LESTAT REVIEW! Must read.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:20pm

Lestat
Curran Theatre, San Francisco
December 28, 2005

Just saw "Lestat" last night and spent the past 5 hours creating a very heavy and in-depth review. Not much is yet told about this Pre-Broadway musical and its run in San Francisco. Hopefully I can help peak your interest and shine some light on the creative process.

It's a long but good review! Please do me the honor of reading it! There's plenty of pictures and supporting facts. Enjoy! Thanks! Let me know what you think!

There are pictures and good comments already! PLEASE read the comments on the page. My review is basically for information about the show and less heavy on my opinion. However, the comment chain on the page is also very informative.

LESTAT REVIEW - Must read Updated On: 12/29/05 at 04:20 PM

[jarretSF]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:50pm

Great review! Very detailed!

As I said earlier in another thread, it sounds like they are making progess since I saw it (2nd preview). Hopefully, with the talent involved, they can make it work. I'm wondering if Elton will get into town before the official opening to help, maybe a few music rewrites. Especially for Act 1. The book in Act 1 needs some work too. If it opens at it stands right now, the critics are going to kill it.

[Steve2]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:07pm

Thank you for taking the time to put together your excellent review!

I wanted to go to SF to see it for New Year's, however there were no tickets available. However, now I see on ebay lots of tickets and the prices seem to have come down dramatically. Maybe I will try for sometime in January.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:10pm

I really hope this is the Vampire musical that works.:)

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:35pm

WOW! I am printing this out so I can read it on the way home! A lot to read. Thank you for sharing it!

[Crimson Bit]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:02pm

I saw the same performance last night and I appreciate the detailed review. I wish I shared your optimism that this will get fixed, but I don't. The book right now is a meandering, aimless mess, and the music is with just a few exceptions shockingly dull and forgettable. I have no trouble believing the book was created in four days and the score in ten, as has been reported. That is not something to be proud of.

I have not read the source material, but I can't help but wonder whether the problem is fundamentally that one cannot do justice to the plots of two novels in one musical play (even a 3 hour one). Hardly anything is developed. Lestat becomes a vampire in a scene that is practically a drive-by biting. Just as his relationship with his mother is getting interesting, and she has sung the ONLY good song in Act I, she leaves for good. The best and most potentially interesting sub-plot involving Allison Fischer's Claudia (immortalized as a child) is maybe a third of Act II. The only character besides Lestat that gets a decent amount of attention in both acts is Arnand, which is ironic because that's the role the creative team decided to "take in a new direction," causing Jack Noseworthy to leave (we are told). The producers would be advised to heed the old adage of "do a few things well," because right now this has the flit-through-life plot quality of the last SF-born show to die on Broadway, "Lennon." I never understood why I was watching the scene I was watching, how it fit into the whole, or why I should care.

As for the music, none of us would have ever heard of Elton John if this was close to his best stuff. As another posting (here or elsewhere) noted, most of the music is a kind of recitative that, to my ears, sounded like someone practicing scales. Over and over. This is especially true for Lestat himself, who sings the same riff in song after song. I'm amazed that Hugh Panaro hasn't revolted and demanded some MELODIES. It says a lot about the sad state of the music in this show that Panaro's best song, "Sail Me Away," is even in the show. It is an utterly pointless, almost comically contrived scene (the guys in front of me laughed) that would surely be cut if it didn't mean losing one of maybe three quality songs.

A lousy book and lousy music gives any musical two big strikes. The fine cast and visual elements that are provocative if not always successful can't make up for it. The audience reaction was very tepid, no more than polite applause at the end, no curtains calls demanded or given. So, unless this is destined to "go into the fire" (the only way vampires can be killed) within a few weeks of arriving on Broadway, a fundamental rethinking of the story and a lot of new music will be required. I don't see it happening. I hope I'm wrong.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:14pm

Wow. Fantastically detailed review. I just had to bookmark that.

Man, I'm having so much trouble deciding how I feel about Lestat based on reviews. Usually I can tell how much I'll like something but the reviews are so hot/cold that I really can't tell yet...

Look at my darling Carolee, though. Look at her!

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:17pm

That was one of the most EXCELLENT reviews I've ever read !!!! Congratulations ! The show sure sounds interesting !

[Chloe]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:38pm

"I have no trouble believing the book was created in four days and the score in ten."

Just to clear this up, my understanding was that the outline of the story was decided on over a four day period, and the book itself has been worked on for a much longer time. As for the score, Elton has always written very fast. All of his classic albums were written in half that time. Your Song took him twenty minutes. That's just the way he is and always has been. I know, however, that for all his musicals he's gone back and made changes or written more material after the initial writing period and it will probably be the same for this one.

[hateobnoxiousteens]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 7:14pm

Excellent review, it seems they got the books backwards doing Book II in Act 1 and a part of book I in Act 2. I'm still very very skeptical of this musical since I am a huge fan of the origianl three vampire chronicles. One question how old is Claudia in the play? She stays the same age throughout the play right?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:00pm

TO CRIMSON BIT
(You didn't sign the comment you left on my LJ)

Putting all the nice-ities aside, I'm going to have to agree with you.

I pretty much agree with your entire comment in fact. I wrote my review more as an informational as to what the show was and less of what my raw emotions were. I like to back up my claims with what already exists on the stage. But you're very right. The music was contrived and the book was weak.

Lestat went through about 3 or 4 character goals or missions and none of them were fully explored. Act I may have had notes in it but they weren't songs. "Sounded like someone practicing scales. Over and over." is a sadly perfect way to sum it up.

It needs work. A lot of it. There is just far too much material to cram into one show. I would be interested in a musical just on the Louis/Claudia/Lestat story line (like "Interview with the Vampire") because I just didn't care enough about the rest.

I'm a hopeless optimist and try to see the best and potential in everything and everyone, so I only hope this production can work itself out within 2 months.

Thank you for your well-spoken insight and thoughts.

Yep. Lestat had about 4 different motivations, none of which I cared too much about.
1) How do I live to kill? This sucks!
2) Why does everyone I love go away? I'm so sad!
3) Who is Marius? Let's hunt him down really quick.
4) I wanna go home and make friends... I'm lonely.
5) Can I bury my face in this old woman's chest to be enlightened? Updated On: 12/29/05 at 10:00 PM

[justme2]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:21pm

Well, it still has, what...4 weeks in SF? From reading the reviews on this board, it sounds like the show is doing what every show in previews does...finding it's core, watching audience reaction to know where to trim scenes and songs, and shaping up for Broadway.

I hope to see it next week and find out for myself what the show has to offer. I've seen the program (a friend at work brought it in today) and it's a gorgeous booklet with a lot of information in it; costume sketches, set photographs and a message from Anne Rice. Carolee (the ONE reason I want to see the show!) looked wonderful in her photographs, and I wonder what they will do with the programs now that Noseworthy is out. He is all over the program! What an expensive loss!

[EVIE]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:25am

WOW! Your review is like a research paper! Thanks for posting it. It just makes me that much more excited to see the show...still got about 3 weeks to go though.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:02am

Eug, Thanks so much for your time & effort in giving all of us not able to be in SF right now a glimps of "Lestat" - You did such a wonderful job and I just desire you to know it was so appreciated!
Happy New Year to You & Yours and lets cross our fingers that 2006 will indeed be "The Year of LESTAT!" (I just laughed, if you wanted to you could sing "The Year of LESTAT" to the tune "The Year of the CAT", an old Al Stewart tune from 1976 I believe - I'm a Vampire too, I'm 33 but am supposed to be 46, LOL!)
Thanks again and please - feel free to share your wonderful work anytime! Kudos!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:58am

. I know, however, that for all his musicals he's gone back and made changes or written more material after the initial writing period and it will probably be the same for this one.

This is where I could comment on the timing of his honeymoon, but I think that speaks for itself.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:59am

Thanks for the in depth and well-written review. I really appreciate you taking the time to do a scene by scene rundown of the show for those of us who have not yet been able to see it.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 3:34am

TO JIMMIRAE AND OTHERS

Thanks for the kind comments you left. It's a nice, refreshing breath of fresh air considering how much rock-throwing that can go on in these forums.

I only try to share my maddening passion of the theatre with others. It's one thing to be fan-girly about it. Instead I like to just give give give information. The more one knows about something, the better their ability to form a credible idea about it. As my media teacher says: "You're not entitled to an opinion. You're entitled to an informed opinion."

In this case, of course we all feel there could be further work with "Lestat" but that's what the SF try out is for anyway. So hand-in-hand should be the stuff we already know to help back up our opinions.

On another note, this musical would be far more promising, I believe, if they scrapped everything in Act I and redirected the idea to follow "Interview with the Vampire" and followed the life of Lestat with Louis and Claudia. It's much more solid.
Updated On: 12/30/05 at 03:34 AM

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 3:44am

Eug, Will you be seeing it again before it goes, and - if so, will you write more impressions perhaps? You really gave me a feel of the show! I'd like for you to follow it's progress if possible.
Also, I wish I had that signed playbill you got, and the pics were excellent! Keep that playbill under lock & key, it will be worth a ton soon! Loved your work & observations!

[Joe Mike2]

Posted: 1/1/06 at 7:28pm

Thanks for the wonderful, detailed review! Awesome.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 1/1/06 at 8:24pm

Someone needs to show that review to the Lestat people. It's so detailed and constructive.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 3:55am

TO RADIOACTIVEDUCK

Thank you! Oh believe me, I'd love to! I realize I could be frank and print it out and thrust it into some higher-up's hands at the theatre, but I'd fear it'd come off too rude or never get to the right person.

In the case of LESTAT, I do have hopes that this show can work itself into a good show. Like some of my friends who have seen it more than once or were with me that night, this show is growing on us slowly but surely. There were the initial impressions of the show after I'd seen it, but now that I've had more days to reflect, I'm finding myself humming the songs I first thought were "forgetable". I'm beginning to really appreciate the project, with and without it's many rough points.

That being said, how can I get my thoughts into the hands of some producers? Haha Hugh Panaro said the Creative Team is there EVERY NIGHT taking notes (not surprised). Now, to hunt them down!

GNITE! Haha I'm so long-winded sometimes!


Updated On: 1/3/06 at 03:55 AM

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 8:21am

well, good luck, LESTAT
and as magictodo said, "I really hope this is the Vampire musical that works.:)"

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 8:24am

oh, and does the lestat site have a message board? maybe you could post the review there... i dunno, a suggestion!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 12:10pm

Yes, it does. Other people have posted suggestions there, too.
Here be 'Lestatics' (no, really, they say that)

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 1:37pm

Yes, it does. Other people have posted suggestions there, too.

Here be 'Lestatics' (no, really, they say that)

Ah, that was just a joke, lol.

And yes, please if you can, get someone in charge of something to read that review!