LYSISTRATA JONES -- 1st Preview TOMORROW! — Page 3

kdogg- Beane wasn't making fun of himself or his career in my opinion. This was just like the joke in [tos] where he lists all the movie musicals of late and Jeff said, "So movies make good musicals?" and Hunter responded, "Well they make musicals," to wild applause. This is Beane's way of saying we are a small show on Broadway, but we belong here too, and in fact we're probably better than that "proven" commercial crap that is produced purely to make money. PlayitAgain is right; the pot is calling the kettle black.

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I completely forgot that I never responded to the show being "family friendly" bit. This is from Telecharge:

"There is no strong language or nudity. Subject matter includes sexual innuendo but nothing overt. “PG” rated"

"PG rated" reads as more-or-less family friendly to me.

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That is a blatant lie about a PG rating.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who detested this show. I found the entire affair pointless, amateurish, cliched, and torture to sit through. I contemplated an intermission departure, but thought that maybe it would get better. It didn't, and act 2 was actually far worse!

The show's biggest problem is that it's not even awful in a "so bad it's good" way, like say, Xanadu. This show is just plain awful. The music is awful and the lyrics are worse ("What's the word, tweety bird?" Really?! Really!?!). The plot is so trite and cliched that it's not worth even discussing. Given that the stakes are so minimal, there's no reason to invest in these characters.

Of course, the show does not even follow the Marc Shaiman rule where, if there's a large black woman in the show, you know she's getting a big, rousing gospel song in act 2. The male lead, who seems to have no credits to speak of, is absolutely awful- terrible singer, no acting ability, and not really a dancer. But he's hot. So we know why he was cast. Patti Murin can't elevate the material, and actually strained to hit some of the higher notes in her songs...or it could have just been the over-amplification. Who knows? Who cares?

Audience response was tepid- the cast tried desperately to get everyone to stand up and dance, but no one did, excet for two random old people, who had to be investors. A number of (smart) people fled at intermission, and many more paid no attention to the curtain call and instead gathered up their belongings to make a fast exit.

It's sad to think that a year ago, legends like Elaine Stritch, Angela Lansbury, and Bernadette Peters were on this stage, and now we have...this.

Updated On: 11/23/11 at 11:29 PM

"the Marc Shaiman rule"

That's is so funny, and so entirely true.

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I'm still holding out hope that I'll enjoy this. It's so strange, though, that opinion of the show seems to have changed so drastically from the off-Broadway run...

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I don't know if I'd agree with Telecharge that it's appropriate for ages 6+ but it definitely fits into a PG rating if one takes the MPAA definition to mean ages 10+.

There's no nudity but lots of innuendo. And unlike the source material, nothing that "rises" to deserve a PG-13. Stronger stuff can be found on Glee.

Not being based on a movie doesn't automatically make a musical better than one based on a movie. I know it's not a high-brow notion, but it's also not biased and narrow-minded. Otherwise, we'd see a LOT more praise for shows like The Capeman, Brooklyn, In My Life, Glory Days, Little Women, Never Gonna Dance, etc.

One of these things is NOT like the others...

Having seen both productions, nothing has "shifted drastically" in the least. What was charming and winning and just plain fun in the Gym at Judson absolutely remains at the Kerr.

While I completely respect those who don't care for the show, I think a lot people who didn't see it at the Transport Group came ready with their knives out on Broadway feeling like this is a show that "doesn't belong" when they knew nothing about what they were going to see. The threads speculating on the transfer prove that sentiment.

Regardless, I hope the show is able to find an audience. It's a well-crafted piece with one hell of a talented cast, and it deserves to run. In a day and age where stars are everything, it's a huge deal for an original musical with a completely unknown composer and cast to arrive on Broadway, and people should support that if we have any hope of it continuing to happen.

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It actually doesn't fit with the MPAA. Any movie that would deal with kids going to a whorehouse after being denied sex by their girlfriends would never receive a PG rating.

Exactly.

I saw Saturday's matinee and (despite a bad cold that probably should have kept me home, but didn't) I also enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a very fun show and it does have a point to make. I thought the first act could be better paced (some things fell a bit flat), but things heated up in the second act and by the end I was definitely a fan.

The orchestra and the mezzanine looked to be mostly full, though I have no idea how many people were there for free. Looking at last week's grosses, I felt like a bit of a sucker having paid $79 for my ticket. :)

I saw it last night. Lots of fun with wit, high energy and a talented cast. Stand outs were Jason Tam, Patty Murin and LaQuet Sharnell. Audience was engaged and positive.