MY FAIR LADY (2018) Previews- Page 30

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 8:06pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "Watching the first look montage a few times after it was released makes me really want this show to be filmed for PBS. I can't stop looking at Ambrose's face in that video. She simply glows and I caught a lot of little things and expressions she does that really works for the screen. I wonder if her performance willbe one of those that is can be appreciated on screen which to me is rare for a filmed stage performance. What are the chances of PBS filming this?"

Hmm having seen Ambrose both in early previews and late previews I think one thing she definitely had to do was adjust the way her expressions were projecting. In early previews I thought her experience on TV was obvious -- she was calibrating her expressions to play beautifully if the camera were close. Later in previews her reactions were more broad, but necessary to play to a large house. 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 8:12pm

The can-can drag queens felt borderline offensive. Just a little over the whole thing that men in dresses are funny.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 8:24pm

I appreciate that some are over the camp entertainment value of drag.  Others feel quite differently about it.
But in any event, consider this context:  a "Get Me to the Church on Time" staged as if it's real people having fun in a dive London pub circa 1905, with drag kings as well as drag queens.
For me this was charming - and at the same time lightly resonating with the show's themes: personal transformation and the questions of what it means to be a lady and what it means to be a gentleman.

Updated On: 4/17/18 at 08:24 PM

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:02pm

I just assumed that King and I would be broadcast live during the last week of its run. The broadcast of South Pacific had gone so well, with all of the original cast except for Mathew Morrison. Alan Alda had been the perfect host.

With the little bit more that I know now about the economics of Broadway musicals, my guess is just that with the large cast and large orchestra, coupled with a disappointing box office compared to South Pacific, the show was just burning through too much money to permit it to run as long as planned. The closing was abruptly announced.

Hopefully MFL will do better at the box office and contingency plans will be in effect for the live broadcast if the production falters earlier than expected.

Perhaps they will broadcast the London production. I wonder if Ruthie Ann will still join the cast. It would probably be the best thing to raise her spirits. She was already loved by audiences before the tragedy. You can imagine the warmth with which she would be received now.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:11pm

I also hope they film The King and I in London. It's a shame it wasn't preserved in New York. I suspect we'll get a recording of My Fair Lady.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:31pm

OlBlueEyes said: "I just assumed that King and I would be broadcast live during the last week of its run. The broadcast of South Pacific had gone so well, with all of the original cast except for Mathew Morrison. Alan Alda had been the perfect host.

With the little bit more that I know now about the economics of Broadway musicals, my guess is just that with the large cast and large orchestra, coupled with a disappointing box office compared to South Pacific, the show was just burning through too much money to permit it to run as long as planned. The closing was abruptly announced.

Hopefully MFL will do better at the box office and contingency plans will be in effect for the live broadcast if the production falters earlier than expected.

Perhaps they will broadcast the London production. I wonder if Ruthie Ann will still join the cast. It would probably be the best thing to raise her spirits. She was already loved by audiences before the tragedy. You can imagine the warmth with which she would be received now."

TKAI was a wonderful production but I thought the casting of Ken Watanabe was problematic. His lack of command of the english language was an issue and there just wasn't much spark between him and Kelli O'Hara. I saw a later cast with Marin Mazzie and Daniel Dae Kim and that performance did have the wit and spark that O'Hara/Watanabe lacked, but alas Kim has TV committments and Mazzie I believe had some health issues. A shame.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:46pm

Take a look at this article about Michael Yeargan's set for Higgins' House. For those who for some odd reason thinks he's a "cheap" and "small" set designer, needs only to look at the photos and sees that he pushes for more lavish designs. Looking at the photos makes me wonder what Michael Yeargan's version of Follies could possibly look like.

https://www.vogue.com/article/my-fair-lady-broadway-set-design

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:49pm

I really did love Ken Watanabe in the role and his intensity...even if he was not 100 percent in command of the English language.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:56pm

Yeargan's sets are incredible. I'd also love to see him do Follies or Into the Woods (which would actually be a great show for the Beaumont). He's able to create such detailed, sweeping landscapes.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 9:59pm

Watanabe's star power lit up the stage.  I thought he had major chemistry with O"Hara.
But like many others I had great difficulty understanding his English.   "A Puzzlement" was incomprehensible. I have no idea how anyone who had never heard the song before could have possibly had any clue what the hell he was going on about. 

[MCfan2]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 11:09pm

What a gorgeous set! Designing Higgins's house must be an absolute dream job. You could have such fun with it.

[TheatreRocks]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 11:25pm

Cast recording available on Amazon for pre-order!!! June 8th !!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 12:04am

Relaxing back at our hotel. Overall, I loved it....with minor quibbles, none which differ from things already said, hardly worth mentioning, except I didn't like the can can bit either....men or women.

To refute some things said, however, I loved Freddy and thought Diana Rigg was charming. I also didn't think that Norbert seemed out of place as others have said.

The costumes were stunning as were the sets. I thought the leads brought a new insight to the characters and really loved them.Maybe the first time I've felt that way about Higgins!

My son really liked it too. I think he was more shocked the sets that j7st kept appearing and was amazed my the sheer size of ot.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 3:44am

TKAI was a wonderful production but I thought the casting of Ken Watanabe was problematic. His lack of command of the english language was an issue and there just wasn't much spark between him and Kelli O'Hara. I saw a later cast with Marin Mazzie and Daniel Dae Kim and that performance did have the wit and spark that O'Hara/Watanabe lacked, but alas Kim has TV committments and Mazzie I believe had some health issues. A shame.

PoisonIvy, Marin has the worst health issue, ovarian cancer, which took my lovely sister at age 41. This cancer is still one of the most lethal. She showed great strength in returning to the stage after her first round of grueling and no doubt scary procedures. I loved the album of duets that Marin did with her husband Jason, and I think that her vocals in the last Kiss Me, Kate, especially "Wunderbar" and "So In Love," will be hard for Kelli O'Hara to match.

The Watanabe affair was very mysterious. The first time I saw the production, I didn't think that I had had much trouble understanding him. This board split in two on that issue. Obviously the people who said that they had had great trouble understanding him were not lying. The second time I saw him, after he had made his return, I did notice at first that his speech was a little garbled, but I soon adjusted to it.

Kelli O'Hara is an intelligent woman, and Ken appears to be her King of choice. He is of course recreating his role in London. Be interesting to see how London reacts to him.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 11:52pm

There are still quite a few $157 and $187 loge seats available on Telecharge for tomorrow's opening night performance.

Updated On: 4/18/18 at 11:52 PM

[musikman]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 11:55pm

Caught this tonight. I’ve been such a huge fan of Bart Sher’s trascendant productions at the Vivian Beaumont. Piazza, South Pacific and King and I are some of my favorite theatrical memories.

This one, unfortunately, felt totally flat and was a pretty big disappointment. Despite a GORGEOUS set and wonderful costumes, and a few very good performances (chiefly from Higgins, Mrs Higgins, and Pickering) and the astounding orchestra, I left the theatre thinking what a missed opportunity this was.

I knew I wasn’t going to get a stellar, award winning vocal performance from Lauren Ambrose, but I didn’t expect her to be so severely behind the beat in practically all of her songs. She did, however, have some very effective moments, specifically the hilarious gavotte scene, as well as her confrontation with Higgins at the end of Act II.

*shrug* oh well. Can’t all be perfect.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 12:21am

Is it just me or does it seem like with each user review Lauren's singing seems to be getting less and less good notices? Maybe her voice isnt holding up idk. As an audience member (and singer) it makes me uncomfortable when an actor is struggling with the singing. It can take me out of the moment

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 12:30am

broadwayboy223 said: "Is it just me or does it seem like with each user review Lauren's singing seems to be getting less and less good notices? Maybe her voice isnt holding up idk. As an audience member (and singer) it makes me uncomfortable when an actor is struggling with the singing. It can take me out of the moment "

I saw the show today, and I thought her singing was excellent, and much better than I expected. I heard no hint of struggle in her voice.

[Graymerchant]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 12:37am

I usually don't post. But, I saw this production the second week of previews and i've been sitting on it for about a month now. This was my first experience with My Fair Lady. Up until this production I shrugged at how "old" it sounded when it would come on the radio. But, This production has made it into one of my all time favorites shows and one of the best experiences I've ever had in the theatre.  

I'm quite excited for the next two months for this show, as I think it's going to do quite well come awards. I was fascinated with the production and it felt as if it was focused on the acting and the story telling without stripping away all the elements, like we've seen recently. I think the performances are truly remarkable. But the real star is Bartlett Sher. The ending, though I know many dislike it, is breath-taking and exactly what we need in our society. I was in the last seat at the end of the isle where Ambrose walks up and I could see the tears streaming down her face. It was thrilling and I truly believed that she was walking right out of the theatre and out to the street to live as an independent being.  

This has stayed with my longer than most productions have. I haven't felt this way since the 14' Cabaret revival. This production has opened my eyes into showing that we as humans haven't changed much but we are working towards changes. It is inspiring. 

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 12:39am

Caught this tonight, as well, and wasn't going to say anything, figuring I was the outlier, but my exact thought walking in my front door, was "what a missed opportunity."

The whole show is flat and desperately needs a shot of adrenaline. I felt like I was watching My Fair Lady on quaaludes. The book scenes, for some reason I can't discern, were well done and so much better than the musical numbers (save the fabulous orchestra).

The sets are both glorious and cheap. 27A is gorgeous. Most everything else looks like sets we had in high school. Costumes were lovely. Ensemble was fine.

Lauren Ambrose has a mostly lovely voice. Mostly.

Harry Hadden-Paton had excellent book scenes, but anything musical fell flat. Jordan Donica as Freddy was abysmal. On The Street Where You Live was just terrible. Oddly, I liked Norbert quite a bit, even if I HATED Get Me To The Church On Time with the inane can-can, men in drag and the audience clapping along like trained seals. It was fun to see Diana Rigg & I liked Linda Mugleston's take on Mrs. Pearce.

The ending was fine, but the staging of the ending is a metaphor for the whole production. It doesn't know what it wants to be, so it tries to cover all the bases. It doesn't make sense and didn't work, for me.

Looked at my watch frequently and by 10:15, I couldn't wait for it to be over. I felt the three hours, but I didn't hate it, by any stretch. I admired it, but I didn't like it enough to want to see it again (and that makes me sad because I love MFL).

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 1:00am

I sometimes wonder if I've seen the same production as those who post negative reviews on here. This is one of my favorite revivals ever, and I'm hard-pressed to describe it as anything other than glorious, top to bottom from performances to design to direction.

I'm also baffled by the disdain for Jordan Donica's Freddy. His "Street Where You Live" is in absolutely gorgeous voice—among the best I've ever heard.

Can't wait for the reviews tomorrow night.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 2:03am

^There may be some less than enthusiastic responses on here, but so far it's seems that it's only in the minority. Whereas those who have seen it have been either extremely positive or flat out RAVES. I'm also excited for tomorrow night's reviews, and I'll bet that they are going to be both positive and raves that's comparable to the reviews that Once on this Island had.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:34am

BroadwayConcierge said: "I sometimeswonder if I've seen the same production as those who post negative reviews on here. This is one of my favorite revivals ever, and I'm hard-pressed to describe it as anything other than glorious, top to bottom from performances to design to direction."

I’m with you! I LOVE this production so much.

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:41am

GeorgeandDot said: "The can-can drag queens felt borderline offensive. Just a little over the whole thing that men in dresses are funny."

 

 

As a can-canning drag queen myself, I felt represented. LOL 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:43am

I liked this production more than those other posters, but I was not completely bought over by it. It's a very good production, but not a great production like Sher's previous revivals. It felt pretty low energy and I agree with most of what they're saying although I didn't find anything terrible. I just thought it was fine.