** PROMISES, PROMISES OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD **- Page 6

[bk]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:24pm

The producers of Wicked were not the ones who "demanded" rewrites. They "demanded" nothing. Stephen Schwartz was the one who wanted to do one more rewrite before New York, not the producers. And I don't believe they replaced "a few" of the leads - I believe they replaced Robert Morse - I can't remember any other lead being replaced but perhaps my memory is faulty, although given the nature of your comment about the producers "demanding" rewrites, I'd trust my memory more than yours.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:30pm

I have tix for July 14, will it even be open?

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:31pm

Boq, Dr. Dillamond, and the Wizard were all replaced. While they are not the three leads they are pretty important characters.


Wicked was a mess out of town and word of mouth in New York was less than favorable. The producers were well aware of this and with this being Universal's first foray onto the stage, a considerable amount of pressure was being put on them by the studio. It would be naive for you to assume that the changes that occurred were because of Steven Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. The changes were the result of the requests of the producers to make the book less confusing and more clear for a younger audience. The changes that occurred earlier in workshops regarding the character Glinda were also at the request of the producers.


Edit: Because you are so touchy on the subject, bk - perhaps I should rephrase myself and say "requests" rather than "demands" Updated On: 4/26/10 at 01:31 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:40pm

Reminds me of Xanadu when Carpinello was let go once Jackson started receiving overwhelmingly positive buzz, but it took an injury to make it happen.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:41pm

Not sure where you came up with those percentages. Going by the grading system of Critic-O-Meter, now known as Stage Grade, both Finian's Rainbow and La Cage received an overall grade of A-, with a B+ for Ragtime and a B for A Little Night Music. And the La Cage average is missing the production's newly received raves from NY1, New Yorker and the NY Observer.

It is very similar to the "Rotten Tomatoes" scores for movies, taking the combined rave and positive notices (including mixed leaning positive, i.e. C+ reviews) and dividing by the total number of reviews to determine the overall percentage of favourable reviews. This season's musicals so far...

FELA 100%

FINIAN'S RAINBOW 100%

RAGTIME 89%

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES 88%
(adjusted for the additional 3 raves you mentioned) 88%

MEMPHIS 77%

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM 77%

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC 74%

COME FLY AWAY 72%

AMERICAN IDIOT 67%

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET 64%

PROMISES PROMISES 60%

WHITE CHRISTMAS 45%

THE ADDAMS FAMILY 30%

BYE BYE BIRDIE 21%


The rankings are almost identical to teh gradings given by Stagegrade. (Since Stagegrade took over Critic-o-meter I notice they have been less thorough in reporting reviews published later. The also filter in their own opinions more.)


**Adjusetd to upgrade PROMISES after all the reviews were in.

Updated On: 4/26/10 at 01:41 PM

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 1:45pm

I have tix for July 14, will it even be open?

It has been doing pretty well at the Box Office. Although we will have to wait till next week to see what effect these reviews have.

My guess is that if the show closes it would be around Labor Day. I doubt the producers would close right before prime-tourist season.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:23pm

That's a really interesting list, frontrowcenter, thanks for posting.
Chenoweth was never going to be fired, mainly because the second the producers announced that she was cast in the part I think it became pretty obvious that they weren't interested in having a female lead that was right for the role but rather they just wanted a name that could sell tickets. They knew Chenoweth was interested in MAD MEN and they could just sell her on that. I imagine Chenoweth is doing exactly what everyone (including the producers) knew she would do with the role. There was no way they thought she was going to blow everyone away with her great take on the role, I mean, they even tailored the show around her adding two songs that make no sense in terms of the plot. It's such a shame, THE APARTMENT is one of my favorite love stories and I can only imagine how well PROMISES, PROMISES could have worked with someone who was age-appropriate and actually right for the part (One can only imagine what Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson, both rumored for the part, could have done with the role).

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:37pm

Meryl pretty much had the award in the bag for JULIE & JULIA for several months, what with the sentimentality factor (hasn't won since 1983, but been nominated many times since) and the fact that she got nominated last year and lost. Then THE BLIND SIDE came from nowhere and pitted Sandra Bullock against her.

Nobody is a front-runner during a summer release. Everyone knows the big guns are pulled out over the holiday season and it isn't until then that anyone can begin to have an idea how the Oscars may size up. I don't think there was any conceivable moment Meryl had the award "in the bag".

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:42pm

Nobody is a front-runner during a summer release.

Christoph Waltz was.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:53pm

I don't think Meryl ever had the Oscar in the bag. Carey Mulligan was a huge threat at one point, so was Gabourey Sidibe. In fact, I'm sure both of those ladies got many, many votes. The second it was announced that Sandra Bullock won the Golden Globe, the race was closed. Unless we see Finneran picking up the Outer Critics Circle and/or the Drama Desk, it's still Lansbury's to lose in my opinion.

~Steven

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:55pm

StageGrade is giving the show an overall grade of B-. That seems way too high.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 2:56pm

No way this show has a B- grade, especially with Brantley's anti-love letter.

~Steven

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 3:06pm

That happened in the Golden Age too. George Abbott, Jerome Robbins and Neil Simon were often brought into doctor shows without credit.

It is kind of comical and slightly disappointing that this show failed while there were two skilled "show doctors" on the team - Neil Simon and Rob Ashford.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 3:21pm

Finian's Rainbow did not get 100% raves. Entertainment Weekly, Time Out New York and New York Observer, all major sources, were mixed at best. And I think you are undercutting La Cage's critical reception to somehow make it appear that Ragtime got a better set of reviews, which it did not.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 3:24pm

Interesting way of summarising a show, I have never seen a school grade system used before, but made enjoyable reading, cheers Smaxie and All.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 4:09pm

The big problem, I think all of us would grudgingly agree, is that the leadership was missing.

Today, there don't seem to be very many "producers" on Broadway.

Today we have "presenters." These are people who raise the money, engage the stars and directorial staff and then stand back and watch the magic happen.

Tell that to David Merrick. He's say "What, are you $^*^ing nuts?" "I put my hand in there."

And boy, did he ever. The job of the producer is to dominate and micromanage and piss people off. It's not a love fest. In many ways, a producer is like a head chef. Watch the show with that British &*&*ard who comes in and rescues kitchens. THAT"S what you want for a producer.

It really is like a restaurant. Everyone thinks it would be fun to be a restaurateur. Stand out front and smile and greet your patrons.

Well, in reality, it's hell-on-earth in a boiling hot environment. If you want to shake hands, get take the job as the host or hostess. If you want to be the top dog, roll up your sleeves and get busy.

Look at how Merrick kept "Hello Dolly" alive and compare it to how the Weisslers are propping up "Chicago" these days. Merrick's idea of "stunt casting" was to replace the entire cast with a black cast and bring in Pearl Bailey. With one swoop, he fired everyone on stage, recast, re-rehearsed and re-mounted the show while it was still running (I bet they didn't miss a performance, "White cast, the door's over there, prop it open for the black cast coming in.")

Barry and Fran hire Ashley Simpson.

I checked out the list of producers on "Promises, Promises" and the one name that stands out is Terry Allen Kramer, someone whose career stretches back decades on Broadway. I'd love to know who was calling the shots on this one. Was it the TV/movie guys, was it the BAA guys? Was it Kramer?

I hope it wasn't Tori Spelling's mom.....

Even the Wex

[Piper3500]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 4:17pm

"Christoph Waltz was"

so was Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump)

[Kalimba]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 4:19pm

This will run. The average theatre-goer today loves mediocre productions that get mixed to negative reviews (see The Addams Family).

[Piper3500]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 4:25pm

^ that is a different kettle of fish though really with perhaps an even different "average theatre goer" base.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:13pm

Of course it'll run. I don't see how anyone can think they're gonna close up right away because of these reviews. The Tonys are right around the corner (I think this will still get a Tony nod for Best Revival and will perform on the telecast) as is the summer aka tourist season. And if the audience I saw the show with last week is any indication, word of mouth should be pretty positive. They weren't going bat**** crazy over it, but they seemed to be having a pretty good time.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:23pm

To misquote Oliver Twist's Mr. Bumble - "the audience is a ass."

To take audience response as any proof of quality in a show is misguided. The herd will love any shiny thing put in front of them for which they have been convinced to pay $120. Dance of the Vampires got a standing ovation the night I saw it.

[SquareTimes]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:28pm

I really disagree with some of you who have been attacking "Promises, Promises." Critical reviews or not, it's hands down the most deserving of the Tony for Best Revival. Hands down.

I was amazed that a show that is so specific to the 1960's could feel so effortlessly relevant to the present time.

As critical as I usually am about Broadway shows, I have to say that every production and directorial decision was perfect. And I'd go so far as to say that I can no longer imagine anyone else in those roles.

One of the problems with the original play, of course, is that the character of Fran is always portrayed as a two-dimensional paper doll victim --- the passive object of Sheldrake and Baxter's affections. Kristin Chenoweth has breathed real humanity into the part, imbuing it with sadness and tragedy, but also strength and growth. For the first time, the character has an arc, and you are actually rooting for her and C.C. to get together as a couple. That emotional depth would have been impossible without the superb incorporation of "Say a Little Prayer" and "House Is Not a Home" which book-end her emotional journey in the First Act. And the night I was at the theater, those songs caused the audience to explode in applause and emotion.

At the same time, Chenoweth has demonstrated new range for her own career, dropping her voice tone to an octave of womanly perfectly and displaying a new sobriety and maturity as an actress that makes me want to see what else she's got in her.

I for one, will be going back to see that show again and again.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:28pm

Smaxie, I did not say FINAIN'S RAINBOW got 100% RAVES...I said it got 100% positive notices: 15 Raves, 6 Favorable and 3 mixed but all 3 were leaning favorable (C+); No negative, No pans. Therefore 100% favorable.

LA CAGE (according to http://stagegrade.com/productions/392) got 13 raves, 6 favorable, 0 mixed, 2 negative and 1 pan. 19 favorable notices divided by 22 reviews = 86% favourable.
If you add the 3 additional raves you found that stagegrade ignores that raises the number of favorable to 22 divided by 25 overall reviews, which comes out to 88%

RAGTIME got 15 Raves, 7 favorable, 2 mixed leaning favorable, 1 truly on the fence, 1 mixed leaning unfavorable and 1 outright pan. 24 favorable notices divided by 27 overall reviews is 89% favorable.

I don't know why you think I am manipulating figures to make one show come out ahead. As you know, I collect stats, and I have just been keeping track all season of the reviews every show has gotten. It intrigues me that FINAIAN'S RAINBOW got the best set of reviews of all the revivals and would likely win the Tony award IF it were still running.

Following this same logic, FELA would win Best Musical (19 out of 19 reviews all positive.)

I'll be very interested to see if the nominees in each category follow the critical consensus.

[Marquise]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:38pm

Hey look! A member of the production (SquareTimes) joined the board today to tell us how wrong some and over a dozen critics are about our assessment of the show!

Kristin, is that you?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/26/10 at 5:40pm

>Critical reviews or not, it's hands down the most deserving of the Tony for Best Revival. Hands down.<

I think La Cage, Ragtime, Finian's AND Night Music were/are all superior. Promises was better than Bye Bye Birdie, though, I'll give it that.