LEMPICKA Previews — Page 3

As a huge fan of the show when I saw it at Williamstown, I can’t help but feel like the (significant!) changes they have made, unfortunately, have done the show a disservice. It feels like they went in the wrong direction – making the characters broader and not as nuanced, making things less clear (both plot-wise and motivations/feelings of characters), and seeming to be concerned with adding in more comedic moments.

Many beautiful songs that felt very necessary for the story and character development (“Burn it Up,” “Stillness,” and “The Exchange”) have been cut and the majority of the songs (although not all) that have been added since Williamstown are far less superior, in my opinion.

It also felt like there was so much movement/business happening in the background of scenes that was both distracting and confusing. It sometimes came off to me like an attempt to fill the space.

The second act is far and away better than the first act – which also happens to be the act that is more intact from the Williamstown production.

It didn’t feel particularly clear that Tamara and Rafaela’s relationship was emotionally real until about half way through act two – which I previously was able to feel from the beginning.

I still felt emotional at the end, but definitely didn’t experience the same connection and awe that I felt for the show in its previous incarnation.

It feels like this show has been worked almost too much and the creatives have lost sight of the core of the storytelling and characters that make the show so special. I must admit, this is something I feel like is becoming a trend for Chavkin – between this and “Hadestown” (especially with the insights provided in Anais’ Mitchell’s “Working on a Song”), I feel like Chavkin’s initial direction/shaping of a new piece is often her best work – not the final products.

This was the most excited I have been for a show in years and I walked out last night feeling so disappointed. It’s hard to know what the show could be and has been (not saying it didn’t need any work from Williamstown – just not the amount of changes or the choice of changes they made) and knowing that, unless major changes are made during this preview period, I won’t get to see a version of this show again that I felt as passionate about as I did before.

I have tickets for a few weeks from now and am looking forward to seeing what changes they make. (Is it too much to hope for “Burn it Up” and “Stillness” to be reinstated?)

wpetinaudjr2 said: "Broadway Flash said: "Yes, and since seeing those clips, I’ve actually soured even more on this show. They were probably betteroff hiding the product and focusing on better marketing."

I appreciate a good cynic, every now and then but friend your takewill age like milk. It's objectively a phenomenal show and it's getting better night over night. They already made adjustments from invited dress to last nights preview.

You would have to see things in context to make sense of it.This is not a drill. Something very special is happening there.
 


W"

 

And once they see it, if they still feel the same that's okay too 

If I recall correctly, just a pin and the windowcard were the only other merch available not listed on the website.

All So Ozmapolitan, I agree with every thing you said. The "mega-musical melodrama and high stakes" was exactly what I felt seeing the Williamstown production, but not at all last night.

Considering Araca is also a producer and a huge merchandising company I'm kinda shocked they haven't upped the merch game for this. 4 items all in white or gray with super small logos on a 75$ shirt. With all the time and energy spent on TikTok and social media they need to catch up with some awesome bling. this IS a show about art, after all!

Updated On: 3/20/24 at 01:08 PM

GilmoreGirlO2 said: "Many beautiful songs that felt very necessary for the story and character development (“Burn it Up,” “Stillness,” and “The Exchange&rdquo have been cut and the majority of the songs (although not all) that have been added since Williamstown are far less superior, in my opinion...

I have tickets for a few weeks from now and am looking forward to seeing what changes they make. (Is it too much to hope for “Burn it Up” and “Stillness” to be reinstated?)"

I was also shocked to see that Stillness and The Exchange were cut. Both were reliably great numbers in both Williamstown and La Jolla. But then watching the show in its current iteration, I felt that the plotting worked better without both of these numbers.

As for "Burn It Up"... this was such a fun and exciting song, but IMO it really added nothing, did not progress the plot, said almost nothing, and was unnecessarily taxing on Eden's voice. This song hasn't been in the show since Williamstown, which -- fun as it is musically -- is a good choice IMO and not going to change back.

What I find myself missing most is the expanded version of "Starting Over" that was performed in La Jolla. I absolutely loooved how this song worked in La Jolla, but now the middle section which was new for that production (and was far and away one of my favorite parts of the score), has been greatly reduced, making it more similar to the original Williamstown version.

 

Updated On: 3/20/24 at 01:37 PM

I was very impressed with this for the most part. This is a show that grabbed me right from the first note and didn’t let go until the final curtain.

Eden Espinosa. The woman is a force on that stage. Strong acting and astounding vocals. I have to wonder if she will do all eight shows a week throughout the run or have an alternate post-opening. The role is very demanding, but she executes it flawlessly and effortlessly.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Amber Iman and Natalie Joy Johnson both get some fun moments to shine. I also really enjoyed Andrew Somansky and George Abud. Once again, Beth Leavel is in a role in which she gets barely anything of note to do.

The show is very tech heavy, and there was a tech hold during the second act due to an automation issue. There are tons of really cool lighting moments and the projections are used effectively. I loved the scaffolding and staircases that filled the upstage space.

The score worked for me. It has a pretty unique sound that I really enjoyed. The book is a tad clunky. The character of the Baroness is extremely underdeveloped and then shoehorned in at the last minute with an important scene and song which was a little confusing. The ending felt a little abrupt and sudden.

This was my most anticipated new musical this season, and I wasn’t let down. However, I would definitely recommend going later in previews or post opening if possible as I think this will get significantly tighter over the new few weeks of previews.

Comments surfacing elsewhere in social media, not on theater boards, are, um, less glowing. Two that I read this morning were 180 in the other direction. Perhaps it's that sort of niche material. Still seems to be a show that might've benefitted from a star above the title, to give its profile in a crowded spring some juice and attract a wider audience beyond the merely curious/musical theater aficionados. Searching for a comparable, I'm remembering War Paint's arrival, with two of the biggest Broadway musical theater stars in tow, and it couldn't sustain.  

I'm at intermission and I'm liking it a lot, but the casting choices in the opening number is confusing as hell. Three of your principles playing different roles than they will for the rest of the show? Doesn't work. 

Well, I enjoyed it. It was far from perfect - but I enjoyed it.

The weight of a Jordan review-- so many of us with tickets now all reevauating our enthusiasm. 

PipingHotPiccolo said: "The weight of a Jordan review-- so many of us with tickets now all reevauating our enthusiasm."

I hope everyone else comes out of it loving it and tells me I don’t know what I’m talking about. But I’ve spent the morning texting and messaging with multiple people who thought even less of it than I did and pointing out things i had forgotten about. I’ll go back in a few weeks to see the frozen version but if it’s been around for a decade, i can’t imagine too much else will be done to it. 

I enjoyed the set design and the lighting, but I wish there was more movement within it. There's only one piece that just goes back and forth the whole time. I feel the trap doors are wholly unnecessary and a waste of money. 

Jordan - Are you sure you're not still suffering from BTSD* when Eden Espinosa appears on the stage?

(*Brooklyn Traumatic Stress Disorder of course.)