I think I was just so swept up by the overall greatness of the performances that I ended up seeing (hearing) the score as a natural extension of the book. The songs were such a seamless part of the whole work that they didn't stand out as showtunes, if you know what I mean. I agree completely with you, though. The score was beautifully written, incredibly well orchestrated, and magnificently sung by the entire ensemble.
yes, i think that's something that ahrens and flaherty really do a great job of. but "we are descended", "at the glen", "twelve children", "in the bend of my arm" and "red blood and white milk" were such standouts to me. they all brought me to tears!
Wow, it sounds amazing but that is odd because the Wall Street Journal hammered it. However it was a very poor written review and the writer barely explained himself.I want to go now though!
mef and loves, I was in the 10th row for the first act, and then moved down to the empty first row in the second. I was two rows in front of the guy yelling "Brava!" When Rachel and LaChanze came out to take their bows, my friend and I stood up. The guy behind us was yelling at us because he couldn't see. Um, it's called a standing ovation dumbass! If you didn't think their performances were worthy, then why the hell do you need to see?
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
Justice, it really is nice when a performer asks your name. Actually, I find that if I have a real conversation (it may be short but still more than just "May I have your autograph?"), quite a number of actors will ask my name. It feels very good! It does amuse me when they introduce themselves, because I already know their name if only from the program, but that also is the mark of a performer who cares about his/her admirers. Actually, when I talk to a performer after a show and they don't ask my name, I feel kind of disappointed...
I have to weigh in on the side of thumbs down. Great voices of LaChanze and Rachel York aside, there was nothing that saved the show for me. The music was very unmemorable and the book was plain awful. Why have Dessa and Ruth narrate the story at all, let alone have them narrate it at the age of 80? That drove me absolutely up the wall, and it removed any kind of tension from the story. You know they lived to a grand old age, so you know it's going to end well. I was bored silly and it's the one show from my month long visit to NYC that I wouldn't buy the cast recording of.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
That's how I felt, PCB, and maybe that was the reason I really didn't care what was going to happen to Dessa Rose because I knew she was going to live anyway. Also, I found the charcter of Dessa Rose not very 'likeable' which didn't help my lack of interest in her future.
Don't get me wrong, there are shows or even movies out there and we already know how they are going to end but the journey and the whole adventure of the charcaters are exciting, so you don't mind knowing the end. Unfortunately, that was not the case in Dessa Rose for me.
QM
'He really wasn't good as Fieyro. Is it just me or does he sort of come across as a pimp? Just...the hand motions I've seen him do and the attitude..not that Taye is a pimp.' - SallyBrown on Taye Diggs as Fiyero
I actually made note of the two guys who moved to the front row after intermission, because I had noticed the seats were empty during Act I. So I saw you! I was sitting front row stage right, the furthest person in from the aisle. I could have reached out and touched the actors whenever they were sitting on the stump there.
I stood at the end, too. I'm sorry the show didn't touch everyone the way it moved me. But differences make the world go around.
I've said it befoire in every thread you've started Justice and I'll keep saying: This was the finest written new musical I've seen in years and the performances were extraordinarily moving.
I'll answer your question to PalJoey, though I hope he does weigh in again. The book worked for me, what can I say? Short of rewriting Ms. Williams' novel entirely (which the author's estate surely wouldn't permit), I don't know what else Lynn Ahrens and company could have done to adapt the story to the stage - especially given the intimate space in which they are working. Believe it or not, Ahrens trimmed a lot of plot elements that were extraneous and enhanced character development and dialog that weren't as well defined in the source material. She and Stephen Flaherty also made Nehemiah's return at the end less abrupt than it was in the book by adding scenes in which he was corresponding with his fiancee and including him in the beatiful, "In the Bend of My Arm." The way in which the narration, music, lyrics and staging work together to tell the complete story is smooth and very touching, in my opinion. And the entire cast and creative team is on the same page in terms of expressing the concept in an integrated way.
I think folks are expecting the musical DESSA ROSE to be something other than what it is. It's not about the action or suspense of whether or not Dessa lives or dies. It is, first and foremost, about women and how their maternal need for generativity drives them to survive and bond. It is in their estrogen to protect their sons and daughters, to want to make their lives better than their own, and to pass on their knowledge and experiences to their children and their children's children. Oral storytelling, especially for those who were illiterate or for whom direct communication could be dangerous, was a survival tool. Their tales and gospel songs were metaphorical codes as well as sources of inspiration to carry on under the bleakest of circumstances. So using the elderly women as narrators works on a few levels. It connects generations and makes the central story timeless; it is true to the oral traditions of African Americans in history; and it gives us a sense of the lifelong spiritual bond between Dessa and Ruth, even though they never met again once they went their separate ways.
Secondarily, DESSA ROSE is about the spirit of a people that would not capitulate to bondage, even if it meant risking brutality and death. While many people are critical of the apparent implausibility of "the scheme," it is as much figurative as it is literal in meaning. First, according to the author and to the research materials that she references, such schemes were frequently employed as a means of escape, and many were successful. Several factors make the scheme in DESSA ROSE believable: 1) A white woman was involved. Who, in those days, would ever have suspected a Southern belle of teaming up with slaves to deceive and fleece white men? 2) The runaways had a designated time and place to meet and were being transported by wagon. This would give them a head start because the plantation owners would be on foot or horseback using dogs to pick up the scent. 3) The hunters would also be looking in the woods and swamps for runaways, not mainstreets of distant towns. Hiding in plain site is a key element to any con, and very effective.
In terms of its figurative meaning, the scheme is a source of empowerment for the slaves. They have turned the tables on their captors, and why shouldn't they enjoy their success? But never does the staging of this plot point dismiss the dangers involved. Yes, there is some humor, but there is also real anxiety whenever a member of the group is sold back into slavery on the auction block. They worry for each other, and Ruth worries for them all. That is made clear in the text and in the performances.
I know this may make DESSA ROSE sound like a dry master's thesis, but it really is quite a vibrant production in its own quiet way. I would ask that people let themselves be open to the experience and not go into the theater with any preconceived notions of what a musical "should" be. If you are looking for rock 'em sock 'em production numbers, this show isn't for you. But if you appreciate beautifully acted and sung material that resonates somewhere deep in your soul, give DESSA ROSE a try. There is a lot of richness on stage at the Mitzi Newhouse. Don't deprive yourself of the experience if you think this might be for you.
If the source material couldn't be made to work theatrically, maybe they should have looked for different source material. I know that sounds harsh, but making a good show should be the number one priority of any musical's creators. I believe you when you say they made significant changes in order to make the book better-suited to being a show. I guess they didn't go far enough, or in the right directions.
The themes which you mention were indeed important, but this wasn't a concept musical; it was a plot-driven show. I think that having the elderly Dessa and Ruth narrate put theme (oral tradition) over plot, because it gave away the fact that they would live. Not to mention the fact that it was just plain distracting and extraneous. That decision was just the most prominent and obvious one that hurt the show.
I didn't have a problem following the plot, but the setup of Ruth and Dessa's stories just left me cold. I don't know how they could have fixed this. Make Dessa and Ruth meet sooner? Go back and forth between their stories more instead of setting them up one at a time? All I know is that Act I needs drastic change of some kind.
I'll give Dessa Rose credit for being serious in a season of comedies and fluff, but the fact that it addresses Big Themes doesn't make it a good show. A musical can be deep and complex and still be moving all the way through. It just didn't happen in this instance.
I guess I DON'T see DESSA ROSE as a plot-driven musical. I DO see it as a concept musical. To me it never was about whether or not these women survive but how their meeting changes their lives. It's not an action/adventure story where the plot is the most important element. Rather, it is a character driven piece that uses the plot points as catalysts for the women's development.
The things that bother you and others about the show simply don't bother me. In fact, I LIKE the old women narrating for the several reasons I mentioned earlier. I was not distracted by their transitions at all. Quite the contrary. I was engaged by them. Neither was I bothered by the fact that the women didn't meet until late in Act I. Because the narrator frequently remained on stage as an observer while the other's story was unfolding, the connection between the women was established long before they actually exchanged dialog.
If the performances hadn't been as strong as they were, I might have felt differently about the book. Perhaps the weaknesses that you and others point out might have been more glaring to me. However, given the degree to which I was moved by the show on Saturday night, I simply can't categorize DESSA ROSE as a failure. I really enjoyed it.
I agree the performances were absolutely great, vocally and acting-wise.
I know we're just going to keep disagreeing about the narration, because everything you say makes me want to say the exact opposite. :) I felt the elderly narrators were very disconnected from everything else. I kept waiting for them to interact with something- especially each other- but they just stood there. Instead of serving the purpose they should have served- accentuating the theme of oral tradition and connectedness- they seemed terribly isolated from the rest of the show. If they'd looked at each other, contradicted each other, anything- I might have felt they actually served a real purpose.
I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, though. The last thing I want is for other people to dislike a show just so they agree with me. :P
Were we supposed to think that Dessa dies? I mean, I went in knwoing that she wouldn't. I am in the process of reading the book, and I'm finding the narrative a bit hard to read. I am greatful that this musical simplified it for me. But, I never thought she was going to die. Instead it was more like "How is she going to get out of this"? Also, it was surprising to not only know that they had parted ways shortly after the "scheme" and had never seen each other again, but also to know what Dessa named her child. Those were the moving parts for me. Not how she escaped death. Regardless of people's thoughts on the show itself, no one can deny that it was brilliantly acted, and these women (wether you think one of them or both of them) gave powerhouse performances.
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
i think both should be nominated for drama desk's and obies. better than sutton and sherie rene, but haven't seen victoria yet (in may)... now can you believe there is no plan for a cast recording yet? lincoln center theatre, shame on you. it should already be in production
(i say that knowing it will get recorded probably, but there is no plans for it yet. which makes me sad)
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