Live from the Lincoln Center Discussion Thread- Page 10

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 7:30am

Couldn't stand Samonsky's bizarre posturing, weird mumbling/moaning vocals after he said some of his lines (WTF?), and lack of any real acting ability (practicing your "smoldering look" in front of a mirror for hours each day isn't a substitute for an acting class).

The rest of the production was great, though!

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 8:48am

I was discussing the production with a friend yesterday and we were both marveling at what a lovely and powerful moment the Honey Bun reprise is. Other than a community production when I was very young, the current revival is the only production of South Pacific that I've seen so I was wondering if anybody knows if this is the way the Honey Bun reprise is normally staged or if this was an original idea?

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 9:03am

Samonsky's mumbling/moaning creeped me out. I thought I was listening to Julia Sweeney's 'Pat' character from SNL.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 9:12am

For you MST3K fans:

Doesn't Samonsky remind you of Richard Kiel in HUMAN DUPLICATORS?

[Mikeacarroll]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 10:57am

I was very disappointed in Samonsky's acting. Lovely voice, beautiful really, but the difference is, when he sings you don't see any mechanics. He's got a beautiful instrument and knows how to use it. His acting showed me none of that. I could see all the technique he was using to manufacture a portrayal. When he needed to be intense he was almost hyperventilating to produce an effect. When the best perform you never see the mechanics or the technique.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 11:04am

I was discussing the production with a friend yesterday and we were both marveling at what a lovely and powerful moment the Honey Bun reprise is.

That part always gets to me. I mentioned earlier that the uncertainty of it is what gets me. We're watching characters we learned to care for over the course of the show march off to war. We know Nellie and Emile get their happily ever after but what about the others?

Doesn't Samonsky remind you of Richard Kiel in HUMAN DUPLICATORS?

I don't see the resemblance between Andrew and Jaws from James Bond

[eponine88]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 12:20pm

Madbrian, I'm not sure if O'Hara coming across as older was just on screen- I was at the taping and thought to myself that she came across as older than she did the last time I saw the role. Obviously she *is* older, but I was surprised it came across that way.

And I'm sorry that the entr'acte wasn't shown/heard fully (or at least that's what it seems like from people's posts?) It was truly phenomenal- the orchestra put more into it than I have ever seen them do before. A few of the orchestra members were dancing around the pit as they played, and the audience ate it up!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 12:28pm

They showed the second half of the Entr'Acte. Alan Alda was gabbing through the first part of it and you could hear it in the background. They didn't switch to the orchestra until after the moment when they all stand up for "Gonna Wash That Man".

[Roscoe]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 12:45pm

"I don't see the resemblance between Andrew and Jaws from James Bond"

See the clips of HUMAN DUPLICATORS posted on youtube, and you will.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 1:06pm

Several days later and I'm still impressed with how good this production was from the acting, singing, staging, to direction.

I truly regret not seeing it at Lincoln Center. I assumed it was a decent production, but thought it would be similar to the Mitzi Gaynor movie, which didn't cut it for me, or amateur productions which didn't wow me either.

This production was special though, and everything just clicked. Loretta Ables Sayre was a definitive Bloody Mary. I've seen productions where the character was almost played as a joke, but Sayre brought a perfect underlying intensity and desperation to the role. I used to hate Happy Talk, but now, at last, I see the point of it.

I hope this comes out on video, I think I need to have it.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 1:19pm

To answer your question, backwoodsbarbie, no. That reprise of "Honey Bun" is not initially in the script. It was added by Sher and company. There are other minor additions to the script (Nellie's "Colored." line at the end of Act 1 as well as Emile's "Mangez, Nellie." and a few other lines for the sailors), with the three largest inclusions being "My Girl Back Home", the scene between Cable and Nellie about interracial couples in Act 2 and the "Honey Bun" reprise.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 1:27pm

I remember the last line (Emile to Nellie) from the licensed version as "Mange, Nellie. Mange maintenant." The second part of that line seems to be gone now. I wonder why.
Updated On: 8/20/10 at 01:27 PM

[RuprechtJr.]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 1:31pm

No, the Honey Bun reprise is in the script. It's just that it's not dramatic like the revival. It's orchestrated the way the first Honey Bun is, happy etc.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 2:25pm

I have the original script and there's no "Honey Bun" reprise. The final line "Move out" is said and the soldiers go off with the nurses waving. Also, my script has no "Mangez, Nellie." Perhaps both were added to the licensed version some time since.

[eileen6]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:42pm

OMG that is too funny Pat from SNL. You know you got a damn good point there. Sorry but that has me hysterical.
MadBrian you pegged this guy to a tee. I am crying because I did not want to be outright insulting but he is a bit of a whiner.
Updated On: 8/20/10 at 03:42 PM

[Tsao5]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:42pm

Danny Burstein reminded me a bit of Bert Lahr (Note to some of the youth on the board, that would be the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz and a popular Broadway performer in his time).

Mr. Somonsky reminded me of a cross between Greg Edelman's Prince in the Into the Woods revival and Jeff Goldblum (in anything he is in), especially when he was talking about his Mom. A bit nebbishy, a bit wooden. But I thought he didn't totally suck. Far from it. Man, if he read the negative things people were saying about him on these boards................buy. that. man. a. drink.

The finale reminded me greatly of productions of Cabaret I've seen where the cast does a reprise of Wilkommen slowly and in slow motion movement and funeral marchesque under low lighting. Always exactly.

Considering I am not a huge fan of the show.......it was still a good representation.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:06pm

Samonsky's speech patterns reminded me of Eric on True Blood.

[NGeorgiaBwayFan]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:17pm

Tsao5, I was wondering if I was the only one who was reminded of Bert Lahr! I think Danny would be a great cowardly lion. I thought he was wonderful as Billis. A very loveable and sweet portrayal of the character.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:52pm

I also thought Danny Burstein was playing the role like Bert Lahr!

[eileen6]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:58pm

Yes, Cable's speech patterns were somewhat like Eric the Viking but Eric is a dead Viking who is a little long in the tooth. Cable is suppose to be a young man from Philadelphia. I still go with Pat from SNL. He was better on the telecast.

[raker]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 9:47pm

I was pleasantly surprised at the staging of Happy Talk. It's such an upbeat and positive-sounding song, but is was played to show Bloody Mary's desperation and to foreshadow that Cable and Liat's passion was doomed. It reminded me of "Everything's Coming Up Roses." I loved it.

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 10:30pm

Do you think they'll release it on dvd? Did they ever release Light in the Piazza when PBS did that?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 1:31am

Do you think they'll release it on dvd? Did they ever release Light in the Piazza when PBS did that?

No and no

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 2:43am

And surprisingly enough nobody has posted it on the web. Anywhere.

[Plexsis]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 3:35am

Yeah it's really depressing...

I loved every second of it and want to keep it forever.