On The Twentieth Century Previews- Page 6

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 8:48pm

JUST TO BE CLEAR: Nobody said OTTC is an opera or operetta. It's a musical comedy and a broad one at that.

What was said (and this isn't a matter of opinion since the creators are on record saying the same thing) was that the concept of the score was to SPOOF grand opera, because the characters are so much bigger than life they seem akin to opera characters.

All I said to one poster is that it might help to listen to the recording in advance. As I said above re the original, I had trouble reconciling all the art deco design with the parody score the first time I saw the show.

For those who know grand opera well, think of the many unfortunate English translations of Italian operas. The lyrics deliberately imitate such a sad mix.

And BTW, we ended up seeing the original many times and, yes, we do play the OBCR quite often, just for the pleasure of hearing it again.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 8:57pm

It took me many many listens to really take a liking to the score, which I now adore. It's such an odd bird (especially for the usually jazzy Coleman) and is hardly an easily accessible one. I can definitely understand people not liking it though it's wonderful to hear people are going in cold and doing just that.

While it isn't written firmly as an operetta (a genre I have no fondness for) the music is definitely "Pseudo-operetta" in style and has a classical edge that sets it apart from most other scores, especially of that era.

Updated On: 2/15/15 at 08:57 PM

[Speed]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 10:00pm

CPD- what are you talking about? OTTC is FULL of hummable songs. I've been singing them since seeing the first preview on Friday night. I had never heard the score before but I love the title song. My favorite phrase? " New YORK in SIXTEEN HOURS. Anything can happen in those sixteen hours." Also the opener of the second act, Life is Like a Train: "You get on at the beginning, you get off at the end!" I love love loved this show. I loved SIDE SHOW, but OTTC will win the Tony for Best Revival and Kristin will win Best Actress.

[Speed]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 10:04pm

Seperite- what is not cool is you showing up late to the theater.

[Speed]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 10:10pm

As for the new lyrics, isn't it possible Amanda's Dad and talked with her about this? That he always wanted to change it? You never know.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 10:42pm

There really needs to be a determination on all of these boards where "personal opinion" versus the generally accepted reputation of a work or performance is deemed to be exceptional.

I'm fine with a variety of opinions, but I think it's overly charitable to continually bow to tiny minority assessments within the margin of public and professional critical acclaim.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 10:47pm

Who died & made you king?

Last time I heard there was such a thing as free speech. If you do not agree with the minority than do not read those posts.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 11:16pm

Your lack of reading comprehension is only matched by your random posts confirming such.

Read the below 10 times. Think about each line as reading, and then check back:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Works that over time are considered to be of exceptional quality by external critical and general popular opinion are inoculated from minority assessments.

The recent technology allowing people to endlessly express their little personal preferences have no real impact on the art that they either praise or dismiss.

That counts for you, and yes, for me. But I'm right.

[delongpre]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 11:33pm

I saw the show today from the second row of the mezz, center. Great seat for this show by the way, unless the guy in front of you is 6 foot 8 and 350 pounds.

I have loved the score since the first time around. Loved Madeline's interpretations of the songs. Was excited to hear Kristen's versions today.

I loved Andy Karl in his role. No, not a huge role but he played it to the hilt. He was always interesting when on stage, and his interactions were all strong and fun. Great expressions. Adorable. Likewise for Peter Gallagher. I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to handle this role. Good vocals, not amazing, but perfect for Oscar.
Kristen...well, I just hope she is growing into the role. Her vocals were fine for the most part, but there were times when I felt she wasn't completely present in the role, like she missed beats on responses, entrances, etc, and her energy seemed to sometimes be that of Kristen rather than that of Lily. Again, it's day 3 of previews. Also, in the front mezz, I rarely saw her FACE, more like the top of her head. It seems she played directly to the orchestra and hardly even tilted her head up. She had to make a pointed effort to face the upper theater.

Also, in Babette, why was the Babette group stationary on couches and chairs instead of dancing? The Magdalene group was animated and interactive while the dozen others just sat. I think there was a lot of missed opportunity for dance in this show and that number just emphasized it.

Parts that were initially confusing to my 15 y.o. daughter, who didn't know the story ahead of time:
That Veronique was a flashback and that Oscar and Lily had a thing.
That when Oscar and Bruce sing "Mine" that they are looking in mirrors and not at each other.
Why Mrs. Primrose wasn't removed from the train once they did find her, after all of the to do when they sang "She's a Nut."

I did like the show but I so wanted to love it. I will go back to see it after opening to see if they tighten up a few things.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 11:49pm

"Also, in the front mezz, I rarely saw her FACE, more like the top of her head. It seems she played directly to the orchestra and hardly even tilted her head up. She had to make a pointed effort to face the upper theater."

I hope her neck injury doesn't get exacerbated in this role, which sounds like it's fairly physical.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 12:08pm

Reading all these comments, I am reminded how much I hated the original production. There were three saving graces: (1) still the best sets I have ever seen in a show; (2) Kevin Kline's great comic performance (he won a Tony because his performance was high risk, hilarious, scene stealing...truthfully a little like his role in A Fish Called Wanda, which won him a well deserved Oscar for an over the top comc performance); and (3) John Cullum (even there, he won a Tony because he had no competition...it was a fine performance, but not Tony caliber).

I loved her comedy but never liked Madelyn Kahn's singing voice...it was operatic, but not pretty and a little wobbly. So, I tended to be uncomfortable when she sang. Since I hated the score --shoot me, the only melody I remembered was the oft repeated title phrase -- I figured no point in seeing this, even though I like Chenoweth a lot.

All of the comments here-- including the excellent ones-- make me glad I did not invest in a ticket. Sets are necessarily less spectacular; despite the Andy Karl love, he is never going to come close to Kevin Kline's brilliance (I also hated Rocky, and did not see anything special about him in it); and no reason to believe that I would like the score any more than before.

Interesting side note: I tend to like things as a default, but I also hated the acclaimed 'Pirates of Penzance', but thought Kevin Kline was amazing in it (clearly, I don't like operettas); and I also HATED City of Angels, also by Cy Coleman. Guess I liked his more conventional shows more...love the Sweet Charity score, and thought that I Love My Wife should have been a much bigger hit than it was.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 12:42pm

Saw the show Saturday night. Probably the best early preview I've ever seen. It was polished and very well executed. That said, it was a little too precise, something I'm sure will loosen up as the run continues. In fact, I fear that by then, this could end up being a mess of over the top self-indulgence. I won't know, because I am certain this will be a show that I won't be returning to. I'm glad I saw it, and I can appreciate the achievement of the score, even though I didn't care for it. (On a related note, the sound balance between the singers and the orchestra needs some rethinking.)

As well executed as it is, I think it was all over the map in terms of style, as I got the sense that some of the cast was firmly in traditional musical theater mode, some in an odd camp style and still others in farce/operetta parody style. I gather from what I've read and seen that the latter style is what is meant to be.

As far as the cast, I think the four dancers steal the show, and Andy Karl is already brilliant. On paper, Kristin Chenoweth seems ideal for Lily (and maybe she will be as the run continues), but I don't think she was amazing. She wasn't more than good. And I have adored Mary Louise Wilson in the five or six shows I've seen her in, but yikes, she was bad in this. Kudos for an octogenarian keeping at it, but she's no Angela Lansbury.

I paid $10 for this so it's hard to complain about value. Let's just say I got my money's worth.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 12:53pm

OTTC will win the Tony for Best Revival and Kristin will win Best Actress

Seems a little early to be predicting that...

[morosco]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 6:54pm

There is a lyric in the show that bothers me.

Our heart with emotion reels
When the Prince of wheels
Starts to make its daily journey
Either Chi N.Y.
Or else N.Y. to Chi.
New York in sixteen hours,
Anything can happen in those sixteen hours

The way that abbreviation of the city of Chicago is pronounced is so odd to me. The abbreviation "Chi" is pronounced as it is pronounced in the word chives. Did people really refer to Chicago as "Chi"?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 7:03pm

Chi or Chi-town does seem to be a longstanding nickname for Chicago. (And "Chicago, Illinois" from Victor/Victoria uses it too.)

Updated On: 2/16/15 at 07:03 PM

[morosco]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 7:06pm

Thank you Smaxie. Now that you mention the nickname "Chi-town" it makes sense. I had forgotten about that.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/16/15 at 9:10pm

John Cullum on Madeline Kahn

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 8:14am

Saw the Saturday matinee of this from front row of the Mezz (Broadway Box discount code had front row of Mezz at $89 and random Orchestra @ $147 as of Thursday night), and really loved the show.

KC was a blast and seemed to really be enjoying herself. And prior comments about decolletage are spot on, I expect wardrobe malfunctions to be plentiful unless they calm her down a bit. And she did have trouble with parts of her "support garments" that tried to work their way out time and time again.

Great show from start to finish.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 2:00pm

Does anyone have a sense if it would be better to view this one from second row Mezz or 6th row Orchestra on the side? Deliberating between my hiptix choices. Sometimes I cant stand being in the middle of those long rows in the airlines mezz. Wondering if anything would be obstructed on sides of the orchestra.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 3:28pm

Most of the show seemed to be up front and center, although I saw the folks in the boxes craning their necks now and again.

If you're a fan of cleavage, mezz 2 is the way to go.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 8:38pm

Does any one have a code that goes into April, the current one ends March 29th!

Or failing that, is there a bad seat in that theatre, if I took the last row of the mezzo for 69.00 bucks, does it feel like I am in the gods?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/17/15 at 9:08pm

At the first preview, we sat next to last row upstairs. The view was perfect.The theater is not huge so there is no problem.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 4:00am

Oh guys don't let the reviews dry up. I am seeing this on the 19th March and love to hear all the various opinions! I have been a fan since the OBC came out and contrary to some views I think it is a marvellous score beautifully performed.

Would love to see the show curtain if anyone has a picture!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 9:47am

[tazber]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 10:29am

^^^^

LOVE!