thought their voices were beautiful but also was effected by the events on stage (wont't say what as don't want to spoil!) I have the chorus of the title song stuck in my head still too and pretty much every time I think about the show I want to cry because I was just so unbelievably touched.

Updated On: 11/6/15 at 12:38 PM

petersmithnyc said: "Can't wait to see this show in a few weeks! Does anyone know big the band is this time around, and are they still onstage?"

Onstage, yes. I was in the "box seats" or whatever those are, so I couldn't see how many were in the other corner of the stage, though.

I saw this last night and I was blown away by the performances and the music. Whizzer is right about the story needing to be tightened in some way, but I'm not exactly sure how they would do that. (make cuts?) Regardless this show gave me chills several times and took my breathe away. LOVED IT!!! I will have to see it again immediately.

I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE the name of the show. Invisible Thread (the song) is stuck in my head, but that doesn't mean it should be the title of the show. I heard the producers tested the title Witness Uganda and found that Broadway audiences would be scared to buy tickets supposedly. I liked that title, but it still needs a new one. I suggest the title COLORLESS, which was one of my favorite songs/moments in the show.

I can see COLORLESS on t-shirts, and mugs, and billboards...

I don't like this trend of changing the titles of musicals after they've already become buzzy. Changing FAT CAMP to GIGANTIC also seems like a terrible idea - especially since GIGANTIC is the name of the next Disney musical. Wah-wah!

Updated On: 11/7/15 at 06:53 AM

Interesting. I was curious how little his being gay played out in any of the Uganda bits... for a show based on his actual experiences, they certainly have been very flexible on finding the dominant narrative, it seems.

I saw this last week and thought it was really incredible. There are certain things in the story that didn't work as well for me, however:

Because it's based on a true story, I felt that sometimes they were sticking a little bit too close to fact, and included events that weren't dramatically or structurally interesting. I felt that way about most of the scenes that took place in America (the church scene in act 2 being a huge exception - one of the highlights of the evening).

Another huge example is the whole boyfriend character. I realize he's sort of integral because he's one of the creators of the show, but honestly I found him to be the least compelling character, and I was honestly pretty disappointed when...

In general, I think they would have benefited from creating a musical that could be labeled "inspired" by their experiences or "based in part" on their experiences, rather than sticking so close to what happened.

I'm bringing up these qualms for the sake of discussion, but honestly it didn't ruin my experience at all. I loved the show and would definitely recommend it. The score is great, the staging is great, and the performances are great.

I saw the alternate for Griffin, Jeremy Pope. His singing, while not bad at all, wasn't as strong as I would expect the lead actor's to be. His performance was excellent though. From what I've seen in the videos of the Griffin Matthew, it seems that Jeremy comes across as younger. I was really impressed at how Jeremy was able to channel the intense emotions and make them very real for himself, even though he is the alternate for the guy who really experienced it. During Bela Musana he was full-on crying.

Is there a set schedule for the alternate Griffin?

Was fortunate enough to see this, last night. This is, easily, my favorite new musical since Dogfight and Next To Normal. It is wonderful, touching, funny and inspiring. I agree, I don't like the title. The original title is better and should be changed back.

The standing ovation was immediate, spontaneous and seemed sincere. The cast is uniformly great. There is not a week link in the bunch. I have a few quibbles, like the band is sometimes, too loud and drowns out the performers and the role of the boyfriend is a bit underwritten and could be bumped up a bit.

Based on a true story, Griffin, a 23 year old, out of work actor, leaves his boyfriend, behind, and sets out, for Uganda, to find his place in the world. But, when the idealism of youth clashes with the harshness of the real world, he learns some universal lessons that had me nodding my head, in recognition, more than once.

The music is a blend of standard Broadway, pop and African/world music. It is engaging and, at times, electrifying. The choreography is interestingly non-traditional. There are several scenes that had the audience applauding, mid-scene. One scene, in Act Two, had me and much of the audience, cheering, applauding and weeping. I found myself, several times, saying "wow" aloud. I would rather not give more away, but I cannot wait to return and see this again.

Kudos to Second Stage (which, I think, is often, hit or miss) for bringing this to NY. I rarely think shows should move to Broadway, but his show deserves a transfer and a longer life and it deserves its old title back.

Go and enjoy!

Maybe, but maybe not... you saw the end of my post, right?

You may want to tweet Second Stage. Or go there if you're in the area and ask.

Sorry double post!

Updated On: 12/2/15 at 08:10 PM