Lady Day HBO

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 9:50pm

I was hoping someone else would start this thread but I don't see it.

I did not see the show live in the theatre. I am sitting here watching it on HBO and I know I supposed  to be loving it, but I find it really boring. Now I confess, the reason I didn't see it on stage is I a.m not a Billie Holiday fan. Audra, who I love, is doing an impersonation. The show is convoluted monologue that reads like a wikipedia page of Billy Holiday's life. Or maybe someone read a book on Billie Holiday and wrote the book for this "play" like they were copying passages from the book for a high school report.  Since she (Billie) is drunk and high the entire show, it's forcing a one note performance.  It's only half over. I am not sure I just want to change the channel. I really don't mean to be snarky.

What am I missing? Who saw this in the theatre? Did it play differently?

Updated On: 3/12/16 at 09:50 PM

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 9:59pm

I loved it... But I adore Audra. We sat at one of the tables, and Audra/Billie kept coming over and addressing my boyfriend.  She'd put her hand on his shoulder and talk directly to him. I found it thrilling.  I also drank a lot of the champagne they had on the table-maybe that had something to do with it.  A very unique experience.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 10:03pm

I won't be watching until tomorrow night, but I'm tremendously excited. In the theatre, it was a pretty miraculous performance. The play itself is so-so, but Audra's performance is so beautifully calibrated and deeply felt that it elevated the whole piece into something extraordinary. I was absolutely transfixed by her. I do worry that, because it's basically a long monologue, that it won't translate well, but I'm thrilled that a performance this good will be captured. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 10:10pm

Where was it shot? Wish they had used the Broadway space as I loved how it was designed. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 10:15pm

It was filmed in New Orleans last year. 

[mordav]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 11:45pm

I thought this thread might be about the annoying pop-up that pops-up every few seconds, especially in the BWW app.

Anyone else have this problem? Know how to turn it off? Or do I just have to wait until the show is over, and then wait for the next pop-up?

[indytallguy]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 12:01am

CurtainsUpat8 said: "I was hoping someone else would start this thread but I don't see it.

 

I did not see the show live in the theatre. I am sitting here watching it on HBO and I know I supposed  to be loving it, but I find it really boring. Now I confess, the reason I didn't see it on stage is I a.m not a Billie Holiday fan. Audra, who I love, is doing an impersonation. The show is convoluted monologue that reads like a wikipedia page of Billy Holiday's life. Or maybe someone read a book on Billie Holiday and wrote the book for this "play" like they were copying passages from the book for a high school report.  Since she (Billie) is drunk and high the entire show, it's forcing a one note performance.  It's only half over. I am not sure I just want to change the channel. I really don't mean to be snarky.

What am I missing? Who saw this in the theatre? Did it play differently?"

If you search for the thread with the comments about the original production you'll find that yes, it played very well in the theatre and that Audra did not come across as doing an impersonation, but fully becoming Billy Hollday.  I found the entire experience stunning.

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 12:04am

CurtainsUpat8 said: "What am I missing? Who saw this in the theatre? Did it play differently?"

 

I didn't watch the HBO version yet, but I did see it in the theater and am not a big Billie fan, and she was just amazing and brilliant. Held the audience in the palm of her hand, and just owned the stage. Phenomenal.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 12:10am

As you've said, yes, it's an extended monologue sprinkled with songs, which is probably harder to watch on film. But in the theater she was amazing, and as someone who doesn't know a ton about Billie, I loved it in the theater. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:03am

Watching it now. Did not know it was filmed in New Orleans. Would like to have seen it filmed on Broadway. However, I see why she won the Tony! This woman can do anything!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:11am

I really should be in bed, but I've been listening to the recording again (as I frequently do) and I'm just so amazed by this performance. It was the first show I saw after I moved to New York, and it's been etched in my memory ever since. I don't mean to go on, but I've never been so mesmerized by a performance before. Even on the recording, it is beyond stunning. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:16am

I also have the recording. Started listening to it but stopped. I just felt that I should have seen it first so put it away.  I may pull it out again. I actually came in about 45 minutes into the broadcast. Sill see the beginning on Monday if it is up to watch. Not crazy about the short versions of the songs though.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:24am

Huge Billie fan.

Huge Audra fan.

 

Have not watched the HBO special yet, but sat at a stage side table when I saw this in NYC.

 

It was almost less of a "performance" and more of a "possession". I really felt that Billie was inhabiting Audra. Or that Audra was channeling Billie. (Same difference.)

 

It was absolutely stunning then, so don't expect I'll find it much different now.

 

Updated On: 3/13/16 at 01:24 AM

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 3:11am

Just finished watching On Demand.

 

I have to agree that it isn't a fantastic script. But Audra was captivating, She really melted into that character as very few can. And whenever she sung I was enthralled despite the sometimes corny banter in between. So glad her performance was preserved on video for all to enjoy.

 

I thought the end was very effective, the way it faded to black and white and the audience disappeared. But some of the other camera blocking was weird to me, especially the one or two occasions where it panned back away from her at the end of the numbers. Took me out of the moment a bit.

[Patash]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 9:04am

I saw it from a center table on Broadway and was mesmerized -- especially when Audra leaned on my table and told one whole story to me from less than a foot from my face.   I watched again last night.  Of course, it couldn't have the same "electricity" that it had live, but I was still enthralled, as was my husband who didn't see the original and barely knew who Billie Holiday was.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 10:18am

I just finished watching it on HBO and really enjoyed it. I wasn't lucky enough to catch it live. I'll echo some of the other thoughts in this thread  and agree that the play isn't particularly strong and some of the filming choices weren't to my liking.

 

I kept thinking that since they took it out of a Broadway theatre and put it in an actual little club, why didn't they take it further with the realism and create a more period atmosphere? Mainly in regards to the attire of the audience and little things like that. But I understand that the point wasn't to make a little concert movie, it was to film a legendary theatrical performance.

 

And Audra's performance, as many many others have said, is transcendent and transformative. It's downright scary at times. One of my favorite moments is when Billie is telling the story about the racist lady who won't let her use the bathroom. Watching Audra channel Billie channeling that woman was spine-tingling to me. 

[bfreak]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 11:25am

I thought they should have had he audience dress in period approprieate clothes as well. It took it out of the show a little bit. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 11:33am

The audience's clothes really DID take away from the whole thing, strangely. Overall, I really did enjoy this version of the show last night but maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen the show live. Everytime she was filmed with an extreme closeup I just shouted at the camera to back up a bit. The camera choices were very strange and detracted from the show.

[stage_star]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 5:47pm

Not sure I should be asking this year, but does anyone know how/where I can watch this?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 8:17pm

you can watch it on HBO and HBOGo

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 1:39am

stage_star said: "Not sure I should be asking this year, but does anyone know how/where I can watch this?"

 

Ask again in 2017?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 3/14/16 at 2:44am

It will be on that broadwayHD thing at the end of the summer.