Just a Reminder: "Great Performances": "ITH" ...NOW..- Page 3

[Walnut36]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:04pm

While I never saw ITH, this documentary was really good, filled with passion.

I feel like I know the show now, and it's a special friend.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:06pm

I cant imagine what Seth was thinking about when that billboard went up !!! WOW !!!!

[PlayhouseBeauty]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:08pm

I absolutely loved the show! It was great. I had chills and tears. I laughed some too. One of my favorite parts was when some of the cast members were introducing themselves. They all just looked soo happy to be there. It was a great documentary. Hoping for a DVD release with a ton of special features! :)

[HBBrock]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:15pm

Have not seen the show YET....but that was an absolutely fantastic documentary....so happy for Lin.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:17pm

Article on the show---

http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2009/05/27/2009-05-27_hitting_the_heights_on_pbs_.html

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:27pm

Yep, airing again Sunday... :))

http://www.thirteen.org/schedule/?channel=thirteen

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:32pm

I was SO looking forward to it, and I was let down. I didn't like the close ups on everyone's face, it made them look ugly. There was nothing in it that made me go, 'WOW! I did not know that!! Glad I saw this!'. It was all the exact same thing, blah blah we work so hard I love what I do theatre is my life blah blah. Not impressive to me. I LOVED the extended clips though, those made me happy.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:52pm

I cried, too. It's just so amazing to see the all the hard work it takes to put on a show. It looks so simple when you see the finished project --- and so easy to criticize... But there is alot of blood, sweat, and tears (and apparently vomit--- according to Olivio ) involved.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:58pm

<< I didn't like the close ups on everyone's face, it made them look ugly. >>

I am pretty certain that was not a consideration when they were filming the piece. I bet a lot of females wish they could look as "ugly" as Mandy and Karen.

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 10:59pm

It just finished here. I also got teary eyed a few times. Especially when the billbord went up. I like that they included a bit of background on everybody. I really wanted to see the show until I heard the music. I wasn't crazy about it. After seeing some clips and then seeing this program, I now really want to see it and really wish now that I had with the original cast. I recorded this program and I know I will watch it a few more times.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 11:43pm

I am pretty certain that was not a consideration when they were filming the piece. I bet a lot of females wish they could look as "ugly" as Mandy and Karen.

Ditto

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 12:17am

yeah i loved the documentary but wasn't a fan of the close ups... it was just too much in your face (and i wasn't even watching it on my 50 inch HD tv but on a 25 inch tub tv in standard def).. i wish they had at least zoomed it back a little... kinda like THE OFFICE.. haha... with that being said... Lin Manuel Miranda has really nice skin... just saying..

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 12:19am

First let me say I cried. Second let me say I thought it was amazing. But the reason I thought it was amazing is that it reminded me how much I love the theatre. I think it was "grafitti pete" who's name slips my mind that said something alot of the lines that he was always the "weird" kid who wanted to perform. I come from a family where my dad pretty much disowned me because i was more interested in theatre then sports. I just thought it was amazing seeing the love that those people had for their craft and how amazing something can be with the right people behind it. The days that I am exhausted from a 10/12 or annoyed cause a dance number isn't falling into place I will remember this show and remember how much those people wanted to be there, how much they loved doing what they are doing and hope that one I will be able to experience something as amazing as that.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 9:08am

Just repeating what everyone else said - amazing!

[Huey's Pop]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 10:44am

I too cried through most of the show. Wish that more of these documentaries were made and screened on PBS. I wonder if one for Billy Elliot exists.

[BklynHeights]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 6:41pm

The night we saw the preview screening of the documentary, Mandy, Chris, Lin and the film makers did a Q&A session afterwards. Karen, Seth and the ITH producers and creative team were in the audience. The film makers said there's over 300 hours of footage recorded going back to the off bwy production.

Chris said it wasn't always easy having the cameras there. Lin said whenever he wanted something not to appear in the final cut he would start singing songs that he knew they would never get clearance for. Mandy didn't seem to mind the cameras. The film team did say that while they were there a lot, there were periods of time when they went away and then came back. For the most part it seemed like they really trusted the film crew. Chris said he just wanted to look cool. They also talked briefly about the moment when Seth saw his image in Times Square. The crew knew that it might be going up at a certain time and they dragged Seth out of the theater right after it was up.

The first cut of the documentary was 2 1/2 hours long. It was shown to the ITH producers and they felt that the running time could be shorter. When the film makers approached PBS there was even talk about making it a reality show, but because of budget issues it never happened. They said perhaps in the future we would be able to see some more. DVD perhaps?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 6:58pm

I'm not going to lie, I had a slight problem with the fact that they totally neglected to mention the off-Broadway run. They made it look like they just snapped their fingers and made it to Broadway, and how everyone's dreams were coming true. I like the show a lot, and overall I thought the documentary was great, but I feel like it was a little misleading. Also, they depicted Mandy and Chris Jackson as these struggling actors who have finally gotten their big break. Well, while Mandy was in fact in the flop that was Dance of the Vampires, she had a good 6 month run as Amneris in the wildly popular Aida. And Chris played a little part called Simba in the Broadway and original touring company of the lauded Lion King. That cheapened it for me a little bit. I loved Lin, Karen and Priscilla. I just wish the whole thing felt a little more genuine. :-/

[Select a Member Name]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 7:29pm

My favorite moment was when Karen Olivo poked her head outside of her dressing room on opening night and yelled
"DREAMS COME TRUE, BITCHES."

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/28/09 at 9:13pm

Watching it again.. the part with Chris Jackson at home with his wife and son is extremely touching !!!

When he said " I only get to tuck him in one night a week" I felt the tears coming.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 9:38am

Finally caught it this morning and it was pretty great! I loved the super close shots during the interviews. I wish we could see the rest of the behind the scenes type things.

Oh, also loved the flags they got on opening night! Perfect! And of course Seth seeing the billboard totally made me cry.