LENNON (Thurs. 8/11)

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:14am

For the third time, I visited the Broadhurst for one of my favorite shows currently playing.

Byfar the best thing about this production is the cast. It is a knockout. A totally stellar, incredible performance from almost everyone. And, after seeing the show twice already, I finally got to see Chad Kimball now that he's back from his sick leave.

Julia Murney, Julie Danao-Salkin, Marcy Harriell and Mandy Gonzalez have to be some of the four most dedicated women on a Broadway stage right now. I've gotten very close with each of them (especially Julia - I bring her a rose at each performance and we're on a first-name basis now. She's a total sweet heart, by the way.) and you'd think that they'd fear the critis. However, almost all of the critic were there last night - Ben Brandtley being one of them. The girls' response to their presence: "Whatever. At least we have people like you. We love this show." Regardless of the incredibly difficult rehearsal schedules they've been keeping, they continue to perform and give it their all. It is obvious how much they love this show and it's hard to doubt for a second that they do.

Julia and Julie both told me that as of yesterday their rehearsals came to an end and the show is officially set in stone now with opening only 3 more performances away (the show opens Sunday, August 14th). Many of the changes come at the beginning and end. While I personally felt that opening and closing with IMAGINE was emotionally more gripping, the change to begin with "New York City" isn't a bad choice on the production team's choice. It's very lively and gets the audience awake and raring to go in such a short time. Throughout last night's performance, the audience's energy was incredible. Clapping to the beat, singing along, dancing in their seats. Everyone seemed to be having a grand old time. (Except for some of our wonderful theater critics. But do they *EVER* seem to have a good time?)

Speaking of the audience - for the most part, the show was sold very well last night. Or filled. Not really sure how much of it was comped seating. But, the entire orchestra was full as was about half of the mezzanine. A nice sight for a "Lennon-ite" like me who's been fearing a fast closing of the show.

As for the boys - Will Chase is a powerhouse as one of the many men to portray John. Best of all, however, is his ability to bring the accent full-circle, never dropping it or even losing grasp of it for a second. He wraps his voice so beautifully around Lennon's music and his actions so beautifully around those of John's that, at times, it's almost as if John Lennon is still alive and performing on that stage for you.

Chad, however, while soaring vocally, can't seem to grasp the famous John Lennon accent. He drops it and occasionally almost sounds like he should be playing the Bulgarian "Franz Liepkind" in THE PRODUCERS. But, not everyone is great at accents and dialects so I won't just base his performance on that. The rest of his performance is quite top-rate. (Plus, he's got to be the most adorable thing on a Broadway stage right now.)

I still can't help but feel that Terrance Mann seems lost. His solo moments and little snippets of humour are absolutely fantastic. But in ensemble numbers, he seems completely lacking energy and even fakes a lot of the dance movements the rest of the cast are doing. While he may think he's blending in, he seems to stick out like a sore thumb amongst a cast who seems absolutely THRILLED to be there.

The beautiful white grand piano isn't out until Act Two, leaving the stage to be full of access to the cast. The staging to this show is marvelous with the cast hardly ever leaving. And they never seem to lose focus, always paying attention to each other. Sitting so close in the front row makes it easy to see their faces in the darker parts of the stage. They all seem so impressed with each other and happy to be there. Ladies and gents, THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF AN ENSEMBLE.

And now, I'll let my praise go for this show for the weekend. May the theater Gods bless them with wonderful reviews - a wish I highly doubt will come true - or at least a decent run. Best wishes to the cast and crew for their coming opening performance.

[kooky]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:40am

DITTO- - - - Good Luck to this Show, and the WONDERFUL cast.

[Yorkie1276]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:52am

I was there last night, too. The ensemble, with one exception, cannot be faulted. The show, however, did nothing for me, and neither did Chad Kimball. As you said, his accent was atrocious, and I thought that his singing voice was seriously lacking. It's a very pretty voice, but not right for a rock show such as this. I've always liked Chad in the past (and damn, he's hot) but not here.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 10:53am

i saw the matinee on wednesday and absolutely loved it!! i felt so included in it. i loved how they thew flowers and handed out anti-war flyers. i wanted to go to a protest or something after i saw it. the cast is completely dedicated (but yes, i did notice that about terry man too). for the most part, they seem to be having lots of fun and putting their hearts into every number. one of my favorites was the song that julie sang at the end. it was beautiful. i really hope this show does well. there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 10:58am

'Grow Old With Me' is beautifully done by Julie. She's such a powerhouse in that role.

And, I forgot to mention, they go into the recording studio on Monday to set the show on record!

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 10:59am

really?!!! that's sooooo great.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:00am

Yeah, Julie and Julia told me last night. I was so happy to hear it.

[StarbuckQAF]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 8:55pm

"they go into the recording studio on Monday to set the show on record!."

oh yeah! Julia e-mailed me about that too! I'm totally psyched, I knew they'd get that CD out fast -- I think that's a smart move on their part, because it'll allow for people who aren't "quite sure" about the show yet to get a taste of the music... Once they hear how gorgeous everyone sings John's music, it's hard not to be pulled in and gravitate towards the show.

and iluvtheatertrash, I'm glad you got to see Chad finally -- All 4 times I saw it, Chad was on (although, 3 of those times were in SF, and he was never out there). It makes me ridiculously happy to see that SOME people adore this show as much as me. :)

"Lennonites unite!" (i'm lame).

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 8:59pm

oh good! i've been wondering when the CD is coming out!

[tmz814]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 10:35pm

So glad to see support for this show on the boards... I love this show. I am glad to hear that they are going to make a cast recording...

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 12:12am

Cast recording?!?! Recorded Monday?!?! (happiness dance!)

[zoran912]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 12:48am

This should be an amazing recording! The cast is full of vocal powerhouses. John Lennon's music is amazing as well. I'm definitely buying this recording. No doubt.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 12:54am

This recording will be incredible!

[TBone]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 2:39am

I went back again tonight to see the changes (I *love* the new ending with everyone singing IMAGINE) and I have to agree - this cast is fantastic. Julie's "Grow Old With Me" was fantastic tonight, as was Julia Murney's "Beautiful Boy." I also have to add that Marcy is just GREAT to watch onstage - especially when she plays Elton John. It was my first time seeing Chad, and I must say that I enjoyed his performance. I can't wait for the CD!

[My Name in Lights]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 2:42am

I, too, was at the show last night, and I thought that the ENTIRE cast was fabulous! Terrence was back to his complete performance. He had been out of one of the numbers for a bit; and while it's not my place to speculate on exactly why that was, he is back completely now; and doing a spectacular job! Prior to this performance, some other members of the cast had missed entire performances due to vocally related problems with all of the changes and ongoing stress that performing in this type of show create...and no one made a big stink. Well, that can include physical problems as well. It can manifest itself in all different ways, but as I said, it is unfair to speculate about his or any of the others stress. The pace and stamina required for a show that has only nine performers has to take its toll eventually on all of them...at one time or another. These people are on the stage for the entire time for eight shows a week, not counting the extra rehearsals and changes they endure, and they are all excellent in it.

Although I was originally disappointed at some of the changes, the show does flow very well now; partly due, I suppose, to the fact that it is "frozen" according to the cast. In fact, it just keeps getting better and better every time I go back. They can finally "breathe" and just keep perfecting their performances, rather than have to anticipate more changes.

The cast of LENNON has got to be one of the hardest working casts on Broadway, and also one of the nicest. They deserve much success.

It's great to hear that the CD is on the way. I was just thinking today that having a CD to listen to is going to help get a LENNON fix between seeing performances. I cannot wait.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 5:03am

I haven't seen the show yet, and I must say that I'm skeptical, but I do think that it will make a GREAT recording.

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 6:04pm

after seeing the show six times (including 8/11) and reading the roundtable interview, it seems evident to me that terrence is actually one of the most all-around enthusiastic performers (not just glad to be working, but truly enthused about the project regardless of his involvement) and i think the ensemble numbers were lacking when he was not in them last week. i am SO thrilled he's a part of Lennon.
and now that chad's back... i don't mind his accent, i thought it was quite good, but... i miss darin!!

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 6:15pm

I sent a Good Luck letter and a Playbill request to the cast about 1.5 weeks ago with an SASE. Is the cast signing Playbills at this time?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 6:30pm

i got everyone except terrance to sign mine last week. i saw a matinee and i think he stays there in between shows.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 7:16pm

Wow. These people are really, really, tough if they don't give a s--t what the critics say.

Or is that the case only if the reviews are bad?

[wavygraish]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 8:28pm

I am very VERY glad to hear about the cast cd, I can't wait! I've 'only' seen the show once (Hi Steven, my daughter and I stood near you outside on 7/30, my hair is gray and her hair is pink, you might have noticed us, we had the cast sign those War Is Over cards.)

I worried at first that the show might get it wrong, or be too painful at the end, but it gets it RIGHT, and it's uplifting instead of too sad. I recognized every word out of "John's" mouth from interviews over the years, and the show caught his playfulness and intelligence very well. I really believe in this show and I hope that audiences give it a chance.

[NY212]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 8:36pm

I must say, I think Julie and Will are standouts in a wonderful cast. Chad is a bit affected on stage. I was not able to get into his John once.
Maybe he will fall into a better flow as the show goes on.
Go see this show, if for noting else the very talented cast.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 9:05pm

glad to hear the changes. i need to head back and see it. i will be very sad if it closed so like everyone else, i wish it a nice long run.

[kooky]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 9:25pm

DITTO ----- Zippyjen, Good luck to this cast and show,

BREAK A LEG everyone , A fan !

[broadway betty]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 9:32pm

trash: I wasn't sure if I wanted to see this but I really want to see it now that I've read your review. Thanks! And I'm dying to see Julia! I love that girl so much!