My thoughts on NEXT TO NORMAL (Long, possible spoilers)- Page 3

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 11:10pm

any news from tonight or this weekend?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 11:15pm

I reported in on Sunday and the talkback then. The next time I know I'm seeing it is 2/9. :) Front row!!

[the_musical]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 12:05am

I also like Costco, and I am surprised that some people found it jarring. Up till that point, we had only heard the "Let There be Light (Intro)" and "Just Another Day." It is different in musical content and style from the songs that follow, but at the initial moment it happens there's not much to compare it to.

Tchi - I definitely agree that it's a nice way of demonstrating something is not quite right without hitting you in the head with it, and while providing a very catchy song.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 12:15am

I still miss So Many Ways to Die.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 7:07am

Front row is horrible.

N2N is the one show where I'll advocate sitting in the back.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 8:06am

I've sat in the back (last row) and the frontish middle. I'm excited to see a little more of the facial expressions than in the back, but you're probably right. Still... Seeing it again from anywhere is a good thing. For me anyway. :)

[ActualReality2]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 8:33am

Glad to hear that the back is good! I ordered tickets and they're the third to last row or something. I was worrried, but now it sounds like it'll be okay :]

Can't wait to see NTN!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 10:23am

Yeah, the theater is like, 300 seats. You have nothing to worry about.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 10:26am

And the spacing is pretty good as well, so unless you have some 7 foot tall basketball player in front of you, you shouldn't be blocked. :)

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 10:29am

yeah, exactly, Stadium Seating for the win.

ETA

convinced my bf to go with me friday. Updated On: 1/30/08 at 10:29 AM

[ActualReality2]

Posted: 1/30/08 at 4:02pm

Sound great! Now I'm even more excited :)

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 12:25am

Saw the show tonight! Was at the first preview and wanted to go back and see changes, etc.

Biggest and best change: cutting 'Open Your Eyes'. It's one of the smartest things they could have possibly done. The song seemed to really cut off the flow of the show before - as much as I enjoyed the song at NYMF, it didn't seem to work here. It really helps the progression to just be done with it.

The rest of the changes are pretty minor. Some tweaking to 'Feeling Electric' did help a lot - though I'm really not sure how I feel about Diana's provacative dance with Dr. Madden... it's a bit much, but I'm not sure.

Cutting the hugging from the ending almost completely fixed it. The only other thing that sort of bothers me is when Gabe comes out up top and everyone turns to look at him...

I find that any major problems with the show are due to the inconsistencies in Grief's direction... he's got some great images and moments in the show, but after a while I have to ask myself how many times they can possibly turn dramatically and sing to the audience. Luckily, the material is so strong that it still carries itself.

Alice's performance has grown so much - she's really finding Diana and making choices. Brian d'Arcy James is flooring in the last scene, and solid throughout. Aaron Tveit is very powerful still... Adam Chanler-Berat is really adorable and winning and has a great voice... the biggest problems cast wise lie in Jennifer and Asa for me. It really sounded like Jennifer was straining herself tonight - especially during 'Growing Up Unstable', I was worried for her voice. Asa Somers is just bland and leaves no impression with me.

So happy to see the show growing and changing. The audience was really receptive as well - and full of some big broadway faces, including Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs!

It was a good night!

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 12:37am

If I close my eyes, make a wish and hope very very hard (fairy dust added)...do you think there is a chance they will extend or transfer?

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 12:53am

wait they cut Open Your Eyes? Did they also cut the "you're not a scary rockstar any more" line for the second act? cause without open your eyes he never was a scary rock star

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:00am

They kept the first two hallucinations she has of him as a rockstar: The 'yeeaaaahhh' and 'let's get it on now baby', but cut the song.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:07am

ugh. why are they making changes to places less in need of changes than the end. From the discussion i saw at ATC the end still isn't clear. And as tehy cut things like this it really makes things in the other parts of the show not make as much sense.

ETA The opening is on the 14th right? they got 2 more weeks to get this thing in shape. It's almost there but the fixes they have left to do are important Updated On: 1/31/08 at 01:07 AM

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:11am

It still makes sense - it's still very clear that she imagined him as a "scary rockstar", and cutting that song really really helped the first act move along so much better. My friend who was with me totally agreed.

I'd read previously that after they cut the hugging from the end, they still had Diana and Dan look at each other - that doesn't happen at all. When they all come down to the stage, they just stand in a line and sing the last line out - no hugging, looking, anything. So it's definitely clear and there are no questions such as "Did Diana come back?" They just really need to cut everyone looking at Gabe during his line... it's stupid. lol

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:14am

are they still hitting you over the head with the revelation that gabe is dead?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:16am

They just really need to cut everyone looking at Gabe during his line... it's stupid. lol

That part actually doesn't bother me. The fact is that, for these people, he is never going to go away. It's not about suppressing the memories of your loss, it's about confronting it and accepting it. It's there and you can't pretend it's not. You can't cope with a loss until you do that. I think when they look up at him, they're acknowledging that, and I think that's really important.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:18am

Wow, they completely cut "Open Your Eyes?" Half of it...well, maybe one-third was still in on Sunday afternoon. It felt a bit strange then, but I liked how they had incorporated more into the costuming of the song. But I guess it is extraneous.

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:18am

I think it makes sense for Diana and Dan, absolutely, and Natalie in some ways... not for Dr. Madden, though. I understand the sentiment, but I think the way it's staged is really melodramatic.

The scene with the revelation of Gabe being dead hasn't changed, no.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:22am

I get what you're saying about Dr. Madden, but at the same time, he's been so incorporated into the proper dealings with those issues that I guess you can make a case for why it's not completely random. The staging is so symbolic at that point that I think it's easier to accept those kinds of little things.

I don't see how they beat you over the head with it. It needs to be clearly delineated. You have to remember that most people seeing this show haven't seen the show before, or spent the past two years plus worshipping a bootleg.

Updated On: 1/31/08 at 01:22 AM

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:23am

Yeah... I have no problem with the scene. Adding one line is hardly beating the audience over the head with it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:25am

Oh, they've added a line? What is it?

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 1/31/08 at 1:26am

Oh, no, I meant adding Natalie's line about it since NYMF - what people have been saying is 'spoon feeding' the audience the information. It doesn't bother me.