Little Shop of Horrors (PREVIEWS)- Page 2

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 10:46am

It’s not about the size of the band. It’s about how you use it.

[MattieIce2018]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 11:28am

Out of curiosity, are they using the original orchestrations or the ones Danny Troob did for the 2003 Broadway revival?

[Addison D.]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 3:01pm

I am surprised to learn last night was first night--the show is in great shape.   What I thought was some overly-mannered line delivery from Blanchard will maybe calm itself down after she settles into the role--or maybe its a choice?  In any case, she was quite good.  If I have a quibble with Blanchard its that she held back for the entirety of 'Somewhere that's Green' and then belted the hell out of 'Suddenly Seymour', whereas the legendary performance against which this role will always be judged built more gradually in power through the two numbers.   (Forgive me if I am mis-using the term 'belt'.  I mean that she stayed wistful throughout the first number and shook the rafters with power and volume in the second).

They have managed to hide Groff's handsomeness (such a handicap) admirably and I thought he was splendid.  Borle seems to be enjoying himself and hams it up nicely. The Urchins were terrific--great voices, great moves.  They are front and center--or only slightly off-center--throughout.   Puppetry very good and a scene where Groff takes on vegetable management is delightful.

As most of the tech glitches seemed to me to be related to individual microphones, I'm going to say that the actors are individually mic'd.

Set is handsome and effective.  

A great night of theater that will, doubtless, get better in the coming weeks.

[soulgrrl]

Posted: 9/19/19 at 10:38pm

Saw the show on Tuesday.  Felt like a rousing affair. 

Christian Borle was superb.  His comedic chops were on full display.  Definitely a fan fav.  LOVED him.

Jonathan Groff did a remarkable job as well.  I wondered too if he would be too good looking in the role as Seymour but minutes into the show, he exuded the quirky and and zany role perfectly.  He was terrifically funny and his vocals were solid.  Side note, my son and I laughed because Jonathan Groff was streaming spit as he sang.  There's nothing he can do about it but we remembered having the same experience seeing him twice in Spring Awakening. Folks definitely got some spittle on them.  Bless his heart!  lol

Loved...loved the actresses playing the Greek chorus trio helping to narrate the show at a nice clip.  They were a standout, fun & equally campy!  I want to see them in a spinoff! :)

I felt the BIGGEST disappointment of the show was Tammy Blanchard as Audrey.  She garnered some laughs at times but she felt seriously miscast in the role.  Audrey's songs have always been big crowd pleasers and a lynch pin to the show. She struggled on each song and her vocals were very shaky.  The bar has been set high for that role and Tammy just didn't meet it...for me. Her vibrato at times was almost non-existent.  Thanks goodness she had the trio to augment her vocals on some songs or it would have been worse.  She also didn't quite meld or have great chemistry with Groff's Seymour.  Agewise, she also felt older than Seymour.  She frankly could have played Mushkin's wife and that would have felt more authentic.  Audrey's been one of my all time fav female roles in musicals & on Broadway so to see this role butchered was a huge letdown.  

I don't know who did the vocals for the plant, but he was absolutely terrific.

In terms of the staging, I enjoyed the stripped down aesthetic. It felt very visceral in the theater.

Overall...really loved the show.  It was delightful but Tammy Blanchard was a misstep.  

Updated On: 9/19/19 at 10:38 PM

[wendy999]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 7:53am

@soulgrrl: Jonathan Groff also spit all over me during Hamilton. Can't say I minded. I was so thankful to be seated so close, and if that's his process, let him shine (spit) all day!

"Side note, my son and I laughed because Jonathan Groff was streaming spit as he sang.  There's nothing he can do about it but we remembered having the same experience seeing him twice in Spring Awakening. Folks definitely got some spittle on them.  Bless his heart!  lol"

Updated On: 9/20/19 at 07:53 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 8:28am

It looks like the entire run is sold out save for a few (obscenely priced) premiums on select dates, including Glick’s run

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 11:44am

Without giving away too much, I think this picture I found online should give you all an idea about the sight-lines, etc. 

https://twitter.com/ElphabAriel/status/1174913479200792578/photo/3

(P.S. - They're not my pictures. I'm not seeing the show until January.)

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 12:15pm

Here’s my view from L2 :) Only complaint is that legroom is terrible (and I’m short!). This side row is in front of the soundboard. 

Updated On: 9/20/19 at 12:15 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 12:25pm

Anyone here have any lottery reports?

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 12:27pm

CarmenA3 said: "Here’s my view from L2 :) Only complaint is that legroom is terrible (and I’m short!). This side row is in front of the soundboard.

"

Did you have trouble seeing any of the show? I, actually, have a ticket 2 seats over (seat 6) for early January. I bought it because I didn't want to spend too much...but, I'm afraid my view will be partial, etc. 

Updated On: 9/20/19 at 12:27 PM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 1:23pm

CarmenA3 said: "Here’s my view from L2 :) Only complaint is that legroom is terrible (and I’m short!). This side row is in front of the soundboard.

"

How did you feel about Tammy Blanchard? A lackluster Audrey might be a dealbreaker for me, since I'm not a die hard fan of either Borle or Groff, and I have to admit my interest in the show is waning. I also have a Gideon Glick seat, and he's what I'm most interested in, at this point.

Updated On: 9/20/19 at 01:23 PM

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 1:45pm

I thought I had taken a landscape pic, but I didn't. The doors you see on each side are the edges of the stage. The only two opportunities for possibly missing anything if you are sitting on the far sides:

-the door to the flower shop is next to the doors stage left, but I doubt it blocks the door (certainly didn't from L2).

-One of the urchins stands behind the doors stage right, so you may miss her during one of the group songs if you are sitting far left.

Other than that, staging is set up great for all viewing angles.

My complaint is with the lack of legroom in this 4-seat row. 

RumTumJM: You won't miss anything! I have L8 for a future visit, so I was scoping it out. I didn't get a chance to sit in the actual seat as someone was already there, but there are no physical obstructions blocking your view of the stage. Your only problem would be a tall person in front of you LOL

CT2NYC: Tammy's performance was sadly lackluster for me. I have only seen one small production of LSH, so I'm not an expert on how the role should be, but there were times when her singing felt weird (I'm hoping this was an "early previews" problem and that she improves by my next visit). The acting bits were great - I enjoyed the accent - it was the singing that was not up to par for me. Since I was most excited for Jonathan and Christian, it didn't bother me much. If you have a chance at normal priced tickets, I highly recommend it. It was a really fun production and the audience (including me) was eating it up (jaja).

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 2:04pm

It seems like no one is ever happy with Audrey unless it’s Ellen Greene. The last revival ditched Alice Ripley out of town and then when it got to Broadway no one seemed to like Kerry Butler either.

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 2:08pm

CATSNYrevival said: "It seems like no one is ever happy with Audrey unless it’s Ellen Greene. The last revival ditched Alice Ripley out of town and then when it got to Broadway no one seemed to like Kerry Butler either."

I haven't seen any large production, so I have no bias for or against any of the actresses in the role. Her voice physically sounded "off" sometimes and other times it was great. It didn't feel even is where I was going with my comments. 

[JP2]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 2:35pm

Hilty was incredible last year in DC.

 

Blanchard looks great, and I loved her accent. It was her vocals and comedic timing that was off... 

[soulgrrl]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 3:03pm

CATSNYrevival said: "It seems like no one is ever happy with Audrey unless it’s Ellen Greene. The last revival ditched Alice Ripley out of town and then when it got to Broadway no one seemed to like Kerry Butler either."

Guess that tells you why it's so important to nail the casting for this role.  Definitely went into the show with an open mind but Tammy didn't even have the basic vocal chops to hit the notes (big, small and otherwise).  Her acting was a little too over the place as well. There was a vulnerability that was missing in her acting.   The other folks in my row and in front of me were grumbling about her performance as well.  Didn't know Megan Hilty had played this role in the past but I thought she would have been perfect to play Audrey.  With so many talented actresses in theater who can SING, this was a huge misfire.

If you're on the fence about seeing it, I would definitely still attend.  It was really entertaining overall & we still had a blast.  

For those who may find this helpful, here was my seat from Orchestra Right, Row C, Seat 6.  Sorry about the grainy photo.  Solid & great view.  On occasion, you missed an actor on backstage right but it wasn't problematic given how small the setting was for the show.  I have a photo of the plant and the actors taking a bow but it may be seen as a spoiler here so posted them on aviewfrommyseat if you want to see the distance to actors, etc.

Updated On: 9/20/19 at 03:03 PM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 3:10pm

CarmenA3 said: "CT2NYC: Tammy's performance was sadly lackluster for me. I have only seen one small production of LSH, so I'm not an expert on how the role should be, but there were times when her singing felt weird (I'm hoping this was an "early previews" problem and that she improves by my next visit). The acting bits were great - I enjoyed the accent - it was the singing that was not up to par for me. Since I was most excited for Jonathan and Christian, it didn't bother me much. If you have a chance at normal priced tickets, I highly recommend it. It was a really fun production and the audience (including me) was eating it up (jaja).

"

Well, I already have 2 tickets. L 2 for Groff, L 1 for Gideon, so we'll see what happens!

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 4:17pm

Wow thanks for the picture! I have L 4 and 6 and I was really wondering what it might look like. Were there any issues of being right in front of the soundboard?

[BigOleTheATErQueen]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 4:42pm

Dkinny23 said: "Not sure if there’s another thread for it, but would LOVE to hear how the Pasadena version goes in the next coming days/weeks! I have a ticket to LA and for the show in mid-October and can’t wait!!! "

I saw the second preview at Pasadena and had a BLAST! It’s one of my favorite shows and to see it done with such fresh eyes and energy was joyous. The direction is inventive, the take present day. Pasadena Playhouse is really going in a great direction under its new leadership. The show feels like it speaks to and for the community. Skid row in LA being where the actual flower district is here. Plus, as a recent Vanity Fair article about the two productions points out, a tale about what people will do for fame, fortune and affection REALLY lands hard in this city of strivers. (Plus it feels like we’re currently living through the end of the world) The cast nails it all around. MJ as Audrey made me tear up in SOMEWHERE THAT’s GREEN. And SUDDENLY SEYMOUR had the audience HOOTING! Every theatre should take note, as the imaginative casting adds verve and inclusivity and meaning. 

 

[mpkie]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 6:38pm

JP2 said: "Hilty was incredible last year in DC.

Blanchard looks great, and I loved her accent. It was her vocalsand comedic timing that was off..."

Darn! Now I really want to see Megan Hilty in this role. I saw a live performance of her "Suddenly Seymour", which is what turned me onto this musical and then I fell in love with the movie. I can imagine why she'd crush this role; her singing is gorgeous and I saw her in Noises Off and she was great.

I'll keep an open mind though,  and maybe Tammy will eventually find her place. 

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 6:47pm

suicidalmickeymouse said: "Wow thanks for the picture! I have L 4 and 6 and I was really wondering what it might look like. Were there any issues of being right in front of the soundboard?"

No issues at all with the soundboard - I actually didn’t realize it was there until I got up at intermission :)

[EthelMae]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 10:52pm

I wish there was a new play opening at the Westside Theatre.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 11:06pm

I wouldn’t call Audra a vocally demeaning role... so... just bad casting? How good was her audition?!

[viagalactica6]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 11:26pm

Saw Little Shop of horrors tonite and loved every minute of it. The only weak link in the cast was Blanchard who just doesn't have the vocals to handle the role the way Ellen Green encompassed it. It would have been better to cast a complete unknown who could have been a discovery for the audience instead of hiring a "name" who wasn't up to par.

That said, Jonathan Groff (and the rest of the cast) were superb and it was an unexpected surprise and joy to have the story focus on Seymour's. Revelatory in fact!

[viagalactica6]

Posted: 9/20/19 at 11:30pm

Groff was superb!