Jordan Catalano said: "Just getting in from tonight’s performance. Having seen the show last year, there were definitely things I liked and quite a few that I didn’t like about it and I had been disheartened to read not much has changed in a year. But I really was pleasantly surprised tonight at how much I enjoyed it! The show obviously is a sumptuous treat to look at and never leaves you wanting for something to look at. I was most surprised by the chemistry between Olivo & Tveit, which I found non existent in Boston but was excellent here.
I still wish some of the music was changed and that “Firework” was taken out and Satine given back “One Day I’ll Fly Away”, but strangely it didn’t bother me as much tonight as it did before.
I will say my one very big complaint is the ending. Satine is robbed of a proper death scene by the awful writing there. “Christian, by the way I’m dying. Sorry but write me well, K?”
is basically what she’s given before she dies. I want to cry at hat moment and the writing as it is now completely robs me of that. Why couldn’t they sing a reprise of “Come What May” or “Your Song” together right there? That really just pissed me off, actually. But other than that the show is greatly tightened up and trimmed, which solved a lot of the problems it had originally. I’m looking forward to seeing it after opening and hoping for a few more tweaks between now and then, but as everyone else has said - this is going to run for years."
Your criticism here of the ending rings true to me, and I'm kind of disappointed that hasn't been tightened up since Boston. When I saw it at the 2nd preview there, it was even worse though, if you can believe it. The show just kind of...ended and then went into the bows megamix. By the time I saw it post-opening it had gotten better, but you're right that it still lacked the emotional oomph the scene should provide. I'm one of the people who thought Karen/Aaron actually did have some good chemistry, so I know that wasn't why the ending left me cold at the time.
Hope they make use of the preview period to add either some dialogue or, like you said, a reprise of one of the more meaningful numbers.