I found it awfully boring, largely due to any hint of momentum being undercut by commercial breaks and the energy of performances sapped by how it was shot. I cannot imagine anyone watching all 3 hours with rapt attention.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I found it awfully boring, largely due to any hint of momentum being undercut by commercial breaks and the energy of performances sapped by how it was shot. I cannot imagine anyone watching all 3 hours with rapt attention. --- Kad, exactly as I was posting throughout on the board was far more entertaining
"Anything you do, let it it come from you--then it will be new."
Sunday in the Park with George
I thought Allison was good too. However, unlike the previous Pans who played him as a boy (even if the actress was in her late 50s), Allison seemed to play Pan more like a teenager.
I'm watching the West Coast feed. I tried to catch up on page one, but it kept getting away from me.
MY THOUGHTS SO FAR:
- I came in during the middle of "Neverland". Stupid work kept me late. Boring. Williams is thinking too much, like she hasn't rehearsed enough. - "I'm Flying". Boring. Shody camera work and again, Williams looks like she's not having a lot of fun. - Walken as Hook. He's high, or on pain meds, or something. Completely dead performance. I wasn't expecting much, but more than this. - Lost Boys costumes. I don't understand. It looks like a weird mix of Alice in Wonderland and Wicked. I don't like them. - Hot Indians.
I will say that the restoration of "When I Went Home" was a nice touch to the original songwriting team (a song that was cut) before the show ever went to Broadway in the 50's.
The show was built around a performance entirely lacking specificity both in the show biz sense (surprise us, please, anytime), and character sense. Williams played one color for three hours, without strong choices, risk taking, or any whiff of detail. Every line reading was measured and tossed away, out of a controlled avoidance of being too effusive. As a result, she was damn near bloodless, not helped by a dreadful costume (biking shorts) and wig. Look at her eyes, anytime. No joy, no childhood delight in watching the others learn to fly. It was a by the numbers exercise, not "bad" in any dangerous (Underwood as an Austrian nun) way, but hardly successful simply because she didn't stink. The role demands a kind of star charisma and leadership, that she take the audience in, create a spell, and hold us. She never came close to anything like that. It was workmanlike, and not since Liv Ullmann in "I Remember Mama" have I seen someone sweat and work so hard for so few audience rewards. I wish her well. But this was not the Pan for 2014.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
I'm sure kids loved it, the majority here though.....
Yeah...Not so much. Was there a difference of opinion on THE SOUND OF MUSIC last year? I can't remember. --- My nieces 8&10 found it boring and changed the channel after 45 min. My sis didn't care for tt either and texted me saying: you told us it was gonna be fun & magical... They liked SOM a little better but their young.
"Anything you do, let it it come from you--then it will be new."
Sunday in the Park with George
"I thought Allison was good too. However, unlike the previous Pans who played him as a boy (even if the actress was in her late 50s), Allison seemed to play Pan more like a teenager."
I have to say that I disagree here. I think Williams played Pan exactly the way a young pre-pubescent boy would behave.
I've seen and listened to the original Mary Martin production of the show and seen it done LIVE at least a couple of times (in HS productions), and Williams was hands-down the best Peter Pan I've seen EVER. She completely disappeared into the role, and if it doesn't earn her SOME consideration from someone on Broadway, it'll be a damn shame.
I agree with you, DigificWriter. I thought Allison was splendid and carried the show admirably. Not so sure about Christopher Walken, although he had his moments.
Is it purely for commercial $$ reasons that they do these shows 'live' ? It makes no sense to me to do it live for the obvious reasons-this is TV[film] and not live theatre.
I'd rather watch a recorded version without the anxiety causing the orgasmic car crash that most seem to delight in.
A large reason this did not work tonight was due to the technical elements. The soundstage did not allow for spirited flying. ALL of the flying sequences were too careful and too confined. The camerawork was sloppy. The direction was surprisingly horrid...how is it possible that Glenn Weiss wasn't able to get better camera angles and focus? The Neverland set design and Darling Nursery lighting were cumbersome.
The choreography and ensemble were supportive and fine. Williams and Walken did not tell a story. They got through a challenge. No story was told here tonight.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
I agree CapnHook, they got through it. They have worked hard for months, and were probably just exhausted and wanted to get it over with. They didn't seem to have any fun with it.