Just watched the HOW TO SUCCEED preview video, and ...- Page 3

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 11:14pm

In all the comments I've read here and on various other theater-related sites and pages, I've yet to read a single comment (positive or negative) from folks who've seen the show about Tammy Blanchard as Hedy LaRue. Somewhat troubling to me... anyone?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 11:21pm

I agree with all that has been said here and have a further comment.

Daniel Radcliff is the money. He's the star, the name, the potential profits. He is the franchise.

Daniel Radcliff is also a newbie to musical theater.

Why wasn't he musically directed? He has no idea how to hit the beat of his songs and he therefore slaughters some of the clever lines. He blurts out lines like a first table reading ("Webothhavegottaeat") before the orchestra plays the matching notes. He does this all over the place. "I Believe in You" is most notable for the fact that he doesn't.

Why wasn't he stage directed? He seems to have no stage business or real presence. He just stands there, like a deer in the headlights (it's most obvious in the opening number) and I'm sure that nobody else who has ever played the role on Broadway tried that radical approach. This is the role of a conman and I don't detect one wit of a sly fox here. Morse and Broderick both realized they had the audience in the palms of their hands and they milked it for all it was worth (Tonys, if I'm not mistaken.)

Why wasn't he choreographically directed? Sure he can do the dance steps but again he's the friggin' star. He doesn't stand out, he blends in and FINCH DOES NOT BLEND IN. He's a shooting star who takes over the whole place in one week.

Finally, I wonder if Daniel ever watched Robert Morse's film version of the role. It is, bar none, one of the greatest reproductions of a Broadway musical on film, with the original cast intact. If he did, why didn't he say "Oh crikey, I have to up my game here."

They should have assigned a musical stager to do nothing but work with Radcliff while Rob Ashford did.... whatever the hell he does.

At $100.00 plus a ticket, this is the very serious major leagues. I suppose the rationale of the producers is "audiences will come if he does well or stinks."

That's a sad situation for Broadway.


(and Egghumor, a comment on Tammy Blanchard. She has the sad distinction of being in a show with problems far larger than hers.)

Updated On: 3/26/11 at 11:21 PM

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 11:30pm

I haven't seen How to Succeed yet, but the comment earlier about a scene/song working fine with just the two actors and then random dancers were added sounds suspiciously like what he did several times in Promises, Promises (which I actually liked, overall). Ashford tends to mess with material that is already good as written to pump it up, primarily with more and more unnecessary dance.

And as far as Ashford in general goes, I think he does better as just the choreographer. Back when he wasn't directing and choreographing, his work was getting very good reviews (notably in Cry Baby, when it was singled out as probably the best thing about the show). Now that he's in charge, he doesn't have a director to rein in the amount of dancing, so he goes wild. Let's see how he does just choreographing Evita.

Jerry Mitchell, to me, is the best choreographer working today, along with Stroman. What I saw in Catch Me last night only confirms to me how much I love Mitchell's choreography.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 11:33pm

Thanks allofmylife for the comment on Ms. Blanchard. That's what I was afraid of. What a shame.

BTW, while I was far too young to see DO RE MI at the time (although I was alive), I had a tech theater boss/professor who said it was his favorite Broadway show of all time (and saw it numerous times). I think Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker are brilliant on the cast album! And the many photos I've seen of Boris Aronson's set designs are amazing. But I'm boased. I think he was the single greatest scenic designer for the theater.

[JayG]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 11:34pm

Ashford must be stopped. Every move in How to Succeed and Promises is gratuitous and brings attention to him, him, him as gymnasts instructorr. There is no regard for the material. (Does he even know the material when he starts drumming up those inane routines? Has he even read the script?)
Also, Danny boy sings flat. The boy cannot hold a note. Get over the cuteness. Robert Morse was cute and could sing the score, too. This is one more Asford disaster.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:03am

JayG, I agree. As I said, it looks like Ashford choreographed the show before he heard the songs or read the libretto. He could/would probably assign such moves to SWEET CHARITY, MAME, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, the possibilties for this stock, vacuous stuff are endless. No rhyme or reason to his work.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:49am

I have watched the preview and did not see the show as of yet. I am commenting only on the preview video. Based on what I have observed, I have to disagree with the original poster.

I love shows that dance. I was very excited to see the HOw To Succeed after watching the preview video. Daniel Radcliffe ( who I was having doubts about ) seem to rise to the occasion on every clip. He was charming (in the preview) in that Robert Morse kind of way.

Matthew Broderick butchered the role. The little I've seen in the previes, Radcliffe is eons ahead of the deadpan miscast
Broderick.

Broadway should dance. It's part of the specatacle. It's part of why I go to musical Theatre. The dances of Michael Kidd.
The dances of Fosse. The dances of Michael Bennett and The dances of yes I will say it cause I loved Promises Promises and liked this clip.... Rob Ashford.

Stop bashing Ashford. Bash Sister Act instead. That deserves to be bashed. HOw do you take a great film and make it a mediocre musical? BAsh that.

[bk]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:42am

I posted this same thing in another thread somewhere. That is some of the worst choreography I've ever seen. He is the emperor with no clothes. And Wayman, we can hear perfectly fine all those screaming Harry Potter youngsters - you can hear them on the video. If the cast was up there doing the box step they'd be screaming. Sorry, this guy is the worst "director" and "choreopgrapher" working today. Leap of Faith was embarrassing and so is this footage and it's thirteen minutes of it which is all I ever need to see of his work on this show.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:46am

Bennett knew what he was doing. Fosse never raised a finger that didn't tell a tale.

Rob Ashford is Sweatin to the Oldies.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:01am

I was fortunate enough to witness the work of a few generations of Broadway director-choregraphers. So many greats: Fosse, Champion, Tune, Stroman, but for me, Michael Bennett's work was in a class by itself. Watching Donna McKechnie perform "Tick Tock" in the orginal COMPANY was thrilling, as was "Who's That Woman" in FOLLIES, and I consider his work on DREAMGIRLS to be the pinnacle of musical theater genius.

[Brick]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:17am

"Bennett knew what he was doing. Fosse never raised a finger that didn't tell a tale.

Rob Ashford is Sweatin to the Oldies."

I live for this.

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:20am

It really bothers me when choreographers go so crazy that their ensemble can no longer sustain notes. Anyone defending Ashford also needs to come up with a reasonable justification as to why the closing section of "Brotherhood of Man" sounds so terrible. It sounded bad live in the theatre, it sounds equally bad in the video, and it's all because the poor ensemble has been made to bounce around like the stage is made out of Flubber. This is the final moment in the final song of the show -- the song that most people will have heard before, and the song that should send them out into the streets humming -- and it SOUNDS like COMPLETE POOP!

[ABB2357]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:25am

I agree with you on that, hyperbole! I noticed it in "Turkey Lurkey Time" most of all. Apart from being abominably staged, the entire cast was out of breath by the climax, when the song needed a final blast of energy to carry it through. And as much as I didn't want to see Ashford carbon copy Michael Bennett, it seemed insulting that he didn't reference the original at all, as Kathleen Marshall did with "Steam Heat" in THE PAJAMA GAME while still coming up with a few unique steps of her own.

You can see from Bennett's "Turkey Lurkey" that he knew how to elevate a forgettable number into a showstopper. I'm sure the original production of PROMISES PROMISES was worth seeing no matter how mediocre the material, but Ashford substantially lowered it if nothing else.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:37am

The original "Promises, Promises" was wonderful. I had the time of my life and the audience agreed with me. Turkey Lurkey was one of the highlights of my experiences in New York. Those male dancers were so tall and so thin, like basketball players in their stovepipe pants. Jerry Orbach was SO New York. He seemed to ooze traffic sounds and the smell of overcooked oil from the pretzel vendors. The new version was like The New Times Square: to clean, corporate and uselessly busy.

Updated On: 3/27/11 at 08:37 AM

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:48am

and another thing...
the primary ad/marquee photo of Daniel Radcliffe reminds me more of Pee-Wee Herman than J. P. Finch. Did anyone else have the same initial reaction?

At least the photo of him on this website, holding the “How to...” book defines Finch much more successfully.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:25am

Stop bashing Ashford. Bash Sister Act instead.

Start a Sister Act thread and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

This is a How to Succeed thread and we're discussing How to Succeed.

Try to pay closer attention.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 11:02am

Who can tell us how much an Ashford-directed show generally changes during the preview period? Not much, I assuming.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:10pm

And that tie is driving me nuts.

I know when I posted pictures of the Goodspeed production, someone claimed the guys looked like they were going to a funeral. Goodspeed actually had the guys in muted colors. The guys in this production don't come off any more colorful, as they are all in greys.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:12pm

I don't think very much. PROMISES didn't, and when I saw LEAP OF FAITH in LA near the end of the run it was reportedly very similar to the beginning of previews. They may have added/cut a song or two, but apart from minor tweaks it was the same.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:11pm

I'm sorry. I did not realize that I was only to have the
viewpoint of the original poster and not my own. I guess I did not get that memo.

I also did not get the memo about not mentioning other shows
on here when I bashed Sister Act. So I take back bashing Sister Act and will start another thread bashing Sister Act. i did not know the Broadway World Rules.

Forgive me for not aggreeing with you.

Love the How to Succeed video. It makes me want to go see the show. And I do love Broadway Musicals that dance. And I like Rob Ashford's work because it dances and is exciting.

I do get your point about it possibly distracting from the song but I don't know if that is the case not having seen the show.
I have only seen the video. And isn't that sticking to the original post?

We are all entitled to our opinion. So grow up and have respect for other people's opinions.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:45pm

Who are you screeching at?

[showinoff]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:26pm

Asford has managed to over choreograph yet another musical. I wish he would have a little faith if not respect for material that he is working with and not staging masturbatory dance that takes away from the story in whole.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:37pm

The urchin was screeching at me.

He wants me to grow up and have "respect for other people's opinions" because I rapped his knuckles for telling everyone to "stop bashing Ashford" and to discuss some other musical instead of the musical that was being discussed.

So I guess his complaint is that I should respect his opinion that everyone else should stop having opinions contrary to his.

[Patash]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:56pm

"The guys in this production don't come off any more colorful, as they are all in greys."

Ummm. Is now the time to point out what SHOULD be obvious. The show is corporate offices. What did you want, pink and lavendar suits? Plaids and florescent stripes? This ain't Guys and Dolls!

Some of you are sure reaching to find things to criticize, but the fact that the gray suit crowd wears gray suits? Shocking!!!

And to answer the original question of this thread, who likes the choreography -- well from the looks of the first four reviews I've read -- the critics.

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:18pm

It's fun to re-read this thread and then read the reviews. I'd enjoy it even more if I had invested in How to Succeed.