ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I don't know if this is primarily a Lileana problem or a MRJ problem or both, but hopefully they'll keep working on it, maybe take it out of town, and work on refining it."
I hope you are right but somehow I feel this is not who the writer is or what he does and the process you describe isn't his process no matter who the director is.
OMG this was so bad, I can't. Great performers but the material was awful.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
Hot mess express, 8000 ideas crammed into three hours, unfocused, confusing, repetitive, contradictory...
But BOY did I have a good time. It's a big swing, and while it's not a total home run it's a wild wild ride and I had an absolute blast. The music is catchy and bright, the jokes are clever, the references are tight. Catch this if you can.
Went again last night as a volunteer usher and it was a pretty cool experience. The show remains in good shape and Tarra Connor Jones continues to burn the whole damn house down. Alexis Cofield was on as Keesha last night and has been on for most performances lately as Latoya is out injured.
Also, I found out the last night that the show will NOT extend past May 21st, so if you want to see it, get your tickets
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Alexis Cofield was on as Keesha and greatly improved from the last time I went, although I understand she’s been going on her fairly frequently over the last two weeks.
They also hired a new cover for the Blackground singers for the last two weeks, Rocky Raicette, since there are only six understudies for 12 roles (ranging from covering 1-4 roles). She wasn’t on today, but she’s in the wings in case of an understudy shortage.
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Finally saw this last night and it was definitely a lot.
I think the prevailing feeling I had walking out of there is that Michael R. Jackson should read Anais Mitchell's Working on a Song. Yes it is very specifically about Hadestown. But, it is also a masterclass in getting rid of things you (the writer) deeply love in favor of giving the audience the best experience possible. It just felt like no thought was given to the audience. Who and what should and would we connect with? How are we able to follow along with what's happening and where it's going?
It also felt like nobody except MRJ or other people already intimately familiar with the show and his vision ever looked at the script. Another thing Anais discusses beautifully in Working on a Song.
However, I did enjoy myself. I thought it was funny and that the songs were great!
I think I may be in the minority, but I actually enjoyed the second act a lot more. I spent most of the first act and the beginning of the second in a haze trying to figure out what the **** was going on. But I think once the lesbian plot started, it actually became a lot clearer to me and that carried through to the end.
I am definitely in the minority on this, but I really didn't mind the monologue. Yes it went on for a long time and went way off from what was going on in the show, but I found MRJ's reflections in it to be fascinating. I find that there is a tendency among progressive artists (especially upper class progressive artists) of all races to always tend towards cynicism and just skewering everybody. At the end of the day, this show is still part of that, but I did appreciate hearing MRJ's perspective on that and seeing him reflect on it.
quizking101 said: "Caught the matinee again today.
Alexis Cofield was on as Keesha and greatly improved from the last time I went, although I understand she’s been going on her fairly frequently over the last two weeks.
They also hired a new cover for the Blackground singers for the last two weeks, Rocky Raicette, since there are only six understudies for 12 roles (ranging from covering 1-4 roles). She wasn’t on today, but she’s in the wings in case of an understudy shortage."
Curious, why do you see Michael R Jackson's shows so many times? Are you associated with his productions?
"Anything you do, let it it come from you--then it will be new."
Sunday in the Park with George