Jekyll & Hyde (Broadway Previews!)- Page 11

[musikman]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:34am

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but the Monday and Tuesday performances were HEAVILY papered.


I've never been a fan of J&H, but watching the video of the original production, and having seen several regional/college productions, I can at least see why many people grabbed on to this show and enjoy it so much. A few of the songs have even been guilty pleasures over the years as well. Therefore, I'll try to be as respectful as possible, but it's hard to when I was left absolutely dumbfounded how anyone would allow what went on on the stage of the Marquis to happen.

Of course this is all opinion, but I have a really difficult time understanding how anyone involved with the show could sit and watch the confrontation scene and not think it looked utterly ridiculous and unintentionally hilarious. The "Murder! Murder!" scene contained some of the worst (best?) camp moments since the dancing skeletons and huge lemon set piece from "In My Life." There were some pretty vocal laughs directed at the production from several sections in the audience during both songs.

It didn't help that accents were all over the map, and song lyrics were mostly unintelligible. The new song arrangements were mostly for the worse (what was up with that 80s porn music version of Dangerous Game?). "A New Life" was the highlight of the evening and was rewarded with the loudest and most appreciative applause of the evening. The woman next to me exclaimed "oh FINALLY" after the song as if it were a relief to hear something worth cheering for.

Then again, the guy sitting in front of me was loving the show and was totally into it, so what do I know? If the show pleases at least that one guy, then who am I to say it's not worth it?

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:41am

One of the most laughingly terrible performances I've seen on a Broadway stage.

Constantine - indecypherable accent. Could barely understand a word he was saying. Slipped into rock screeching at confusing times. Slid through any kind of soft notes or runs like Michael J Fox on an Etch-a-sketch. Broke character to smile after big endings to songs (and EVERY song has a similar big ending, thanks Frank!).

Deborah - her belting was decent, but anything less than that was 90% breath. Acting was OK, but I never felt her vulnerability.

Direction/content - muddled, distracting, underwhelming. Drags in the second act; you wonder why they don't just wrap it up already. The fake pyrotechnic projections during the climax were laughable. I felt like I was watching Lonely Island's "Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions" video.

Sets - obvious they were designed for a tour. Didn't fill the stage, but made the stage feel cramped.

Sound - performers sounded like reverb was added. Could barely understand a word anyone was saying (although poor diction didn't help).

Definitely papered. Transition songs had awkward, raucous applause started by groups of people (likely related to the person singing). The highlight of the night was the curtain call. I usually feel lonely when I'm one of the few people who refuse to give a standing ovation to a mediocre show (though I always applaud to show appreciation for hard-working performers). This night, I saw a lot of people sitting, golf-clapping politely, looking around incredulously at the many people who gave a standing ovation. (Yes, you're allowed to stand if you want, I just found the reactions funny.)

[dave1606]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 11:02am

I saw the final preview last night. Let me preface and say that this being my third Frank Wildhorn musical I have seen on Broadway, I actually like him quite a bit. I loved the concept recording to Wonderland, and enjoyed aspects of the very, very incoherent Broadway production. I really enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde as well. I even bought the new concept album to Jekyll with the current cast and have enjoyed that too. All of this being said, I can’t imagine anyone seeing the current production and not being severely disappointed.

First off, I was in one of the rush seats in the mezz. There was no one there. There were three rows in the front filled a one row in the back and a few other sporadically there, but otherwise it was EMPTY. A ghost town.

The show went down exactly the same path that Wonderland did. It clearly has been re-written to the point of incomprehension. I had no idea what was going on in the first ten minutes, largely in part to the muddled lyrics (I couldn’t pick out any from the first two songs). The sound design is aggressively loud to the point of distortion, and the orchestrations were so painfully thin that it just echoed the cheapness of the show.

Aside from the egregious re re-writes, the biggest mistake the producers of the this show made was casting Constantine in the lead. He just isn’t up to the challenge of this role. Yes, he can belt a note, but has no control over anything he sang. In fact he mostly just screamed at the audience. On top of that his accent sounded like he was Irish (when it was there).

Deborah Cox fared the best in my opinion, though her acting and accent were also lacking. That said, she was in great voice last night, and a true highlight for me. I loved “A New Life” and “Someone Like Me.” Yet “Bring On the Men” seemed like it could be such a fun song, why is it reduced to a dirge in the show?

Teal Wicks was fine. She has a great voice, but such an
underwritten part that made very little impression on me. “In His Eyes” with Deborah was lovely though.

The opening “Murder Murder” number in act 2 verged on bad community theater, only to be outdone by “The Confrontation.” I can see how this could be a powerful, theatrical moment in a good production, but instead this wound up being one of the worst moments of the current theatrical season. The projections in general were awful, but in that moment especially they were laughably bad.

I recently saw the tour of Sister Act in Philadelphia and was reminded how great a tour can be. In fact, I preferred it to the Broadway incarnation. Yet this just felt cheap and wrong.

[TheresaG]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:21pm

dave, you mentioned "First off, I was in one of the rush seats in the mezz." I'm confused. Has there been a change in the rush policy? Because last week the only rush seats being sold were in the orchestra, around row P and on Saturday they were in row X. Could you give me some info if you have any on what's going on that they are now in the mezz? thx

musikman said "The "Murder! Murder!" scene contained some of the worst (best?) camp moments since the dancing skeletons and huge lemon set piece from "In My Life." There were some pretty vocal laughs directed at the production from several sections in the audience during both songs."

Did I do something wrong when I laughed during that section? I thought a few things were purposely meant to be funny like when Hyde is pulling Lady Beaconsfield and he stuffs her hairpiece in her mouth and he says something with a chuckle. Sorry, but I did think that was meant to be amusing black comedy style.

The same was with the line that Simon Stride gives about now he wasn't going to run off but then admits he was - I know I don't have all the right words but the delivery and intent of that line is comical. Even the way Hyde introduces the train coming in towards Stride is a bit comical until you realize he is right in the path.

I know that people around me laughed at those two points and I thought it was fine. But to read stuff on here now, it sounds like as an audience member, I maybe should have been a stiff? Oh well, leave it to me to get it wrong. I think there were also laughs when the sarcasm of certain deaths were in the songs. Again, sarcastic lines which I thought were funny.



Updated On: 4/17/13 at 12:21 PM

[dave1606]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:26pm

My rush ticket was row H in the mezz. I saw from the online rush tickets that they were offering a few in rear orchestra, but the box office gave us Row H in the mezz.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:26pm

People would have much less of a problem with you "Jekkies" if you didn't feel the need to debate every negative review posted on this thread. Not everybody is out to get you, some people just aren't impressed by the material, and they're entitled to that take on it.

[philly03]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:38pm

The "Murder" scenes are written intentionally to be campy, but I will admit how incredible it is that lines that got laughs in every other incarnation fall so flat with this one. (The Lord Savage bits come to mind)

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:50pm

When I rushed, I was given front orchestra. Judging from the various posts, I'd guess rush isn't limited to one specific location in the theatre.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:55pm

Who would think a black comedy camp number about murder would seamlessly fit into a show that is essentially melodrama? Intentional comedy or comedy by accident, the number is ridiculous, out of place, and poorly written. And it's not like the bar is set remarkably high, lyrically- I mean, there's a verse in one of the "Facade" reprises that literally gives the definition of an architectural facade.

[TheresaG]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:18pm

Thanks for the updates on the rush seating!

And to Kelly2, if you are referring to me being a Jekkie, you are totally off on that one. If you only knew! And don't be so concerned about people commenting here. That's what a discussion board does. If this bothers you, maybe you should avoid the thread. There are lots of other ones.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:23pm

I LOVE discussion. I find it confusing when people try to invalidate someone else's review by presenting subjective information as "proof" that their perception was in any way "off" or "wrong".

[BwayFan4]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:33pm

I really enjoyed Jekyll & Hyde the first time around. Was it campy? Yes. Was it cheesy at points? Yes. But there was something fun and exciting about it. And seeing Linda Eder & Christiane Noll perform IN HIS EYES was worth the price of the ticket alone. But this production sounds cheap, tacky, and badly executed all around. If you're going to do a show, at least do it well. And this doesn't give me any motivation to ruin my memory of the original. Because whether it was the best show around or not, it was still an awfully good time at the theatre.

[philly03]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:37pm

While its hard to top Eder, Cuciolli and Noll... the new cast still sounds terrific. I think highlights for many would definitely be "A New Life" and "In His Eyes." I like the new arrangement of the latter.

[JBC2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:11pm

"In His Eyes" is my favorite, as well. One thing I failed to mention is that I agree with those who have commented on the unintelligibility of many of the lyrics. I would fault the sound system, except Laird Mackintosh and Teal Wicks were as clear as a bell. And, a friend of mine who had not seen a touring production nor the previous Broadway run commented that it was disconcerting that while all other cast members stayed in character at the end of their songs, Constantine and Deborah both often stepped downstage, seemingly singing directly to the audience, and it broke character, so my friend thought. I wonder if that's something that the director thinks is wanted/expected by their fans.

[philly03]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 5:42pm

The two are directed that way, rather unfortunately. This revival is "all about the stars"... but I think the "stars" are miscalculated draw-wise.

I was baffled at how Maroulis breaks the fourth wall for "This is the Moment" for his glory moment. "Someone Like You" is kind of always directed that way.

[deborahfan]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 7:05pm

This is so laughable, you people who say that anyone who likes this play has some agenda, when those of you who hate it can't say one nice word. Some of you have nothing good to say and that is fine, but it is so evident that you have such a closed mind. Get a grip. It's entertainment. You hate the show. Nobody in it has any talent. The sets suck. Wildhorn sucks, Calhoun sucks, Constantine sucks. We get it. Move on. If you want people to post on this board, then stop attacking everyone who doesn't agree with you. This is a very toxic place.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 7:39pm

Toxic? Just wait until the reviews come out.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 7:42pm

Maybe it's just evident that they have standards and expectations.

I don't see that your behavior/opinion is anything different than what you are accusing other of -- you love it, therefore those that don't are haters and must have an agenda.


There is a 'hate' thread about Fela...I enjoyed Fela. I have no reason to get upset about their hate. It didn't work for them, it spoke to me. Others disliking it has NO bearing on my liking it. I'm also not going to expect them to hange their minds. WHO CARES????

Updated On: 4/17/13 at 07:42 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:48pm

I don't think that the "Jekkies" have an agenda. They just have... a thoroughly incomprehensible level of taste. It's like trying to understand someone who is speaking in Mayan.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:58pm

They just have... a thoroughly incomprehensible level of taste.

It's not incomprehensible. It's just not your taste. Have you never enjoyed something that others didn't like?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 11:03pm

Sure it's incomprehensible, in that I am unable to understand it. Just as my total devotion to cats is probably incomprehensible to someone who hate cats.

[philly03]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 11:05pm

^^^ Agreed. I think Wildhorn sets out for a certain audience type (ie Tourist, even old-school theatre). Yet tourists (statistics-wise) bring out the largest numbers both money and attendance.

For example, I love the score to "Anything Goes" but hate to sit through a production of it...

At the same time, I am a big fan of the score of "Dreamgirls" which is mostly cheap pop music too (although Eyen's lyrics in the actual "musical moment" numbers are great).

The fact that bothers me is Wildhorn never shields his intentions and people seem to dislike him for that reason that he writes "pop music" for the theatre (with some success too: "You Are My Home," "This is the Moment," "Someone Like You" come to mind).

I think most people leave out that "Jekkies" (perhaps myself) are notoriously delusional for thinking this musical is among the best. There is a compelling (and campy) story in it... Embrace it if anything.

Updated On: 4/17/13 at 11:05 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/18/13 at 1:03am

The fact that bothers me is Wildhorn never shields his intentions and people seem to dislike him for that reason that he writes "pop music" for the theatre

Right, it's all about the genre. Nothing to do with him writing crap.

I think most people leave out that "Jekkies" (perhaps myself) are notoriously delusional for thinking this musical is among the best.

The best what?

In any case, the show will get panned, it will flop badly. The Wildhoners will blame the flop on the critics and haters and next season he will open a brand new show.

And that new show will get panned, it will flop badly...

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/18/13 at 1:16am

Anyone who calls Jekyll & Hyde's score "pop" has been out of touch with pop music since the 1980s.

[elphaba.scares.me]

Posted: 4/18/13 at 3:03am

It's not so much the pop; he can definitely write in other styles besides pop.

It's that almost no song he writes, in collaboration with whatever lyricist is called up for the project, advances the plot at all. More often than not, the songs stop. the. show. cold (and not in a good way).

That's why the recitative that has been cut is so missed. Those were the primary moments where the show moved forward while people were also singing.