My Lestat Experience - It wasn't so bad...- Page 2

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:47am

To me it seems like LESTAT should be sung through.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 1:30pm

Actually this just popped to mind. I'd love to see him as Billy Bigalow from Carousel. Ooooh!

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 3:47pm

Actually this just popped to mind. I'd love to see him as Billy Bigalow from Carousel. Ooooh!

!!!!! Drew singing Sililoquy (or however that word is spelled)! Siiiigh.

Yeah, need to make a Drew thread.

And changes to Lestat as of last night include Lestat opening with narration onstage. The stupid Wolf Killer song is cut and replaced with "From The Dead" (which was in SF). The Lestat/Gabrielle kiss after "Crimson Kiss" has been cut (THANK GOD). Uuh. Marius is who finds Lestat after Armand has thrown him off the roof. Marius tells him to stand, Lestat says he can't, Gabrielle comes in... Marius offers his wrist for Lestat to drink from. There's no flying now, either. Black out, then Lestat (and only Lestat) comes out for the "I will live forever" line.

My friend said this new ending works a lot better than either of the other two. More of an emotional impact. :)

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 3:50pm

When does it have to be frozen by?

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 3:53pm

Well, the show opens 4/25, so I guess the night before?

Posted: 4/12/06 at 3:54pm

I don't know about anyone else, but "it wasn't so bad" to me is unacceptable for what they charge for tix (this goes for any show). How have we surrendered to mediocrity so fast?

[EAD1974]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 4:56pm

Well, I'm a fan of Drew, in the SF version anyways...People seem to be complaining that the Armand of the show is not like the one from the books, but I disagree...yeah, there's a little more flattening of Armand, making his relationship with Lestat more jealousy and Hate than Love/Hate, but all the terrible things he does in the play ( Lying to his coven, killing Claudia to spite Lestat, throwing Lestat off the roof and leaving him to die ) come straight outta the book. The show needs a more straightforward villain, and Armand provides it, IMHO. He's better than Antonio Banderas, I can tell ya THAT. ( Although both are too old to play Armand really, but whatever )I really liked Drew as Armand. what can I say?

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 5:00pm

I'm going to see this tonight.

I've never really been into vampire stories, but I'd say it's definately morbid curiousity on my behalf to see exactly *how* bad this show is.

Even the kind reviews have been mixed. I'm going in with low expectations, so maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 5:01pm

How old is Armand supposed to be? I think someone said that Drew just turned 29 or 30.


Speaking of which there is a new Broadway.com blog, which finally features Drew. Whoo-hoo!

http://www.broadway.com/gen/general.aspx?ci=527399

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 5:33pm

Armand was made a vampire when he was 17.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 5:37pm

Shows are generally frozen at least a week before opening, if not a little before, so that the cast gets a day or two to settle into the final version of the show before the critics start arriving (5 or so days before opening night).

If the show opens the 25th, then the show will be frozen and there will be no more changes after the 18th or so (or maybe even this Sunday) -- meaning this weekend is pretty much it in terms of fixing the show. The critics will start coming around Wednesday of next week.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 5:44pm

For what it's worth, Hugh Panaro touches on why Drew Sarich replaced Jack Noseworthy in our April 'Leading Men' interview at Playbill.com, and Jack's response.
Playbill.com: 'The Leading Men' - Hugh Panaro

[craftymarley]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 8:38pm

Sort of off-topic, but I know that there was a question about this earlier and with all the Drew love going around I figured it was worth mentioning that, while it's not listed in the program, I'm pretty sure Drew is still an understudy for Lestat.

Also, speaking of understudies, if anyone is interested in seeing Amy Sparrow do Claudia, all I can say is that poor Allison sounded real tired at today's matinee and I wouldn't be surprised if she took a night or two off before opening.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 8:43pm

"I'm pretty sure Drew is still an understudy for Lestat"

I HOPE FRICKIN SO. I think that would be incredible. =)

And I'd love to see how Amy Sparrow does, I'm sure she's great. She also looks (and is, I believe) younger than Allsion by like 4 years or something. So for those who don't think Allison makes a convincing 10 year old.

[craftymarley]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 8:49pm

Amy is 12 to Allison's 17- and while she is definitely younger looking up close, she's considerably taller than Allison, so I don't know if she's any more convincing as 10.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 8:57pm

Amy's 12? Wow. I'm certainly interested in at least hearing her in the role.

[rock00]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:31pm

Does anyone know what music/song has been added to the end of Act One? Hugh mentions having to learn two new verses for a new song going in to the end of Act One (which it desperately needs).

How sad is it that as much as I disliked this show, I have a feeling I'll be seeing it again after 4/25 just to see what the final version ended up being?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/12/06 at 11:40pm

How sad is it that as much as I disliked this show, I have a feeling I'll be seeing it again after 4/25 just to see what the final version ended up being?

Hey, that's why I went back in SF.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:15am

It's a morbid curiousity thing, I think.

[bwaydancr]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:18am

"Does anyone know what music/song has been added to the end of Act One? Hugh mentions having to learn two new verses for a new song going in to the end of Act One (which it desperately needs)."

I saw that performance he's talking about last Friday, and it's an extended reprise of "Right Before Your Eyes," performed right after Nicholas says "Release Me" but before he dies. I didn't know the lyrics he was saying were different from what was scripted, but they were absolutely beautiful, and actually stood out to me for how good they were...so I guess he's a great improviser! It definitely had the emotional impact the end of the first act was lacking..

Updated On: 4/13/06 at 12:18 AM

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:20am

*SPOILERS:*

Someone told me that Claudia's death scene is quite different in NY than it was in SF. She apparently now screams in pain as she burns up, rather than saying "Father!" to the sky and then quietly going up in smoke.

Interesting. I bet it works better.

[starletta8]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 1:27am

*SPOILERS* Lots and lots of *SPOILERS* throughout the entire post.

I went to this show prepared to see the worst thing I'd ever seen in my life.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I only loathed half of the show.

Overall, I think its flaws are too big to fix before opening night. Especially in Act I, something just seemed... off. The set and lighting are amazing, and the orchestrations are beautiful. Then it hit me: it's the book (in a lot of ways). I'm refering to the Broadway book, not Rice's source material. The show takes off in Act II, when the numbers seem a bit lighter. That's obviously where the lyricist feels the most comofortable, and the book seemed to work. Then I looked at who adapted it- I'm sure this person is highly talented, but she's best known for the Beauty and the Beast movie! Rice's novels are richly dark and gothic, not Disneyish in any way.

Was it just me or did "Welcome to the New World" (I think) scream Elton John to anyone else? More than any other number, I was able to pinpoint who composed it. That's not a bad thing, but it seemed like the type of songs he's had the most success with.

This show is a wierd animal. I couldn't have cared less for Act I or its characters (except Gabrielle). I felt nothing with regards to Nicholas. But I felt drawn to the characters in Act II- they seemed more alive. I felt very sad about Claudia's death, as opposed to indifference to other deaths.

This show could benefit from some major cuts. The wolf fight was just ridiculous in many ways. Retell the story without acting it out! And the morality play could definately be cut down and Marius' background given in another fashion. The vampire theater is a great gag- but better used in smaller doses. And less dialogue... Elton John's score is beautiful. I'd like to hear more of it (though lyrics could use some work in some cases).

From the pure visual side, this show is spot on. The sets are simple but beautiful. I particularly love the purple around the stage- it provides a regal backdrop to the action. The lighting is also superb. That's why I was surprised that Act I just didn't work for me- the visuals were great and the score beautiful. It was just how the actors were moving around the stage and what they were singing. They all gave great performances, given the material.

Glad I saw it, hated the audience (10,000 flashes and lots of assorted rudeness. It's live theater, not a movie! Shut up for 1.5 hours at a time!) And also glad that it made me really analyze the show and try to figure out what exactly wasn't right. It was also cool to be at a very high vantage point and have a birds-eye view of how the fire effects actually worked onstage.

It's a shame, really... because it had potential. I just think it's too late in the process to overhall a large chunk of the show. Critics are going to have a field day...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 1:53am

Was it just me or did "Welcome to the New World" (I think) scream Elton John to anyone else?

My mom said the same thing -- she never saw the show in SF, but she saw a clip of that song on the news (press reel) and I replied that it was the ONLY song that sounded like an Elton John song.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 2:13am

If they are smart, they'll bring "From the Dead" back from the dead to use in the finale and change the lyrics. I still LOVED the solo bits, and those lyrics wouldn't need changing.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 2:25am

..and maybe Drew will remember to sing when he's supposed to.

I swear I'll shut up about him sooner or later. *snort*