Posted: 10/7/17 at 2:54pm
I like to think that any epic musical can be done small with the right director and plenty of creativity from the cast and creative team but that picture doesn't look too creative. Maybe they're afraid a bigger budget will turn this into that Val Kilmer Ten Commandments fiasco or is that not even on their minds?
Posted: 10/7/17 at 3:18pm
This material deserves so much better.
Posted: 10/7/17 at 11:09pm
Um, can we all... wait for some actual reports on the show before you decide, from one poorly-taken photo, that it's a disaster?
Updated On: 10/7/17 at 11:09 PM
Posted: 10/8/17 at 12:45am
ChairinMain said: "Um, can we all... wait for some actual reports onthe show before you decide, from one poorly-taken photo, that it's a disaster?"
Don't be silly. What would the point of that be?
All I can say is I'm glad I'm not the one that has to let TheatreWorks know some of these folks won't be attending. There will be a lot of tears shed in Mt. View when they find out.
Posted: 10/8/17 at 10:32am
I saw the show last night. I was really excited to see it and unlike some, I thought Schwart’s staging of HUNCHBACK I saw in San Diego was fantastic. This is not that. It’s a mess.
Here’s what I thought really worked:
Brennyn Lark (Tzipporah) — hands down the best performance in this show. She brings this production alive the moment she comes on stage and is magnetic.
Diluckshan Jeyaratnam (Moses) — it took him some time to come alive — and really happened when he got to share scenes with Lark and had less scenes with Jason Gotay He was interesting and a tiny but unconventional enough that I would like to see more of him in the future
the lighting design — really worked and told the story
WHAT DIDNT WORK
everything else
oy vey where do I even start? Oh yeah, Scott Schwartz The simplest way to say it is he hasn’t cracked this yet. You can fee it wants to be a bromance version of WICKED but it’s the wrong approach. There’s very little here that lands emotionally. He’s gonna for a more representational approach to the story and it does not work. For instance — the burning bush moment — which is the inciting incident — happens so fast and feels like a fly by moment to the point emotionally it feels like it could be lifted. Except for the fact that plot wise it sets up everything that comes after it. And the ending — the crossing of the Red Sea — actually made me laugh outloud.
The choreography. Some of the worst stuff I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t fit the music. It doesn’t fit the story and it doesn’t tell a story or move the narrative along. And the way they use the ensemble doesn’t help. I think a flat footed freshman dance major could have done better.
The songs — Warning: I’m not a large Stephen Schwartz fan. HUNCHBACK is actually the only show of his I’ve ever seen I’ve thought was really great (at least music-wise). Most of the songs from the movie are here and they’re fun. By and large, the new stuff ranges from weak to out right bad (like the Moses-Ramses bromance duet.) It all just sounds the same. It’s not the worst part of the show but could be better.
The Book— I get this is a tricky story. The movie had this problem — especially the ending feeling rushed- but little lands here. The show wants to be about Moses and Ramses bond but that doesn’t quite land. And it really doesn’t know what to do with Moses being a deliverer of his people. It seems like they’re afraid to tackle the religion/theology of the story, which is absurd because the program notes talk about how part of the reason they put this together is because churches and synagogues wanted the rights. It just needs to restructure some stuff and then find a way to actually tackle the very visual things that happen in the last half (plagues, parting of the Red Sea) because right now it’s clear they don’t know how to handle that on the scale of this production so they kinda just stand there and sing it’s happening but none of it feels real.
The costumes — who knew they work American Eagle shorts in ancient Egypt?
the finale — I actually laughed out loud. The fact that they essentially do reprises of EVERY SINGLE NUMBER in the show proves they don’t know what this is
Jason Gotay — Noway. I considered myself a fan of his going into the show and was excited to see him. I came out saying I will think twice before I ever go see another show he’s in. First and foremost, he is just miscast. He doesn’t have the strength, presence or magnitude to play at his character. Moreover, he plays Ramses like he’s a sullen, whiny emo kid who just wants a cookie.
The Ensemble — they were misused and just felt like they took up space and didn’t add anything
My overall thought? Skip it. Lark is good but not worth sitting through the rest of the dreck for her performance. It’s possible to make this better - but only with a new director and choreographer. As long as those elements don’t change this show is unsalvagable.
Posted: 10/8/17 at 10:53am
Just found this and the person said the same thing here:
https://thedawgthatdraws.tumblr.com/post/166174002706/thoughts-on-the-prince-of-egypt-musical-so-i
Oh god.
And just wow:
They seriously have Rameses and Moses RECONCILING at the end and Ramses goes with them?!
Again: wow. They seriously not missed the whole of the point of the story, but they also ignored the Torah & Bible.
I'm afraid to ask: How do they do Deliver Us and the Red Sea?
Posted: 10/8/17 at 1:13pm
i will go see this with an open mind
theatreworks is not broadway its local/regional theatrr
Posted: 10/8/17 at 2:26pm
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Just found this and theperson said the samething here:
https://thedawgthatdraws.tumblr.com/post/166174002706/thoughts-on-the-prince-of-egypt-musical-so-i
Oh god.
Andjust wow:
Again: wow.They seriously notmissed the whole of the point of the story, but they also ignored the Torah & Bible.
I'm afraid to ask:How do they do Deliver Us and the Red Sea?"
Wait, where in either rundown does it say that Ramses goes with the Hebrews at the end? The only one that mentions specifics is the Tumblr review, and it says that Moses and Ramses have a conversation where they reconcile, and then Hotep leads the charge of Egyptians after the Hebrews through the Red Sea, leaving Ramses to pick up the pieces of his destroyed kingdom back in Egypt.
Posted: 10/8/17 at 5:11pm
LOL you can't tell me a project that's been worked for a couple of years, has established equity actors, and a huge title everyone knows isn't trying to go Broadway? Girl bye. It sounds like Stephen Schwartz needs to stop forcing his son into all his projects. This material DESERVES a huge epic grand scale production. I'm praying they realize this and work in it more. It was one of my favorite movies growing up.
Posted: 10/8/17 at 7:41pm
Schwartz and Prince of Egypt made the Cover of the Sunday pink section (entertainment) for the SF chronicle. Article link below
http://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/Stephen-Schwartz-puts-his-wizardry-to-work-on-12252820.php
Posted: 10/8/17 at 8:59pm
Nepotism always sucks, but this is just inexcusable after the Hunchback disaster. Stephen has decided that letting his boy feel like an accomplished director (despite never once making any public display of actual skill) is more important than the fate of material that has meant a great deal to many people. It's pathetic and infuriating. With Hunchback, Scott Schwartz directed the most amateurish professional production I have ever seen, by a mile, out of over 2,000. I can't believe that he was still handed the keys to this.
Updated On: 10/8/17 at 08:59 PM
Posted: 10/10/17 at 9:43am
Sapsorrow: Huh. That was how I comprehended it at first. I just read it again. My bad.
Posted: 10/11/17 at 7:46am
The pictures do look really beautiful. Love the lighting for the river
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-Get-A-First-Look-At-THE-PRINCE-OF-EGYPT-Musical-at-TheatreWorks-Silicon-Valley-20171010
Posted: 10/11/17 at 10:22am
It looks like it has the production value of a higher-end high school production.
Posted: 10/11/17 at 6:50pm
Finally got the tix today at today tix. They also do todaytix lottery.
More pics on today tix
Check out The Prince of Egypt on TodayTix! I'm thinking of going... https://www.todaytix.com/shows/sf-bay-area/4725-the-prince-of-egypt
Posted: 10/12/17 at 4:52am
For today...lemme talk most about the stage.
The show in general was sufficient and will actually be greater when polished more towards an eventual Broadway run. The use of actors as props actually enhanced the show because of the artistic incorporation of modern and ethnic dancing in the interpretative representation of the chariots, burning bush, desert...etc. Think of it as war horse props but instead of pupets....humans are used and it makes people use mode of their imagination and artistic interpretation instead of the literal scenery and props we see in a regular show. The lighting and projection also worked on this early stage because the texture, background, and feeling of a scene can be manipulated whether it be in the nile, inside the Egyptian palaces, the Passover, or the parting of the sea. The raised and slanted stage that seemingly represent Egypt looks unique and maybe in can move forward in future incarnation. The hanging cloud/ tapestry/ screen completes and complements the stage as it reflects additional projected designs whether it be the hieroglyphs or hebrew characters. They had a talk back after the show today.
Posted: 10/12/17 at 9:43am
Could someone post the song list please?
Posted: 10/12/17 at 1:10pm
Here is the song list. Check my twitter @antonijan for more pics
Act 1
Deliver Us
Faster
Ma'at
One Weak Link
The Secret Room
Footprints on the Sand
Dance to the Day
All I Ever Wanted
I Will Make It Right/No Power on Earth
Through Heaven's Eyes
Never in a Million Years
Act 1 Finale
Act 2
One of Us
The Naming Ceremony
Always On My Side
One of Us (reprise)
The Plagues
For the rest of my Life
Heartless
When You Believe
Ma'at (reprise)
Act 2 Finale
Posted: 10/12/17 at 1:57pm
ChairinMain said: "Um, can we all... wait for some actual reports onthe show before you decide, from one poorly-taken photo, that it's a disaster?"
I saw it. "Disaster" isn't far off.
Posted: 10/12/17 at 2:27pm
I beg to differ and say it is good....and may even be better than Beauty and the Beast!
I will share more thoughts later but my cell is crappy and it just actually froze and deleted some of my reviews already....
So I will share the talkbacks for now...
https://youtu.be/GX7q3bwqRWw
Posted: 10/12/17 at 10:22pm
thanks so much for recording the talkback!!!!
Posted: 10/13/17 at 11:25am
While I haven't seen it yet, I can't speak to the writing, but I can't see how something this terribly designed (from what I see thus far) could be better than B and the B...at least the creatives knew that B and B wasn't a abstract, avant garde and representational sort of piece and tried to make it something that it isn't.
And do these two seriously not know how to end an Act 1 anymore??? "Heaven's Eye's" SCREAMS act break, it couldn't be more obvious if they tried, it checks off everything an act break should be and needs to be. Much like Hellfire....Esmeralda could have easily started Act 2 in Hunchback and unless I'm mistaken it sounds like what does send Act 1 here, is the same way. And of course "Big Boys" is the one cut song...I'm not gonna lie y'all, I actually think that song is better than most people think, and I figured it would be cut when they decided to combine Hotep and Huy into one character...bad idea. While it's a SLIGHT odd duck from the rest of the songs we already know, it's still within the same musical universe and serves a purpose to the story.
antonijan-I don't think they have Broadway plans for this. I think Hunchback was ssoorrrttt of planned, (Arden's reaction tweet seems to be the clue to that), but to my recollection, they've said Broadway isn't the plan for this. And as it's been said already, if this is the end product, then I'd rather not see it on Broadway. This movie is too good to have something less then stellar to put on Broadway, and it seems less than stellar is what we're getting.
Posted: 10/14/17 at 11:21pm
Happy Opening Night!!!
If they have no plans for bway...then my life is complete.
Happy to have seen it and if they dont go to bway as they say....I can be in peace and was able to witness it but i would think the demand would grow
i can say that it is actually one of my favorites!!!!
If they dont change anything....it still works and would be up there un my top 10 theatrical experiene of all time.
Again...
Happy Opening Night tonight!!!
And #Lort #Merde #BreakALeg 
