Leap Of Faith Previews- Page 7

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 1:09am

I saw this tonight and thought it was pretty terrible. I didn't have a problem with any of the performances, but everything else about the show is pretty horrid. It manages to be saccharine and repulsive at the same time; Raul's eleven o'clock number and the ending are so undeserved and contrived, and I felt absolutely nothing for any of these characters, including the ones I was meant to feel for. Menken's score is surprisingly unmemorable and repetitive, Slater's lyrics are laughably bad in spots and mediocre in others, the direction is awful, the sets and costumes are ugly...basically just about everything that could have been done wrong on the creative side of things was done wrong.

I also really don't get the video screens. I was in the mezz and barely looked at them, and they really served no purpose, artistic or dramatic, that I could see.

The sound was also pretty muddy from where I was...I know it's an early preview and they're still working out the kinks with things like that but I couldn't understand half the lyrics being sung and the balance between the singers and the band was off.

I seem to be one of the few in this thread who loves Raul Esparza, and this is clearly meant to be a vehicle for him. I think he's well-cast and a commanding presence but the material does him no favors at all. I also adore Jessica Phillips, and her vocals are beautiful and her 2nd act song is probably the best number in the show, but the character is just so boring and static and the role really does nothing for her or her talents.

The cast is working really hard and there is a lot of talent onstage, but it's just not a good show and I wonder why they rushed this in, even in a weak/slow season for new musicals. I also wonder what the hell they were doing with the time they had during the out-of-town tryout and the workshops they've had if this is what they're putting in front of paying audiences on Broadway. I'm sure they're making changes during previews, but I think the show is beyond help at this point.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:05am

It's so hard to say how much word of mouth affects your take on a show. But based on the reaction here, I went in expecting something pretty terrible...and ended up really, really enjoying myself. The music is a bit one note, it's true, but at least it's a solid note. And while I may not have found myself as emotionally invested as I could have been, I was never uninterested in the characters. In fact, I appreciated the avoidance of overt sentimentality with regard to the young boy. I was no less emotionally invested in this than in, say, Evita. It's about a million times better than Lysistrata Jones. Or Ghost.

It's got a great pace, confronts interesting issues, is wonderfully cast, AND features Raul Esparza in leather pants. What's not to like?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 9:54am

It's got a great pace, confronts interesting issues, is wonderfully cast, AND features Raul Esparza in leather pants. What's not to like?

Real Esparza in leather pants.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 10:02am

Very good assessment, Sauja. Lots of shows survive without critical acclaim but are audience pleasers. Let's see what happens.

btw, (the) Raul was never in better shape! What a handsome man, and now- BUFF! lol!

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 12:26pm

Sauja, it's interesting that you mentioned Ghost because as many problems as that show has, I was far more invested in the characters and wound up enjoying it far more than I enjoyed this.

But I agree, Raul is looking great and super buff, and those leather pants were excellent. :)

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 1:10pm

perfectlymarvelous, I actually thought there was about half an hour of really good material in Ghost, but for me that only came in the book scenes. While I felt both had scores that were one note, I enjoyed Faith's single note much more pleasing than Ghost's. And while at Faith, I found myself pondering choices that seemed misguided, nothing made my jaw drop like the subway rap scene in Ghost which for me was the most wrongheaded moment on Broadway since Arachne was singing "Deeply Furious."

It's interesting--I feel like I'm often accused (not on here, but in real life) of being negative about everything I see. It's kind of refreshing to be on the other side for a change and liking something more than other folks! Seems to happen about once a year--last year with Sister Act, this year with this. Maybe I just like Jesus comedies with sparkly costumes?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 1:38pm

Yes, that subway rap scene was...bizarre, to say the least, but the effects in it were very cool (as they were throughout the whole show, though I did find a lot of the projections really, really distracting). As good as Da'Vine Joy Randolph was, I also found both her songs pretty cringe-worthy and they seemed to go on forever.

I actually liked a few of the songs in Ghost a lot, and there was only one song in Leap of Faith that I liked and found memorable (Jessica Phillips's second-act song, which I thought was really pretty). I also generally connected more with the characters in Ghost, and I think the book is slightly stronger than Leap of Faith's.

Just goes to show, different strokes, etc.

I ultimately think they're both pretty problematic shows, but I think there's some worthwhile and salvageable material in Ghost and I just saw basically none in Leap of Faith. And like I said, I enjoyed myself at Ghost, as weird and bad as some parts of it are...at Leap of Faith I was wondering why I had come, and then wondering why I stayed.

[theaternut]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 1:46pm

I saw this last night. It was garbage. And I think Raul and Raven Symone need to do something together. Both so full of themselves. This one is a big flop.

[mc1227]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 6:13pm

Overall, I did not think this was a solid show. It had it's moments but did not sustain anything consistent. Raul was very good and I believe he'll probably get a nomination come Tony time but I was a bit disappointed overall. Also agree that Ghost had more going for it than Leap but they both need some changes quickly to be considered one of the best shows this year.

[jv92]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 6:45pm

WOW. This was pretty awful. They really need to fix this if they want it to be successful somewhat. And I went in expecting to at least like some of it. This one felt like a rehearsal.

[wonkit]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 7:55pm

I wish that the negative reviewers would be more specific about what was lacking. You are entitled to your opinion but the opinion itself is more valuable if backed up by specifics. I saw this Tuesday and thought it seemed smooth and well considered. Everything seemed to fit, both in tone and presentation. The ending was thrilling and touching, both in the soliloquy and the weather effects. No scenery mishaps, no line flubs, the music seemed appropriate to the storyline, and the dance sequences energetic and fun. If you don;t like the story itself, there is not much that can be done, but if the production values are at fault, it can be fixed but only if things are more specific than "I didn't like it."

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:13pm

Hm, I'm disappointed to hear of the negative reactions. I was looking forward to this show.

How is the music in Leap of Faith? I prefer a classic Broadway sound. I just saw GHOST and hated the score.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:21pm

It isn't a "classic broadway sound" in my opinion at all. Even most of the non revival numbers (which are very gospel-y) are modern. And if they aren't gospel they are country-esc. It is like Sister Act with a country twang and less popular songs.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:25pm

I am looking forward to production photos to see what the set looks like...

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:41pm

I personally found the set to be unattractive. It sure didn't help having to look at it. I feel that if the visuals are pleasing, it adds to the enjoyment of the show in general. But then, I'm very visually oriented.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:45pm

^ Same here! Based on the picture of the curtain with orange and blue stripes, I am NOT impressed.

[mc1227]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:48pm

I think my main issues are that I didn't care for most of the songs and in a musical, that is the most important part. I also didn't connect with the characters themselves. The opening didn't draw me in the way I'm sure they planned and after that, nothing else did either. I can't criticize the performances individually but collectively I did not get the sense of chemistry or unity in the overall show.

I never go to previews expecting perfection, so flubbed lines or steps would never affect my overall opinion of a show. Since I love live performances, I have never seen a show I couldn't find something good about so I will say that Raul is very good and if you're a big fan of his, you will probably like this show for that reason alone.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 8:59pm

"Based on the picture of the curtain with orange and blue stripes, I am NOT impressed."

Lol, the curtain was the best looking part of it!

[jv92]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 10:33pm

Wonkit, I was in a rush. Now I'll post some more detailed thoughts--


HERE BE SPOILERS!!!


The set was ugly. Bland, bland, bland. The show curtain, like someone said below, was probably the best part, and that's not saying much. Robin "On the 20th Century" Wagner designed this?

The costumes looked like rehearsal clothes. And I don't mean CHORUS LINE rehearsal clothes. I mean frumpy, ugly rehearsal clothes.

The book was a mess. Why is Jonas' sister protective? Why do these people believe in Jonas (the singers in the chorus, etc., not the townsfolk)? Why did the town sheriff woman have sex with Jonas? How does Jonas know the handicapped son is a magician? Because he saw him throw around a couple of scarves? I mean, that's a tiny problem, but still. And why all of the sudden does the "real" preacher show up? I mean, at least Charlie Cowell in MUSIC MAN has a purpose.

Is this a revival meeting at the theatre in NYC, or is this just a regular book musical ala R&H (for example)? Concept musical? Straightforward show? Make up your mind librettists!

I am one of Alan Menken's biggest fan. The man's work has given me so much joy. I found it hard to believe he wrote each of these banal numbers. They had such a same-ness to them. Glenn Slater, whose work I've often found pleasant, did not impress me here. The Helen Keller line in the "I've Got Your Number"/Whatever the hell it was called song was ridiculously bad. Alan, the lyrics for NEWSIES by Jack Feldman are so much better-- evocative, clever, well constructed and imaginative. Stick with Jack from now on.

The SOUND DESIGN!! Oy! I had trouble making out what they were saying. I felt BLASTED out of my seat.

The choreography and direction, by the team behind MEMPHIS, looked like the first rehearsal of the first workshop of the earlier show.

And what was with the video-camera/jumbo TV screen gimmick? (I know Ostein, etc. use jumbo-tron screens in their "churches", but knowing how shamelessly stupid people are today...why bother?)

Esparza didn't win me over. Nobody did. I'm truly saddened to say this was one of the worst things I've seen in a long time. Not trying to be bitchy. It just was truly not good.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 10:51pm

Everyone is saying the curtain was the best part... Does it have anything special or are the orange and blue Stripes it? (sorry for all these questions, it's the scenic designer in me)

[jv92]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 10:52pm

No, it just added some color to an otherwise drab set.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 10:59pm

I agree with everything jv92 said. I'll only add that I felt bad for Jessica Phillips who, while in incredibly good voice, is given terrible material to work with. Hopefully she'll get some kind words from the critics at least.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 11:03pm

Why don't we punch her name into the patented Ben-Brantley-Ladies-of-the-Stage-Love-Letter-O-Meter (tm), and see what it comes up with?

[jv92]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 11:04pm

I really feel bad about disliking this one. I had high hopes. Sorry folks.

[wonkit]

Posted: 4/7/12 at 11:11pm

jv - thank you for the broader discussion. I guess all I can say is the answer to every one of your questions is in the show. MORE SPOILERS HERE -

Sam explains in the song PEOPLE LIKE US that she and Jonas were beaten by their father, and he took care of her as a child and that's why she sticks with him. Ida Mae was married to a cold minister whose ministry never touched anyone, and she appreciates that, for all his con games, Jonas gives people some inspiration (she tells Isaiah this in her part of the song ON THE BUS). Marla has sex with Jonas because (as he perceptively tells her in the song I CAN READ YOU) she's bored by the townspeople and her husband has been dead for almost four years, and she seems to understand that a lot of his bravado is to prevent being hurt. Isaiah "shows up" because he is Ida MAe's son, on vacation from bible school, and he hasn't seen her for months.

I don't know what to say - it's all there. May I ask where you were sitting, because the mezzanine acoustics seem better than the orchestra - weird, right?