"On the Town" Preview Thread- Page 10

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 2:22pm

Oooh, look! A very young Aaron Lazar (in 1992) singing "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet":

[Feste]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 9:45pm

"You'll be fine. It's a big show, so you'll be able to take it all in from there."

Yeah, I like to sit upstairs for dance heavy shows... I just hope I can still see their faces! I think I'm most excited to hear the orchestra, though! This is one of my favorite scores in musical theatre.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/28/14 at 11:59pm

In case any of you are not yet reading castmember Christopher Vo's ongoing BWW Blog on this production. There have been four before this one:




BWW Blog: Christopher Vo of ON THE TOWN - First Preview Performance

Updated On: 9/29/14 at 11:59 PM

[Feste]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 12:03am

Oh I most definitely noticed him!.... I mean his blogs! =) Very enjoyable.

Updated On: 9/29/14 at 12:03 AM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 2:25pm

We were at this past Saturday's matinee-- one of those 6-shows-in-4-days weekends, and ON THE TOWN was a spur of the moment choice.

All we can say is this was the supreme highpoint of the weekend. From the Star Spangled Banner opening onward, our mouths were open and our eyes were brimming with emotion. This show has every reason to be compared favorably to the brilliant '92 GUYS AND DOLLS revival. Posters above are right to rave about the orchestra and superb dancing throughout. But the emotions stirred by the quiet moments in LONELY TOWN and SOME OTHER TIME were perfectly done (I wouldn't have shortened a second of either piece) and the reason why this show is still so potent.

Even some of the hard-to-stage comedy numbers worked in ways we've never appreciated before. The number with fashion mannequins, each of Hildy's numbers, even that God-awful Natural History Museum number came to amazing life with huge doses of wit and creativity. (Loved the Warhorse technique applied to a dinosaur skeleton.)

I'm confused by those who found the set design too small-scale for Broadway. I found it pure and witty and period-appropriate (aside from some very questionable typefaces). And those empty-stage vistas for the fantasy ballets with gorgeous costumes and ravishing lighting were all the design anyone could want. It was sublime.

What didn't work? Well Jackie Hoffman is an acquired taste we just couldn't acquire. Aside from a hysterical beat referencing Lady Day down the street, her every moment was just too, too much for this tone-precise piece. In general the comedy dialogue from 1944 was a very hard thing for some in the cast to pull off. Jokes landed on the stage deck with a thud. Megan Fairchild brought Ivy to swell dancing life, but had a harder time convincing us the romance was worth rooting for whenever she opened her mouth. And the ramping up of sexy-sex onstage seemed like an unnecessary injection of 2014 sensibilities into the proceedings.

Those gripes aside, huge huzzahs and kudos to the full cast, musicians and creatives involved. I'm so glad to find Pal Joey's unmitigated raves for the show in Great Barrington easily matched with our own in Manhattan.

(No small measure of our enjoyment came from buying half-price tix at TKTS for orchestra row A, seats 105-107. Best seats we've EVER had from TKTS. It felt like the whole show was performed just for us.)

[lovebwy]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 4:01pm

OMG I can't wait. That review gets me so excited.

I'm seeing it with my 88 year-old uncle who saw the original back in 1944. He's treating me to a nice steak dinner then ON THE TOWN!!!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 4:39pm

I'm so glad to find Pal Joey's unmitigated raves for the show in Great Barrington easily matched with our own in Manhattan.

So is PalJoey!

And lovebwy--what a memorable night you're going to have with your uncle. When you're sitting at dinner and he starts to reminisce about the original production, ask him if you can turn on the voice recorder on your cell phone and get it all down, like an oral history. Then record his reactions afterward!

Updated On: 9/30/14 at 04:39 PM

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 4:45pm

lovebway - That is incredible! Agreed, his reactions should absolutely be documented. What a great comparison point to have.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 6:00pm

I will do all of the above and let you guys know what he says.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 6:19pm

Oh, lovebwy - what an amazing experience you're gonna have with your Uncs. I had a similiar experience with my Uncle and the 1990s "Hello, Dolly!" revival with Carol Channing.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 11:07pm

Facebook status from Phyllis Newman, widow of Adolph Green:

Phyllis Newman

I saw ON THE TOWN last night for the first time last night...and right from the horses' mouth (and mine)...it is a genuine Broadway knockout. Everything about it is what a Bway. musical should be. I promise you.And it's not because it's the family store. IT ROCKS!





Phyllis Newman and Adolph Green

[HorseTears]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 12:47am

What a great picture, PJ. They look like they were meant to be together.


(They also kinda look related, but the heart wants what the heart wants...)

[Feste]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 12:39pm

That's so exciting, lovebwy!!

[StageStruckLad]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 2:20pm

I really loved this production, and for me the biggest surprise was Elizabeth Stanley as Claire. It's usually not a standout role, but she finds every laugh, and the way they have made her up she is a dead ringer for Judy Holliday. I thought she was delightful.

Possible SPOILER question (I have to admit I have not read every post in this thread, so please forgive me if this has already been mentioned):

In the dream ballet, shirtless Tony Yazbeck (and no complaints on that front from me) imagines that he is fighting Ivy in a boxing ring. I guess he's feeling annoyed that he jilted her, but that seemed like a strange thing for him to be dreaming. Did anyone else find that a bit odd?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 2:32pm

I agree about Elizabeth Stanley. Even at Barrington, she had a great looniness to her that was VERY Betty Comden-ish.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 7:27pm

maybe PlaybillVault is wrong, but they don't list an understudy for Hoffman. Does she not have one??

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 7:33pm

Their listings usually aren't complete prior to opening night.

[getatme]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 8:30pm

Hoffman's understudies are Allison Guinn--who I imagine would be hysterical and sing the crap out of it--and Lori Ann Ferreri.

[brdway411]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 9:45pm

Long and Boring. This show sucks. Oh yea, and dated. This will be gone soon. House about half full.

Updated On: 10/1/14 at 09:45 PM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 9:52pm

I think "On The Town" is timeless - I've seen community productions that create a charming, thrilling experience.

[brdway411]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 10:49pm

Well this isn't one one those.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 11:00pm

Was the design the same at Barrington?

[brdway411]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 11:18pm

Don't know, didn't see it there. This was just long and boring. Jackie Hoffman was the best thing in the show and she is only on stage about 20 minutes total. I predict this will close after the holidays (some time in Jan). YAWN!!! Off to bed.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 11:22pm

I might head down to NYC next spring, and with luck I'll see both ON THE TOWN and THE KING AND I while I'm there.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 11:27pm

The clips for Barrington show much more simple designs (no projections--that I can see, etc.)

As for the dream ballet--I believe that boxing scene is always there, though the original impact may have been different since the actor playing Gabey, John Battles, didn't play the dance role. He imagined himself as The Great Lover, danced by the great dancer Ray Harrison.