*Official* Sweet Charity review thread.- Page 2

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:55pm

Talkin' Broadway's was very fair - and I'd have to agree...but I still loved her.

Broadway.com's is rather harsh, I feel. He obviously didn't fall for her as much as I did. Sad.

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:57pm

Guess I was wrong about the boding well!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:57pm

Mandelbaum is a great writer, but he will never like the revival if he saw the original.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:58pm

Mandelbaum, while a gifted Broadway historian, is continually obsessed with the original productions of shows (and is always quick to remind you that he saw them when he was ten years old) so his thoughts don't surprise me at all.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:03pm

Brantley:

"Ms. Applegate, who is best known for 11 seasons as the dopey daughter on the sitcom "Married ... With Children," exudes a soft hopefulness and a sterner determination that suit her character, an unlucky dance-hall hostess in eternal pursuit of love. She has a comic polish that considerately stops short of polyurethane sheen, and an easy, conversational way with a song, even if her voice isn't always on pitch.

But as a character meant to be a shopworn angel, Ms. Applegate looks more like a merry cherub, an ingénue fresh from the suburbs. More important, in the musical numbers, she seems to grow smaller rather than bigger, which is one thing that definitely should not happen if you are playing Charity Hope Valentine."
___________________________________________________________

The show is steeped in a fuzzy, Pop-colored campiness that whispers raspingly, "Weren't the 60's a hoot?," and includes visual references to Andy Warhol (the person) and Color Field painting. This sensibility translates more attractively into the show's costumes (by the omnipresent William Ivey Long) than into its set (Scott Pask) and lighting (Brian MacDevitt), which suggest quickly set up, psychedelic-themed store displays at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Mr. Cilento's choreography is similarly ersatz and soft-edged, acknowledging and blurring the original Fosse blueprint. (The best numbers here are the most unapologetically Fosse-like, "Rich Man's Frug" and "Big Spender.") The dances never achieve more than a low-grade fever, when what's wanted is that old steam heat. The pop-religion parody, "The Rhythm of Life," usually a guaranteed showstopper, fizzles for want of choreographic and satiric sharpness.
___________________________________________________________

Actually, whenever Ms. Applegate dances, she shrinks, even in big solo turns like "If My Friends Could See Me Now." She is a graceful physical comedian, and she reads her lines with winning conviction (though she sometimes sounds as if she has spent a lot of time watching Shirley MacLaine in the 1969 film adaptation).

But while she executes her steps with care and precision, dance is not a transcendent form of self-expression for Ms. Applegate. And let's face it, neither is song. Nor ultimately does she have the sheer freakish force of personality to make her numbers work despite this, as the musically challenged Melanie Griffith did when she joined the cast of "Chicago."

Thus it is that "Sweet Charity" concludes a Broadway season weak on musicals not with a hoped-for fanfare but with an all-too-appropriate wistful whimper."

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:04pm

Any thoughts on Brantley's review? Is mixed a good label for his review?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:04pm

I just feel like comparing revivals to originals is pointless.

Can someone post the times review here instead of the link? My computer does this really new cool thing that when I click on links, my computer gets really slow.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:09pm

At least Mandelbaum supports his review with points, rather than going off an a tirade, like some NYC critics tend to do.

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 07:09 PM

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:10pm

So far.. Mixed reviews

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:18pm

That's as much of the Times review I dare post considering copyright laws.

In some cases (like this one) I think it's impossible not to at least acknowledge the original production. Fosse's staging and choreography wer the most memorable and notable elements of the 1966 production, the 1969 movie and the 1986 revival. Comparisons are inevitable, especially when the current version is so inferior to the original. Had the choreography here been on the level of Reinking's work in the Chicago revival, I think there would be far less emphasis on the comparison to the original.

For certain shows where dance is so completely integral to the overall success and character of the show -- Charity, West Side Story, A Chorus Line et al -- I'm afraid you inevitably open yourself up for criticism if you toss out the work of the original master and replace it with that of someone of lesser gifts.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:18pm

and so it begins:

"Her dancing, while not at the level of stage Charitys Verdon or Debbie Allen or film Charity Shirley MacLaine, is well-suited by Cilento's choreography"

"The Rich Man's Frug" is the most Fosse-esque routine, but it lacks the humor and comment with which Fosse was able to imbue it.

"But two elements of that original production were fully acknowledged, and they made the show a hit: Fosse's choreography and the performance of
star Gwen Verdon."

FOSSE AND VERDON ARE DEAD, PEOPLE.....can you at least TRY to review the show in front of you? It's almost sad, how they can't let go and look at this show on it's own.

[NBC]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:19pm

Oh Ben, Ben, Ben...

Whatever one feels about Christina or this particular revival, I still object to the notion that Melanie Griffith made any of the musical numbers in Chicago work! The only thing that made them work when she was in the show was the rest of the cast working their butts off to compensate...Ok, sorry to go off topic, carry on...

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:21pm

I seriously hope The Weissler's are kicking themselves for not getting A Reinking as choreographer. It's killing me - beacuse the production could have been atleast 25% better with Reinking choreographing.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:23pm

I'm afraid, Margo, that if this new creative team didn't throw out the original work of Fosse, et al, there would be complaints that they were "ripping off Fosse" in this revival.

There was no way they could win. They are being damned becasue they dared to revive the show and try a new approach, and they would have been slammed if they revived the show and just "ripped off Fosse".

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:29pm

Now...I haven't seen the show...BUT if they revived with 'new' ideas and those ideas weren't particularly good, shouldn't they be slammed?

[NBC]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:33pm

Justme, while I actually enjoyed some of the choreography in the Sweet Charity revival, I really think Fosse should be credited in the playbill somewhere, as a lot of the moves were "his." It is definitely done in the style of Bob Fosse, particularly There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This.

I realize, like you said, that Cilento was probably damned if he did/damned if he didn't, but the bottom line is if you are not going to come up with something completely different, of course there are going to be comparisons.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:33pm

I don't agree. Reinking and Bobbie got across the board, unqualified rave reviews for the Chicago revival and I don't recall anyone accusing Reinking of "ripping off" Fosse. There was a note in the program that the choroegraphy would be "in the style of Fosse" but the actual steps and movements were all Reinking's and she was hailed for her work, with the Tony, Drama Desk and Astaire Awards for Best Choreography.

The problem here is that Cilento's work is BAD. The critics are rightfully wondering whether it was the correct decision to toss out the original choreography by Fosse that worked and replace it with stuff by Cilento that doesn't. If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- but if you're going to try, hire someone (like Reinking) who knows how to stage musical numbers with wit, character, intelligence and point of view. That's not Wayne Cilento.

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 07:33 PM

[justme2]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:35pm

By all means...and they do get slammed rightly for the costumes, staging, etc. There are excellent points in the reviews around the lack of direction, the choice of actors, etc...BUT, it's not right to continually judge this show as is Fosse' version is playing right next door and we can all just drop on over to the "better" version.

There's no way for us to go see the Fosse version. I am thrilled and jealous that all of you (by this I mean the reviewers)got the chance to see the original incarnation of it 40 odd years ago. How nice for you.

Why keep trying to keep today's audiences away from this version based on that argument,though?

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:36pm

Margo - you are so right. Such perfect points you brought up.

Yeah Cilento creates some cute stuff for shows like Aida and Wicked - but none of that should've made him choreographer for a show drivien by Fosse's amazing choreo.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:41pm

"There's no way for us to go see the Fosse version."

Rent the movie of "Sweet Charity" -- he recreated his original choreography and the genius is all there.

It's the same problem someone would have if they were to try and revive "West Side Story" without the Robbins choreography (if his estate would let you). Everybody's seen it and loves it and knows it by heart -- how could a critic or anyone else properly review a new production without at least mentioning the new choreography and how well it works in comparison to the classic Robbbins original? It would be irresponsible NOT to mention and compare the differences. Maybe it's better, maybe it's worse, but either way, it's totally fair game to discuss it as part of an analysis of the show.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:41pm

I haven't seen CHARITY yet, and so can make no direct comments, but I think Margo is dead on when she makes the Reinking/CHICAGO analogy.

I don't think anyone would be comparing Cilento to Fosse if he had been able to come up with something completely unique, exciting and clever on his own.

There have been a lot of choreographers who have managed to reinvent "untouchable" choreography with critical success -- Susan Stroman's new dances for OKLAHOMA! being a recent example.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:43pm

Margo,

"The Rich Man's Frug" is the most Fosse-esque routine, but it lacks the humor and comment with which Fosse was able to imbue it".

That's not a review of Cilento's work. That a direct "Fosse did it better" statement. And yes, WE ALL KNOW THAT FOSSE DID IT BETTER. MOVE ON! I appreciated the other review, I don't remember which one it was on this thread, that clearly stated WHY Cilento's choreography was bad. It was true and the reviewer was basing his opinion on WHAT HE WAS WATCHING ON STAGE THAT NIGHT. Not some distant memory of a fantastic Fosse show!

I'm not even a fan of Cilento, for god's sake! I was just hoping he would be reviewed on his own merits, not Fosse'.

[TonyaFanatic]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:43pm

i do believe the Fosse choreography shouldve stayed, but like Mendelbaum stated in the review, he shouldve hired another choreographer for additional staging, that way it wouldnt be "ripped off" and creative at the sametime.
and i believe these are pretty negative reviews.i hope it doesnt hinder Tony chances.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:46pm

http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=511646

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:50pm

WickedRocks,

Check Page 1 of this thread.