#1
Posted: 3/6/07 at 10:48am
As I've posted on this board before, I saw this show a few times in Chicago and really saw a lot of potential. I've been pulling for the show to fulfill that potential ever since seeing it at the Cadillac. I have a ticket to see it this Wednesday (tomorrow) and have been very excited for that day to come so I could see what changes have been made and if the show has acheived all I think it could be.
So you can imagine my delight when yesterday afternoon around 5:00 I got a call from a friend of mine who works on a different Broadway show and had an extra ticket for the Gypsy run! I dropped everything and got myself to The Hilton to get in line.
I'd never been to a Gypsy run thru before, and that was an experience in and of itself. Sitting in a theater amongst so many familiar faces from shows I've enjoyed over the years was quite a thrill.
But for the show:
THEY'RE SO CLOSE!!!
For those who saw it in Chicago, I can't tell you how much it has improved. Stories have been focussed, character more developed, INCREDIBLE new musical moments added (Stephanie's opening song WOMAN brought down the house).
A big problem for me at this point (and one that I believe can be fixed) is one of momentum. Every time the show starts to suck you in, there is often a musical interlude of some kind where nothing is really happening and it allows the audience to relax and drop out. There is so much material and information being thrown at us in such a short time, I don't think you can give the audience time to tune out. Also, and this may sound trite, but I wish there were more BIG musical endings to numbers. You have some of Broadway's most incredible singers gathered on one stage and they are singing their brains out, and a lot of times the end of their songs doesn't allow the audience to "reward" the singers for their work. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I'd love more big endings.
Clearly, and I hope it's as clear to the Pirate Queen creative team as it was to me and seemingly the rest of the audience, the BIGGEST flaw of the show is that there is no real dramatic ending. This was an issue in Chicago, and they are starting to address it I think, but the show never really ends. Without giving too much away, there is a heartfelt reunion at the end of the show, and all of the sudden people start bowing. YOU HAVE TO END THE SHOW PLEASE! We need that one great musical AND visual moment to punctuate the end of the 2 1/2 hour journey for us. LET THOSE SINGERS SING and create that magical picture that the audience needs to leave remembering. There is a great opportunity for that to happen, but right now it doesn't. That being said, it seemed SO CLEAR in the audience that this needed to be addressed, I can only assume the creatives involved know they need to give us a more satisfying ending.
I've read a few other posts where people had trouble following the story. Maybe it's because I've seen it a few times in different incarnations, but I have really no trouble understanding what's going on. I feel the book is nicely streamlined and that the added dialogue scenes did great things for clarity.
The costumes, set and LIGHTING are truly gorgeous and will most likely be rewarded.
The performances, across the board, have only grown since Chicago. I don't know when I've seen a show that is so well cast.
Stephanie- Truly brilliant (and I hate that word). Her singing and acting are pitch perfect for this role. I was trying to imagine various other actresses portraying Grace O'Mally, and while I can assume others would do a good job, Stephanie has already left a lasting mark on this role.
Hadley- What a voice. I'll Be There is a highlight of the show, and he backs up the singing with simple/understated acting. A wonderful Broadway debut.
Linda- I have never been too enthusiastic about the scenes that take place in England, but they've improved since Chicago. Her keys have been lowered I believe, so it was somewhat easier to understand her, although I still had some trouble at certain moments (as did others around me). But she fills her gorgeous costumes with a regality a poise that really works for the character. I just wish they would have rethought the entire England presence in the show, but that's clearly not going to happen. She gives a very solid performance in what is a demanding role.
Marcus- His character has perhaps benefitted the most from the changes in Chicago, and he finds a way to make Donal, a man we should just hate, almost sympathetic. The writers have done a great job at making us understand why he is so terrible in the 2nd act of the play, and we almost end up feeling sorry for him. He backs up a very powerful voice with great acting in a role that could be played as stereotypical bad guy.
Jeff- While looking eerily like Jean Val Jean, he does a great job with his one act role, delivering his trademark beautiful voice and gravitas as leader of the clan. His relationship with Stephanie is a bit more flushed out as well. Very strong.
William- Finds just the right balance between his dramatic and humorous moments. His relationship with Elizabeth has been deepened, and there is almost a sexual tension between the two of them now. He is terrific as Lord Bingham.
The ensemble looks and sounds glorious. Much more dancing has been added since Chicago, and the audience seemed to eat it up. Did I mention I happen to like shirtless pirates!
It was a great night at the theater for me, because it was a clear example of why shows go out of town and have previews...so they can do THE WORK to make their show as great as it can be. Pirate Queen is NOT great...YET. But it's much better than it was, and it is VERY GOOD. But a note to the producers and creatives of the Pirate Queen...IT CAN BE GREAT! We can only hope that they are willing to do the necessary work to get it there by next month. If the work that's been done thus far is any indication, I'm going to trust they'll get there. I'm hesitant to say it because I'd hate to see them give up working now, but already I think it's a show that a lot of tourists would enjoy. BUT KEEP MOVING FORWARD, please!
Personally, I miss the days of the Epic Musical, so I want to see this show succeed and hopefully encourage more people to take on projects like this. After all, these are the kind of shows that jacked ticket prices up to the insane level they're at now! At least with Pirate Queen you can see where all that money is going!
With all the bad press and word of mouth this show has received since Chicago, there were a lot of surprised people at The Hilton last night. Check it out. I think you might enjoy it.
I'll report back after tomorrow nights show to see what changes if any they've made thus far.
And hopefully I won't talk so much!
-QB
Sorry for starting a new thread, but I knew I'd have a lot to say and didn't want my post to get lost in the madness, for those whom I knew might be interested.
So you can imagine my delight when yesterday afternoon around 5:00 I got a call from a friend of mine who works on a different Broadway show and had an extra ticket for the Gypsy run! I dropped everything and got myself to The Hilton to get in line.
I'd never been to a Gypsy run thru before, and that was an experience in and of itself. Sitting in a theater amongst so many familiar faces from shows I've enjoyed over the years was quite a thrill.
But for the show:
THEY'RE SO CLOSE!!!
For those who saw it in Chicago, I can't tell you how much it has improved. Stories have been focussed, character more developed, INCREDIBLE new musical moments added (Stephanie's opening song WOMAN brought down the house).
A big problem for me at this point (and one that I believe can be fixed) is one of momentum. Every time the show starts to suck you in, there is often a musical interlude of some kind where nothing is really happening and it allows the audience to relax and drop out. There is so much material and information being thrown at us in such a short time, I don't think you can give the audience time to tune out. Also, and this may sound trite, but I wish there were more BIG musical endings to numbers. You have some of Broadway's most incredible singers gathered on one stage and they are singing their brains out, and a lot of times the end of their songs doesn't allow the audience to "reward" the singers for their work. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I'd love more big endings.
Clearly, and I hope it's as clear to the Pirate Queen creative team as it was to me and seemingly the rest of the audience, the BIGGEST flaw of the show is that there is no real dramatic ending. This was an issue in Chicago, and they are starting to address it I think, but the show never really ends. Without giving too much away, there is a heartfelt reunion at the end of the show, and all of the sudden people start bowing. YOU HAVE TO END THE SHOW PLEASE! We need that one great musical AND visual moment to punctuate the end of the 2 1/2 hour journey for us. LET THOSE SINGERS SING and create that magical picture that the audience needs to leave remembering. There is a great opportunity for that to happen, but right now it doesn't. That being said, it seemed SO CLEAR in the audience that this needed to be addressed, I can only assume the creatives involved know they need to give us a more satisfying ending.
I've read a few other posts where people had trouble following the story. Maybe it's because I've seen it a few times in different incarnations, but I have really no trouble understanding what's going on. I feel the book is nicely streamlined and that the added dialogue scenes did great things for clarity.
The costumes, set and LIGHTING are truly gorgeous and will most likely be rewarded.
The performances, across the board, have only grown since Chicago. I don't know when I've seen a show that is so well cast.
Stephanie- Truly brilliant (and I hate that word). Her singing and acting are pitch perfect for this role. I was trying to imagine various other actresses portraying Grace O'Mally, and while I can assume others would do a good job, Stephanie has already left a lasting mark on this role.
Hadley- What a voice. I'll Be There is a highlight of the show, and he backs up the singing with simple/understated acting. A wonderful Broadway debut.
Linda- I have never been too enthusiastic about the scenes that take place in England, but they've improved since Chicago. Her keys have been lowered I believe, so it was somewhat easier to understand her, although I still had some trouble at certain moments (as did others around me). But she fills her gorgeous costumes with a regality a poise that really works for the character. I just wish they would have rethought the entire England presence in the show, but that's clearly not going to happen. She gives a very solid performance in what is a demanding role.
Marcus- His character has perhaps benefitted the most from the changes in Chicago, and he finds a way to make Donal, a man we should just hate, almost sympathetic. The writers have done a great job at making us understand why he is so terrible in the 2nd act of the play, and we almost end up feeling sorry for him. He backs up a very powerful voice with great acting in a role that could be played as stereotypical bad guy.
Jeff- While looking eerily like Jean Val Jean, he does a great job with his one act role, delivering his trademark beautiful voice and gravitas as leader of the clan. His relationship with Stephanie is a bit more flushed out as well. Very strong.
William- Finds just the right balance between his dramatic and humorous moments. His relationship with Elizabeth has been deepened, and there is almost a sexual tension between the two of them now. He is terrific as Lord Bingham.
The ensemble looks and sounds glorious. Much more dancing has been added since Chicago, and the audience seemed to eat it up. Did I mention I happen to like shirtless pirates!
It was a great night at the theater for me, because it was a clear example of why shows go out of town and have previews...so they can do THE WORK to make their show as great as it can be. Pirate Queen is NOT great...YET. But it's much better than it was, and it is VERY GOOD. But a note to the producers and creatives of the Pirate Queen...IT CAN BE GREAT! We can only hope that they are willing to do the necessary work to get it there by next month. If the work that's been done thus far is any indication, I'm going to trust they'll get there. I'm hesitant to say it because I'd hate to see them give up working now, but already I think it's a show that a lot of tourists would enjoy. BUT KEEP MOVING FORWARD, please!
Personally, I miss the days of the Epic Musical, so I want to see this show succeed and hopefully encourage more people to take on projects like this. After all, these are the kind of shows that jacked ticket prices up to the insane level they're at now! At least with Pirate Queen you can see where all that money is going!
With all the bad press and word of mouth this show has received since Chicago, there were a lot of surprised people at The Hilton last night. Check it out. I think you might enjoy it.
I'll report back after tomorrow nights show to see what changes if any they've made thus far.
And hopefully I won't talk so much!
-QB
Sorry for starting a new thread, but I knew I'd have a lot to say and didn't want my post to get lost in the madness, for those whom I knew might be interested.
Updated On: 3/7/07 at 10:48 AM
