Posted: 5/12/23 at 9:31am
To those who have seen the film and the musical, is their introductory scene at the reception desk and elevator still there? Lemmon and Remick play off of each other very well there and was curious whether it's a scene or song in the show.
Posted: 5/13/23 at 7:40am
When is the opening night?
Posted: 5/13/23 at 8:29am
Opening is June 5.
Posted: 5/13/23 at 12:09pm
jacobsnchz14 said: "To those who have seen the film and the musical, is their introductory scene at the reception desk and elevator still there? Lemmon and Remick play off of each other very well there and was curious whether it's a scene or song in the show."
I haven't seen the film, but the two characters meet on a boat (a cruise ship?) in this version. Introduces a water motif that runs throughout the play (and there''s a little pool downstage that light reflects off of).
Posted: 5/13/23 at 12:11pm
Ravenclaw said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "To those who have seen the film and the musical, is their introductory scene at the reception desk and elevator still there? Lemmon and Remick play off of each other very well there and was curious whether it's a scene or song in the show."
I haven't seen the film, but the two characters meet on a boat (a cruise ship?) in this version. Introduces a water motif that runs throughout the play (and there''s a little pool downstage that light reflects off of)."
This isn't really correct. In both the movie and the musical the characters know each other from work. It's just that WE meet the characters interacting on a boat (it's like a small event boat) for the first time.
Posted: 5/14/23 at 1:18am
pagereynolds said: "Ravenclaw said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "To those who have seen the film and the musical, is their introductory scene at the reception desk and elevator still there? Lemmon and Remick play off of each other very well there and was curious whether it's a scene or song in the show."
I haven't seen the film, but the two characters meet on a boat (a cruise ship?) in this version. Introduces a water motif that runs throughout the play (and there''s a little pool downstage that light reflects off of)."
This isn't really correct. In both the movie and the musical the characters know each other from work. It's just that WE meet the characters interacting on a boat (it's like a small event boat) for the first time.
"
Actually, THAT’S not correct. I haven’t seen the musical yet (going in two weeks), but in the first scene of the movie they meet on a boat heading to a prince’s yacht party. Lemmon mistakes Remick for one of the “party girls” he arranged, not realizing she’s his new client’s secretary.
Updated On: 5/14/23 at 01:18 AM
Posted: 5/14/23 at 9:06am
It's a beautiful and haunting small show.
Watching Kelli and Brian craft is a thrill for any serious theatre lover. But I'm not sure how commercial this show is - or if it should even try to transfer to Broadway.
Posted: 5/14/23 at 10:39am
The clips are the website are substantial and compelling indeed. I thought "Forgiveness," in particular, had some of the dark elegiac power of Floyd Collins, which I hear here more than Piazza.
Posted: 5/14/23 at 1:20pm
I heard Myths and Hymns more than Floyd Collins or Piazza.
I saw it last night. I had a couple issues but god, what a beautiful show. And it should go on to have more life. The production was bursting at the seams almost demanding it be given a larger production and future.
It does feel like the show lives in the liminal space between musical theatre and contemporary opera. If you are expecting stand alone numbers like Fable and Say It Somehow you will probably be disappointed, there are some but not many. He is giving some thorny intense musical moments that don't always have a clear beginning/middle/ending. The pieces of music pop up and disappear with a certain liquidity. It works and I think it was the right choice for the show. His evolution as a composer is fascinating to watch, and I only am sad that more of his work from Piazza to now wasn't seen so we could track that evolution better.
This is possibly the best either Kelli O'hara or Brian D'Arcy James have ever been. Just a terrific night of music theatre.
Posted: 5/14/23 at 3:56pm
I keep coming back to “Forgiveness,” and wonder where it occurs in the story. It’s got that signature Goettel musicalized epiphany that so conjures “The Call” from Floyd for me, even the arrangement. Those high notes reminiscent of Collins’yodel. (Sidebar; Christopher Invar, so heartbreaking on that original recording, would be a wonderful alternate.) I admire the piece eschewing traditional standalone numbers. Makes narrative sense to let the music take over unobtrusively. I’m now desperate to hear more..
Updated On: 5/14/23 at 03:56 PM
Posted: 5/14/23 at 5:18pm
Auggie27 said: "I keep coming back to “Forgiveness,” and wonder where it occurs in the story."
He sings it to his sponsor after he's sober and Kelli is on a seeming upswing where it appears she may go sober. They need to bring the song down another step or two. James is singing so beautifully throughout but that last note on that song - he hits it but it's just not comfortable.
Posted: 5/16/23 at 10:40pm
Brilliant show and performance by both d’Arcy and O’Hara. Not sure how it would do on Broadway, but I was captivated the whole time. I haven’t seen the film and don’t think I want to, but that was phenomenal.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 8:20am
I love O’Hara and James but give me a break. Two 50 year olds- give or take try and play a young couple in their 20’s. Nope. I didn’t buy it. Do they give good performances. Yes. Did I believe them? NO. And there’s nothing commercial about it. And there could have been.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 8:23am
Jimmyb1969 said: "I love O’Hara and James but give me a break. Two 50 year olds- give or take try and play a young couple in their 20’s. Nope. I didn’t buy it. Do they give good performances. Yes. Did I believe them? NO. And there’s nothing commercial about it. And there could have been."
There's nothing that says Joe and Kirsten are supposed to be in their 20s, and um, it's the theater, and also a show set more than a decade.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 8:30am
Jimmyb1969 said: "I love O’Hara and James but give me a break. Two 50 year olds- give or take try and play a young couple in their 20’s. Nope. I didn’t buy it. Do they give good performances. Yes. Did I believe them? NO. And there’s nothing commercial about it. And there could have been."
The show takes place over a span of time, so your point is moot.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 8:59am
This is one of the most interesting new musicals I’ve seen since theatre’s reopening.
As previously stated, Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James are at the absolute top of their game. I see shades of Jack Lemmon in BDJ in the way he smiles sometimes. Shoutout to Byron Jennings, who’s doing very fine work, too.
Guettel’s score is extremely Sondheimy (both 70s Sondheim and 80s Sondheim) and jazz-influenced. I want to take a closer listen to it. It’s intricate and haunting and completely drives the show. I didn’t love the orchestrations (AG did them himself), and would like to hear a few more instruments to add variety.
An observation, not necessarily a complaint: In some ways the BDJ/Jack Lemmon character has been sanded down from the movie, which I suppose you have to do in 2023. Lemmon is more lecherous, is literally straightjacketed twice in the movie, and has a bottle vodka poured on his face, none of which happens here. While the movie kind of becomes a horror film about alcoholism, the musical is a character drama.
The scenic design is quite bad, with the exception of the lovely greenhouse.
Kevin McCollum being attached as commercial producer makes me hopeful. But this show makes BRIDGES and KIMBERLY look commercial & populist. If this is to make it to Broadway, the most ideal situation would be a limited run production by one of the nonprofits.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 9:12am
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Kevin McCollum being attached as commercial producer makes me hopeful. But this show makes BRIDGES and KIMBERLY look commercial & populist. If this is to make it to Broadway, the most ideal situation would be a limited run production by one of the nonprofits."
I was just thinking the same thing. I would love for Second Stage to pick this up and put it in the Hayes for a few months.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 9:21am
It's a very difficult, unfriendly, and desolate musical, much closer to Floyd Collins than Piazza. I thought it was marvelous.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 10:33am
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I didn’t love the orchestrations (AG did them himself), and would like to hear a few more instruments to add variety.
The scenic design is quite bad, with the exception of the lovely greenhouse.
If this is to make it to Broadway, the most ideal situation would be a limited run production by one of the nonprofits."
I think we are so in agreement here. The orchestrations need to be larger, but the ultimate issue is the way he uses that synth that is heavily relied on. Some of the patches he's using sound expressly 1990s, and therefore sound out of place with the rest of the show.
I thought the scenic design was fine considering budgetary and space constraints. It felt like they were hinting at what the full set would look like had they been able to create one.
The storytelling issue I have - intermissionless is correct but I think this needs to be 10mins longer actually.
We needed some of the moments of brutality (the aforementioned straitjacket). Asking for help in this time period was not pleasant, and we can better understand Kirsten's reluctance towards going to a clinic/going to AA if we see some of the brutalism. I also was hoping we'd get some sort of AA scene and song. We don't see specific steps Joe is taking towards recovery at this time. He currently ends up in the hospital and we have to mostly depend on his word that he's better afterwards.
Scott Ellis was at the performance I attended, there are a million reasons as to why he could have been there, but it made me think that this show would be great in the American Airlines. It deserves to be on Broadway. If you're going to have 3 jukebox musicals with Britney Spears songs playing on Broadway at the same time, damnit serious work like this has to be presented whether or not it's commercial.
It's been 4 days since I've seen this and I've been able to think of nothing else. Haunting in the best way.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 11:56am
Synecdoche2 said: "It's a very difficult, unfriendly, and desolate musical, much closer to Floyd Collins than Piazza. I thought it was marvelous."
And so is this one sentence critique--absolutely marvelous. Thanks for this.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 5:48pm
This seems like an awards baby musical to me. I could see this opening at a smaller theater close to awards season next year and swooping in and winning a bunch.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 5:53pm
Kind of a rare thing recently...almost universal recommendation to see this show with very little qualification. Last time I saw that here was Kimberly Akimbo.
Even more looking forward to seeing this next month!
Posted: 5/17/23 at 6:28pm
For those who have seen this, how high is the raise of the stage? Seeing it this weekend and wound up with a ticket second row center... will that be uncomfortable?
Excited :)
Posted: 5/17/23 at 6:35pm
halfhourcheckwithmerman said: "For those who have seen this, how high is the raise of the stage? Seeing it this weekend and wound up with a ticket second row center... will that be uncomfortable?
Excited :)"
My seat was at the back, but in the pre-show photos I took, someone fairly tall stood at the front row and the stage floor was at his elbow level.
Posted: 5/17/23 at 6:41pm
I haven't gone yet, but the stage looks high:
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