OPERATION MINCEMEAT Previews- Page 7

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 7:37am

Falsettolands said: "This was my 9th show in the Golden but my first musical. Is the sound mixing usually this bad? I was in the third row and felt like the band was playing in another theatre two blocks away. I was hoping to be hit with an explosion of sound like the very well made cast recording, but this just felt so muted. Any similar feelings?

still working though my thoughts on the other parts of the show…very mixed right now. The cast is great."

This is something I forgot to mention in my post, but when I saw it Monday night I absolutely noticed this. It's probably part of the reason I found the opening of the show so lackluster. When the cast was singing, I practically couldn't hear the band at all. I think the issue improved as the show went on, but I still found the band to sound super small and 'tinny'. I'm not sure how but the 4 person band over at 'Six' sounds infinitely better.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 7:46am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "concerning to hear the show is still having sound mix issues"

This reminds me of Matilda - another acclaimed West End transfer that had a very intricate and wordy score that had awful sound mixing throughout the show's 4-year run... I LOVED Matilda, but the sound was never quite right, and I saw it countless times.

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 7:49am

When I was there on Monday, one of the cast at the stage door said they were still trying to figure out the sound balance. From first preview, it’s improved but it’s not quite there. It’s challenging since the theatre hasn’t had a musical since 2009 and so there are no recent examples for them to reference.

 

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 11:23am

There's definitely things to like in Operation Mincemeat, I was particularly impressed with the performances of Natasha Hodgson and Jak  Malone... Dear Bill was the high point of the show. But on the whole, for me, the show never completely works. 

1)  Silly or quirky is one thing, but Charles Cholmondeley as conceived by David Cumming is flat out incompetent. We need to believe this team was competent enough to outsmart the Nazis and Cholmondeley is portrayed as too meek to even know how to pitch his idea. It undermines the story. 

2) Considering Ian Fleming is not one of the 5 main characters (and he could have been), there are way too many Bond jokes at the beginning and end of the show. The fact the guy who created James Bond really was a spy is fascinating but in this context it's a shiny object distracting our focus from the characters the story is supposed to be about. 

3) I believe FANtomFollies also touched on this, David Cumming playing being a guy in a dress for laughs during All The Ladies is a problem. Actors play a different gender often in the show, this was the only point that was supposed to be the joke. 

4) I was in Row O of the Orchestra and I couldn't understand the lyrics to Das Ubermensch until I listened to the soundtrack on Spotify. Group numbers is I think when the sound mix issues were the worst. 

Updated On: 2/26/25 at 11:23 AM

[djoko84]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 5:48pm

I loved this show and would definitely recommend people go see it. Having said that, I do agree on some points made on the board. David Cumming's character is too screwball to be taken seriously and you really have to suspend belief that he would be able to come up with an intricate plan like that. I also, like others have mentioned, couldn't understand what the cast was saying in some of the songs. It doesn't always translate to an American audience. The show really picks up as it goes on, and by the end, I totally loved it. I think Jak Malone will win the Tony for Featured Actor. I found the performances to be the best part of the show. What a great cast.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 11:21pm

Jonathan Cohen said: "2) Considering Ian Fleming is not one of the 5 main characters (and he could have been), there are way too many Bond jokes at the beginning and end of the show. The fact the guy who created James Bond really was a spy is fascinating but in this context it's a shiny object distracting our focus from the characters the story is supposed to be about.

4) I was in Row O of the Orchestra and I couldn't understand the lyrics to Das Ubermensch until I listened to the soundtrack on Spotify. Group numbers is I think when the sound mix issues were the worst."

As a lover of the show, I would kinda agree or at least understand these criticisms.

I understand that in historical shows, things have to be simplified for the narrative. But, Fleming was actually the one who first suggested the idea to use a dead body with fake info. He wrote a memo with a whole bunch of creative ways to the trick the Nazis and that was one of them (him suggesting bond-esque ruses is pretty true to real life). Cholmondeley read the memo, realized this situation might be the right application for this plan, and then expanded it into something real. Also of note is that Fleming got the idea from a book! So, not only was this famous spy author a real-life WWII spy. But, his crowning achievement was coming up with a plan literally out of a novel.   

For the second point, the lyrics of Das Ubermensch are so smart. But, if you can't understand them, you're gonna be sitting there confused about and maybe offended by the Nazi number that comes out of nowhere in the middle of this show. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 12:06am

Well I stand corrected.

I was one of the people who was insistent that Mincemeat going to Broadway rather than something like New World Stages was a mistake but I'm happy to have been wrong.  And I don't know if I just knew more of what to expect this time but I had far fewer qualms about the show than when I first saw it in the West End a year ago.  Maybe it has to do with an extra sheen of polish that the show seems to have acquired, or maybe it's that Broadway audiences just feel different from West End audiences, but I had a blast.

I'd really forgotten how catchy the songs were, and after the first song my friend (who'd never seen the show) turned to me and said "this is amazing".  And the audience was quite responsive to all the jokes, even the cheekier ones that get a bit meta or that you can see coming a mile away got good laughs because the cast is so damn charming.  Jak Malone really does incredible work with all of his characters, but I also really appreciate Natasha Hodgson for playing Montagu as a character who I should hate on paper in just about every way teems with so much charisma I can't help but want to root for him (I love watching her in the group dance numbers too, she has a fantastic stage presence).

I do still think act 2 kind of doesn't know what to do with itself due in large part to the fact that everyone knows we won the war so the stakes aren't really there as much, but I think by then the cast won me over enough that I was just delighted to see the tomfoolery happening (especially in that briefcase dance).  I didn't have a huge issue with the sound, but part of that could also be because I'd seen the show before (though I don't know the lyrics by heart or anything), though the friend I went with didn't mention anything about it and seemed to be able to follow along just fine.  Some of the faster patter/rap verses were harder to pick up though because the audio isn't necessarily as clear as it could be but also there's the British accent to pick through.  I did find it interesting to see that the speakers hanging above the proscenium arch seemed to look like a different type than what I usually see, but I know basically nothing about sound design so not sure if that could be part of the issue.

I'm glad this show is doing well so far and I really hope it continues to succeed going forward.  I had somehow downplayed it in my mind but tonight really did remind me why it should be considered in the running for best musical.  Either way, so happy for all the cast and creative team!

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 7:16am

quizking101 said: "When I was there on Monday, one of the cast at the stage door said they were still trying to figure out the sound balance. From first preview, it’s improved but it’s not quite there. It’s challenging since the theatre hasn’t had a musical since 2009 and so there are no recent examples for them to reference.

"

What does not having a musical in a particular house for over 15 years have to do with sound balancing for this show? Not to mention that the Golden’s last resident was Stereophonic, which had a killer sound mix.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 9:05am

I was there last night thanks to the Golden Lottery tickets. $39 was a steal for this.

After hearing so many raves about it, I was worried the show itself wouldn't live up to it (like MHE, which I thought was fine and didn't dislike anything about it, but wonder if I might have liked it more if all the praise hadn't been so loud and insistent). But it mostly did. I did think the first act was stronger than the second, which felt too long and had me itching to check a watch I didn't have a few times. After the first act, I couldn't wait to see it again. After the second, I probably will, especially to experience the moment below again, but I'm in less of a rush to do so. But it's so well performed by such an amazing cast, and mostly very well written (especially the first act).

I have to agree with the consensus. Of what I've seen, and while there's still a lot of time and many shows left to open, I don't see how Malone doesn't win Featured Actor based on this. "Dear Bill" and the audience's response last night is one of my favorite--and maybe the very favorite--theatrical experiences of the season. The applause seemed to last longer than any I've experienced in a very long time, and was so appreciative and genuine. I've experienced the ovations for certain others in their shows this season, but those were big, showy numbers and elicited big, over-the-top ovations to match. This number wasn't that. It wasn't about vocal pyrotechnics and over-the-top emotions. It was just a performer holding the audience in the palm of their hand, with expert storytelling and singing and characterization, just so engaging and moving (and I didn't notice any of the coughing that kept popping up through most of the show during it to break the spell). And afterward the audience "just" applauded...and past the point they normally would have stopped, kept applauding...and kept applauding. It really felt like the audience didn't want to stop...and honestly I didn't want to either. The magic of live theatre and a communal experience.

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 9:54am

Newest round of tickets are supposed to be available in a presale today at 10am for those on the Mincemeat mailing list. Has anyone received the presale code in email? I've got nothing.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 9:57am

TarHeelAlan said: "Newest round of tickets are supposed to be available in a presale today at 10am for those on the Mincemeat mailing list. Has anyone received thepresale code in email? I've got nothing."

OMAGENT01

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 10:13am

EDSOSLO858 said: "TarHeelAlan said: "Newest round of tickets are supposed to be available in a presale today at 10am for those on the Mincemeat mailing list. Has anyone received thepresale code in email? I've got nothing."
OMAGENT01"

Thank you. That worked, but at least with that code it appears they are only offering seats in 2nd row orchestra and Row M. Pricing is basically an extension of that $199 discount they offered previously, I think using the same code. Very disappointing that they would make a big deal about a fan presale for a new block of tickets, and then offer such a limited number of seats. 

 

NEW CODE: FANEXT01 

Code not sent/received until 10:16am, well after the 10am start of the presale. That code unlocked most of the house.
 

Updated On: 2/27/25 at 10:13 AM

[terrilovesNY]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 8:30pm

Hi, l am looking for seating advice, how are the sightlines in rear mezz, specifically considering the $99 seats row D? Does this feel too far from the stage or further effect the sound? Any seating advice appreciated! 

Updated On: 2/27/25 at 08:30 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 2:54am

What I've said (at nauseum, sorry) since seeing the show in the West End, it's the original London cast that makes this show. The writing is very good, very funny, but nothing really that special, beyond well done, elevated sketch comedy. But the creators, the performers who developed the show along with their characters, are INCREDIBLY special.  These are brand new stars, becoming brand new American stars in front of our eyes!

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 5:27am

terrilovesNY said: "Hi, l am looking for seating advice, how are the sightlines in rear mezz, specificallyconsidering the $99 seats row D? Does this feel too far from the stage or further effectthe sound? Any seating advice appreciated!"

It’s perfectly fine. The sightlines for this show and theatre are pretty good. Honestly, if you wanted to save a penny or two, shift to Row D on the right side of the rear mezz. It says “partial view” (because of the safety rail) but it really isn’t and you miss nothing.

I also find the current iteration of the sound mixing is better house right 

[inception]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 7:19am

Are they just going to extend for a month at a time each time?  Is that the marketing plan?

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 7:54am

inception said: "Are they just going to extend for a month at a time each time? Is that the marketing plan?"

The London cast is contracted for a year (based on their SM posts about “spending the next year in New York”). 

Scarcity creates demand if the show has enough buzz from a previous production - we’ve learned that with Oh, Mary! If the show picks up any substantive Tony Awards (referring to the big marquee awards like Best Musical), I could definitely see them extending bit by bit until the end of the current cast’s run

[pacificnorthwest]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 3:29pm

I was in the right center rear mezz, row B on the aisle, last night. It was fine. It's a little bit further than I'd like to be but I couldn't justify the cost of being closer. And once I'm into a show, I barely think about where I'm sitting.

Row D might actually be better than B because there's a sightline issue with the barrier for people in row A. So that slightly affected my own view at moments. 

[djoko84]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 5:57pm

quizking101 said: "inception said: "Are they just going to extend for a month at a time each time? Is that the marketing plan?"

The London cast is contracted for a year (based on their SM posts about “spending the next year in New York”).

Scarcity creates demand if the show has enough buzz from a previous production- we’ve learned that with Oh, Mary! If the show picks up any substantive Tony Awards (referring to the big marquee awards like Best Musical), I could definitely see them extending bit by bit until the end of the current cast’s run"

It's not winning Best Musical over Maybe Happy Ending or Dead Outlaw, but Jak Malone for Featured Actor is a very real possibility. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 8:46pm

I agree that Malone is probably the most secure possibility for a win, even in a field that will have stiff competition from (predicting) David Thaxton (Sunset), Thom Sesma (Dead Outlaw), Christopher Sieber (DBH), and Danny Burstein (Gypsy).

I think this is going to be a year that there is no true runaway winner in the musical categories and most shows will get at least something.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 9:42pm

djoko84 : It's not winning Best Musical over Maybe Happy Ending or Dead Outlaw, but Jak Malone for Featured Actor is a very real possibility. 

quizking101: I agree that Malone is probably the most secure possibility for a win, even in a field that will have stiff competition from (predicting) David Thaxton (Sunset), Thom Sesma (Dead Outlaw), Christopher Sieber (DBH), and Danny Burstein (Gypsy).

Curious in which category Jinx Monsoon will land . They could easily get nominated for Ruth in supporting male/female.  

Operation Mincemeat just pushed Maybe Happy Ending (that peaked late last year/early '25) into the runner up position for Best Musical.  Very possible Dead Outlaw could push both into 2nd and 3rd, respectively.  Death Becomes Her could also "The Outsiders" surprise too.  (Dead Outlaw will not be eligible for the other awards, having won them all last year). 

Updated On: 2/28/25 at 09:42 PM

[Dan6]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 10:54pm

pacificnorthwest said: "I was in the right center rear mezz, row B on the aisle, last night. It was fine. It's a little bit further than I'd like to be but I couldn't justify the cost of being closer. And once I'm into a show, I barely think about where I'm sitting.

Row D might actually be better than Bbecause there's a sightline issue with the barrier for people in row A. So that slightly affected my own view at moments."

Not happy to see this after I just bought row A right rear mezz tickets (although I'm seeing it for the second time, I'm bringing family for whom it will be their first). I looked at A View From My Seat before buying and no one complained about the curtain barrier; is it a serious problem?  If so I'll try to exchange. 

[getatme]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 11:02pm

CoffeeBreak said: "djoko84 : It's not winning Best Musical over Maybe Happy Ending or Dead Outlaw, but Jak Malone for Featured Actor is a very real possibility.

quizking101: I agree that Malone is probably the most secure possibility for a win, even in a field that will have stiff competition from (predicting)David Thaxton (Sunset), Thom Sesma (Dead Outlaw), Christopher Sieber (DBH), and Danny Burstein (Gypsy).

Curious in which categoryJinx Monsoon will land .They could easily get nominated for Ruth in supporting male/female.

Jinkx identifies as trans-femme nonbinary and uses she/her pronouns. It feels like a safe assumption she will submit for Featured Actress.

Operation Mincemeat just pushedMaybe Happy Ending (that peaked late last year/early '25)into the runner up positionforBest Musical. Very possible Dead Outlaw could pushbothinto 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Death Becomes Her could also "The Outsiders"surprise too. (Dead Outlaw will not be eligible for the other awards, having won them all last year)."

While I think Mincemeat is not out of the race, I do think Maybe Happy Ending is the show to beat still. And can see the Wing wanting to award a show that for all of previews seemed destined for a short run but from reviews and the power of word of mouth managed to turn itself into a hit. It's the little show that could, and I think they will want to reward that. A British-originating musical also hasn't won the Best Musical Tony since 2009. I don't think Mincemeat will break that streak.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 11:16pm

CoffeeBreak said: "(Dead Outlaw will not be eligible for the other awards, having won them all last year)."

Assuming you're talking about the Tonys I think you're conflating them with the Drama Desks, which look at both Broadway and off Broadway and only award new attributes for a transfer.  But since Dead Outlaw hasn't been on Broadway before, it would be eligible for all Tony categories.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 11:21pm

chrishuyen said: "CoffeeBreak said: "(Dead Outlaw will not be eligible for the other awards, having won them all last year)."

Assuming you're talking about the Tonys I think you're conflating them with the Drama Desks, which look at both Broadway and off Broadway and only award new attributes for a transfer. But since Dead Outlaw hasn't been on Broadway before, it would be eligible for all Tony categories."

Yes, meant Tonys.  It won the Drama Desk last year as well.