PARADISE SQUARE Chicago Pre-Broadway Tryout - Previews & Reviews

The pre-Broadway tryout of Paradise Square begins performances at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre November 2, ahead of an official November 17 opening. The limited engagement will run through December 5.

Set in Manhattans Five Points neighborhood during the Civil War, the musical follows the inhabitants of a local saloonincluding the Black woman who owns it, a conflicted newly arrived Irish immigrant, a freedom seeker, and a once-great songwriter.

Updated On: 11/18/21 at 10:34 AM

I'm with you in spirit about finding your own lane, but latching on to what people know about another (show, product, location, et al) is a proven marketing strategy to immediately connect with people who like/value your reference point, but are unfamiliar with what you're offering.

Crafting the right message that leverages the advantages of both approaches is a real art.

coopsbiz said: "Anything that pretentiously positions itself as the "next Hamilton" is destined to fail."

I don't think the show is positioning itself as such? One minor publication said that, but the production isn't leading with it. If anything it's trying to position itself as the next RAGTIME (a seemingly better comparison).

The show has also been reworked quite a bit since the Berkley Rep run.

I hope it will be good. I like what I've heard of the score so far.



"Additionally, the marketing is so desperate and the over spending is outrageous"

Do you have hard numbers for what has been spent on advertising? It's a new musical without stars, and in Chicago it's playing a 2,000+ seat house (twice the size of its Broadway theatre). It SHOULD be advertising heavily.

An uneven first preview.

I adored the orchestrations. Lovely melodies and a winning underscore. Over 30 instruments tenderly played by an orchestra of 14.

Lead Joaquina Kalukango has a great stage presence. Her spoken words are easy to hear, and she has two great solos: WELCOME HOME to end Act One, then LET IT BURN to end Act Two. Many on the main floor gave LET IT BURN an extended standing ovation.

There’s a lot of excellent dancing in this show! And the majority of the scenes are set in the Paradise Square saloon. The few projections are subtle and effectively used. The gentle riverfront waves won’t make anyone nauseous like King Kong’s white caps.

The pre-show curtain is a map of Five Points. The map is black and gray and vertically fills the center third of the stage. Next, I liked the opening projected black and white scenes of the Five Points neighborhood. “This is where I lived,” says Kalukango as saloon owner Nelly O’Brien.

As this was the first preview, a few sound cues were missed, so a bit of dialogue was absent, but only a few times. One scene change needs tightened: the transition between a series of riot scenes then back to the saloon.

There are times when nearly 30 are on stage in an ensemble number but many remained too motionless. In Act 1 from the balcony, it was difficult to make out some of the lyrics, due to a combination of dialect and loud music.

When the lobby opened an hour before show, several balcony ticket holders were invited to upgrade to the main floor for free. But at some point, that lovely perk ended and the later-to-arrive balcony guests were not offered to upgrade. Some guests who were offered main floor declined. I headed downstairs for Act 2.

7:35 Act 1
8:55 intermission
9:12 Act 2
10:12 bows
10:14 final bows
No exit music tonight.

The dance contest confused me. It started in Act 1 and continued in Act 2. I wanted more Willie - the husband of Nelly. The quiet exit of pianist Milton Moore at the end of Act 1 pulled my focus. I wanted a moment to applaud Washington Henry’s dance contest entry. “Let’s get through this so we can all go home,” said the station master.

But then BREATHE EASY placed me back in the enjoyment column.

Updated On: 11/8/21 at 01:07 AM

Balcony Club –– out of curiosity, who are listed as the Producers above the title? Is it just Garth Drabinsky and Peter LeDonne, or is there a whole list of names? Curious to know if any of the "usual suspects" of Broadway investing are placing their trust in Garth.

According to the show's website, the following people are listed in a producing capacity:

Garth Drabinsky: Producer

Peter LaDonne: Co-Producer

Anne Allen: Associate Producer/Senior Resident Director

Zachary Florence: Associate Producer

https://paradisesquaremusical.com/

Thanks so much, Balcony Club! There are a number of "usual suspects" from the Bway co-producing world, so the production does have some level of industry support despite Garth's past. The Shuberts, but also Blank, Sine, Blavatnik (the billionaire Ukranian/British oligarch), B&B, Harris, Schnuck, and probably others.

Thank you for the clarifications.

At the second preview, the man at the piano near the end of Act 1 isn’t Lucky Mike nor Milton Moore.

The man is Nelly’s husband Willie - which makes a LOT more sense.

It was a hard read from high in the balcony the previous night.

Updated On: 11/3/21 at 01:09 PM

KJisgroovy said: "This was a real mess, especially in the second act. A lot of rushing from plot point to plot point, major narrative beats explained with a dashed off line of dialogue.

That said. When the show does slow down and lives in its moment it's really extraordinary. There are about 5 numbers that just soar and an 11 o'clock number that's simply extraordinary.

I very much loved it, as messy as it is. I hope they tighten things, and I think they can."

Agreed. Loved it.

The set is Hamilton esque, in my opinion.

is this the next Hamilton? No. Is the show good - YES.

This show has the potential to be really really really good. It needs some cutting of songs (which means some principals might be mad and quit) and some scene work, but that’s what previews are for! Could also cut down the cast - there’s way too many actors in the show that don’t really do anything or add to the narrative.

i hope it makes it to Bway!

just in from my sister in Chicago :

" Had a free ticket as they are papering like crazy, it is enjoyable but tries too hard to be relevant, can't see the critics liking it" .

Great point, in doing a scan of ticketmaster - the run is nearly unsold and Broadway capacity looks equally frightening - yes, audiences will await the reviews and the massive marketing spend - but alas, not good.

It IS very relevant. And the way they've worked out all the story beats work great. The story builds and articulates its theme. It's the nitty gritty details of the book that don't quite add up yet--sometimes muddled and then sometimes sledgehammer obvious.

Ignore coopsbiz... they seem to have an agenda... and to be slightly unhinged.

>My sister has spent 25 years working as an executive director of a Chicago theatre company - so your comment of "suddenly a sister" is easily dismissed. <

And so are you.

>Your comments below seem like brochure copy. If you watch the news and examine the algorithms - the public is bored and tired of this topic. This is not about foot stamping - its about reality and a missed opportunity to invent versus copy something else.<

I don't need to ape brochure copy. I have my own eyes and ears, which are fully open. Unlike yours.

> a missed opportunity to invent versus copy something else.<

It's an original story. What is it copying?

And seriously, a new musical trying out, with no marquee stars and opening a theatre during a pandemic. Of course it's papering. Any show in its position would be doing the same. That's not a stick with which to beat it.