MATILDA Previews- Page 5

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 2:24pm

Maybe my issue is just that I'm not able to get past the idea that we can call a show an "amazing musical" when the score is by all accounts, including mine, just "eh".

"By all accounts"? Where did you get that idea?

[Kelly2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 2:26pm

Fair enough, things are very rarely by "all" accounts, and I was being a bit hyperbolic, but there has been significant criticism I've seen of the show both here and overseas that discusses the shortcomings of the score.

For me, musically and lyrically, it is serviceable and functions within the context of the show, but is ultimately fairly uninteresting and devoid of any songs that I would consider truly inspired or original. Obviously, people are going to disagree, and I did enjoy parts of the show, but I really missed the hype on this one I guess. C'est la vie.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 4:55pm

As someone who is all about the functionality of the score in context of the show just as much as the composition and artistry itself (I thought Billy Elliot should have won the Best Score Tony), I think everything you're saying about the score will make me love it.

I was lucky to grab a ticket for Saturday...very excited!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 5:18pm

For me, the score was one that got better with repeated listenings. I really wasn't too taken with it when I first heard it, but it definitely grew on me and now I don't know what I was even thinking before. It's a good score. It's the only thing I've ever heard from Tim that I actually like, but then he's not singing so that helps.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 5:22pm

Not a fan of "White Wine in the Sun" I take it?

I thought the score works fantastically well and actually serves the narrative, which is what a score should be doing.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 5:36pm

But do the New York audience join in singing Telly?

[TheFirst5Years]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 5:42pm

I stopped by the box office today to ask about Standing Room as someone posted they were offered it for last night's performance. Apparently they have switched it up and have begun their Student Rush as of today. Standing Room will commence after opening.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:02pm

For those who saw it, what is the run time? Does it have the same run time as the London Production (2:30) Thanks

[April Saul]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:26pm

Wow, the box office is a hot mess! Yesterday morning they said SRO and no rush, last night they said not yet for either...and said the producers had a meeting yesterday afternoon and changed everything. My personal happy ending was a $75 orchestra seat for Monday night on StubHub! But now I'm going in with incredible expectations from this board, so we'll see

[supersam1026]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:49pm

The show started a little bit after 8:05 (due to Matthew Warchus' brief speech). We were out of the theater at 10:45. I would say the show is somewhere between 2:40 and 2:45 right now.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:52pm

Thank you supersam1026

[katurian2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 7:03pm

For anyone interested the Cinderella verse from Naughty only ever appeared at the first preview in Stratford upon Avon. It now only exists on the OCR or when Tim Minchin performs it.

[Belle9]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 7:04pm

Cannison, I have seats for row G of the mezzanine. Do you think my view will be obstructed, or was it just the last rows?

Can anyone tell me if the hair and costumes are the same as the West End production?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 7:23pm

Sophia Gennusa is on as Matilda tonight

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 7:51pm

I saw this show in London this last August and absolutely loved it. I told all my friends here to get tickets as soon as they went on sale because I predicted a huge hit. But in terms of the score, I can't say I left the theatre with even one song in mind. The choreography was great (especially the curtain call on skates), the little girl star was incredibly talented and charismatic, and the story held my interest from start to end. But the score--not memorable, though perhaps I'd need to hear it a few more times before passing judgment.

If its the music you want, Cinderella is the show to see but I'd see them both.

[Belle9]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 7:59pm

I've got to say, the music is what I'm most excited about. I definitely think the score grows on you. The first time I saw clips from the West End, I thought it was just okay. Now I can't get the songs out of my head. :)

[Kelly2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 8:06pm

"I thought the score works fantastically well and actually serves the narrative, which is what a score should be doing."

Obviously a score should serve the narrative, I doubt anyone is going to disagree that a score needs to function within the context of the show. My argument is that it is in fact possible to do that and to also have songs that are inspired and wonderful enough to stand on their own as pieces of music outside of the show. Matilda, to me, is devoid of songs like that.

Updated On: 3/5/13 at 08:06 PM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 8:11pm

I disagree with you about Matilda not having songs like that, but I was also bored stiff by DROOD. You and I just have divergent tastes.

Updated On: 3/5/13 at 08:11 PM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 8:14pm

Ha, fair enough. It is, in fact, completely unfathomable to me how one could be bored at DROOD, but that's another topic entirely.

I will say for Matilda that I thought Bertie Carvel was magnificent and I think she's a strong contender for the Tony this year.

Updated On: 3/5/13 at 08:14 PM

[DanielWhit]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 9:48pm

The biggest change so far as the book goes from West End to Broadway is the switch of order at the start of act two.

At RSC/WE, it went from Telly to Entr'acte, which flowed into When I Grow Up and the Lavender speech, followed by library.

Broadway seems to have Telly, short Entr'acte to clear stuff, Lavender, When I Grow Up and finally followed by library.

I'm too used to the former at the moment, but I'm curious why they are trying to flip the sequence. Part of the reason, for me, why When I Grow Up works so well is as it's a massive "we are back" song, that effect is diluted slightly with a plot speech before hand.

We'll see how it evolves in the coming weeks

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 10:21pm

^Maybe they're trying to make "Telly" the "we are back" song? That would eliminate the need for an entr'acte since "Telly" sort of serves the same purpose as an entr'acte.

Also, I fully support "When I Grow Up" having a speech to set it up, but the one they're using now doesn't really have a whole lot to do with the song so it's still not quite as integrated into the plot as it could be. But, it wasn't before and that didn't really hurt things so it doesn't necessarily need to be a "plot song."

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 10:30pm

No! The melody/transition from Entran'ce to When I Grow Up is so gorgeous and chilling.

BTW: How short is the Entra'ce?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 10:43pm

^The transition is still there. There's just no entr'acte now. There's a bar or two of music that serves as a playout to "Telly," a short speech from Lavender, and then the last 30 seconds or so of what used to be the entr'acte that leads into "When I Grow Up."

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 11:29pm

Ugh, that is so disappointing. At least, we get the last part of it.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 11:33pm

I saw the show tonight and it was truly magical. Sophie Gennusa was Matilda and was lovely, as were the rest of the children.

I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said, but it was really wonderful. They kept to the tone of the original book moreso than the movie, which completely worked (it was a bit darker than the film to me, much more in keeping with the style of Dahl's writing, which I loved). The cast was uniformly fantastic, and Bertie Carvel is unbelievable as Miss Trunchbull, a really fantastic performance without being over-the-top. He wasn't a man in drag, he was really playing a woman, and it was amazing to watch.

The feeling I got from this reminded me of the feeling I got when I saw Billy Elliot in its first week of previews in 2008 (I can't believe it was that long ago, but anyway). It's really something special and it's pure joy.

For those curious, I had a seat in row F of the balcony off to the side and it was a great view. I moved down to the 3rd row in act two which was even better. The balcony at the Shubert feels really close, not at all like you're up in the sky as with the balconies or even the mezzanines in some of the larger theaters.