Munk's TARZAN review — Page 3

It is your right to be able to share your opinion regarding shows you've paid to see. There isn't really debate there... but, there is a faint of odor of elitism to people who clearly go out of their way to attend early previews and then post scathing reviews jam-packed with adjectives. Tarazan has not gone out of town and is opening COLD. Completely cold. If you didn't like something... awesome. Say so. But what's even the point of trashing something that isn't finished? Someone is gonna saw that they shouldn't charge full price for unfished shows... but, that's what previews are for an there isn't a way around it. If you don't want to SEE a work in progress, don't ATTEND a work in progress.

I don't think you shouldn't share your comments, but it is a very niave and bitchy thing to not qualify them. Also, it isn't really your place to judge wether the problems you encountered are fixable or not. There is a reason Disney is Disney... they already managed to turn one theatrical disaster into a workable hit.

I'm sorry I'm such a school marm. Nothing personal meant. It's just that this kind of review written after a show opens is an entirely different matter than one written while a shows in previews. You wouldn't criticize a building that wasn't completely built. Or maybe you could, but you wouldn't criticize it because it didn't have floors yet. That's a little foolish. Um, a few (eventually)good shows have been killed by vicious gossip in previews... Merrily We Roll Along, anyone? A lot of work can be done between now and then. If they don't fix the problems... well then... fire away.

my soapbox is large. don't trip.

kmc

p.s.
"Sometimes a bad idea is just that - a bad idea! And you move on, and you forget it, and go to the next project. But no...Disney follows its heart (or checkbook), and does what it wants. "
WTF? Really? The Lion King on stage... what a great idea that was! At least Tarzan has real people in it. There is a reason artistic geniuses(not saying that's what Disney is... but kinda I am) tackle ideas that normal people think are bad ones. Many things that started out as bad ideas(and much worse ideas than turning Tarzan into a musical) have been transformed into GREAT works of art. I don't have time to go into specifics as I've already literally typed my fingers off... but see Sunday in the Park With George for examples.

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at least Munk reviewed what he saw, instead of defending what he didnt. Everyone here knows that the show is in previews and that this is one persons opinion.

and the point of any review is...NOONE has to agree with him. That is why the title is, MUNKs Tarzan review.

And if you are comparing the two, I saw Merrily We Roll Along on opening night, and it deserved the bad reviews....even though I loved it and hoped it would survive, it was quite a mess.

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Sorry to hear you didn't like the show, Munk. I really enjoyed Tarzan, and have hated some of the shows you have praised in other reviews. That's why it's a good thing there are so many diverse shows on Broadway, there is something for everyone. I think that Tarzan will find its audience and those people will really enjoy the show. Shows that most people on this board have absolutely praised, such as Light in the Piazza or Sweeney Todd, I did not like at all, and nor would the families who go to Tarzan.

Your opinion on the sets, flying, costumes, actors, etc. are all just your perspective, and people who are reading this thread should know that it is just that, your opinion. At least in the threads I wrote about Tarzan, I posted about the actual aspects of the show. I described them as fact of what occurred, not highly worded filler sentences that got so redundant because all you said was an opinion of bad, bad, bad.

People visit message boards expressly to read reviews of shows in previews. And isn't it a given that this is one person's opinion?

Munk, thank you very much for your honest review. Yes, it is your personal opinion of a preview performance, and I agree that if you had written a rave, this wouldn't even be an issue. You don't deserve the negative things people are saying about you in this thread.

I see Tarzan two weeks from today...

Well, I guess I cant put up my Wedding Singer Review.

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Well, I liked reading your review, if that means anything. Tarzan sounds like it needs a miracle to fix it by the end of its preview run.

Unfortunately for some people, "TEH INTARNET IS SERIOUs F**KING BUSINESS". Chaos ensues when negative opinions are posted. Oh noes.

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Updated On: 4/7/06 at 12:24 PM

And I was just expressing MY opinion on how shows should be adressed in previews. It's funny that everyone says "That's just my OPINION. I have a right to state my OPINION" Well. My opinion is what I posted. So. There.

kmc

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Munk, the fact that Jenn is in this show has nothing to do if I like it or not. Second coming of Christ? Um, I'm Jewish... And that line would have offended me more than your review. Your review didn't offend me at all, I was just commenting on your opinion.

I did not like Light in the Piazza and Sweeney Todd for plenty of reasons, none of them had anything to do with Jenn, nor any of the actors in the show. I think they were all extremely talented people, and I'm glad that they found their following. I just found Piazza very boring, as Italian opera does nothing for me, and Sweeney was just a dark, depressing, cold bloodbath that I did not enjoy at all and you couldn't pay me to go back to see.
How many kids are in the audience at Sweeney Todd? That show is not for kids and families. Tarzan gives families another option for their theatergoing experience. As I work with kids, there has been a lack of kid-friendly shows lately- Lion King, BATB, Wicked, Hairspray, Bee, and that's it (and a couple of those are pushing boundaries with kids too). Now they can choose something else, and all those gorilla costumes, flying, bright colorful plants, etc are appealing for children. Buckets of blood and italian landscape are not.
At least I saw ST and Piazza, since I like to see as many different things as I can. If I didn't like them, so what? You can go see those over and over, and I'll go back to the shows that I enjoy. We have different tastes in shows, that's all. No need to attack me because we differ on opinion.

"and they dont charge full price to live there!"
Previews are often discounted, second... I'm sure they would charge full price if people were willing to pay.

"And if you are comparing the two, I saw Merrily We Roll Along on opening night, and it deserved the bad reviews....even though I loved it and hoped it would survive, it was quite a mess. "

I wasn't comparing the two. Many a book are filled with reports about how Merrily improved a lot in previews... but no one gave it a chance because of the preview gossip.

kmc

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MERRILY may have improved in previews but it was still a disaster on opening night, and that is what the reviews reflected.

liotte:

I'm sorry I "would have" offended you with my referring to Jenn as the second coming of christ. I wasn't aware of your religious affiliation. Nor are you aware of mine. What, would you prefer second coming of Judas, or something?

You said the same people that see TARZAN would not like PIAZZA or SWEENEY. You didn't say that a lot of children don't see SWEENEY. You have no idea what the average of audience of TARZAN would and would not like.

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Regardless of his age or your attitude toward his age, Munk contributes regularly to this forum and an attempt to discredit him in someway is bad form and the true sign of a shill.
And don't even start with me about who I am, etc because you will get an ear full of things you really don't want to hear.

ps. Joel Siegel gets paid to review things. Does that make him any less an ass? In this day and age when journalists are such ass-kissing tools (Chris Matthews, anyone?) I'm much more likely to listen to an online reviewer I know and trust, which is why Margo has so many fans.

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