OCTET at Signature Theatre- Page 2

[DuoSonic]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 2:57pm

Ha! Gotcha. I'm still new around here

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 3:23pm

In fact, if After Eight really hates a show, that means you shouldn't miss it!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 3:41pm

Hard pass if it's acapella. Not my thing. But the immersive quality sounds interesting. 

[reginula]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 3:49pm

(I really don't know how these things work, but since BMC was originated there, I have some hope)

Given its format/content, do you see any chances of this transfering/extending past mid-June?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 7:18pm

Be More Chill was not a Signature production, it was commercial and they were renting the space from Signature. I don't know if Octet can be extended any further because all of the spaces at Signature are being rented for the summer, so something else will be going in there. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 9:39pm

I really wanted to love it and could feel there's something marvelous in the material. However, acapella really isn't my thing, or at least my body somehow couldn't handle it when I saw it tonight. It got me sleepy very early into the show and I was fighting to stay awake. For parts that I was awake for, I loved them (except that some one liners are a bit too on the nose for people who are tech savvy). If you are going, make sure you get enough rest or the acapella might send you to sleep. I'm planning to go again some time soon, and I'm sure taking the coffee they offer before putting my butt in the seat.

Updated On: 5/2/19 at 09:39 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 10:02pm

Willep wrote:

"Of the three reports, the only one who didn’t love it was After Eight, who hasn’t had a good word to say about theatre in 30 years."

 

Just this past week, I had a very good time at the play Caroline's Kitchen, at 59E59.

Good theatre receives my praise and gratitude.

Bad theatre deserves neither.

Updated On: 5/2/19 at 10:02 PM

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 10:21pm

After Eight said: "Willed wrote:

"Of the three reports, the only one who didn’t love it was After Eight, who hasn’t had a good word to say about theatre in 30 years."



Just this past week, I had a very good time at the play Caroline's Kitchen, at 59E59.

Good theatre receives my praise and gratitude.

Bad theatre deserves neither."

Speaking as a reader of your comments, I would really like hearing more from you on this board about the work you enjoy, as from experience you tend to comment on the work you don't like then only bring up the work you like as a rebuttal to accusations that you don't enjoy theatre. You certainly have more theatergoing experience than most on this board and I think I among others would take recommendations from you very seriously.

[Danielle49]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 10:39pm

Got an email about this event but forgot about it until the show tonight. Thought I’d share it: Dave Malloy and Annie Tippe will be in conversation at the Signature Café on May 7th at 6:30. It’s free and open to the public, and will be moderated by a member of Signature’s artistic staff.

[schubox]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 10:49pm

Going Sunday, I saw the preview at the Guggenheim earlier this year and loved the two songs I heard. Looking forward to it

[After Eight]

Posted: 5/2/19 at 11:06pm

Synecdoche2,

I'm getting on in years, and so it's increasingly effortful for me to post. I did write effusively about I Married an Angel a few weeks ago. I don't know if you got to see those comments.

I only offered my comments about Octet as a balance to the first ones presented. I felt people needed to have another point of view on the matter. If the first comments had not been given, I would simply have not commented at all, as I have done with a multitude of other shows I've seen.

I might add that many of the shows I've enjoyed the most have been presented by lesser-known companies in smaller venues. In the past, when I started threads about them, they generated practically no interest or discussion, and sank like a stone. If people here don't care about hearing about these shows, why should I bother writing about them?

But if you wish a recommendation from me, one I can offer wholeheartedly is the Irish Rep's production of The Plough and the Stars. Their O'Casey trilogy has been far and away the best thing I've seen this season. It is theatre the way it is supposed to be.

 

Updated On: 5/2/19 at 11:06 PM

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 5/3/19 at 1:07am

After Eight said: "Synecdoche2,

I'm getting on inyears, and so it's increasingly effortfulfor me to post. I did write effusively about I Married an Angel a few weeks ago. I don't know if you got to see those comments.

I only offered my comments about Octet as a balance to the first ones presented. I felt people needed to have another point of view on the matter.If the first comments had not been given, I would simply have not commented at all, as I have done with a multitude of other shows I've seen.

I might add that many of the shows I've enjoyed the most have been presented by lesser-known companies in smaller venues. In the past, when I started threads about them, they generated practically no interest or discussion, and sank like a stone. If people here don't care about hearing about these shows, why should I bother writing about them?

But if you wish a recommendation from me, one I can offer wholeheartedly is the Irish Rep's production of The Plough and the Stars. Their O'Casey trilogy has been far and away the best thing I've seen this season. It is theatre the way it is supposed to be.

"

A sound post. I will say that I personally get a lot of my smaller theatre recommendations from this board, so you may have an audience of one, though I don't always respond. I didn't much care for I Married an Angel, though I did love the whole O'Casey trilogy (with Juno being the best show I've yet seen this year).

[hitormiss]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 12:56pm

I was apprehensive going into this because I don't care for a cappella music, but I thoroughly enjoyed OCTET. It's much better described by its tagline as a "Chamber Choir Musical."  There are some gorgeous 8-part choral harmonies and I was impressed by the cast's technical precision in performance.

For anyone who's seen it -- can you tell me what the piece of music played at the beginning was?  It's driving me crazy trying to place it. 

[mariel9]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 4:18pm

I loved it, but did not entirely understand 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

the little God song

There is no audience participation.

[melora]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 10:30pm

I believe the music was “Clair de Lune.”

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 11:17pm

melora said: "I believe the music was “Clair de Lune.”"

It bears some resemblance, but is quite different from the Clair de Lune I heard tonight in Frankie and Jonny.

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 2:24am

At the Saturday matinee, Dave Malloy was sitting next to me (one seat in between) taking notes and enjoying the show. So exciting! Loved many parts of this show, and what a talented cast and clever lyrics and beautiful “music.”

Strong first act. I was totally engaged. Funny and touching. I started to get confused during “Little God” and got a bit lost and didn’t quite get back into it after that song. Still a great afternoon and very glad to have seen this unique and intimate production.  Looking forward to hearing how this show evolves. 

Updated On: 5/5/19 at 02:24 AM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 8:54am

I was there last night. I really wish I had enjoyed it more, but I mostly found the subject and repeating of said subject ad nauseam irritating and more than a little condescending. It tries to absolve itself from calling people stupid for engaging with the internet for 2 hours by writing a sweet little song about the hope of truly connecting with people online right at the end, but it felt too late.

There are things to commend though. The set is really evocative and provides a lot of context for where we are, which keeps the proceedings grounded when it threatens to fly totally off the rails (which it does - that “Little God” number is funny but totally bizarre and atonal). And Dave Malloy has crafted, at least musically and harmonically, a fascinating score full of strange sounds, atonal harmonies, clicks, pops, body percussion, and soaring emotional moments. It’s mostly a joy to listen to... but then those lyrics. So many songs start out strong with personal revelations about each character (a la A Chorus Line, but quirkier) and their individual addictions (going viral for the wrong reasons, Candy Crush, having a partner who is also addicted, dating apps, etc.), but then midway through what has become an interesting little character study becomes a finger-pointing lecture about why our devices and the internet are melting your brain. Over. And over. And over. It’s glaring from the opening hymn, which starts out absolutely awe-inducing with its foreboding and imagistic language and turns immediately literal 2/3 of the way through. It was frustrating and I started tuning out about 4 songs in. The cast is incredibly game and turn in excellent vocal performances, but I can’t say I cared enough about the group of them enough as characters to care much about the story they were telling after a while.

And if ever there were a case of narrative blue balls, it’s the constant talk of a monster and a mysterious group leader named Saul who never shows up that - truly - never come to any sort of conclusion.

Worth seeing for the experience of hearing a new Dave Malloy musical sung gorgeously by a very talented group of actors? Yes. But be prepared to be finger wagged at for 2 hours.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 9:42am

I was there on Thursday and really loved it. As I write this I'm realizing that Malloy's choral/a capella songs might be his strongest - "Prayer" in Ghost Quartet, the end of the Comet, etc. I really hope this gets a cast recording.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I too thought the "Little God" song was a bit weird and long, as well as what comes right before it, which seems to be some kind of gesture at an online community of school shooters? I also agree that the Saul connection didn't totally work, but I think that has something to do with the Tarot angle. Of course there's the cover of the Playbill and talk of the Hanged Man, but I didn't realize until I checked my Playbill last night that all of the songs are supposed to be iterations of the Major Arcana.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

 

 

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 11:34am

I have a ticket to this I need to sell.
05/23/2019 07:30PM
$41.50 face value with fees
Venmo accepted

[Pippin]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 11:45am

Honest question- if I hated the music in Great Conet, am I gonna hate this?

I saw great comet twice and the score just wasn’t for me....... which is weird because that kind of stuff is normally right up my alley, but something about just made me hate it.....

Should I take a chance on Octet?

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 12:05pm

I ended up with the last seats over on the side, but still front row... is it pretty much performed in the round, or am I going to miss a bit?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 12:37pm

Pippin said: "Honest question- if I hated the music in Great Conet, am I gonna hate this?

I saw great comet twice and the score just wasn’t for me....... which is weird because that kind of stuff is normally right up my alley, but something about just made me hate it.....

Should I take a chance on Octet?"

What was it about Comet that you hated, specifically? I also hated Comet before it came to Broadway - found it way too wordy and overstuffed. They did a lot of work before ART and Broadway that really crystallized the score, for me, and it’s ended up one of my all-time favorite scores.

Octet is similarly wordy. Very verbose songs with almost no rhyming or melodic consistency, which is Malloy’s trademark. Some songs are more tuneful than others, but his songs are largely monologues set to music, which can sound strange.

[sweaterbox]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 12:59pm

haterobics said: "I ended up with the last seats over on the side, but still front row... is it pretty much performed in the round, or am I going to miss a bit?"

You’ll see fine. No bad seat in the Linney. Cast is mostly facing an inner circle so won’t see all faces at all times but that’s true for all seats in the theater.

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 2:35pm

"Honest question- if I hated the music in Great Conet, am I gonna hate this."

The music in this show is far worse.