Photos : Kiss of the Spider Woman (DC)- Page 3

[morosco]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:48am

Sorry miss pennywise I didn't see your post til now. Would love to have met you (and bwaydoc who was also at Saturday evenings performance).

SPOILERS BELOW....please don't read if you haven't seen it yet.
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It was a very good production. Not exceptional but very good. I had problems with Hunter Foster's Molina. Foster played the character as wimpy and spineless. I remember Brent Carver in the original production playing the role with great pride and strength. I was also bothered by the performance of the actor playing the Warden. Talk about over the top! (Over the wall...over the wall...over the wall! lol). Natascia Diaz was pretty wonderful (even though her wig made her look exactly like Mya Ryudolph on Sat Night Live). Will Chase was wonderful and in great voice. As was the rest of the cast. Loved the set. The lighting stayed a little too dark too much of the time for my eyes. The sound was exceptional. The orchestra sounded great. All in all I'm glad I saw it and hope I can get back to see it again before it closes. It remains a rare and intelligent piece of musical theatre. And for those of you that were there Saturday night...did any of you smell marijuana during the show? My friend and I were seated at the top of the theatre on the last row near the lighting booth. We know that smell!

[hockeynut]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:57am

READ ALL THE "KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN" REVIEWS IN ONE PLACE
HERE AT DC THEATRE SCENE.COM IN "THEIR REVIEWS."

And Read DCTS's reviewer Gary McMillan's rave of "Spider Woman" by clicking on "OUR REVIEWS"



All of the Kiss of The Spider Woman Reviews In One Place At DC Theatre Scene

[BlueRoses321]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:58am

here i am- they might not look the part, but there are blonde jews and blonde Argentineans, and blonde northern italians..and Will and Hunter aren't even blonde. so...looks aren't always predictable or racially apparent.
i'd rather seeing Hunter and Will for 2 hours in Spiderwoman than listen to Ms. Ripley sing for 2 hours and proceed to get the last bow.
but to each their own. that's why this theatre thing is subjective.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 3:15am

I completely agree with Morosco's review. It's a really fine production with Diaz and Chase the stand-outs. I did not like the staging of the number in the infirmary, but other than that, I found Eric Schaeffer's vision mesmerizing. Diaz was perfect tonight, and Chase was able to convince me of his passion and compassion for his cell mate even though Foster didn't seem able to connect with him emotionally...until the very end.

The ensemble was fabulous, but Cupo's warden bordered on ludicrous (and not in a good way. )

I was sitting dead-center in the second row, and while I'm sure I missed something in perspective by not being back farther, I was so close to what was happening on stage that I couldn't help being lured into the action. Sets, lighting, costumes are wonderful. Orchestra superb. Possibly the best production I have ever seen at the Signature. (No, wait. I think that honor belongs to Side Show.)

On a side note, Colin Powell was in the audience tonight.

P.S. I tried to PM you, Morosco, but you weren't accepting PMs. (Just letting you know in case it wasn't your choice...a lot of people have complained about the PM feature switching on them without their doing!)

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 9:47am

JOn,
I didn't know that's what ms. foster was "notorious" for. I thought it was her talent and kind demeanor. My bad. I guess we should all start to judge her on her "non make upped" look from now on.
Gimme a break.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 10:53am

I did not like the staging of the number in the infirmary

The Morphine Tango. I've always hated that number. I would love to see how the show would play if they cut it.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/23/08 at 6:05pm

I just came back from this afternoon's matinee. I saw the original production on Broadway, but to be honest, I don't remember much about it.

I liked Signature's production. Will Chase was definitely the strongest of the three leads (and, wow, what a voice he has)! It took me a while to warm up to Hunter's performance as Molina, and agree that his second act was definitely the stronger of the two, but the only number that disappointed me was, "Only in the Movies". The show really could have done without it as it just seemed to drag on the proceedings. Natascia Diaz was fine as Aurora.

This was the first time I've seen a production at Signature which is quite surprising since I've lived in DC for almost 8 years. It was definitely easy to get from the Metro to the A25 bus which leaves you two blocks from the theatre.

Updated On: 3/23/08 at 06:05 PM

[morosco]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 10:33am

Saw the show again. Holds up well with mostly solid performances. Unfortunately the actor playing the role of the Warden is now getting unintentional laughs. Seems that the audience reads his performance as comedy relief. It completely throws the balance of the show. It's as if Charles Nelson Reilly was cast in the role. I didn't think it was possible but his performance is more fey than Hunter Foster as Molina. Why director Shaeffer hasn't pulled the reigns in on this actor I don't understand. Diaz still shines as Aurora. Will Chase is still in great voice. And I've grown to hate the ending of the show "Optimistic Ending". Still there is a lot to really like about this production. Don't let my humble comments make any of you think twice about attending.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 10:37am

So glad to hear such positive reviews of the show!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 11:04am

That "Optimistic Ending" was so out of place and totally unnecessary. The show would not suffer if it were cut.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 11:36am

But "Only in the Movies" is the summation of the entire evening. Molina becomes the hero of the movie world he's created in a fever dream as he's dying, culminating in the Spider Woman's "kiss". Without it, the ending of that show would be completely relentless.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 11:52am

But "Only in the Movies" is the summation of the entire evening.

Yeah...that I get. But I hate seeing Molina rise on an elevator dressed in a formal tux singing gleefully about "only in the movies". I'd rather he be dressed in a variation on what he's been wearing the entire evening and go straight into the part where Valentin and he re-enact the Russian movie scene and then the tango with Aurora where she finally kisses Molina.

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 11:53am

The "Only In the Movies" ending makes complete sense. It's everything Molina has dreamed of and without it the title makes no sense. In the end he excepts his fate, dancing with death. The book and movie do the same thing in a different way with Valentin's morphine trip and escape to the beautiful island with Marta. It has to be a beautiful ending. Escapism set against a harsh reality is the whole point.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 4:30pm

I really would love a new production of SPIDER WOMAN on Broadway. Who knows? Oh WEISSLERS!!!!!

[ErikInTheCity]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 4:52pm

Does anyone have a clue who the eye candy is in the ensemble? Ouch.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/29/08 at 3:22pm

Anything for Him - Will Chase, Natascia Diaz, and Hunter Foster Updated On: 3/29/08 at 03:22 PM

[chenofan]

Posted: 3/29/08 at 3:27pm

morosco- do you not accept pm's?!

[GetUp&LiveIt]

Posted: 3/29/08 at 4:28pm

Thanks for posting morsco. The three are truly incredible.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/29/08 at 8:31pm

Sounds fantastic! Thank you for posting!

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 11:34am

For Anyone who doubted if Will Chase could sing this score
Day After That

[matty159]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 4:40pm

Saw this yesterday afternoon, and will post a review later after I have unpacked, but thought it was sensational. Anything For Him was definitely a highlight. Actually, there were only three things that didn't really do it for me, but I will get to those later. Go see it if you have a chance before 4/20! And also, get your Visit tickets soon...we were at the box office forever after the performance trying to get a pair of seats on a weekend!

[matty159]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 6:36pm

OK...I am going to try and make this as concise as possible, but that usually fails me, so apologies in advance.

First, I was most excited to this production. I had seen the original cast back in the summer of 1993. I enjoyed it, but I found a lot of the score hard to digest. That being said, I have falled in love with both of the cast albums in the years since over repeated listenings. I always teeter-totter on buying tickets for out of town shows since I seem to have committment issues and pretend to be fiscally responsible. But, after hearing what folks on here were saying and seeing the production photos, I splurged...and couldn't be more happy that I did.

I had never been to the Signature in its new location before, and...WOW! Great set-up...and beautiful architecture. The space in the MAX is perfectly intimate. Actually, it reminded me a little bit of the Donmar in London, but that was years ago, so maybe I am being delusional.

From the moment the prolouge began, I was swept right in. Eric Schaeffer creates many beautiful images throughout, but he does a masterful job drawing in the audience from the beginning. This most in part to Chris Lee's lighting and Adam Koch's set design. While the space they are working with is small, I think they entirely maximized it.

After reading some things on here about Hunter Foster, I was a bit trepidacious, but I thought he was in great voice and played Molina with deft flair. There was an unsettled warmth me played it with that was very surprising to see. Will Chase. In a word -- amazing. The Day After That. I was almost shocked it didn't get a standing ovation...the audience went wild! Amazing voice, amazing presence...amazing body! Now, the title character as played by Natascia Diaz. She was one of the let downs for me. I thought she was a very talented dancer, but as a singer, she didn't pack much punch for me (at least the performance I attended). The only three times I enjoyed her presence on stage were during Come (Why is this not on either of the recordings??!! It is hauntingly beautiful.), Good Times/Russian Movie (hilariously campy), and Anything for Him. Other than that, I could take her or leave her. She did seem to "fit" into the roll, but her voice left me wanting.

Let me get the other two things I didn't care about out of the way. Steven Cupo. OK, I didn't think he was as bad as people are making out here, but still not good. His presence was good, but his voice and delivery drove me insane. Which leads me to Over the Wall IV/Lucky Molina. I have always thought this number ratchets up the tension leading to the finale. The tempo seemed much slower than I remembered (or truly is on both of the recordings). As opposed to driving me forward to Only In The Movies (which I love), it applied the brakes. And Cupo's voice only aided in the process. It is a shame...the show had such great momentum up until then. At least Only In The Movies made up for it, IMHO!

As for the rest, the male ensemble was excellent...and HOT! Looking at them makes one want to run to gym immediately! Marta and Molina's Mother (an understudy at this performance) were both in good voice, but that is about all they have to do.

In the end, I thought the production was very easy to follow (I can see where in the wrong hands, it could be a sheer mess), brilliantly designed, tight orchestra, and (Diaz not withstanding)...and I almost cower when saying this...a great production equal to what I saw 14 years ago. (Love the poster art too!!!) A great afternoon of theater, all in all. I haven't reviewed too many shows on here, but I can be a pretty harsh critic (I know, actions speak louder than words, blah, blah, blah.). In the end, though, this is one of the best shows I have seen in recent memory.

The audience was smaller than what I thought it would be. We were instructed to move down and in if we wished, but we loved our seats...plus, the guys next to us were amusing and cute! This was actually only the second stage production my bf had ever seen Tthe trade-off was me going to see the Raveonettes and Black Acid at the Black Cat later in the evening...which was equally as awesome in its own place, I might add.), and he throughly enjoyed it (at intermission, he came out saying he wanted to rip his shirt off and sing Gimme Love...OK, that would have been amusing). So much, indeed, that we booked our tickets to The Visit in June (ticket availability is kind of stinky, but at least all their posters at theater clearly state that) immediately following the performace.

Without sounding shill-y, if you have the opportunity and live within close proximity (Taz, I know you are faily close), go see this production before it closes. And try the Prosecco and intermission cookies at the bar...YUM! And truly, after seeing this, I am seriously considering a subscription at the Signature for next season. Great prices...and if everything else is like this (and we see where Glory Days is heading), it should be well worth the investment.

I'm done gushing...and if you made it through this, thank you!

[sanda]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 8:06pm

I saw the show today. It was incredible. Since moving to the new place, Signature's production is simply beyond belief. First rate cast, first rate scene design, lighting, costum...absolutely broadway quality. I saw "Witches of Eastwick" there and was blown away. And now there is "Kiss of the spider woman" which is as amazing as "Witches". During the show, I want to scream out, "Oh my god, this cannot be true! This is insanely too good to be true".

[matty159]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 8:39pm

Glad you enjoyed it, sanda! So happy to see others feel like I did! Can't wait for The Visit on 6/07! Go Signature!

[circusliz]

Posted: 4/19/08 at 5:57pm

Just got back from the last Saturday matinee. Unfortunately Natascia Diaz was out sick, and her understudy was only ok. I won't go into gory detail because I don't want to bash anyone. But I will say that it did diminish the impact of the show when Aurora doesn't emit a "star" presense. She needs to be a glamrous diva, and glitter above all of the misery of the prison -- if this doesn't happen, it's difficult to understand and accept the power of Molina's fantasy world.

I did run tino Natascia in the bathroom during intermission; she was watching the show from the audience. She was very hoarse and obviously under the weather. But she was very sweet when I told her I was sad to miss her performance, and told me that I should try to come back tonight or tomorrow. Poor girl.

Foster and Chase were great -- the latter has an incredibly powerful voice. He was singing over the ensemble and electronic orchestra, and the sound wasn't very heavily miced. And I don't think that Foster played Molina too stereotypically queeny, as some reviewers noted. Valentin and Molina's "chemistry" (using quotes after reading the Spider Woman philosophical debate on another thread) was believable, as was their suffering.

The ensemble was excellent, and very easy on the eyes.

I would write more, but I have to finish getting ready for Seder.

There are a few more performances of Spider Woman left, so if you're in the DC area and you haven't gone yet, get a move on and go see it!

PS-- The Signature's new space is AMAZING!