Lady Day Previews
Lady Day Previews
StickIt
Featured Actor Joined: 8/29/08
#1Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/24/14 at 11:25pm
Didn't see a thread for this, they start tomorrow. A friend saw the final dress tonight and was very impressed, though not 100% sold on Audra as Billie. As far as play vs. musical, she said she would describe it as a play with music, for sure.
Can't wait to hear more reviews/opinions!
#2Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 8:49amAnyone who rushes please post here afterwards with your rush experiences!
Blackbird3
Understudy Joined: 11/21/13
#4Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:38amI got a rush ticket through a friend. Can't wait to see it! Updated On: 3/25/14 at 10:38 AM
#5Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 3:06pmWhat is the rush policy? I haven't been able to find any info but I may not be looking closely enough.
Blackbird3
Understudy Joined: 11/21/13
#6Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 3:30pm
It's a general rush for $40 when the box office opens. Two tickets per person. I believe it's cash or credit, but that part is not specified.
Lady Day Rush Policy
DebraR
Stand-by Joined: 10/27/07
#7Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 6:01pmDo you know what time he/she got in line for rush tickets? Im bringing my daughter to NY the second week in April and she loves Audra. Would be great to be able to get the rush tix.
BroadwayBrat
Stand-by Joined: 11/29/04
#10Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 9:37pmI'll write more later but the moment Audra McDonald opened her mouth, my jaw dropped- she's giving one of the most brilliant vocal recreations of Billie Holiday's sound I've ever heard. She is extraordinary.
FosseBoi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/30/04
#11Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 9:54pmI was insanely lucky to be at the final dress last night and I swear you could feel the entire audience have that same reaction MB! The woman can literally do ANYTHING! I was so moved by it and it will be interesting to see how she grows in the role through the run.
"I've always secretly longed for an actress to get to the top of the cherry picker and projectile vomit all over the guards below."- Wonderwaiter in the "Defy Gravity?" thread.
~~~~~~~~My dream? Sutton Foster as Cassie in A Chorus Line
oasisjeff
Broadway Star Joined: 11/15/07
#12Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:12pmAside from the blasphemy of admitting such a thing, let's say I-- err, I mean I have a friend... and he really has no knowledge of Billie Holliday, how much would that impact the enjoyment of seeing what is seemingly one of her concerts recreated?!
Now t/d/b/a haterobics on here.
#13Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:21pm
The piece isn't so much a recreation of her concerts but uses that conceit to give the character a chance to speak about her life. At first, Lane Robertson's script seems like it's going to simply be a typical concert recreation with anecdotes between songs, but as the evening goes on it becomes much more than that. It's a far more nuanced piece than something like LOVE JANIS, for example.
I don't think enjoyment of the show is necessarily tied to a great familiarity with Billie Holiday, but certainly knowing even just a little through a simple YouTube exploration will give you all the more appreciation for how superb Audra McDonald's work is in recreating her.
#14Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:27pm
Audra is amazing. I don't know how she does it, but she actually sounds just like Billie Holiday, as far as I can tell. It's probably a cliche to say, but she's definitely channeling Lady Day: boozy, foul-mouthed, unsteady on her feet, slurring her words. This is a woman whose demons are clearly getting the better of her. I think Audra is giving a tour de force performance. And what a picture of segregated America she paints.
The production is very well done: the staging, the lighting, the subtle projections (plus, I think there are actual objects behind a scrim, with the projections on top of those). The effect is beautiful. Circle in the Square is the ideal setting for this show. We had row F seats through TDF. I think the only bad seats are those at the very ends, where you'll be looking at Audra's back most of the night.
A very enjoyable night at the theater!
Updated On: 3/25/14 at 10:27 PM
mjohnson2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/13
#15Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:32pmI just got back, and holy cow was it fantastic. Apart from the predictably stellar performance by Audra, this show is very intriguing and moved me quite a bit. I definitely think Audra is a lock for best actress and I think this will probably win best revival of a play. My only gripe was that because I wasn't in the circle club, I wasn't really the part of the audience that she was playing towards and I lost a little bit of it. Definitely would have worked better in a different theatre.
Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.
#16Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:39pmOkay--Michael Bennett approves. I better get those tickets ASAP.
CoreyRyan3
Featured Actor Joined: 5/2/13
#17Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:47pm
"and I think this will probably win best revival of a play."
Really? Revival of a play is insanely competitive this year and this doesn't really seem like something that could pull it off over the likes of Cripple of Inishmaan, Glass Menagerie, Raisin in the Sun, Waiting for Godot/No Man's Land, or Twelfth Night/Richard III.
mjohnson2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/13
#18Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:51pmWell I thought it was better than both Waiting for Godot/No Man's Land and Raisin in the Sun and it was as good as Twelfth Night/Richard III. Haven't seen Inishmaan, but Glass Menagerie could give it a run for its money. I guess I just really liked this show
Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.
PlayItAgain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/8/11
#19Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:54pmwhere are the rush seats for those that rushed this morning.
StickIt
Featured Actor Joined: 8/29/08
#21Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 10:57pmTo those who've seen it: is it a musical or a play? How do we think they'll categorize it?
#22Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 11:05pm....and this just proves that Audra McDonald is magic. Excited to see this next weekend.
#23Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 11:07pm
Musical Numbers (according to the Playbill)
"I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone"
"When a Woman Loves a Man"
"What a Little Moonlight Can Do"
"Crazy He Calls Me"
"Pig Foot (And a Bottle of Beer)"
"Baby Doll"
"God Bless the Child"
"Foolin' Myself"
"Somebody's on My Mind"
"Easy Livin' "
"Strange Fruit"
"Blues Break"
"T'Aint Nobody's Business If I Do"
"Don't Explain/What a Little Moonlight Can Do" (Reprise)
"Deep Song"
To me, it's more a play with music than a musical, kind of like the Judy Garland play.
Updated On: 3/25/14 at 11:07 PM
#25Lady Day Previews
Posted: 3/25/14 at 11:13pmProbably worth pointing out that a few of those songs are not performed in their entirety. Ultimately, there is as much dialogue as there is singing and I'd also classify it as a play with music.
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