Maroulis, Davi, Jarvis to Star in Revised THE TOXIC AVENGER in Houston- Page 3

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 1:23pm

My opinion is not biased and I never said I liked the show. I've never seen it.

Why do you feel the need to reply to my posts? Are you smitten with me? Or are you just mad that I peed on your snark?

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 8:20pm

Thanks for the entertaining posts- LOL
& the reviews have been wonderful!

[NOB88]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 4:03pm

Houston still loving Toxie -

Gooey Love for Toxic Avenger

[massofmen]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 10:24pm

i think this is the same state that loved Lysistrata Jones.

[dwwst12]

Posted: 1/26/12 at 1:34pm

Love it or hate it, does anyone have any intelligence on whether it's likely to squeeze into a theater this season? I assume the mostly positive reviews keep the possibility alive...

[massofmen]

Posted: 1/26/12 at 11:57pm

texas reviews of a recent "broadway bound musical".

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/jan/26/theater-review-give-it/

"Text all your BFFs and pass on the news. The new musical that had its world premiere at the Dallas Theater Center on Friday is hot, hot, hot."


http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/columnists/lawson-taitte/20100123-Theater-review-Dallas-Theater-Center-4666.ece

"What they have come up with is such a triumphant, artistic hit that they seriously need to get this production to Broadway."

http://www.wfaa.com/news/entertainment/Cogill-reviews-Give-it-Up-83319637.html

"Run to the theater to see "Give it Up!" — originally intended as a film, but now likely headed to Broadway."

http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2010/02/theater-review-dallas-theater-centers-world-premiere-production-of-give-it-up/

"Pop music, college basketball and Ancient Greek comedy combine for an entertaining night in the Dallas Theater Center’s production of Douglas Carter Beane’s Give It Up!,"

Updated On: 1/26/12 at 11:57 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 10:07am

Yeah, it's a Texas thing for sure. There were no positive reviews for Lysistrata Jones from the Off-Broadway or Broadway productions. Not one. Come to think of it, Texas is the only state in the US that has produced a unfavorable musicals at all, let alone given favorable reviews for a show that someone else may not like. It's so mystifying. And I'm sure the creative team for Toxic Avenger have not made any changes in the show whatsoever since the original run. Why would they if it is impossible to improve on anything?

[rorschach37]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 12:57pm

Actually Matt, Lysistrata Jones got a positive review from Brantley: http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/theater/reviews/lysistrata-jones-at-walter-kerr-theater-review.html?pagewanted=all

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 1:47pm

No, it didn't! It ONLY received positive reviews in TEXAS. The Brantley review is a work of pure fiction. Only TEXAS liked that show. Don't try and muddy the truth with facts.

[NOB88]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 2:02pm

Mister Matt, of course you are right. Everyone knows if Texas loves it is crap. I think I saw it on a bumper sticker once.

[massofmen]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 5:32pm

mistermatt your ignorance is precious as is your sarcasm.

I think you understand my point once again, but just choose to go off on a tangent cause you find yourself intellectually stimulating. which is kinda cute :)
. Give it up (LJONES) was a critical hit in texas, It was a critical hit here (well average reviews here) and it didn't sell..at all..avg tix price hovered at 28 bucks.

. jUst because a show is a critical hit doesn't mean it will sell tix. I know its hard to comprehend. If you need me to break it down even more I can! Lemme know :)

Toxic is a show that would be fun off bway. (as it was for a while at New world) or a fun $45 regional show. Just like LJONES. people probably won't be paying 120.00 a tix to see toxic avenger...or 100.00 or 80.00

, When producers start thinking that out of town reviews from places that are NOT chicago, san fran, seattle, even LA Jolla, where out of towns are regular, mean something (like investing millions of bucks because john johnson from the houston register thinks Toxic is gooey fun) thats when shows lose all their money.

i mean, you could have started Little Women in a crappy town and those reviews could have been amazing so you bring it in!..oh wait..it did..Durham NC. Doing your "out of town" in a place that doesn't regularly get hopeful broadway shows and relying on those reviews to decide whether or not your show will be a hit in NYC is ignorant and problematic.

But I think you knew that was my point, but you wanted to be sarcastic once again. you're CUTE!!!!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 7:37pm

I think you understand my point once again, but just choose to go off on a tangent cause you find yourself intellectually stimulating. which is kinda cute

No, I didn't understand your point because you're trying to create a trend when there simply isn't one. You can say "But, but , but...LYSISTRATA JONES!!!" all you want and it still doesn't wash. It received strong reviews in Dallas, so it went Off-Broadway. It received strong reviews Off-Broadway, so it transferred to Broadway. It received strong reviews on Broadway, but it didn't sell. Nothing about that indicates that the producers should have predicted a flop because the show did not originate in a city you personally approve. That's ridiculous.

jUst because a show is a critical hit doesn't mean it will sell tix.

I never implied otherwise. Lots of critical hits flop. Lots of critical flops become hits. But there is nothing that indicates a show flops because it came from Texas. Tourists are not researching the city of origin and the show's path to Broadway.

When producers start thinking that out of town reviews from places that are NOT chicago, san fran, seattle, even LA Jolla, where out of towns are regular, mean something (like investing millions of bucks because john johnson from the houston register thinks Toxic is gooey fun) thats when shows lose all their money.

So, you discourage A) Most cities from attempting to produce Broadway musicals? B)Just shows you don't like? C) Just cities you don't like? I'm thinking the truth is actually B, but your Fox News approach to the subject is truly bizarre.

i mean, you could have started Little Women in a crappy town and those reviews could have been amazing so you bring it in!..oh wait..it did..Durham NC.

And Catch Me if You Can started in Seattle, Little Mermaid in Denver, Sweet Smell of Success in Chicago, All Shook Up in Chicago, Addams Family in Chicago, tons of shows from London...OH! You're right, The Scottsboro Boys opened in Minneapolis. It never should have been produced on Broadway. Coming from Minneapolis is precisely why EVERYONE said it flopped. Seriously, you're not making a case at all no matter how cute you think I am. And I'm VERY cute.

Doing your "out of town" in a place that doesn't regularly get hopeful broadway shows and relying on those reviews to decide whether or not your show will be a hit in NYC is ignorant and problematic.

And what does that have to do with Houston? You really should do some research on Houston theatre sometime. You can start with the Tony-winning Houston Grand Opera or the Tony-winning Alley Theatre (where the Tony-winning team is directing some Tony nominees in a show receiving strong reviews that should not be given a chance for some reason you made up because you don't like the show) or take a look into the faculty (past and present including Stuart Ostrow, Edward Albee, Jose Quintero, and Sir Peter Hall for starters) of the University of Houston theatre department, or open up the January issue of American Theatre magazine and read the feature on Rebecca Udden and Main Street Theatre. The fourth largest city in the country is not as small as you might think.

As for Dallas, I don't like the city, but that has nothing to do with whether a show produced there should or should not go to Broadway. The one and only reason a show should go to Broadway is if producers and investors want it to go to Broadway. That's it. Whether it becomes a hit or a flop is up to the audience (and usually a crackerjack marketing team). And a show doesn't flop on Broadway simply because you don't think it shouldn't be on Broadway.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 9:28pm

For what its worth I saw it last week and loved it. I saw it off-broadway also, and thought many of the changes were for the better. The only thing I didn't like was the small reprises of each song the characters kept singing. I brought a family that had never seen the show before and they too loved it!

[NOB88]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 10:15am

The show wasn't this critic's 'cup of tea' but she did seem to love the green guy. Tomorrow, Monday, should be an interesting day.




‘Toxic Avenger’ musical wastes your time Updated On: 1/29/12 at 10:15 AM

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 8:48pm

I was having a conversation with a European friend 30+ years ago. He complained that Americans know nothing of geography or history outside their own borders. I disagreed. To prove his point, he asked me to use "Constantinople" in a sentence.

I answered "I'll be seeing Evita in a few weeks. I really hope Patti Lupone is well; otherwise, I'll be seeing the understudy and I can't stand an opel."

Fast Forward 30 years.

I saw The Toxic Avenger at the Alley today. What a great cast. I officially apologize to Nancy Opel for making her the butt of my joke 30 years ago. She was phenomenal this afternoon. The Act 1 closing number pitting Nancy in her first role against Nancy in her second role was brilliant.

For the record:

1. Back then, I couldn't have used Constantinople in a historically/geographically-accurate sentence if my life depended on it.

2. That would be the case today as well.

The rest of the story:

I saw Evita and Patti was out. To this day, all the good memories I have of Patti are actually of Nancy Opel.