Little Shop of Horrors (PREVIEWS)- Page 4

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 11:04am

I’m very much look forwarding to this. My upcoming (c’mon Friday, hurry up and get here!) is an embarrassment of riches. I’m actually glad to hear that they might be the keys for Blanchard. This reminds me of when I saw Elena Roger in the last Broadway revival of Evita. I overall loved the production but her high notes were torture to the point that strangers on either side of me were discussing it with me at intermission. Luckily, it got better in Act 2 when Eva gets sick and has less occasion for high notes. That production would’ve benefited from lowering the keys a bit for her. It would’ve been the generous thing to do for her, the audience and the production as otherwise her acting and dancing were very good.

Updated On: 9/23/19 at 11:04 AM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 11:46am

Yeah, I haven’t seen this show, but unless we are talking about a major Hollywood talent coming in, there is absolutely no reason to not cast someone who can hit the notes as written 8x a week. That’s just bad casting and producing.

[Pose2]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 2:27pm

" I expect to see someone in a lead role who can SING especially in the heartbeat of NYC's theater world. She didn't deliver in that dept hence the criticism. BTW, if she indicated that she cant hit the higher register (or lower for that matter) without straining that should tell you she was miscast for a role that demands those kinds of vocal chops."

Thank you, this isn't the middle of nowhere dinner theater. It's NYC and I expect a person who can SING the songs. It's not like we are setting the bar high, I don't care about comparing her with anyone, just wanted someone who can do the job. Disappointing, 

 

[luisacontini]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 2:47pm

Probably in the minority here but Tammy Blanchard was by far the best part of the show for me. Very raw and heartbreaking. Her "Somewhere That's Green" wrecked me.

Borle and Groff were fine. Gave the performances that I expected. Loved the urchins a lot.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 2:48pm

Posted this in the buy/sell board but I have a ticket for 10/16 at 2PM. Seat K2. Can’t go to the city anymore, asking for 80, which is what I paid. Ticket is at will call in my name and will call Telecharge to get it switched to your name.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 6:49pm

Can anyone please describe the merch? Particularly what the image is on the magnet and t shirts? Thank you in advance!

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 7:10pm

ModernMillie3 said: "Can anyone please describe the merch? Particularly what the image is on the magnet and t shirts? Thank you in advance!"

The magnet and one of the shirts is just the logo from the marketing/marquee/Playbill plus the Audrey II plant below it. The two other shirts have "Suddenly Seymour" with Seymour's glasses below that and "Whatever They Offer You... ... Don't Feed The Plant" with a hand feeding blood to Audrey II that is crossed out. 

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 7:15pm

Bless your heart, thank you so much!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 9:32pm

I saw this a couple days ago and enjoyed it a lot!  Little Shop wasn't actually a musical I'd been familiar with before so I thought this was a good opportunity to get into it, and I'm glad I did.  I don't think Alan Menken has written another rock score since this show which seems a bit of a shame (apart from a few songs in Galavant that I can recall).

Christian Borle was definitely the standout for me, and I think I enjoyed his performance more than Jonathan Groff's, who almost seemed a bit weak in the first act until Feed Me (though one of my friends mentioned that could've been part of Seymour's character).  In general, do they normally double (or triple) cast Orin in other productions?  The mix seemed a bit off for the urchins in the first couple numbers, but it seemed to get itself sorted out as the show went on (I was also sitting A103 and have found being close up can do weird things to the sound levels sometimes).

We saw just about everyone at stage door afterwards (were amazed at how different from the nerdy Seymour Jonathan Groff managed to look off stage), and I bought a plant from the merch table to take home.  Definitely a fun time, and I might try for the lottery during Gideon Glick's run to see how different it is.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 10:07pm

chrishuyen said: "In general, do they normally double (or triple) cast Orin in other productions?"

It is how the show was built to have the actor playing Orin play multiple parts too. The only time they really don't is in school productions that have too many kids audition, but the actor is meant to have multiple roles.

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 9/26/19 at 3:18am

amoni said: "How dare Tammy Blanchard not be Ellen Greene! The nerve!"

Unlike others who replied to this comment I'm opting to believe you're being sarcastic.  After all, it's in quotes.

 

[Gpvegas]

Posted: 9/26/19 at 9:38am

I had the pleasure of seeing this last night.  I had a great time.  I thought Jonathan Groff was excellent and in great voice.  I have seen him in several things prior and the only thing that is a bit distracting is the amount of spit he produces while performing.  It was quite the topic in my section during intermission.  Front row be prepared.  I thought Christian Borle was a scene stealer and excellently cast.  As for Tammy Blanchard, I agree she is the weak link in the cast.  I thought she was good but I am not sure of the choices in her acting and her voice.  I am not sure if it was her choice or how she was directed but it was quite distracting.  She has a great voice but the accent she had was just not working.  However, it did not derail the fun time.  It was great to see it in a small theater with a great cast.   

[Gpvegas]

Posted: 9/26/19 at 9:42am

One other point, I think the sound is still an issue.  This was confirmed by the person still next across the 4th row aisle working on her ipad during the 1st act.  She was constantly working with 2 ipads to adjust the sound levels.  Luckily, the brightness on the ipads was low so it was not too distracting.  I was however, a bit appalled that she was secretly vaping during the show.  She would hide it under her jacket and vape.  She did not come back during the 2nd act.  2 hours including an intermission. 

Updated On: 9/26/19 at 09:42 AM

[27DinnerPlates2]

Posted: 9/26/19 at 10:54am

Saw this last night. It leans towards a more traditional approach to the show but with enough creative choices to keep it very fresh and interesting. I also loved Will Van Dyke's tweaks/additions to the vocal arrangements and orchestrations.

Urchins were to die for. Yes, Jonathan Groff is a little too attractive to play Seymour, but he sells the awkwardness and works his ass off in the role. Christian Borle is playing Christian Borle as Orin, but he's a hoot nonetheless.

The true standout, though, is Tammy Blanchard. She's what I imagine an Old Hollywood star to be like — the epitome of grace and talent. I've never seen someone sink into a character with such abandon and unfiltered ferocity. Her Audrey is both heartbreakingly vulnerable and incredibly fearless. I found myself constantly wiping away tears during her scenes/numbers (she blows the roof off during "Suddenly Seymour" and sings it through tears). It felt like I was seeing Audrey for the first time.

[Pashacar]

Posted: 9/26/19 at 12:49pm

Gpvegas said: "One other point, I thinkthe sound is still anissue. This was confirmed by the person still next across the 4th row aisle working on her ipad during the 1st act. She was constantly working with 2 ipads to adjust the sound levels. Luckily, the brightness on the ipads was low so it was not too distracting. I was however, a bit appalled that she was secretly vaping during the show. She would hide it under her jacket and vape. She did not come back during the 2nd act. 2 hours including an intermission."

That's insanely unprofessional on both levels; I would have complained to the House Manager or written the producers and asked for my money back.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 3:39pm

Kind of an odd question...

First of all, I LOVED the show. Loved it! I was at Saturday’s matinee. I wondered if Groff could have been sick.  I’ve never seen someone sweat so much at a show. He spit so much when he was singing. I was very close.  Right up front, row B. I really thought he had to have a fever. At the start of act 2, he had a wet head-like he showered during intermission. Does he always have a wet head? I loved the show, I thought everyone sounded fantastic. The puppetry was great. I may even go back. It’s no reflection on his performance.  I love his voice. I just wondered if anyone noticed this.  Honestly, the spitting was kind of gross.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 3:43pm

No, it's not gross, it's very common among theater actors. And if you have ever read a thread about him you know he spits when he sings live. Common knowledge among the community, and widely talked about on here for years. 

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 3:48pm

I’ve been seeing shows for a long time. I’m old. This was excessive. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like a sprinkler.

Edited to add... I’ve seen him 3 other times. This was different. I really think something was off.

Updated On: 9/29/19 at 03:48 PM

[swanjewel]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 7:50pm

He has openly joked about his excessive sweating and spitting. It’s nothing new with him. I have friends who bought tickets in the front row knowing they would be in Groff’s “spit zone”. It’s definitely common knowledge with him.

Updated On: 9/29/19 at 07:50 PM

[Broadwaydah]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 7:54pm

Are the orchestrations and instrumentation the same as the original Orpheum production?

[ArtMan]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 8:03pm

ModernMillie3 said: "No, it's not gross, it's very common among theater actors. And if you have ever read a thread about himyou know he spits when he sings live. Common knowledge among the community, and widely talked about on here for years."

He also spits when he is not singing.  I sat front row at Deathtrap in London.  I was lucky I wasn't hit.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 8:03pm

double

Updated On: 9/29/19 at 08:03 PM

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 9/30/19 at 1:33am

ArtMan said: "ModernMillie3 said: "No, it's not gross, it's very common among theater actors. And if you have ever read a thread about himyou know he spits when he sings live. Common knowledge among the community, and widely talked about on here for years."

He also spits when he is not singing. I sat front row at Deathtrap in London. I was lucky I wasn't hit."

Well God help the person opposite during a love song. There are tablets to stop you wanting to pee[I know I took them when working a responsive crowd-selling], so surely there must be a tablet excessive production of 'juice'--as long as you don't get a dry mouth. I think it gross even if he is pretty.

[taragel2]

Posted: 9/30/19 at 9:11am

I was at Saturday's matinee too. Agree that everyone sounded good. The spitting was so much that the audience was laughing aloud at it by the end of the most egregious number (Feed Me, maybe?) so it became more of a distraction than it should've been. I thought Blanchard was pretty good honestly. She plays it more of a broad who's been kicked around, less of a fragile ditz--part Lucille Ball, part Debi Mazar. I did think she let the accent take over her singing voice in a few spots, but for the most part she was still vocally strong enough, and she did turn on the big belt in Suddenly Seymour. Borle was clearly having a very good time and nearly seemed to crack himself up in several of the bit parts as he hammed it up. The chorus was great and their choreography was funnier than I've seen in the past. An enjoyable show (and the leg room was much better than I expected! I've been in much scrunchier seats.)

[V2David]

Posted: 9/30/19 at 5:53pm

Was Row B too close? How were the sightlines?