LEAP OF FAITH Reviews

[corkystclair2]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 8:55pm

Makes sense to start a new thread since the previous one was "Previews" and the show is now open...

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/10/review-leap-faith-ahmanson

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/10/theater-review-leap-of-faith-at-the-ahmanson.html

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/jonas-269461-menken-marva.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/leap-of-faith-theater-review-1004118929.story

http://www.backstage.com/bso/content_display/reviews/la-theatre-reviews/e3i7b035dcf5d2c2ea714498dce371f2be5

http://www.examiner.com/theater-reviews-in-los-angeles/leap-of-faith-a-leap-the-right-direction-review
Updated On: 10/4/10 at 08:55 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 9:45pm

Hmmm....
Interesting and very much along the lines of those who have seen it on this board.
Seems like the real star is the kid.

[corkystclair2]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 11:45pm

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm?int_news_id=30903&city_dir=los-angeles

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:43am

These almost identical sentences are suspect:



"there's a strong sense of deja vu hovering over the production. Think "Elmer Gantry," "The Rainmaker" and "The Music Man," among others. "

---Hollywood Reporter


"As one might surmise from the plot description, a serious sense of deja vu lingers over the show, which brings to mind such other similarly-themed works as Elmer Gantry, The Rainmaker, and, most notably The Music Man."

---Theater Mania

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:09am

The only thing suspect is that they used such a cliched plot line, the comparison is universally drawn.

[EAU]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 4:45am

The reviews are pretty accurate. I saw it last Saturday and thought it ran way too long. They need to get rid of those Oklahoma-style ballet numbers...and Brooke. Nice try but a weak voice lost in a cast of proven showstoppers. Raul Esparza, however, delivers the goods.

[luvbrdway]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 6:24am

I don't get it. Brooke Shields doesn't need the money, so why is she doing this? She can read. EVERY review says she can't sing - so why do it? Also, every review says get rid of the ballet stuff, the cornstalks get old - why not do something about those things if EVERY review is negative?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 6:54am

I think it speaks more of the integrity of the director and producers that they choose to cast a "name" over an actress who can actually sing the role. Ms. Sheilds has numerously stated that she has wanted to create an original role in a musical, and she has proven she has some musical talent, but Ruth in WONDERFUL TOWN is a very different type of musical part than what this show calls for. Ms. Sheilds is not gonna sell tickets to a show that gets pans for the leading ladt. As far as the ballets, again the producers knew what they were getting hiring Ashford. They must have seen PROMISES PROMISES, the man will stick a dance number anywhere he can, whether it fits or not.

[misschung]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 11:35am

That's disappointing. I also don't understand how, from her perspective, she would WANT to try and do a challenging musical if she's not that strong vocally. Wouldn't it be, I don't know, embarrassing?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 11:39am

why not do something about those things if EVERY review is negative?

I don't really understand what you're saying. These reviews just came out in the past 48 hours. I'm in the camp that thinks the creative team should have been aware of these (rather obvious) issues without needing the reviews to point them out, but either they were blind to them, or thought it all worked great, I guess. As far as listening to the reviews, they can't change something based on the reviews before they have them, and there's no guarantee that they're reading (or taking to heart) the message board comments.

Brooke can sing, sort of, sometimes. Her voice just isn't suited for this. I think making some changes to the music for her voice is probably a relatively easy fix, but it would happen at the risk of an, IMO, strong score.

There's a verrrrry telling video on BWW, where the main interview clip of Ashford is of him talking about how the "thing" with this show was trying to figure out where, when, and how dance could fit into it besides in the gospel numbers. Fine, but that doesn't mean you get to shoehorn it in where you feel like it, appropriate or not. Quite the problematic approach, and disappointing.

Updated On: 10/5/10 at 11:39 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:09pm

I don't get it. Brooke Shields doesn't need the money, so why is she doing this? She can read. EVERY review says she can't sing - so why do it?


Actually one of the reviews said she has a fine voice. You also failed to mention that the majority of reviewers praised her acting.
Updated On: 10/5/10 at 12:09 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:17pm

Not to mention that she didn't read the reviews of her performance before she took the part. And it's not like it's a universally-held opinion that she can't sing, since she's fared okay in a number of musicals.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:26pm

Just reading a synposis of the show (and having seen the source film), it's clear that there will be a lot of Elmer Gantry, The Rainmaker, 110 in the Shade, and The Music Man here. It's a much-used plotline. The score, if spectacular, could make up for the re-tread nature of the story, but no one has said anything about the score being noteworthy.

Of course, it IS possible to take an overused idea and make it fresh if you're a particularly good writer or director. Sadly, particularly good writers and directors are at a premium these days, and we have to make do with merely satisfactory talents most of the time. When will our next genius come along, who knows how to mold a show into something terrific, rather than just something acceptable?

[bk]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:39pm

I'll just say it - as good as Mr. Esparza is, and he's very good, Miss Shields is the heart of the show and she, too, is very, very good. While the reviews say she could be a stronger singer, most, as has been pointed out, praise her acting, which they should. If there are problems with the show, she is the least of them.
Updated On: 10/5/10 at 12:39 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 12:47pm

If this does transfer to Broadway, I see no reason why Shields wouldn't transfer with it. I can't imagine they'd get rid of her because she's not a strong singer.
It would be great to see her snag her first Tony nomination.

[corkystclair2]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 1:28pm

http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Los_Angeles_Performances_116/Leap_of_Faith_Theatre_Review_-_Get_Ready_for_a_Musical_Miracle_at_the_Ahmanson.php

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 1:45pm

Variety (which isnt online yet -but in the print edition, go figure) gave it a good review. I saw the show a few weeks ago and REALLY enjoyed it - Raul gave a tour de force.

Def want to check this out again.

How is the first row Mezz at The Ahmanson?

[bk]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 1:49pm

"http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Los_Angeles_Performances_116/Leap_of_Faith_Theatre_Review_-_Get_Ready_for_a_Musical_Miracle_at_the_Ahmanson.php "

"Keisha 7" needs a good copy editor or an English class. "Reviews" like that, yay or nay, will do this show no good whatsoever.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:21pm

I've sat in the rear of the mezz and it's a bit pulled back (the overhang should ideally be a few rows closer), but a great unobstructed view. First row mezz should be ideal.

Re: the reviews, newintown puts it almost exactly as I did after seeing the show. We've seen a lot of this storyline before, and if the score was spectacular, it would make up for a lot. But here we have a problematic production and an incredibly weak score despite Raul's very worthy lead performance. The story isn't substantial enough to hold water, especially with classics like THE MUSIC MAN still in heavy rotation. That's why I felt the whole thing was a wash. Hell, Ashford can't even establish that we're in the modern day (the sets/costumes are straight out of OKLAHOMA) so it only shoots itself in the foot by directly referencing the shows it should be trying to distinguish itself from. Updated On: 10/5/10 at 02:21 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:32pm

Right, ABB - this is why I've stopped attending Fringe and NYMF shows. Every time I go, I think "I've seen a version of this before, and done better, too." But with a generation of writers who grew up watching much more television than theatre, it's no wonder they don't realize that they're often turning out inferior versions of pre-existing work. (I know this doesn't relate to this show, although Slater has little but hack work to his credit thus far, and Menken has been known to write a nice tune, but nothing to surpass his work on Little Shop from 30 years ago).

[ABB2357]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 2:41pm

That's exactly why the score was so disappointing. All the gospel numbers were 100% generic and redundant - each sounded no different from the one before it. And while Raul did a great job of putting over his 11 o'clock number, I can't recall a single note.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 4:38pm

I think the Soliloquy lives and dies by the way he performs it. That's what you remember. My memories of that song back in January were, "wow, he sang the sh*t out of that" and that it was incredibly moving, but I couldn't remember what it sounded like.

Glenn Slater has never impressed me, but his work on Leap of Faith wasn't as awful as I had feared going in. I guess given his track record, that isn't saying much, but for what it's worth. And no, this isn't going to go down in musical history with classic Menken of the Ashman days, but it's still a Menken score and by virtue of that I find it pretty likable. The gospel numbers don't do it for me, but I think that speaks more to my taste than anything else. You also have to assume that if Jonas and his choir were real, a lot of the stuff they'd sing would probably sound the same. Just throwing that out there, though it opens up the debate of reality versus theatricality, and maybe we shouldn't go there.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 4:45pm

Oh, and that "LA Splash" review... eek. Completely separate of her opinions on the show, it sounds like it was written by a high school student. Who lets people print these things?

[bk]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 5:34pm

I'm sure she IS a high school student. Those sorts of sites are a joke.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/5/10 at 5:35pm

Even more to the point!