OoTI [2017) Reviews- Page 3

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 12/5/17 at 1:00pm

With these reviews plus the great word of mouth it seems to have, I'm getting the sense that this could follow the same trajectory and financial path as Come from Away.  I'll be interested to watch the weekly grosses over the coming weeks.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 12/5/17 at 1:49pm

Surprise surprise. They have now yanked all the discount codes.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/16/18 at 10:12pm

I saw the show at the Saturday matinee this past weekend. It's a beautiful revival. I have to say that something seemed off with Alex Newell. I noticed he kept a little cup of water on stage and drank a lot when he didnt have to do something. He was the only cast member who had water on stage. He seemed a little low energy or something. He also completely growled his way through Mama Will Provide and he dodged the high note at the end. I just wonder if he is pushing his voice too much. Hailey was wonderful as was Lea Salonga.

[hamiltonstradition]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 11:49am

Yea, Alex is fighting bronchitis right now. Loren Lott went on as Asaka the other day.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/17/18 at 1:54pm

Do we think alysha will get to go on as Ti Moune at some point? I would love to see her interpretation

[lida rose]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 8:22am

I saw the show last night and there were understudies on for Asaka, Papa Ge, and Daniel. something must be going around over there. 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 7/1/18 at 10:39pm

sorry to bump an older thread but couldnt find a more current one

I finally saw this tonight, while the physical production is great (the rain, the costumes, the lake) the material is borderline offensive, and the ending, she gets her heart broken, kills herself and becomes a tree but that tree somehow miraculously brings everyone together? huh? what a ****ty message to send to young girls in 2018, hey you know that guy who doesn't love you back, you should kill yourself instead! 

Also Alex Newell was an absolute embarrassment, belting notes for 90 minutes is not a performance, there no nuance or subtlety in that performance and anyone saying he should have been TONY nominated is crazy

Additionally don't get me started about two white people writing a musical about poor but "JOLLY" but very poor black people, sorry peasants and the light-skinned prince, it was all so gross. 

[persephone88]

Posted: 7/1/18 at 10:59pm

The musical was based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, who is a woman of color.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/1/18 at 11:25pm

I saw it a week ago today and I agree about Newell who I was excited to see. Pre-show (I had most interaction with Newell), when the cast is interacting for the audience to hear (I was right in front of the hot plate) he started chastising (jokingly) another cast member for calling out of a previous performance. She reminded him that wasn’t “Island” talk. He quickly change gears and said she had called out and not come down to the island. How hard is it to stay in character for a 90-minute show? His one big song was great though.

I will say I didn’t see Ti Moune’s death as a suicide. Her options at the end is he dies or she dies. It wasn’t in her nature to have him killed instead. I suppose technically it could be considered a suicide, but I didn’t take it that way.

I also felt that we did see more than all happiness with the island people, but I can see your point. Overall, I had very high hopes going into this production and they were not met. I hate to admit it, but it felt a bit like amateur hour with a few dynamic performances. The tree at the end was not nearly as transformative as I thought it would be at the end. Also, I found it confusing that the young girl who played Ti Moune as a young girl stayed on stage with no apparent indication that she was now another young village girl. I’m used to cast members playing multiple roles, but somehow this didn’t work for me here. I usually cry at the drop of a hat at musicals (I even teared up at Spongebob), but this and My Fair Lady both left me dry-eyed.

I’ve kept hearing that with the exception of The Band’s Visit (which I saw and loved...and yes cried at...in November), this was a weak season for new musicals and was only saved (musical-wise) by two strong revivals (I skipped Carousel based on no available slots for it and overall consensus that it was subpar). Based on my trip, I’d have to say the only saving musical graces were TBV and (whodathunkit) Spongebob. Luckily, I saw three phenomenal plays (Angels in America, Three Tall Women, The Iceman Cometh) and two more enjoyable ones (Skintight, The Boys in the Band).

I don’t know. If I had to give one word to describe OOTI, it would probably have to be: disjointed. Still enjoyed it slightly more than My Fair Lady though.

This is the first time I’ve seen so many straight plays on a trip and I’m so glad I did. I’ve always gravitated more towards musicals when in New York City, but based on the upcoming season if I make it back to New York City in November I will probably see almost entirely either musicals I have already seen at least once and/or plays that are new to me.

For the record, I’m capable of loving a musical without tears. I saw and loved Hello, Dolly! twice (once with Bette and once with Bernadette). I also am capable of enjoying semi-immersive shows. I loved Sweeney Todd off-broadway in November.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 8/5/18 at 9:55pm

Just saw the show at today’s matinee; I really, really loved it! I figured someone would want an update on how Loren Lott is faring so far.

The set is beautiful and fun, the rain, “ocean”, and sand were very atmospheric and pulled you into the world. I was struck by how creative and well-done the lighting was. Every cue was perfectly on time and supported the story, which I thought was unique. Something I also liked was the curtain in The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes and how gradually the chandeliers, carpet, and chairs came out. The costumes aspect has been covered here but yes, they are cleverly made and colorful, and lavish when they need to be.

Loren Lott is an excellent Ti Moune. I was excited to see her in the role, as she’s been getting nothing but praise, and did not disappoint. Her voice is powerful and yet soft and airy, which lends itself well to the varying types of songs the character sings. Her Ti Moune has a boundless sense of energy, though also a quiet and reflective maturity that shows in the more solemn scenes. It was a nice balance and added nuance to her portrayal. If you’re on the fence about seeing it now that Hailey’s out, don’t! Loren is a great Ti Moune with a characterization that packs a (emotional) punch.

The rest of the cast was on FIRE. I’m usually wary about going to a matinee because, more often than not, the cast and audience both are low-energy and tepid. Not today, apparently. Alex Newell made a small part one of the show’s highlights; he hit the notes in Mama Will Provide pretty well- I was impressed. Merle Danridge is in a league of her own, truly. Her voice is incredible, and she’s a criminally talented actress. Papa Ge was a believably scary character in part to her. Darlesia Cearcy made an elegantly poised Erzulie, and her Human Heart was a tearjerker. Quentin Earl Darrington was a good Agwe, but there’s not much material there to gauge.

I don’t honestly have any meaningful criticism of the show? It is very fast-paced and active off the bat, which could be jarring to some, but wasn’t a problem for me. It’s a brilliant production of a bittersweet story, and really shouldn’t be missed.

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 8/6/18 at 11:26pm

Excellent to hear she’s great! I’ve noticed that on the u/s boards I’ve seen Phillip Boykin (TonTon Julian) has been put a lot. Which understudies did you see? If any? I’ll be there this Sunday, so excited.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 8/7/18 at 7:47am

suicidalmickeymouse said: "Excellent to hear she’s great! I’ve noticed that on the u/s boards I’ve seen Phillip Boykin (TonTon Julian) has been put a lot. Which understudies did you see? If any? I’ll be there this Sunday, so excited."

Phillip Boykin was out actually. T. Oliver Reid was on as TonTon Julian, and honestly, if I didn't know the distinction off the bat, I would’ve thought he was the lead Julian. He gave a fantastic performance, so no matter who you end up seeing, it’ll be great.