PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE first previe- Page 6

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/12/11 at 2:54pm

"I may be in the singular minority but I find Donna Murphy very cold in everything she does acting/singing".

Nope, not alone. I have disliked her in everything I've seen her in for a decade or more - but she blew me away in this. She is amazing. The show needs work, and they are working on it. This may not be a blockbuster, but it can be a very good show.

[bwayintern]

Posted: 4/12/11 at 3:43pm

I saw it last weekend and was pleasantly surprised. After reading about it on here I was expecting the worst, but it turned out to be funnier and more touching than I would have thought. The songs are a bit "cutesy" sometimes, but only when they are meant to be, in a very tongue-in-cheek way I thought. The "picture" characters all were for the most part very likable, and I thought Donna Murphy did a great job transitioning in her character and moving through the pieces seamlessly. I was surprised at how emotional I got in the 2nd act, though! Don't know if it was just me or it had been a long week or what, but I was literally sobbing for the last 15 minutes and into the curtain call...not even because it was THAT good or anything, but it really is very sad subject matter in those parts! Overall I thought it was a great new piece though...looking forward to seeing how it fares come awards time.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/13/11 at 12:34am

Just saw it tonight (Tues). Well, it wasn't the worst but wasn't the best. The first act does nearly put you to sleep. I kept shifting in my seat (I was sitting in the mzz so part of that was just out of the uncomfortable seating up there). I was enjoying the music during the first half but found it all seem to sound the same by Act II. I liked the song "Now and Then" in the second act. I kept thinking someone like Audra would do this in a cabaret act. The song that Murphy sings near the end of Act II while remembering her lover from the past should have been her 11:00 number. They should have beefed up the second half of the song and had him back off of the stage leaving her alone to finish the song center stage. It didn't have to be a "power ballad" as it wouldn't really fit in this show, but it could have been a beautiful moment of just her onstage. I couldn't help but think of Miss Saigon while watching it and how people who had been there had a problem watching the show. I can see this being the case for Jewish people. Although, this tells their story in a loving way. I don't expect great notices for it and as good as Murphy is, I don't see a nomination. Also, the set was kind of cool but they used that black and white movie affect one too many times for me.

[rgdave]

Posted: 4/13/11 at 10:51pm

Just dreadful. Saw it (or, more accurately, half of it, since we left at intermission) tonight, 4/13. I didn't think that anything this season could bump 'Spider Man' from it's esteemed position at the top of my 'Worst Musical of the Year' list, but 'People in the Picture' is my new top pick for dreadful. The songs, for the most part, sounded all the same. The lighting was dark. The orchestra, split between two boxes, seemed like an afterthought. And I didn't care about the characters at all. Maybe this musical will resonate with a Jewish audience of a certain age, but it didn't with me.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/13/11 at 11:04pm

The orchestra has been split in the two boxes for quite sometime now . It was not for this show. Bringing that up seems to be petty and apparently you feel the need to throw that in to alledgedly make your point that the show, in your opinion, stinks

It is that your opinion - nothing more & nothing less. I admit it will have a limited appeal & probably will not succeed but not because it is a bad show. The subject matter is to dark and if people are shelling out a kings ransom for tickets they want a feel good show. This is not it. While well done it is anything but a feel good show toe tapping show.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/13/11 at 11:29pm

I LIKED IT!

Act I was slow, Act II was better. The score is sweet, simplistic, and supports the story rather than overshadowing it.

Donna Murphy will get a Tony nod.

It's much better than WONDERLAND and SPIDER-MAN. I say SEE IT.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/13/11 at 11:56pm

Act II has been orchestrated by now, I take it? Or is that how it was supposed to be all along? I hope Donna Murphy gets a Tony nomination, not based on anything but my admiration for her...someone said they found her cold in all her parts, but I found her to be the opposite in real life.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 12:27am

If there is any justice in the world, she will not only get the nomination but win the Tony.

The only way this succeeds to any extent is halfway decent reviews & a Tony win for her. I did enjoy Wonderland more but liked this a lot. Wonderland needs to lose those Flash Gordon helmets at the end of the show.

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 12:44am

Saw it tonight and found it a beautiful show. Murphy is amazing in it.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 12:51am

"Act II has been orchestrated by now, I take it? Or is that how it was supposed to be all along? I hope Donna Murphy gets a Tony nomination, not based on anything but my admiration for her...someone said they found her cold in all her parts, but I found her to be the opposite in real life."

Yes, act 2 is orchestrated, and it was always intended to be. They were probably behind the gun and didn't want to cancel the first preview. It was Bryan2 that found Murphy cold, and until this show, I agreed with him. As I said upthread, I have never liked her before, but she completely won me over in this. I think at least a nomination for her is a lock. A win? Not so sure about that, but she is quite remarkable in this.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 1:07am

I think this is the first show I've ever seen where I actually fell asleep -- but I still liked it. Probably because Act II was so much more compelling!

[americanboy99]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 10:22am

Seeing it tonight. Very optimistic/ excited.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 10:48am

Enjoy, americanboy. Please come back and let us know your thoughts.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 4/14/11 at 11:52pm

Going tomorrow night, and looking very forward to it. Last year I saw another musical about the Holocause, Signs of Life. I was so moved by it, sobbed uncontrollably at the end. I hope this one doesn't disappoint.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 2:27am

Two great the scenes. Worth the ticket price.. well, the $12 I paid. The rest is pretty dull.

Murphy is quite good. Nicole Parker is awful. The set (minus the distracting projections) is stunning.

I'll post a full review tomorrow.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 2:50am

I really enjoyed this show. I liked the book by Iris Dart, the music by Stoller & Butler, the orchestration, direction, the dancing, etc.

I guess the fact that I'm Jewish and come from a crazy family with a lot of people that dissappeared during the war made it easier for me the relate to the characters.

The entire cast was brilliant, Alexander Gemignani stood out to me the most, and also the former Mad TV cast member Nicole Parker. I had no idea she could sing like that and that she played Elphaba in Wicked. Loved her performance. It was also nice to see that sexy doctor from N2N again. Donna Murphy was very enjoyable too. Who knew?

Glad to see a musical that wasn't inspired by a movie for a change...

Updated On: 4/15/11 at 02:50 AM

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 9:56am

"Just dreadful. Saw it (or, more accurately, half of it, since we left at intermission) tonight, 4/13. I didn't think that anything this season could bump 'Spider Man' from it's esteemed position at the top of my 'Worst Musical of the Year' list, but 'People in the Picture' is my new top pick for dreadful."

I'm not a fan of this show, either, but you have no right to call it the worst musical of the year if you didn't sit though the whole thing, particularly because while the first act was really dull, the second act was actually better, and had some, but not enough redeeming qualities. You can not be an accurate and fair judge if you didn't the show as a whole.

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 12:51am

I FINALLY saw this tonight...
From reading this thread you would think I was heading in to watch a really horrible JR Production.
I enjoyed it..The first and second act.I thought Donna Murphy was incredible...and left the theater incredibly touched.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 2:52am

I mean while Donna Murphy does deserve a nomination for this show, it's not like she won't get one anyway. She's basically only fighting off Decal and Leavel.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 9:39am

Does anyone know if they've made changes?


pS Those of you who think Donna won't be nominated must be terrible at predicting Tony noms. All we've been talking about all season is who dry the Best Actress in a musical race is going to be: Patina Miller, Sutton Foster, and Donna Murphy are the only locks because most of the musicals this season have been male driven. Haven't seen "Baby it's you" or "Wonderland" yet so can't say how good those ladies are.... am I forgetting anyone?

I'm one of the few people that saw Women on The Verge in the final days when it had finally got it's act together (went back again a few days later, cause I actually loved it), and I'm seriously hoping that Sherie Rene gets a nod... I thought she was wonderful, but I'm not holding my breath.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 9:53am

Miller, Foster, and Murphy are locks for nominations. If Rose Hemingway is deemed a leading actress for H2$, she'll probably get the 4th nomination. If not, then the last two spots will be between 2 of the following three women: Sherie Renee Scott, Janet Decal, and Beth Leavel.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 10:59am

I was there last night also and I loved it, every single minute. I don't get the hate. I cried several times. I'm Jewish and my friend with me isn't, she wasn't as moved but loved loved loved it also. Gees, Raizel was a performer in a Yiddish Vaudeville group.....Donna Murphy is AMAZING, her transfer from young to old in seconds was spot on. Tony for sure. Loved the kid who played the granddaughter.

[JillianSch]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 1:23pm

Saw the show last night and adored it. It was so moving, a true stellar performance by all. Murphy should defiantly get a nom. I am Jewish so maybe I could relate more to the story- but I don't think you need to be Jewish in order to be moved by the story. I'm surprised people on here hated it so passionately.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 2:40pm

Pippin, he didn't call it the worst musical of year; he said it was at the top of his worst musical of the year list. That's certainly a fair opinion, if he did indeed find the show too bad to even sit through. Who are you to say what someone's "right" is when it comes to their opinion?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 2:56pm

It is impossible to have a fully informed opinion on a show that you haven't seen all of. It's as simple as that. There is nothing fair at all about judging an entire show after viewing half of it.