** PROMISES, PROMISES OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD ** — Page 3

Katie Finneran is garnering a pretty impressive set of reviews.

She could very well be looking at her second Tony in a race with Angela Lansbury that people had been declaring all but insurmountable before.

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I'll just keep my mouth shut about Finneran.

These reviews are a lot more negative than I expected. Too bad. I had fun, flaws and all. The main issue with this production is Chenoweth though, IMO. Nice to see most critics have good things to say about Hayes. I saw shades of Jack in his performance but I really don't think he RELIED on his Jack shtick to make it work. He did a lot more of that in DAMN YANKEES. But even that worked. Honestly, if he makes me laugh (which he does) I don't really care how he does it. He's very funny, charming, and upstages Broadway vet Chenoweth in this production. That says a lot.

Updated On: 4/25/10 at 10:32 PM

Really? Brantley's review screams nothing if not "Tony for Finneran." Haven't seen the production (3 weeks away!), but am VERY excited to see Ms. Finneran, whose work I've always admired, and was quite excited when her name was announced for this production. Would love to see her win a Tony for this.

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People have to let go of Jack McFarland. It is not Sean Hayes problem. It is people's problem. Sean Hayes has let go and so it is the people, ie. New York Times, Toronto Star among these other so-called weak minded critics who obviously are looking narrow minded one-sided themselves. People can't let go and see beyond Sean as Jack. It is people who have this kind of narrow minded problem.

Reviews are mixed. Mixed only. I choose to not believe these so called media critcs because they only see things from their side and have their own opinions that everyone is not going to go along with. Sean and Kristin got some very positive and wonderful things said. Consider the source with some of these weak and not proficient critics. Sean Hayes is the best and he does have range and depth, if people would be open-minded enough to have a clearer vision. Some critics seem to prefer plays over musicals anyway and that is OK.

Go Sean - Get that Tony and prove everyone wrong! If I could vote, I would vote for Sean Hayes.

First let's see who wins the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Drama League. Although that can mean next to nothing sometimes. Last year Haydn Gwynne won the OCC and Drama Desk but lost the Tony.

Updated On: 4/25/10 at 10:42 PM

^ it can also mean next to nothing if it goes to someone not even eligible for a Tony, like the year Christine Ebersole won everything when Grey Gardens was Off-Broadway.

(not that I think that'll be the case this year, but still)

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The Toronto Star seems to have nailed is squarely. This was a series of failed promises.

These folks had to really work hard to screw this up. They didn't just fail, the uber-failed. Wrong casting, wrong choreography, wrong direction, wrong premise for Gawd's sake.

And at every step along the way, they had to option to fix the problems. They must have known they had massive problems for weeks now. Were they watching the show? Had they seen the original?

Were people replaced? No. Was the director released, er, fired? No.

David Merrick, producer of the original production would NEVER have let this mess open with such obviously correctable problems. We know that for a fact. Merrick was an SOB (this show really needed one) who closed shows in previews. He fired directors, replaced stars, brought in ghost writers and new composers. He got the job done.

And this show was not a new work. It's a damn revival.

The picture of Kristin Chenoweth which accompanies the New York Times review is an excellent example of what's wrong here. She looks like Livia in "I Claudius." That hair style gives her a 23-head. How on earth could the producers not have at least fired the wig maker?

And the fact that the second star gets raves over one of the most accomplished actresses working on Broadway today shows the show is terribly miscast.

What happened to the broken ankle?

It's a good, old-fashioned reliable technique to parachute a miscast or in-over-their-head star out of a show, leading to the last minute arrival of someone who either fits the part better (for one star) or knows how to sing for the other.

This show literally was screaming "Break a leg" and nobody in the front office was listening.

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....and may I add that this show had the LUXURY of almost a WHOLE MONTH of previews, back in the day shows didn't have that luxury...new or old. They had PLENTY of time to work out the kinks.

I'm not surprised by any of these reviews, disappointed....yes, surprised....no.

Updated On: 4/25/10 at 11:07 PM

That giant vein in the middle of Kristin Dawn's forehead must be throbbing right about now.

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After being nominated for a Razzie in three different films on the same year, I'm sure she can take anything.

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She needs to cut back on the injections of whatever the hell she's getting.

I love her to death but the marquee at the Broadway Theater should read:
SEAN HAYES, KRISTIN CHENOWETH, AND KRISTIN CHENOWETH'S VEINY FOREHEAD in 'PROMISES, PROMISES'


Work that default, Marquise.

Updated On: 4/25/10 at 11:23 PM

I loved Brantley's line about Hayes and Chenoweth feeling more like brother and sister than anything else. So true.

Huge letdown for me. I've been in love with this show ever since I discovered Burt Bacharach and his music. I've been longing for a major Broadway revival from the night I saw the material finally unfold before my eyes in that amazing 1997 concert staging at City Center starring Martin Short, Kerry O'Malley, Terrence Mann, Christine Baranski and Dick LaTessa.

This came much too late...it should have been transferred in 97 with that wonderful cast at the height of the Bacharach musical resurgence.

I doubt very seriously that this will ever get another major Broadway revival after this misguided effort.

Now I'm just wondering after all these mostly negative reviews if this show will continue to run or will everyone just cut their losses and just call it a day.