Pirate Queen 7:30 October 24, 2006 Review.....- Page 2

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 2:52pm

"Putting something totally down without giving a 100% chance is just not my style."

Nor is it mine, which is why I saw the show before critiquing it rather than blindly defending it.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 2:59pm

I paid 100% for my ticket, I should expect a 100% show. I know things change in previews, but what I saw needs a MAJOR overhaul in the book department. That is not just cutting a number or restaging the opening. I wish there was MORE of the Irish history in the show. To me it could have been set ANYWHERE, including "under the sea". And I agree, if Block's family is reading the boards looking for glowing reviews they should accept that some are not going to be glowing. (Although your Daughter is wonderful, Mr. and Mrs. Block.)

[Lady Italy]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:03pm

SG~

The two of us are very definately on different pages. You seem to see that there's too much work and I see the great potiental. You see the bad and I see the good. We are just as opposite as black and white.

Fachedaluna and I are seeing things in a more positive light and we are sincerely expecting the best out of this show. Come on now...more than 50% of any show is it's performers. And as most everyone agrees upon...this show has strong performers. The ensemble is wonderful and strong, as well. So joining these two elements can only make for a better show. Don't give up on the NYC opening. I think you'll be surprised on how they pull it all together for the better towards greatness.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:08pm

I hope you are right for the sake of everyone involved and especially for the sake of everyone paying big bucks to see it.
However your positive attitude isn't going to help those who have already purchased tickets for the rest of the Chicago run. If anything can be done to save this show it will have to be done between the Chicago run and the New York opening.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:15pm

I would love for this show to turn out great. I hate the idea of all those wonderful performers having wasted their time and energy just to be put out of work. But just because the performers are good, doesn't mean a show is, no matter what your assertion is. And just because a show has wonderful performers doesn't mean it should be on Broadway.

[Popular]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:30pm

Wow, this is quite an impassioned discourse going on here! I personally feel that critiquing is fine. I love that people have strong opinions on this show. I sense that even the unkind posts come from a place of frustration wanting to see this show do well. It's being well rooted for so that is nice to see despite the harsh words. I do feel that some of us (myself included) sometimes get caught up in the anonymity that message boards allow and say things in a more extreme manner than we would if we were face to face with someone, regardless of whether they are connected to the show or not. It takes a lot more effort to be tactful when you have a screen name to hide behind. There certainly is a lot of distaste and disappointment expressed here, but also a lot of praise for the talent and other elements of the show.

Sueleengay, did you not think that most of the "fixing" would be done after Chicago and before NY to start off with?

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:34pm

"I sense that even the unkind posts come from a place of frustration wanting to see this show do well."

I couldn't agree with you more on that one, Popular!

[Lady Italy]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:40pm

To both SG's...thanks for your hope that PQ turns out to be a fantastic show. As I stated...I believe with all the changes they plan on making it will prove to be just that.

However, I do believe, SorryGrateful, that having great performers is half the battle. If this was a wonderful book and the performers where awful the review would be even worse! You can change staging, verbage, scenes, etc., etc. But, becoming these characters as these actors are portraying ( according to so many board comments) IMHO, is a more difficult thing to do. The talent that PQ has is beyond run of the mill people. They know what is needed to be done for NY. And, I know for a FACT that it will be done. So, everyone be cool and let's wait out the ride. We are all going to be very surprised. And, "That's all I have to say about that" (quote from Forrest Gump)
Updated On: 10/25/06 at 03:40 PM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 3:42pm

Honestly, I was hoping this show was in good enough shape that it wouldn't need a lot of work between the runs. But now that I have seen it, yes, there is too much work to do to have it ready by the end of the Chicago stint. I thought the cast and crew could use a couple of months resting before going into New York, but apparently the down time will be spent re-doing the whole show.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 5:26pm

And during the re-write, please put even a little bit of humour! A fop, something to take the edge off.

In reference to the two recent smash hits that started in Chicago, after the performances of The Producers and Spamelot - I was overwhelmed with excitement. For PQ, I just wanted more out of the show. I will see it this weekend and report if the changes made are helping.

(I will add that I love Stephanie and I hope that my wife does not catch me oogling her during the show.)
Updated On: 10/25/06 at 05:26 PM

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 8:28pm

Everyone seems to have a problem with the whole fight scene after the baby but I didn't at all actually. I just wish that maybe should could have acted more hurt. I think one of the big things is if they would add just a few more lines, it would make the plot move faster and help in the understanding. I really hope they can piece this together better. I hope they will maybe work on it a lot. But they could also wait and let the Chicago show run to its end then decide to rework certain things that do not work. I think one major thing is a great beginning number and closer. It would help the show so much.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 10/25/06 at 8:46pm

So, Lady Italy, do you think that if all those people hadn't expressed their critical opinions of Wicked during its initial previews that it would be the smashing success that it is today?
What if everyone had been concerned about hurting Kristen's family's feelings? Criticism is a crucial element of developing a show. (Not that I think my individual opinion matters, but taken together we all are part of the "buzz", which in The Pirate Queen's case is decidely negative.)

This is a theater opinion board. It's very odd to be told I shouldn't express my opinions here, or that I'm not doing so in the proper fashion.

Although I'm not a professional reviewer or Irish history expert I have long been fascinated with how Broadway shows are developed. Chicago is a great city for this, I've watched early versions of Aida, The Producers, Sweet Smell of Success and many others. The producers of The Pirate Queen obviously want this to be a worldwide smash that runs in NY for years and tours everywhere. I've never seen a show manage to do this without having a few great songs in it.

I heard the inital demos for Aida, Ragtime and Hairspray and for all of these shows it was obvious that the raw materials for a hit were present. "I'll Be There" is an okay song. I don't hear anything else promising in PQ. At this point my opinion is that 2/3 of The Pirate Queen is completely unuseable. Songs like "My Grace" "Here On This Night" and "What Does She Have I Don't Have" sound to me like French elevator music. The entire first 45 minutes and last 45 minutes of the show have to be rewritten. That's not a good place for a show to be in just before an out of town opening.

You are welcome to disagree with me on this, but in a few days you will also have to disagree with lots of actual professional theater critics as well.

[Eileen2]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 12:09am

I just got my tickets and am going to be in Chicago in 1 1/2 weeks and will see the show. Seeing the passionate opinions on the show, I'll be interested to see it myself. Flop or not, I look forward to seeing Stephanie back in a major stage role.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 9:59am

You'll have to let us know what you think, Eileen. And have fun in Chicago! It's a great place to visit or live.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 10:16am

If you're a Stephanie J. Block fan you'll have a good time. The second time I saw the show I was just so impressed by how Stephanie, Hadley Frasier and the rest of the cast were breathing so much life into what I thought were such lame songs. I was happy to buy a second ticket even though I knew that there was no way the book and score problems were going to be fixed in two weeks. Unfortunately I don't think great performances can save a flop, but if they could this is where it would happen.

One thing that really puzzles me. If these guys are such good pirates, how come half of them can't even afford shirts?

If you haven't spent much time in Chicago, be sure to try some of our famous mixed caramel/cheese popcorn. (Available at a store right next to the "Wicked" theater.)

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 10:28am

Lady Italy, I have to disagree with you once again. If there is a problem with the ACTORS they can be replaced with minimal inconvenience to the rest of the company and creative crew. If there is a major problem with the MATERIAL, however, EVERYONE is involved with the changes that must be made. I am sure any producer would rather have to find a new leading lady than to find a new, and better score/book at this point in the process.

Oh, and I just want to add, because I don't think I said it before, that Hadley Fraser has a beautiful voice.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 10:38am

"One thing that really puzzles me. If these guys are such good pirates, how come half of them can't even afford shirts?"



Hey, I wasn't complaining. That was one of the good things about the show.

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 11:17am

I was in a group of 8, and every one of us had the same reaction: "meh." Not horrible, but kinda boring, nothing spectacular (expected in a B/S show), and a hard-to-follow story (partially due to not being able to comprehend large stretches of lyrics).

Our seats were good and close, so we were able to see the actors' faces, but all of us still had trouble figuring out what was being sung (especially as others said: Balgord).

However, the pirates made for some seriously appreciated eye candy. Sad thing is that they were the most interesting part.

Another thing all 8 of us agreed on was that we weren't quite sure what could be fixed/tweaked to make it better.

SPOILER ALERT:

We did get a kick out of the scene of Block getting up and kicking ass in a mssive group sword fight about 90 seconds after giving birth.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 12:44pm

The second time I saw the show I was able to understand every word Linda Balgord sung, and I had the feeling that she was doing everything she could do to enunciate each syllable. I keep reading other reviews complaining about not being able to understand her. Unfortunately Linda doesn't have particularly good lyrics to sing, so perhaps you're all better off not being able to understand them. My favorite QE line is just before the act 2 prisoner swap when Elizabeth sings of Grania "She has lost her balls".

Yup, I'm sure that's how the British royalty talked.


"Another thing all 8 of us agreed on was that we weren't quite sure what could be fixed/tweaked to make it better."

I'm with you there. The flaws in the book and score won't be fixed by little cuts and tweaks. They just don't have a viable show at the moment.
I intentionally didn't read the PQ source novel until after seeing the show, because I don't think musicals need to be book reports. It's fine for a creative team to completely change their story around, as long as they end up with something interesting. I've heard that Wicked is a lot different from its original book, but I think Wicked succeeds in telling an interesting story with some decent songs.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 2:22pm

Thanks Suleen.
At the prices that Broadway (and big cities like Chicago) are charging for these shows, we should be blown out of our seats. If "The Pirate Queen" is not doing that, then it should be ashamed to be charging people and opening on Broadway in the spring.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 2:30pm

Well, a woman I volunteer with saw the show last night and really enjoyed it. So apparently someone I know personally does like it!

Is anyone else being hypnotized by the Pirate Queen castcom ad at the tope of the screen? I think I just blanked out for a few minutes watching it. It looks so good from the ads!

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 3:25pm

I referenced this once before, but the PQ Castcom's claim that it's the first theater video log of its kind keeps throwing me off.

Wasn't there a similar video diary kept during the preparations for Lestat?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 5:50pm

Honestly, the reviews on this show seem to make it out to be the next Woman in White (pretty to look at, but unmemorable score, childish lyrics, and weak book). It's very disheartening, but I'll make my mind up when I go see it on the 8th.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 10/26/06 at 7:23pm

"Well, a woman I volunteer with saw the show last night and really enjoyed it. So apparently someone I know personally does like it!"

Now SG, the show is only in previews. It's merely a work in progress. I trust that you'll tell your friend to calm down. After all, she might very well hate the finished version that goes to Broadway.

(just kidding, I'm glad to hear she had a good time there.)

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 8:59am

Well, I will definitely put her in her place.