LEMPICKA: The Musical - News & Discussion Thread- Page 3

[MsPiety&Rectitude]

Posted: 7/1/22 at 1:24pm

ashley0139 said:
"Thanks for the info! I'm a little devastated about the cuts though. I would give almost anything to go back in time and see it at Williamstown with Burn it Up and Spinning, and I really wish I could have seen Carmen as Rafaela (I'm sure Amber is amazing too but I love Carmen). So excited to see this version in a couple weeks though."

Yeah, I hear you. I loved Carmen as Rafaela and didn’t think that I could enjoy someone else after her performance, but I ended up also loving Amber Iman in the role. The character has evolved/been expanded and Amber is very commanding and exciting in it.

As for the song cuts and changes, while some (like Burn It Up) were fun songs, I do think that all of the new work is a higher quality and better supports the show as a whole. Not to mention that Burn It Up was hugely demanding of Eden’s high belting range, and I think it’s best to conserve that for later in the show (Woman Is, etc). It’s hard to leave good songs behind but the show is better for it!

 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/1/22 at 1:37pm

This is the show we are very excited to see next season on Broadway!

[Pasunepomme]

Posted: 7/2/22 at 11:35pm

RippedMan said: "I would love to drive down to see this. Any discount codes or anything? Just curious. Never been down there before."

Several July performances were on Goldstar for $40 plus fees when I was looking to see what else we might do while in town for our two shows this weekend. 

I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale and we flew in from Baltimore for the holiday weekend. We saw the matinee today (Saturday). My wife is not a big musicals person but she genuinely enjoyed it. I was very excited to see Eden in this role and she did not disappoint - 120% all the way. There was one number where she was visibly in tears. A really powerful performance.  Strong performances across the board, the entire company is solid.  I'd be happy for the opportunity to see it another half dozen times.

 

ETA: To my surprise, my wife wanted to come with me to the evening performance on Sunday as well (she had previously told me she'd come with me to see it ONCE but I bought two pairs of tickets just in case). That is pretty much the biggest compliment I can give the show - my wife wanted to see it again, the next day 😅

 I'm looking forward to the cast recording in part because it would be really nice to know the titles of all of the numbers. I really enjoyed both of George Abud's big numbers -- Perfection and whatever the second act opener is called. Besides Eden and Amber, we haven't stopped talking about Milena Comeau's beautiful dancing as past!Tamara, David Merino and Devin Roberts' who-is-that supporting vocals, Victor Chan and Jacquelyn Ritz's lovely chemistry as the Baron and Baroness (and their subtle work individually throughout), Andrew's haunting refrain and the way his voice works so well with his song partners, Jordan Tyson's shockingly believable performance as both very young and older Kizette, Natalie's great comic timing...the whole company is so good. I wish them all a healthy end to the run, and hope to see them stay on when the show comes to Broadway. 

Updated On: 7/6/22 at 11:35 PM

[SydneyBristow]

Posted: 7/13/22 at 2:57am

RippedMan said: "I would love to drive down to see this. Any discount codes or anything? Just curious. Never been down there before."

Online Rush Tickets - Save 50% on remaining seats for a performance! Tickets available beginning 3 hours prior to the performance start time, day-of. Enter the promo code LEMPICKARUSH to access a limited number of Online Rush seats, valid in Area 1 and 2 seating. Must be purchased online. https://lajollaplayhouse.org/show/lempicka/

It's not a large venue, so I'd say even the back row P is great!  Nice full view of the set.  I'd suggest a seat as close to center if possible, but all views should be good.

Allow a little extra time for parking:  https://lajollaplayhouse.org/plan-your-visit/parking/

 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 2:20am

I saw this tonight (my first time seeing a show on the west coast!) and really, really liked it. The cast is uniformly good, the score slaps and the staging is fierce and fast. Of course it needs some tightening: her husband is never very interesting and the first act is probably too long. But holy crap, Eden and Xinome Rose’s voices are other worldly. 

[mostly_musicals]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 9:03pm

I'm going on Saturday (in the back row) Sorry to have missed Amber Iman, who is amazing in every way always, but Covid knocked me out for a bit. VERY excited to see the show regardless, been following its development for years.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 10:07pm

Heading out to San Diego from Texas tomorrow to see the show, and I am so excited! Can't wait to see Eden and Ximone.

[Fan123]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 10:20pm

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but a couple more songs have been released after 'Woman Is':

Perfection: https://open.spotify.com/track/4TUDvsZ1u5eQTzPOZlQ8is?si=1b84eb939fcb40f1

Stay: https://open.spotify.com/track/0wpFMotefTIjErgbY7RwG2?si=50530e88867f45de

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 7:48am

Thanks for sharing those links Fan123!  I loved Stay and cannot wait for this to come to Broadway.  Excited to hear your thoughts ashley0139!

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 8:37pm

Just got out of the matinee and will be back for the evening show, so perhaps more thoughts then. 
 

Overall, I thought it was an incredible show with moments for improvement. But it absolutely got me feeling a lot at the end and that is the payoff for me.

The beginning is messy. They try to do a lot of backstory in little time and so you don’t get very much of any part. They need to streamline it or give the backstory more time because it’s just choppy and doesn’t give you a great feel for the characters right now. About 1/3 of the way into the first act it really settles in and gets going in a great way. 
 

The whole design of the show is very stylized and interesting. While it has period elements it is also extremely modern and futuristic, which works well with the themes of the show. 
 

I’m glad to get a chance to see it again because this time I spent a lot of the time thinking “oh they changed that.” I did not see it in Williamstown but I know the music pretty well if anyone has questions. Far more has changed than has stayed the same. Stillness, Woman Is, The Exchange are the same. Most of the others have at least large changes if not completely cut and changed out with another song. Spinning, Burn It Up, Paris, New Vision, etc all completely cut. There were big changes to “The Time I didn’t know you” which was maybe my biggest disappointment, because I didn’t feel the new version hit as hard, but I will need to see it again because I was expecting the old version. *spoiler for that song* it’s now a trio with Tamara, Rafaela, and husband instead of a duet. 
 

I’ve seen Eden perform many times but I’ve never seen her like this. She truly embodies Tamara. Every moment is nuanced and thoroughly thought through. It’s a brilliant performance, and her voice sounded amazing. Love love love. Ximone as Rafaela was absolutely incredible, and their chemistry together was off the charts. George Abud was definitely another standout. 
 

Happy to answer any questions as well! 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 11:06pm

Very exciting.  Happy to hear about the stylized design. Really looking forward to this.

[SomeOtherMe]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 11:11am

After listening to the 3 songs they have released, this is the show I'm probably looking forward to most next season. The score already sounds gorgeous and I'm loving the stylized design.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 7:09pm

Is this transfer done for?

Rumor is that Eden is now set to play Frida K. in the upcoming musical.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 8:49pm

Is it a workshop or a full production? If it comes, it wouldn't come until the spring, so she could do both.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 12:12am

RippedMan said: "Is it a workshop or a full production? If it comes, it wouldn't come until the spring, so she could do both."

I see, definitely a workshop. I hope it's not a conflict of interest to play two painters so close to each other.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 1:24am

it's... not? 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 11:19am

blaxx said: "RippedMan said: "Is it a workshop or a full production? If it comes, it wouldn't come until the spring, so she could do both."

I see, definitely a workshop. I hope it's not a conflict of interest to play two painters so close to each other."

I'd say two isn't enough; I want to see her as Rothko in Red, Seurat in Sunday..., maybe she can replace Paul Bettany in The Collaboration. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 10:23pm

As of a few weeks ago this show had no theatre promised to it.

[BritCrit]

Posted: 9/6/22 at 9:07am

TheQuibbler said: "blaxx said: "RippedMan said: "Is it a workshop or a full production? If it comes, it wouldn't come until the spring, so she could do both."

I see, definitely a workshop. I hope it's not a conflict of interest to play two painters so close to each other."

I'd say two isn't enough; I want to see her as Rothko in Red, Seurat in Sunday..., maybe she can replace Paul Bettany in The Collaboration."

As I discussed earlier in this thread, Espinosa seems to specialize in "Frustrated Mavericks" and playing artists is an effective way of making this approach pay off...

I think that the Frida Kahlo  musical would have an advantage due to her greater name recognition compared to Lempicka, but I think Frida: The Musical is still at an early stage. If Lempicka can sneak into Broadway (Or find an alternative way to reach a wider audience, such as Off-Broadway or Licensing) during Spring 2023, that would provide around a year to work on Frida - enough time to do both projects...

[Robbie2]

Posted: 9/15/22 at 11:09pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "As of a few weeks ago this show had no theatre promised to it."

Heard Rachel Chavkin wants the Walter Kerr so spring '23? 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 9/16/22 at 1:15am

Robbie2 said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "As of a few weeks ago this show had no theatre promised to it."

Heard Rachel Chavkin wants the Walter Kerr so spring '23?"

I know Hadestown hasn't been doing incredibly right now, but I'm not sure I would count on it not being around in 6 months. 

Also a little strange to me that that rumor implies Chavkin wants her own show to close. 

It would be a good fit though. 

I wonder where else it could fit. Maybe the Jones or Belasco? Both give me similar vibes to the Kerr. Music Box could be another good fit. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/16/22 at 1:27am

I think Hadestown has probably run its course. Let it tour, go to the regional houses, and it hasn't even gone international yet. Still plenty of life for it, but maybe it doesn't need to limp along on Broadway, and knows that. 

[Pasunepomme]

Posted: 10/1/22 at 4:32am

While I wait patiently (sighing emoji here) for more news about the Broadway transfer, is there any word on when the full off-Broadway cast recording will be released?

[steven22]

Posted: 8/8/23 at 8:15pm

Anything new on this? Came across the three tracks on Spotify and I’m really liking it. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 8/9/23 at 7:52am

It has the lyceum theater