LEMPICKA Reviews- Page 5

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 4:45pm

I don't think anyone's posted this yet. Sara Bareilles, who I love, is also mad about the reviews.

https://www.justjared.com/2024/04/15/sara-bareilles-slams-negative-theater-reviews-after-attending-lempicka-opening-night-on-broadway/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5yRJwBu6yq/

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 4:49pm

WSJ is also up. Praise for Espinosa and Iman, mixed on everything else

‘Lempicka’ Review: A Conventional Portrait on Broadway

The Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka—a daring woman and painter of the 20th century—becomes a more familiar type of heroine in this musical starring Eden Espinosa.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/lempicka-review-broadway-musical-eden-espinosa-rachel-chavkin-519b3aca

"Like many biographical musicals, “Lempicka” does not solve the riddle of creating a compelling dramatic arc from the jagged, disconnected fragments of life. Despite the admirable skills of its director, Rachel Chavkin, who won a Tony for “Hadestown,” the result can feel like a checklist of highs and lows that add up to a sketch of a life, not a fully realized portrait. Given the magnificent sheen and polish of Lempicka’s most celebrated paintings, this is both disappointing and ironic."

 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 4:53pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "What time does the “This show deserves to be SEEN!” effort begin tomorrow?"

Circling back to this. Turns out it’s Sara Barielles leading the charge here, with an Instagram video basically telling creatives to ignore critics and to “F them”.

Critics, which are the things that have brought audiences to the theatre for over 100 years and ensured its lifespan. And that have told the shows that aren’t good to try harder. 

Sara thinks no one should be told their work isn’t good enough. This is the age we live in I guess. Can I get on Broadway and read my credit card statement out loud and win a Tony? EYE ROLL. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 4:57pm

MemorableUserName said: "I don't think anyone's posted this yet. Sara Bareilles, who I love, is also mad about the reviews.

https://www.justjared.com/2024/04/15/sara-bareilles-slams-negative-theater-reviews-after-attending-lempicka-opening-night-on-broadway/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5yRJwBu6yq/

"

I sense two things from her take. One is that she’s friends with the creative team and is speaking from the heart regarding a show her friends made that just got negative critical feedback. The other is that artists often feel negative critiques are bullsh*t, but they sure do love praise. If critics had fallen in love with Lempicka, you know damn well everyone involved would be talking about it like they finally got their due.

There is NOTHING wrong with theatrical criticism that is informed and contextualized in a broader conversation about theatre as an art form. Some critics are not very good, just as there are composers and bookwriters that are not very good. Art is subjective, sure, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s open for critique and assessment just as much as it’s open for unabashed enjoyment.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:10pm

I love Sara but she's off the mark here. The critics have a job to do and not everything is good, not everything is worth championing. Does Lempicka have its fans? Of course it does and that's awesome. But it's not just the critics who have been negative on this show. It's had bad word of mouth and bad grosses. It's just a miss and that's ok. Critics can say that and shouldn't have to feel bad about it, not that they do

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:17pm

Perhaps she thinks standing ovations should be mandatory?

I think the creative teams shouldn't represent any characters negatively and shows should not have villains or any nasty things like conflict or nasty words.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:28pm

As long as art exists, there will be people who have opinions about it (whether it's in a professional or amateur capacity). If you're going to listen to people who love your work, then you must also listen to those who hate it, and your skin had better be thick enough to withstand it.

I don't think any professional critic believes "art should not be made," and all worthy critics understand that making art is a tough and laborious process. They simply want to enjoy and appreciate the work that they're seeing.

The Holdren review is being targeted because it's one of the best-written and most specific criticisms of the show. Those criticizing her are trying to spin a defense out of nothing because they have no other leg to stand on.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:28pm

Oh, Sara. I love you but…no. 
 

She’s sounding like so many of the “reviewers” on social media now who post videos of them attending everything and only rave about things, never talking about shows that don’t work. I get they want to be invited and make a “name” for themselves and don’t want to criticize anything and only spread joy and positivity but that’s not how the world (or theater criticism) works. Some shows are not good and critics need to talk about that as much as they need to talk about what they DO like, otherwise their job is meaningless.

 

A simple “forget what they say I loved this show!” would have been much better for her to say, especially as someone who will undoubtedly be wanting those same critics approval in her future stage projects. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:28pm

I don't get it. Would everyone rather have critics lie and have there be universal praise or something? Because for ****s sake- that will not happen. And if they say that, they're lying. So why sugarcoat??

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:30pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Oh, Sara. I love you but…no.


She’s sounding like so many of the “reviewers” on social media now who post videos of them attending everything and only rave about things, never talking about shows that don’t work. I get they want to be invited and make a “name” for themselves and don’t want to criticize anything and only spread joy and positivity but that’s not how the world (or theater criticism) works. Some shows are not good and critics need to talk about that as much as they need to talk about what they DO like, otherwise their job is meaningless.



A simple “forget what they say I loved this show!” would have been much better for her to say, especially as someone who will undoubtedly be wanting those same critics approval in her future stage projects."

You're exactly right, Jordan. I agree with you. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:33pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Oh, Sara. I love you but…no.

A simple “forget what they say I loved this show!” would have been much better for her to say, especially as someone who will undoubtedly be wanting those same critics approval in her future stage projects."

 

^^^^ That part.

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:43pm

“Critics don’t have the power they used to.”

They may not have the power to keep a poorly-selling show open like they used to, but they still have the power to close one on a dime. And that’s what they’re about to do here. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:49pm

Day by day, a large chunk of those who work in the industry drift further and further away from reality. It’s doing everyone a disservice. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:51pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "Day by day, a large chunk of those who work in the industry drift further and further away from reality. It’s doing everyone a disservice."

Can you please explain what reality they should be in? Again-expecting universal praise is highly unrealistic 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 5:55pm

I think BroadwayNYC is saying they should be in the reality where universal praise isn’t automatic. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:00pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "I think BroadwayNYC is saying they should be in the reality where universal praise isn’t automatic."

Well I'm stupid. Thank you for clarifying that 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:01pm

Correct. And it goes beyond universal praise. The whole culture of “I know more about this than critics because I’m a fan” or “because this story is important” is a stain on producing actual work of quality. 
 

and to be clear, I found this show to be harmless. Is it good? No. Did I enjoy my time spent? Sure. But owning faults for something you love is the best thing you can do for it. 

[Popular]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:09pm

I don’t speak for Sara but I understood where she is coming from. I don’t think Sara is saying to love and praise everything. 

Criticism is one thing, but it’s like some of them spent time choosing the cruelest possible ways to say they didn’t care for the show when there are living breathing people who put their blood sweat and tears into their job. It’s just mean. And yes, you need to have thick skin. Fair enough. I’m not saying to sugar coat your review but no need to come across like a bully. At the end of the day art is subjective and no one needs to be soooo offended by a piece that they need to rip into it so deep. Just my opinion.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:13pm

I saw one of the authors say they were disappointed in the “analysis of old white men who have no interest in the interior lives of women or people of color or anyone or anyone who doesn’t share their experience. There will be lots on that”

 

makes me ??????

[Kad]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:21pm

And it’s interesting which shows get this rally-around. Back to the Future, for instance, got no defense in the face of its negative reception- and it’s a show that actually has found an audience who likes it, unlike Lempicka.

And let’s face it, quite a few of us have been part of many a conversation with folks in the industry who have delighted in seeing critical skewering or failure of one production or another. This atmosphere of relentless positivity is entirely performative. There aren’t a lot of people boosting this show behind closed doors- and this was a show I think a lot of us were rooting for. 
 

I think more Broadway folks need to learn how to be graceful and say, “we believed in this show and poured years of our sweat and tears into it but it just didn’t work for a lot of people. We’re proud it got this far and reached the people it did.” Artists aren’t brave if they don’t accept that failure is the very likely outcome of their endeavor. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:25pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I saw one of the authors say they were disappointed in the “analysis of old white men who have no interest in the interior lives of women or people of color or anyone or anyone who doesn’t share their experience. There will be lots on that”

makes me ??????"

—

Thanks for sharing this - was this said online or something they said in person informally? Would love to see it if it’s online. (I messed up the italics when quoting and can’t fix it lol)
 

Updated On: 4/15/24 at 06:25 PM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:27pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I saw one of the authors say they were disappointed in the “analysis of old white men who have no interest in the interior lives of women or people of color or anyone or anyone who doesn’t share their experience. There will be lots on that”

And yet the critic being bashed the most today...is a woman. Apparently the analyses of women only matter when they're positive too?
 

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:48pm

The thing is, they embargoed the reviews to the last minute, so they had to be concerned, if not outright know, the reviews wouldn't be great. 

In his speech at the opening night curtain call, one of the composers/writers makes it clear he suspects people are going to be unkind toward the show. (It starts around 7:00 and admittedly is very sad.) 

That would seem to indicate they knew the show had issues they weren't able to overcome that would be called out. So why be mad at the critics? Just hating the messenger? Or did they really believe the show was great and the critics were going to be gratuitously mean because...cruelty? Misogyny? 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 6:52pm

Also, this a season in which the biggest hit is Merrily We Roll Along, which originally ran for 50 performances and the reception of which almost caused Sondheim to quit writing… but then it went on to have countless revisions and a redemption arc spanning 40 years. It only got here because a lot of people believed in it… but also because there was an acknowledgment it just didn’t work as it was.

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/15/24 at 7:05pm

MemorableUserName said: "The thing is, they embargoed the reviews to the last minute, so they had to be concerned, if not outright know, the reviewswouldn't be great.

In his speech at the opening night curtain call, one of the composers/writersmakes it clear he suspects people are going to be unkind toward the show. (It starts around 7:00 and admittedly is very sad.)

That would seem to indicate they knew the show had issues they weren't able to overcome that would be called out. So why be mad at the critics? Just hating the messenger? Or did they really believe the show was great and the critics were going to be gratuitously mean because...cruelty? Misogyny?"

Damn. The way the audience guffawed when the composer said “In the coming hours…”. They all knew too. 

I think the creatives are told by the producers, who are told by the press rep, who would have heard informally from the critics in the week prior, that either a “good” or “bad” review will be coming. It appears they believed their baby was perfect.  

Updated On: 4/15/24 at 07:05 PM