Lennon Wed mat

I really like Lennon. It is a very different kind of show and it's hard to explain why. It's not exactly a juke box musical. It's better than the others because the story is true. In parts the music doesn't explain the story it's just there. The beginning of Act 2 needs work because it's very Yoko Ono friendly. There is no set, the band is on the stage, and there is very little costume, and that works because it really makes you focus on the music, which I guess is the most important part (it is John Lennon after all). The cast is AMAZING. They are excellent singers who had tremendous energy and talent. Will Chase is by far the best Lennon. He has the best accent and look. The rush tickets were in the front row and the seats are great, but sooooo close to the stage. If you're going to get tickets, sit a little further back to get a full view. Stage dooring was hard because the cast had rehearsal right after the show and wouldn't be out until 5, which was 45 mintues after the show ended.
It's a good show to see, don't pay $100 because as good as it is, it's not worth that much money.

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"It's a good show to see, don't pay $100 because as good as it is, it's not worth that much money."

I bet this is going to end up in the Lennon ads.

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I was at the matinee too! Seat AA110. I had REALLY low expectations going it but I enjoyed myself! The only thing that I wasn't so down with was the fact that they had five people playing Lennon onstage at ONCE. Was that really necessary? My favorite Lennon's were Chad Kimball and Will Chase. Julie is a far-too-pretty Yoko. I thought of the show as a history lesson because I didn't know anything about Lennon or Yoko. I knew that Yoko was being made out to be too much of a saint though, or I assumed so because every one I speak to says, 'That's the bitch that broke up the Beatles.' (Including the teenage boy sitting next to me.)

Marcy is the ****, but I've known that for years.

The experience I had sitting in the front row was like the experiences I used to have sitting in the front row at Rent. It was exciting and you made lots of eye contact with the cast, it was just fun.

I'm having a hard time saying that anyone was under-used in the show though, I think, aside from Chad and Will (who IMO had the largest parts), I think everyone was equally used. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.

I'm not sure if this could be considered a juke box musical, I feel like yes, and no. Only because usually a juke box musical is telling a made up story and this obviously wasn't.

I had a good time. I'm definitely going back to see Marcy, Chad, and Will again.

I too was at the matinee! I thought the show was wonderful. I brought my dad - who was very active in the music scene in the 60s, and we were both in tears by the end of the show. It was incredibly powerful and the actors are AMAZING. It took a little while for the audience to get into the format, but it really works. It's completely an ensemble piece - everyone is onstage for nearly the entire show.

alli2 - there were only 5 playing him at once ONE time. after that it was spread out with mostly Chad & Will playing him (they were excellent, by the way)

itstheM - I would disagree about it not being worth $100. just because a show does not have lots of flashy costumes and sets doesn't make it worth less $$. Seeing those performances was well worth the money.

I just have a question --

I haven't seen the show yet, but from some of the comments I wonder whether it might it make more sense to have just one actor play Lennon himself and then have all the others play other people in his life, etc......?

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What about Julia Murney? It's her long-awaited Broadway debut as many know. How was she in the show?

Wow that is so weird that we were all at the show today. Alli, I was sitting next to you in seat AA111. :P

Margo-it was cool having a bunch of people play Lennon. It allowed the show to move at a fast pace and wasn't confusing at all. The other actors did play other characters, like: Ed Sullivan, John's Aunt, a Ku Klux Klan Member, Senator Thurman. Julie was the only on to play Yoko, and I liked that too.

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ITSTHEM! I heard you say to your.. mom, i guess it was? before the show started when she asked you if you knew who Yoko was, you said, "Yeah, she broke up the Beatles." I just found that really funny, cause that's the common response. Was that you?

I don't think Lennon will last very long, but it's a fun show, especially from the first row.

Also, there was a girl, Laura, I think her name was, who was with me at the stagedoor and we traded cameras and took pictures for each other. Is she on here? Hmm...

EDT: And does anyone know if Chad is straight or not? And I ran into Marcy on the street in the late-afternoon... very cool. Love her, love her, love her.

Let's plan a date to all go see the show again.

Updated On: 7/13/05 at 11:37 PM

There are Beatles songs in the show, no?

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They haven;t done that the 2 times I have seen it.

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As it says in the playbill and on the screen before the show starts:

"I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together" ~I Am The Walrus

I feel like that really usms up exactly what the director was thinking when they decided to have multiple people play John. I guess it's trying to say that we are all connected.

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Did they really do that in SF???? bring an audience member onstage to be lennon????? I haven't seen them do that in NY. hmmmmmmm.....

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They didn't bring anyone onstage in NY when I saw it last Friday. And no, it's not confusing having multiple Johns - it works very well.