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LEAP OF FAITH Previews- Page 9

LEAP OF FAITH Previews

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#200LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/29/10 at 5:32pm

I think Slingshot is catchy but it's not story-serving. It could easily go. I don't know that five minutes makes a difference in the scope I'm thinking about, though. If that's all the time they're going to lose, IMO as an audience member, they might as well just leave it.

I don't see how it is consistent with showing that Marva is having an impact on Jonas that he has never experienced before.

I think at the beginning she is just supposed to be another hot conquest to him, and then over time, particularly once he meets Boyd and gets to know them as a family, he starts to realize that there's more to how he feels about her. But that can happen not in a song.

But they have bigger problems than this song. I'd rather see them fix those!


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/29/10 at 05:32 PM

wonkit
#201LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/29/10 at 9:28pm

Agreed, emcee.

bestinshow2 Profile Photo
bestinshow2
#202LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/29/10 at 11:01pm

chrisampm2 wrote:

"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."

I agree with humbug, that is almost never!

LEAP OF FAITH Previews


"My name's Lenny. What's yours?"

VernonGersch Profile Photo
VernonGersch
#203LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 12:42am

Fantastic, crowd pleasing show and Raul Esparza gives an incredible Tony Award Winning performance.
Well directed, toe-tapping music and illuminated by fantastic performances from the supporting cast. Did I mention how great the songs were? I saw Sister Act and dug that score and this is as equally as enjoyable/memorable/humable - is humable a word?
Brooke Shields does some great stage work and her songs are really good - yes, she doesnt have the worlds greatest voice - and next to Kendra and Raul - its obvious - but she gives it her all and it works.
This show is totally going to Broadway and will be a big hit.
Kudos to all! Im actually contemplating going to see it again...
ITS A HIT!!!

singingbackup Profile Photo
singingbackup
#204LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 1:05am

That 'review' just sent a c(s)hill down my spine!

humbugfoto Profile Photo
humbugfoto
#205LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 3:17am

Aaaaaand...... (sound of shoe dropping)

"Slingshot" is out.

It's just a book scene now, with a line of dialog about how a woman is like a slingshot.

A ton of changes. The diner scene has had a large amount of dialog added, and smaller amounts of dialog added and changed in other scenes. The trim to the opening ballet has been put back in. Changes to "Last Chance Salvation" in dialog and blocking, the most notable being that Raul does not use the hand-mic as he used to (and as he does in the other two tent revival scenes). Not totally sure what that's all about.

Three more shows and then it's opening night!


Sarcasm is an allergic reaction to stupid people.

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#206LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 8:24am

"This show is definitely going to Broadway and will be a big hit"

Oh good, now we can all stop speculating and blogging.
End of subject, end of thread.
No more posts please!

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#207LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 11:39am

Aaaaaand...... (sound of shoe dropping)

"Slingshot" is out.


lol, it's not that big a deal.

I don't understand what's up with the ballets. Nobody I know who has seen the show thinks they work. Clearly Ashford thinks they do, but... oy. And I don't understand why they aren't making the cuts they need to (which would involve the ballets, anyway, I suppose). The team has been aware of this necessity for a long time, and it makes no sense to me why they're not happening. Maybe they've changed their minds, but I disagree. And now they're probably going to freeze the show that way. Ah, the mysteries of the creative process. I want this to come to New York so badly, so seeing, IMO, non-optimal use of the time out there is frustrating. It's great that they are working on it consistently and tweaking things to make the story all work better, but it all seems a lot of necessary things are still not happening.

I hope they are just trying the no hand-mic thing. I kind of like him having it, though logistically doing the scenes without might be easier. I'm just not sure if someone like that would realistically have a fancy head-mic going on.


A work of art is an invitation to love.

humbugfoto Profile Photo
humbugfoto
#208LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 2:28pm

Nope, it isn't, and I think I offered my opinion from the start that it needed to go, solely for time. It's a great number, and Raul and Kendra clearly have a great rapport, and have a great time with the song, but it just isn't necessary. They covered it with one line of dialog. And saved four minutes of time.

As for the hand mic thing, I'm puzzled. It's part of the character in the revival scenes. Jonas is putting on a show and needs the mic to be heard. Standard procedure. Jonas's production isn't sophisticated enough to run to head mics, and besides, they're already using earwigs for the secret part of the show (the show within the show).

I'm still puzzled by the lack of the hand mic in Last Chance Salvation. Yes, Raul can be heard because he's wearing a body mic, but Jonas can't. And Jonas has to be heard by everybody in that tent. Also, when he shed the red jacket towards the end of the scene, he also pulled off two earphones. I hadn't noticed them before that point in that scene, but he wasn't wearing them earlier in the show. Only for Last Chance Salvation. I honestly don't know if it was Raul or Jonas who was wearing them.


Sarcasm is an allergic reaction to stupid people.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#209LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:39pm

This may be too simplistic an answer (though you know what they say), but maybe there was just some kind of technical problem that one night and they had to do the scene without it? I also kind of wonder if that's one of those things you wouldn't really notice as an issue if you hadn't seen the show before. As in, there's too much else to attend to that you might not go, hmm, I wonder why he doesn't have the hand mic, that he wouldn't have a head mic. Not that the discontinuity isn't an issue, but there'd just be too much else going on for the general public.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 9/30/10 at 04:39 PM

BroadwayBaby6 Profile Photo
BroadwayBaby6
#210LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 3:45am



The audience leaped to its feet at the end of tonight's show.


"It does what a musical is supposed to do; it takes you to another world. And it gives you a little tune to carry in your head. Something to take you away from the dreary horrors of the real world. A little something for when you're feeling blue. You know?"
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 03:45 AM

ABB2357 Profile Photo
ABB2357
#211LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 4:25am

Broadwaybaby6: I was at the show tonight too, and while there was a standing ovation at the end, the overall response seemed muted, especially in comparison to MINSKY'S and 9 TO 5 (neither show I liked, but the Ahmanson crowd was extremely vocal and engaged for both of them).

As for LEAP OF FAITH, I quite honestly thought the whole thing was a wash. Shields and Raul were both fine. Raul brought a lot of energy to the part, and I didn't have an issue with Shields's singing as other posters have. She's a bit of a nonentity though, not much stage presence and it doesn't help that the character disappears for a huge chunk of Act 1.

The score is PAINFULLY generic. Every gospel number sounded exactly the same, and Jonas's big soliloquy lacked true dramatic heft. It wasn't the tour de force the moment called for, although Raul certainly tried. "Slingshot" was in the show tonight and was unnecessary, along with "Daddy's Shoes" and a few others. I honestly think you could cut half the score and preserve most of the plot and character detail, since both are thin as a reed waving aimlessly in the Kansas wind. The lyrics don't have any wit or flavor, and Menken couldn't find a memorable tune with a flashlight and a copy of the great American songbook (his Disney work notwithstanding of course!).

The book lacks a ton of basic set-up information. There's nothing inherently compelling about the character of Jonas - no inner struggle and the external stakes (like the local cops) are low, not to mention a total cliche. Also, a major storytelling flaw: if the town hasn't had rain in years (and this is their main obstacle), why does no one ask Jonas about it until the third question into his second revival meeting? Shouldn't the goal from the outset be to restore prosperity to the town, and thus provide stakes?

Hated Ashford's choices, including the minimalist set (felt cheap for such a large space), and especially the use of ballet. It was unclear what time period we were in based on the choreography, scenic design, and costumes, and the staging was as bland as the music. There's a great line in Mamet's film STATE AND MAIN: "It looks like Edith Head puked, and that puke designed these costumes." Well, it looks like Agnes DeMille puked, and that puke choreographed this show.

I could go on but the show was so unsuccessful for me, there's no point in giving more detail. I can't see how it could come to Broadway intact, and given the already lengthy development period, it's sort of astonishing that they haven't ironed out so many basic problems with the storytelling. Even 9 TO 5 had more going for it.

One final gripe, though: as much as I love very basic, simple curtain calls, would it be too much to ask for Raul and Brooke to get star bows? Similarly, neither got entrance applause, a rarity at the star-centric Ahmanson. Their presence should be accentuated, especially since both are obviously trying their hardest for the show and it would provide a nice jolt of energy for the audience to be able to acknowledge them.

Updated On: 10/4/10 at 04:25 AM

WSStory Profile Photo
WSStory
#212LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 11:19am

ABB2357, I agree with you on most points. I didn't think the score was as bad as you say. I liked it. What bothered me the most were the ballets (just didn't work), the set (boring), costumes (are we in the 1930s?), and most of all, Kendra Kassebaum (her character and voice were so annoying).
I didn't hate the show. I just don't think this will make it on Broadway. Too bad, I really wanted it to be great.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#213LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 12:00pm

I don't really know the tendencies of the West Coast critics, but if the show is as not ready to go to Broadway as it sounds from what I've heard here and elsewhere, I'm nervous that they're going to rip it apart.


A work of art is an invitation to love.

Hest882 Profile Photo
Hest882
#214LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 1:21pm

So I'm finally read to put my thoughts together about the show. I saw it three times last week.

On a small note, ABB, from my understanding the original Slingshot song has been cut; they've added in what is essentially a musical reprise of I Can Read You utilizing some of the Slingshot sequence text. That may have changed again, though.

Anyway...after the third visit I starting enjoying the gospel songs much more. I don't know how much of that had to do with just familiarity. I also am rather fond of the music to a few of the other songs. However...great score this is not. The music is pleasant as in a good (but not great) Disney film. The lyrics range from serviceable to incredibly bad. As I told Humbug, I didn't expect Sondheim and I actually wouldn't have minded nearly as much if the lyrics stayed at the serviceable, generic level (such as in Long Past Dreaming or Something Real), but they dip so far below so often that it's cringe-worthy. Are You On the Bus has some especially awful examples.

The only semi-clever lyrics come in the Angels' gospel numbers, such as Hotline to Heaven, and only because they seem like fun takeoffs of real songs.

The non-revival sets are dwarfed by the stage, and look really cheap.

Brooke's voice is better, but she still sounds like she's having a hard time at times. I thought her acting was fine, given how unnuanced her dialogue generally was, though my husband thought she wasn't very good. Of the three nights, the only night I heard any entrance applause was on Thursday night for Brooke, and my assumption was that there may have been more friends or industry types in the audience--with it being days from the opening. I never expected entrance applause for a L.A. unknown like Raul.

The supporting players are uniformly fine, but it's hard to tell because they're not vivid characters either. The one (poor) exception for me is the cardboard Sheriff. I couldn't tell if his stiff acting was an acting decision or a result of the stiff dialogue.

The ballet sequences. Ugh. I was so fixated on how out of place the dancing was that it wasn't until my 2nd show that I realized how awful the underlying musical transition choices were too. The ballet transition is especially egregious after the supposed heartfelt scene of the 2nd act Walk Into the Sunset reprise, where they go into this almost upbeat music that completely undercuts any power from the prior scene.

The book is not fleshed out enough and certainly the dialogue could be better written and have more zing. Again, perhaps I have too much Sondheim echoing in my head, where the wordplay is so intricate and clever.

What's good? The Jonas Nightingale tent scenes. Luckily, there is so much time spent on those, and Raul does such an incredible job. He really was very powerful and, both as a result of being Raul, but also because that dialogue seemed to be only sequences fully written with any inspiration, they were truly mesmerizing. Similarly, his Jonas' Soliloquy was also mesmerizing, if you didn't listen too closely to the lyrics. So much of the show seems to be built around these showy and flamboyant scenes that if it goes to Broadway I can't imagine Raul not having a decent chance at a Tony this year. They make up a major percentage of the show. Too bad that the entire show isn't really a worthy vehicle.

The times I was there, I didn't notice the audience being bored. In fact, they seemed to laugh unduly at things I only found mildly amusing, and applauding quite a bit at various times. There was also a palpable energy by the end and, looking around, I always found many delighted faces. So...I don't know how the reviews will turn out. I think eliminating the ballet sequences altogether would have eliminated the most obviously awful, parody-like scenes, which, I think, would make the rest of the show seem better. Plus, it would leave more time for character development. However, that obviously isn't going to happen--and definitely not before tonight.

Worse shows have made it to Broadway, so I'm still hoping for decent-enough reviews. I really think the audiences were less critical than we have been, and the revival scenes do make a huge impression.

ABB2357 Profile Photo
ABB2357
#215LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:14pm

Thanks for clarifying "Slingshot" for me, Hest. I hadn't seen the show before so wasn't aware there was a previous version of it.

To my point about entrance applause, I didn't expect it for Raul because he's a celebrity, but because he's the star. A button accompanying his entrance (or a clever entrance itself) often provokes a reaction, and his name and image has been all over LA promoting the show. Even if the crowd didn't find him as instantly recognizable as Brooke, the show should establish him as a leading man right off the bat. He definitely has the talent to provide major star power, but I felt the show left him in the lurch.

You're absolutely right about the musical transitions, too! I was similarly focused on the terrible dancing, so it didn't register until later. And the dialogue is consistently bad, no spark or energy to it at all.

luvtheEmcee - I doubt any critics will rip the show apart. I've often found the LA critics to be way too kind, or at least their criticisms are buried underneath generic, muted praise. McNulty's reviews for 9 TO 5 and MINSKY'S were very much of this ilk. The problem is that new musicals won't want to try out here if the west coast critics are too harsh, so they're cut a little slack for being works-in-progress. The reviews may be mixed overall, but I don't expect any major pans.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#216LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:19pm

Well, that's good. It's nice that they maintain some mercy. LEAP OF FAITH Previews I mean, I saw a workshop presentation of the show in New York and really loved it. I thought it had all the right building blocks in place, but I just can't help thinking, with what limited resources I've got thousands of miles away, that the production isn't living up to what it could be. It's frustrating to see that happen with a show you really care about.

I really disagree with the thematic recapitulation of I Can Read You with another character, alas. They should have just cut Slingshot, put that sentiment in a few lines of dialogue and been done with it. Ah well.

The bow thing also bothers me. I understand the democracy mentality of a simple, full company bow, but I think when stars are really carrying a show on this scale, they deserve a little extra recognition.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 02:19 PM

ABB2357 Profile Photo
ABB2357
#217LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:34pm

Absolutely. I'm all about democracy in curtain calls, but there are situations (particularly in big musicals) when milking the star spot is undoubtedly effective and deserved. Jerry Herman's shows are masterful at this, and it's a great thrill for the audience to realize they're witnessing a very special performance.

A more recent example would be when I saw A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC a few weeks ago (sorry to be a shill, but I can't stop talking about it). A spectacular evening was made even more memorable by seeing Bernadette and Elaine alone onstage at the end, and the sinking feeling that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The energy this opportunity for appreciation gave the audience was quite palpable.

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#218LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:41pm

Heh, you don't have to apologize to me, I've been there, and all of BWW has seen (endured?) it. LEAP OF FAITH Previews Anyway, yeah, it's not to say everyone on stage isn't working hard, but I think it's particularly the case with big, classically-constructed musicals to need to allow for that moment. For the star and for the audience. I think as audience members, we want that moment, too, to say something.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 02:41 PM

Hest882 Profile Photo
Hest882
#219LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:47pm

They should have just cut Slingshot, put that sentiment in a few lines of dialogue and been done with it.

Yeah, that's how it was the first two nights after they cut the song. Just a few lines of dialogue. I think they wanted to show more of the relationship between Marva and Jonas, to make both People Like Us and the end have more of an emotional punch, but it's still not enough.

I understand the democracy mentality of a simple, full company bow, but I think when stars are really carrying a show on this scale, they deserve a little extra recognition.

I agree. It was a bit of a letdown not to let the audience give homage to Raul's performance. (And, I suppose, Brooke's, but with the way it was written it didn't compare at all.)


luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#220LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 2:59pm

Well, I always thought Slingshot was extraneous. But by recapitulating the melodic theme from I Can Read You in a duet between Jonas and Sam, they're setting up a certain parallel and mirroring of relationships that doesn't work for me. Recurring melodic themes tend to mean something, and maybe they intend it to mean nothing here, but having that tradition, I think runs the risk of making the audience think it does. I know they do set up a link between Marva and Sam with the duet later on, but I don't think that needs a wrap-around in the beginning.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 02:59 PM

ABB2357 Profile Photo
ABB2357
#221LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 3:14pm

Your argument makes perfect sense, Emcee, but the creative team has no idea what you're talking about. :)

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#222LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 3:20pm

Well, thanks. I wish they did, because my sitting around on the Internet saying it isn't helping anybody. LEAP OF FAITH Previews


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 03:20 PM

TulitaPepsi Profile Photo
TulitaPepsi
#223LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:07pm

A friend from San Diego - a HUGE Raul fan - saw it last night. Thought it was OK-to-good.

Liked: Brooke, though he thought she was basically miscast, lacking the earthy averageness the role called for. He thought Sutton (who did the workshop) would have been much better.

Disliked: The gospel stuff and the ballet. Thought the latter was distracting and meaningless.

First act he thought weak. Second act MUCH better. Some lovely songs.

Loved Raul. Thought he did a terrific job. But he thought that the show wasn't really worthy of him:
"It feels like a second-rate 110 IN THE SHADE."


"Hurry up and get into your conga clothes - we've got to do something to save this show!"

luvtheEmcee Profile Photo
luvtheEmcee
#224LEAP OF FAITH Previews
Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:25pm

A friend commented to me the other day that it was kind of funny how hard they're evidently trying to make Brooke Shields look plain. Sutton works in that regard (she's cute, but not, you know, a supermodel), but she was totally wrong for the part in completely different ways. (I saw her do it, it didn't work.)

I think the part is extraordinary, and perfect for Raul, but I guess it's a matter of how well the surrounding material lives up to what he's giving. Obviously I can't speak to that having only heard the present incarnation and seen selected images, but my inclination is that I feel like there's a gap between the potential I saw coming from it when I saw the workshop and what's actually ended up being done on stage. I had a lot more hope then than I do now. Of course, in a full production there's a LOT more to be critical of than just a reading performance, but I feel like I would like it less in full than I did in the workshop. That's frustrating. I really hope they can get it together and put the best possible production of this show on Broadway.


A work of art is an invitation to love.
Updated On: 10/3/10 at 09:25 PM


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