"On the Town" Preview Thread- Page 2

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 10:41pm

Are they not selling front orchestra to this one? I can't for the life of me see ANY available seats in the center section (that aren't "before like, Row G").

Dafuq?

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:16pm

I haven't wanted to see something this bad in I don't even know how long. It all sounds and looks so marvellous I can't even take it!

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:30pm

The orchestra pit is extremely shallow, just below the feet of the orchestra seats. The result is an incredible, almost exclusively acoustic sound from Broadway's biggest orchestra. That alone is a reason to see this show. Updated On: 9/20/14 at 11:30 PM

[justincharacter]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:32pm

Ben Vereen attended the preview tonight!





Updated On: 9/20/14 at 11:32 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:51pm

My reaction is a bit more tempered. There are some good things going on for sure, but other areas are definitely problematic.

The best thing about this revival by far is the 28-piece orchestra. It's so rare to be treated to such a large orchestra outside of Encores and they really sounded wonderful. This score isn't meant to be played by a small band, and they truly did it justice and beyond tonight.

The dancing was a treat as well, as especially the Coney Island ballet; the Pas de Deux in particular was thrilling. Tony Yazbeck and Megan Fairchild were excellent here.

Overall though everyone seemed to be pushing a little too hard either for a laugh or for a big note or whatever it is they were trying to do. I don't know if this can be chocked up to first preview jitters, but I rather fear it was how they were directed.

An example of this endemic problem would be in Come Up To My Place. The song alone is terrific and has no problem selling itself. You can just get out of the way and let the lyrics do all the work for you. Instead the two of them are saddled with a bouncy taxi seat, projections (an embarrassment) that are cheap and distracting and choreography all over the cab seat that muffles the words. (I could barely hear some of the variations of "Did you stop for what hey?" "Did you stop for hey what?" etc.)

Lonely Town (one of my favorites in the show) started off really well with Yazbeck in superb voice. The Pas de Deux was lovely, but then the encore with the chorus went back to pushing. This song is melancholy and contemplative. At intermission one of my friends said, "When did it become Rose's Turn?" Perhaps that's a little bitchy, but there's truth at the core of the statement. I remember how hauntingly Yazbeck sang the song during the Encores production a few years ago and I preferred it this.

This score is top tier Broadway musical theater. The only thing you have to do is trust the material and it will work. There's no need to overcompensate like you're working with floppier stuff.

When they did trust the songs things were great, like the beautifully wistful "Some Other Time." It's a stunner of a quartet and the four of them performed it simply and honestly and it paid off in spades.

I have a feeling they'll settle into it more and hopefully the director can pull some of the antics back.

The bigger problem is the set/projections. Even all the fabulous dancing and the joyous orchestra can't make up for the fact that the show looks cheap as hell. There's barely any set to speak of, and what is there is a mishmash of styles like they've been picking up pieces over the past year as Bridges, Bullets and Big Fish did their load outs. The projections were frankly cringeworthy and they detracted from rather than enhanced the proceedings. There are nicer and more elaborate sets at Encores.

There's lots of potential and cast that has talent to spare; gotta love that they have a full ensemble to work with too. The performances will no doubt settle by opening, but the physical production needs to be spiffed up and pronto.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:54pm

Thanks, Whizzer!

How was Jackie Hoffman?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/20/14 at 11:59pm

I don't want to say much about Jackie Hoffman...I think she's going to take a few performances to find her character and her laughs. Right now she was throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what stuck (and sometimes it wasn't much). After a weaker bit that didn't generate many laughs she ad-libbed, "It's the first preview!" which warmed my heart and made me forgiving of what she tried to do.

And not that Dilly should be a subtle character, but sometimes a little less is more.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 12:12am

Agreed, Whizzer.

I'm optimistic this will all settle. It's all there as long as they trust the material and the goods this terrific cast has. This was my first first preview and I had a good time.

I can't get over how incredibly this note-perfect orchestra played this very challenging score. They are everything a Broadway orchestra should be.

And man, open a show with Phillip Boykin singing in his beautiful bass register and I'm there.

Some Other Time was gorgeous. The one number in the show that shouldn't be touched. Well, those projections...

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 12:47am

I was there tonight. Underwhelming is the word I thought the most.

The positive:

Anyone seeing this cannot deny the wonderful sensation of hearing Bernstein played by a full orchestra. They were incredible tonight, and the true highlight of the evening to me.

The dancing is sensational. Tony Yazbeck and Megan Fairchild's moment in act two is truly wonderful.

The negative: Some of the worst projections I have ever seen on Broadway. They are a joke to put it mildly. They looked unfinished an amateurish. These are matched well with the nearly non-existent set that never seemed to match whatever came before it. Finally, the outline of the set really bothered me. The lights that framed the stage were entirely too modern, and distracting.

The three leads are excellent, and I even enjoyed Alysha Humphress, though I thought she and Elizabeth Stanley would do well to switch roles.

Jackie Hoffman is having a rare misfire. She can usually make anything seem funny, but tonight she seemed to strike out more than land anything.

I know it seems silly to be so critical of the set and the projections, but when you put yourself in such a large theater you cannot help but wonder why something more wasn't done. At the moment it feels like a national tour of On the Town is playing.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 12:55am

I'm relieved that's all our resident first-nighters found to complain about.

I'm sure they'll fix the sound and projections and that Jackie Hoffman will find her laughs. Nancy Opel was delightful in the part at Barrington Stage.

Sounds like a hit to me!

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 1:07am

I didn't hear anything bad sound-wise. The terrible things that people recall during most first previews didn't seem to ring true tonight. The sound designer did a great job at staying out of the way of the orchestra and only amplifying them minimally. I heard everyone very well and I didn't notice any missed pickups.

I was very impressed by the three female leads. I thought they each brought a wonderful (and appropriate) presence to the show.

I hope this is not a spoiler (or inappropriate), but for anyone interested, the three male leads are shirtless at one point during the show.

[LittleEdieFan]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 2:59am

Shirtless leads just convinced me to buy in ticket.

[japhun2]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 3:04am

Just wondering...how long was the show, including intermission? Thanks!

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 3:05am

"The bigger problem is the set/projections"

Oh God another Guys and Dolls revival! ugh. Are the projections as bad as Guys and Dolls ones?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 3:24am

The first act was long, about 1:40. I believe the whole show including intermission was around 2:45.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 4:21am

Were they taking pre-orders for a cast album yet? I want one! I heard the three songs that they did record and Alysha Umphress tweeted that they were "teaser tracks" from the cast recording, but they recorded those in late June. That would have been unusual for them to have recorded the entire cast album in June, right? The show wasn't even fully cast yet was it?

[japhun2]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 4:30am

OK--thanks so much for the info! :)

[HorseTears]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 4:42am

Love reading these reports. I really hope this show can survive winter in such a massive house. Hoping to catch it in the Spring.

So, I have to ask. Is Alysha Humphress still adding all that ridiculous jarringly modern American Idol'ish melisma nonsense to "I Can Cook Too" or is she just singing the damn song?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 5:37am

Personally, I find her riffing or scatting or whatever you want to call it to be very period appropriate and reminiscent of some of the greats. I'm not saying she does it as brilliantly as they did but the inspiration is apparent.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 7:06am

And it's Umphress not Humphress, thankyouverymuch.

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 9:15am

Alysha Umphress is like Lea DeLaria without the subtlety.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 9:23am

What's the likelihood of them getting rid of the projections? It just doesn't work with a show like this. Let the show speak for itself, you don't need projections to hide anything.

[eperkins]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 10:03am

So, I have to ask. Is Alysha Humphress still adding all that ridiculous jarringly modern American Idol'ish melisma nonsense to "I Can Cook Too" or is she just singing the damn song?

She is doing the oh-so-era-appropriate scatting.

Here's some Jessie Mueller in Clear Day.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 10:12am

I didn't mind the "scatting" in context, although I do think the song can/should speak for itself. (And please let that taxi number speak for itself. It's the hugest clunker, sadly, and yet the funniest on paper.)

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 10:49am

I agree with those that say it was era appropriate scatting rather American Idol style caterwauling. It didn't bother me that it was added, but I could take it leave it either way