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LEAP OF FAITH Previews- Page 8

LEAP OF FAITH Previews

TimesSquared Profile Photo
TimesSquared
#175LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 9:38pm

I get it Humbug, the economy is certainly tight. But I said I was hoping for innovative sets, not expensive sets. Innovation in fact, is often the child of a tight budget.

I see a ground row of cornstalks, a cyclorama, a tower of some sort, and a couple of truck sets. To me that doesn't say finances are lacking, it says imagination is lacking.

People say they like the tent set. I'm assuming that's much better. But from what I gather from the production photos, most of the show takes place in front of the corn.

I don't think the Broadway production will have a new designer. These sets are by Robin Wagner: we're talking On The Twentieth Century, the original Dreamgirls, and and about 40 or 50 other shows. Some genius work there.

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#176LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 9:48pm

TIMESQUARED has stated very well my fears of Ashford's involvement with this project. Adding dancing that has nothung to do with plot or character development shows a general lack of vision or creativity crucial to the basic themes of the show.
Just as he added men is suits doing gymnastics to SHE LOVES BASKETBALL in PROMISES... It actually takes focus away from the point of the song, one man discovering a connection to someone he has a crush on.
For those who have actually seen the show, do any of the main characters dance? Does Brooke do ballet? Does Raul tap? I doubt it. I wish a more interesting director was involved and not the flavor of the month. The show has to get frozen soon since Ashford is due back in NYC this week to put Molly Shannon into PROMISES and casting also starts for HOW TO SUCCEED.... (one can only pray that A SECRETARY IS NOT A TOY is not a tap dance)
I don't see how the producers of LEAP can keep saying they are coming to Broadway soon with a director whose plate is too full to really develop this piece, but stranger things have happened.
Good luck to all involved.
Updated On: 9/25/10 at 09:48 PM

inlovewithjerryherman Profile Photo
inlovewithjerryherman
#177LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:14pm

I agree with Curtainpulldowner only every so often or so, but in this case, I agree 150%. Having been let down a bit by Ashford's work in "Promises, Promises", and I fear that his plate is too full, letting both this show and "How to Succeed" suffer from his divided attention.

However, this piece clearly has major potential. If only Christopher Ashley were behind the helm of this one. Seeing the silver he made out of the drudge with "Memphis", starting with silver in this case could only lead to platinum.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#178LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:23pm

I've been on the fence about most of his work that I've seen. Some of it, I've liked a lot, and then there have been other times where I just couldn't get my head around any idea of what he was thinking. He wasn't my first choice for this, but having said what I just did, my biggest concern here isn't actually in his ability or lack thereof, but rather about how full his plate currently is, and the worry that he's not in a position where he can give any of these shows the attention they deserve.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/25/10 at 10:23 PM

wonkit
#179LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:33pm

I think Humbug is suggesting a new bigger budget for a New York production, not a new designer.

Is Ashford's presence really required to insert a single replacement cast member in an existing frozen show?
Updated On: 9/25/10 at 10:33 PM

humbugfoto Profile Photo
humbugfoto
#180LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:34pm

I've been attending theater in Los Angeles since 1964. We've only started getting out of town tryouts of major Broadway musicals in the past few years. So it's not three shows in the past five years, it's three in the past almost-fifty. From my PoV, that qualifies as virtually never. Sorry I didn't modify the word "never" with "almost".

I wasn't in LA during the weeks that the shows you mentioned were here. For a few years there I missed a great deal of what went on here. There are other issues as well, but I'm not getting into them.




Sarcasm is an allergic reaction to stupid people.

TimesSquared Profile Photo
TimesSquared
#181LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:47pm

"One can only pray that A SECRETARY IS NOT A TOY is not a tap dance."

Actually CurtainPull, it's a now a full blown ballet, with men in suits doing gymnastics while smoking lit cigars and secretaries dancing on pointe with steno pads strapped to their feet.

humbugfoto Profile Photo
humbugfoto
#182LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:49pm

TimesSquared, you are quite correct (re budget vs innovation). Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case here. As you pointed out, we're dealing with major Broadway names and they certainly capable of innovation. Perhaps there is a meaning behind the sparse sets. If so, they've managed to conceal it rather well.

CurtainPullDowner - yes, Brooke does do ballet, with the corps in the opening number. Quite competently, too, I have to say. No, Raul doesn't tap, but then neither does anyone else in the show. LEAP OF FAITH Previews He has a fair amount of choreography he has to do during the show, especially in Last Chance Salvation. And I also agree with your observations about Rob Ashford. Even setting aside artistic considerations, however subjective they may be, the simple fact remains that he's not physically capable of mounting two shows at the same time. He can do How To or Leap, there simply isn't enough time to do both. If he tried to do something superhuman and attempt it, I'd be afraid that something would lose out. I'd rather Leap waited a season to get to New York than run that risk.


Sarcasm is an allergic reaction to stupid people.

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#183LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 11:15pm

Thanks Humbug.... At least Ashford is trying to incorporate Brooke and Raul in his dancing scheme.
A director does not have to be involved in a put-in during a long running show, but in this case, Shannon is a rather high profile replacement and it would be an insult to her if he was not there at some point to help her as opposed to a stage manager showing her blocking.
I'm not really concerned that Ashford won't give HOW TO... all his time and energy at this point. It is an eagerly awaited revival of a show with a Movie Star lead, he better give it all his time.
LEAP at this point will fall to the side for a while (I think) as will his job as one of the artistic (?Z??) directors of the Donmar Warehouse.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#184LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/25/10 at 11:48pm

That was my point; he can't possibly do both and GIVE both the (full) attention they deserve. By virtue of doing both, he'd have to be splitting his time and energies; if he does both, both will suffer. Maybe one less than the other, but the point remains. Realistically, someone's likely to get sidelined, and it's not going to be the major revival of the major show with the major film star. (And I'm not complaining -- I'm very excited about How to Succeed.) Even if this production in LA gets great reviews, and gets all its kinks worked out in the next few weeks, the timing is just not in its favor. You don't have to correct me when I'm agreeing with you. LEAP OF FAITH Previews

Ashford is one of the Associate Directors of the Donmar. Michael Grandage is the Artistic Director.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/26/10 at 11:48 PM

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#185LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:08am

I was addresing inlovewithjerryherman's statement.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#186LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:18am

Oh, okay. I couldn't tell.


A work of art is an invitation to love.

orangeskittles Profile Photo
orangeskittles
#187LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:20am

I've been attending theater in Los Angeles since 1964. We've only started getting out of town tryouts of major Broadway musicals in the past few years. So it's not three shows in the past five years, it's three in the past almost-fifty. From my PoV, that qualifies as virtually never. Sorry I didn't modify the word "never" with "almost".

There have been many more than three, I just named the first three I thought of in my post. Smokey Joe's Cafe, Ragtime, Angels in America, the 2002 Flower Drum Song revival (with a brand new libretto), 13, Radio Golf, Jelly's Last Jam, The Drowsy Chaperone- all had pre-Broadway runs in Los Angeles. So we're up to 12 in the last 20 years. That's just what I came up with from memory and the Mark Taper Forum's Wikipedia page; I'm sure if I took time to research other venues, there would be even more. Just a cursory glance at the Mark Taper Forum production history shows they've had world premiere and American premiere productions regularly since 1967.

Los Angeles may not be known for its original theatre, but it's definitely been there all along, and your comment diminishes all the amazing work that venue has been doing for the last 40 years.


Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#188LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:22am

The Taper is one of the theatrical reasons I wish I owned a private jet.


A work of art is an invitation to love.

broadwayboy987
#189LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:23am

minsky's

chrisampm2
#190LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:28am

Humbug, I've got to respectfully disagree with you about LA having had only ~ 3 tryouts of musicals in the past almost-50 yrs. Fosse, They're Playing Our Song, The Happy Time, Me and Bessie, A Doll's Life, Evita (US premiere), Jelly's Last Jam, Quilters, Fire in the Rain Singer in the Storm, Sunset Blvd (US premiere), Martin Guerre (US version), Ragtime (US premiere), Roza, Babbitt, Love Match, Mack and Mabel, The Flower Drum Song revisal, Sansei, Spunk, Zoot Suit, Bandido, The Joni Mitchell Project, The First Picture Show, 13, Curtains, Minsky's, Drowsy Chaperone, Leap of Faith, Cy Coleman's last musical Like Jazz, Beautiful Lady, Catch My Soul, and The Odyssey along with many others like it that included LA in their tryout tours. These are just the ones that spring immediately to mind.
Updated On: 9/26/10 at 12:28 AM

inlovewithjerryherman Profile Photo
inlovewithjerryherman
#191LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/26/10 at 1:00am

Curtainpull,

seems that way. Were I Ashford, I'd give HOW TO SUCCEED all my time too.

It's just a shame, because it seems like LEAP OF FAITH has such potential to be really great. Maybe (hopefully) it will hold out till next sesason.

Jack Hughes
#192LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 10:53am

Saw this last night. Was very pleasantly surprised. Raul Esparza's great (I'd never seen him live before)as is everyone in the supporting cast. Shields isn't as good a singer as anyone else on stage (she's also not on stage as much as you would expect) but has good chemistry with Esparza and is
charming and lovable (which is probably all she needs to be).

The first act is a little long (maybe more than a little) but the 2nd act is as good as anything I've seen in a while and turned an indifferent subscription audience into a very enthusiastic one.

It's not the best score ever but it's pretty good with a couple of stand out ensemble numbers and great showcase numbers for Esparza.

The set design works in context (the rows of corn which may look distracting in pix or video sort of disappear when you're attention is focused else where) and the choreography is strong and not intrusive.

I think this is going to be a big hit and Esparza will probably a Tony.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#193LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 11:00am

and Esparza will probably a Tony.

Hahaha. *gazes at can of worms, pokes gently. Walks away.*

How long is Act 1 now?


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/27/10 at 11:00 AM

Jack Hughes
#194LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 11:07am

Act One: I didn't time it but it's long. The show ran close to 3 hours. Second act flew by (and had a couple of extended applause breaks), the first act definitely loses momentum - and focus - from time to time.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#195LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 11:10am

Grrrrr, still? :/ This makes me upset.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/27/10 at 11:10 AM

bk
#196LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 1:28pm

The Baker's Wife also tried out here. And there are still more than what's on the excellent list by chris. Ed Lester used to do them regularly. I'm always more than a little amazed when someone has the time and money to go back to a show in previews this many times - and apparently he's not through. :)

humbugfoto Profile Photo
humbugfoto
#197LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 1:38pm

Act One has been trimmed by MAYBE five minutes. The only addition cut I've seen since the ones I posted about ^^^ is a slight trim to the opening ballet. They've shaved maybe a minute-minute and a half off it.


Sarcasm is an allergic reaction to stupid people.

wonkit
#198LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/27/10 at 2:27pm

I am no fan of "Slingshot" and I don't see how it is consistent with showing that Marva is having an impact on Jonas that he has never experienced before. If you are supposed to think she "gets" to him, why have him turn around and sing a song that uses a bunch of tired cliches about his effect on women? There's 5 and a half minutes gone right there. (As much as I love the sparring between Jonas and Sam.)

Wicked Fanatic Profile Photo
Wicked Fanatic
#199LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/29/10 at 2:56pm

Nothing new! Just wanted to bump this thread so that the preview comments go here and not in that new thread that just got started below this one.


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