Pirate Queen- it's a good show.

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:17am

(edit- it has been explained to me after posting this, that I would have been better served to add the following comments to one of the existing Pirate Queen threads. I apologize for taking up the extra space and will adhere to this request in the future)

I am happy to report, fellow Broadway World-ers, that The Pirate Queen is a very good musical. It has spectacle, substance and a glorious cast. Is it a great musical? I don’t think so. But it is very good. And for that, I am happy.

I'm also happy to report, THERE IS AN ENDING TO THE SHOW NOW! The audience now knows when the show is over, and that is a good thing. A beautiful chorale ending brings together a great second act. And the audience was very responsive tonight. Very enthusiastic applause and standing ovation (not that that means much on Broadway anymore). The show has been tightened a great deal over the past week and a half, the story streamlined some more, and the cast has grown in depth of performance and comfortability within the piece. All good improvements since seeing it last. And DAMN, do those pirates look good!

Oh, and to answer an earlier question, YES- Hadley, Stephanie and Marcus are using very subtle Irish accents that add a very nice texture to the show. They seem to have a great handle on the sounds, and it added something rich to the spoken scenes. I’m not sure why they were the only ones doing it though? Seems like if they’re going to do it, they all should go for it, no?

After seeing the show numerous times, I’m still not sure why it doesn’t acheive “greatness” (in my mind). It could be a number of things. As stated here before, I’m still not thrilled with the tone of the English scenes. I still wish some of the musical endings of numbers were more exciting. And I really wish the show started out with more of a “bang” than it currently does (you can feel that the first few minutes of the show don’t grab the audience the way I wish they would). But with those factors aside, I’ve found a really enjoyable musical playing at The Hilton that I think will be there for some time.

Visually, this show is one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen. The set is minimalistic, but somehow seems huge in its scope. The lighting is truly remarkable and evokes so much feeling, thus suppoting the actors scene by scene. And the costumes are unbeliveably beautiful.

The music is so moving, and although it may not be as “hummable” or exciting as some previous Schoenberg (spelling?) scores, it is certainly one of his most beautiful works. It is truly music that I’ve grown to love more and more with every listen, and I cannot wait for a cast album. Complete Symphonic Recording, please?

But the heart and soul of this show is far and away the cast. From the ensemble up through each and every principal, this cast is fully invested in the story they are telling and they turn in beautiful performances.

Stephanie as Grace really is a power house. Beautiful singing. Fully committed acting. Obviously proud to be playing this powerful woman and giving everything she has to bring her to life. I love watching/listening to her work. Her rendition of “Woman” is spectacular, “Sea of Life” and her duets with Tiernan are beautiful, and “I Dismiss” is a powerfully sung battle between she and Donal. Assuming she will record an album some day, I’ll be there to buy it.

Hadley as Tiernan- his “I’ll Be There” is worth the price of admission alone. A well thought out performance in a somewhat underwritten role. He brings a real simplicity and honor to Tiernan. And I could listen to the man sing all night long.

Linda as The Queen- this perfornance has grown on me. From reading other posts, I think this is the one performance that people either love, or have some trouble with, because of the stylized approach. But after seeing her in the role a few times now, I’ve developed a great appreciation for her work. And she is wearing some SERIOUS clothes!

Jeff as Dubdhara- Such humanity and power. I believe he is the leader of this clan. And his “My Grace”, while not my favorite song, is beautifully sung and acted. Yeah, he is a bit reminicent of Val Jean, but I don’t mind.

Marcus as Donal- In my opinion, the most difficult role to sell, because Donal is set up as a man the audience despises from his first song “Boys’ll Be Boys”. But somehow, Marcus manages to make us love hating his character. At tonights performance I found moments of real sympathy in Donal, and wondered, for the first time, if he might actually love Grace (watch him closely in the funeral ). “Father Stand By His Son” is one of my favorite moments of the show, as his voice goes from tender and emotional, to very powerful.

William as Bingham- although I have some trouble with the England scenes, this is such a well thought out performance, dangerously bordering on over the top but always staying real and committed. I love the sexual dynamic between he and Elizabeth, and his singing during the Christening scene has always been a favorite moment of mine.

And I can’t stress the importance of the ensemble in this show. So well sung, and the combination of Irish Dance mixed with more traditional/modern Broadway dance is a joy to watch in the wedding and Christening.

So try to eliminate any preconceived notions you might have of this show. The reviews from Chicago are insignificant in my mind, as this really is a completely different show. Kudos for everyone aboard The Pirate Queen for using an out of town try out the way it was meant to be used. And for not losing hope or faith when the show was beaten up somewhat by the press in Chicago. In 20 some years of seeing Broadway shows, I’ve developed a soft spot for this one, and have enjoyed watching it grow.

I guess I’ll have to go back again sometime after opening to see what the “final” product is, as they still have a few weeks of previews left and probably will continue to improve.

The Pirate Queen is a good show. And I’m glad.

-QB

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 12:17 AM

[Popular]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:31am

Assuming she will record an album some day, I’ll be there to buy it. Nice

Good news, QB! She HAS already started work on her first album but according to one of her postings, "...because of my crazy schedule these past several months and in the months ahead, the recording of my solo CD has been put on a slight "pause". This album is something I want just right and not rushed or compromised. I hope you can all understand my position. I promise to get back into the studio when I have the time to commit to making it something I'm really proud of."

I'm really excited about it and you've got to love that her fans have already, unbeknownst to her, named it MUCH JOY (since that's how she always signs her emails). LOL

I know you're still slightly frustrated that it's not "GREAT" (yet) but I do love how it seems to be improving each time you see it. One thing for sure, you sure do know how to make this girl want to see it! I'm so glad that you are there to document the changes for us. Thanks again.


Updated On: 3/17/07 at 12:31 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:39am

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=927953

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=927679

Both started by you.

Are three PIRATE QUEEN praise threads created by you all necessary? Do you think that the more threads you create, the better the show is going to be?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:40am

Retire it, Wannabe!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:41am

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:49am

Popular- Happy to hear you appreciate the updates.

Wanna be a Foster- So sorry to take up space on your board. I assumed, being somewhat new at this posting stuff, that the different times I saw the show warranted a different topic. But having been schooled by such a learned Broadway Legend as yourself, I assure you that I will never....

oh wait...

just don't read my posts.

And did my reviews really seem like "praise threads" to you? I had actually hoped to like the show more than I did, and thought I made that clear in my analysis. Or did I miss the newsflash that these boards were only meant for "I LOVED X SHOW" or "I HATED X SHOW"?

B3TA07- Would you care to elaborate on "Retire it, Wanna Be".
Exactly what is it you are deducing that I want to be?

Ugh. You people kind of give me the creeps.

-QB

[theaterfan194]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 12:55am

wow i really think we should all be wondering why "wanna be a foster" has to compose at least one million posts a day reminding us that someone has started "too many" threads in their opinion.
We should all start a official thread allowing them to just bitch at each other and allow us normal Broadway fans to post without getting beaten up for having two or three threads or not using the search function with the utmost precision.

The post police needs to seriously calm down!
Updated On: 3/17/07 at 12:55 AM

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:05am

Actually, I saw this headline and also thought to myself "Isn't this like the fifth thread this person has created about The Pirate Queen?" and I was going to ask you how many you were up to :P

I'm just not sure what else there is you have to say! I looked at the other posts you started and they were all pretty much the same. So they have irish accents now. Didn't you mention that in another thread?

I bet it would be way cooler and more effective to have one really long thread about The Pirate Queen always at the top of the page rather than eight billion seperate threads about The Pirate Queen that all say the same thing all posted by you. Then it would look like lots of DIFFERENT people care about the show.

Seriously, I think the "too many threads" aversion is understandable... if there wasn't some sort of etiquette then you'd see 400 threads dedicated to the same exact thing every day. Which would be lame and tedious. You wouldn't be able to follow a conversation.

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:05 AM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:08am

QB2, I appreciate your thoughts! Did you post during the Chicago run?

Number of posts? 3? That is my martini count on a Friday!

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:18am

And here I was just trying to be a productive BWW poster. My mistake.

I have been taught, and learned my lesson.

I wish you all much joy in your discussions as to whom is your favorite Elphaba and just how badly you think Christine Ebersole deserves this years Tony award.

The funny thing is, I had hoped I would be able to come on here tonight and go on and on about how I thought the show had turned into a new classic. Instead I realized the show just might not reach the heights I'd hoped for and tried to give a positive assesment of the things I liked in the show, seeing as I won't see it again for a while (I am Pirate Queened out for a little bit)- and then was attacked for my PLACEMENT of what I saw.


-QB

Oh no- I'm sounding like one of the numerous "bitter boys" on the site now. It's contagious.
Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:18 AM

[Popular]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:22am

QB - please don't let some people turn you off from contributing as many posts as you'd like.

Please also know that not all of us are "creepy".

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:23am

QB, nerdy PQ fans (like me) love to hear your perspective. I regret that I only saw it three times in Chicago. My wife has promised me that we will make it to NY this Summer.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:24am

Start as many as you want QueenB.
Let's start one about how many TONY noms
PQ will get.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:26am

I haven't posted my thoughts on the show yet... I will at some point soon, I think. I don't feel like getting into everything now, but this post just made me want to say a couple of things. I thought it was an epic mess, to be honest. A lot of the problems I had with it were ones that seem sort of unfixable to me, because they're so deeply rooted within the way the material is being approached.

It does have substance, I will give you that. But it is poorly executed substance. There is so much potential packed into what could have been done with this story, and it just doesn't hold up, to me.

I respect your enthusiasm for supporting the show, but I have to say that I'm sort of baffled by this celebration of things so basic such as possession of an ending or of substance. Not having an ending is just inexcusable. It should never not have had one in the first place, you know? That's all well and good and lovely that the show is complete now and it's always good to see a show improve, but fulfilling a basic dramatic requirement isn't all it takes to make a show good. I just don't really get why it deserves praise for gaining something it should never have been without in the first place. There's no excuse for getting away with putting it on stage with some of the problems it seems to have had before it came to New York. I can't imagine what a mess it must have been in Chicago, given its current status.

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:26 AM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:27am

Costumes for sure. Probably Steph. Maybe Linda B.

CPD, how many do you think?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:32am

Steph
Hadley
Linda
Score
Lighting
Choreography
COSTUMES (a win I think)

Love to see Youmans in there also.

just to start

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:32 AM

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:36am

luvtheEmcee-

Ah the joys of communicating on the internet and without hearing tone of voice.

While I clearly don't think the show is the "mess" that you saw, I couldn't agree with you more about the lack of an ending in previous versions of the show was COMPLETELY inexcusable. I was being sarcastic in celebrating the fact that they finally found one. And I apologize for not being more clear on that. As someone who actually enjoys this show, I was genuinely insulted when I saw the show last time and after investing a good 2 1/2 hours into the show, there was no ending. So please, while we may disagree on some things with PQ, I am right there with you in your opinion that this show, like ANY show, needed an ending. I was just happy to see that the creators finally realized it, as I couldn't understand what they were going for before. In all honesty, I wonder if they simply ran out of time in the rehearsal studio with all of their new changes, and just figured they's start previews without an ending? It was so confusing before, that;s teh only rationale I can come up with.

Oh and as far as nominations, call me optimistic but I would say:

Steph
Hadley
Set
Lighting
Costumes
Choreography
Musical (even though it is a crowded year, I think it could sneak in)
and possibly
Linda, Marcus, Jeff and/or William


-QB


Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:36 AM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:38am

EM, I have read this no ending issue. What does that mean? In Chicago, Grania her son and her love are united. It is corny, but it still an ending.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:42am

Oh, okay! Good. That makes me feel a lot better. I was just like "... how can we seriously be praising it for something so basic?" It'll be a sad day when we're celebrating a show not um, missing necessary pieces of its arc. Yeah, it's great that the creators caught on and gave it an ending, but they should have figured that out before the show was ever on stage. How hard is that to figure out? Plays (or musicals) -- just like films -- do not just stop. They end.

I wouldn't say I disliked the show. I just think it's a mess (which is a shame because it's not an ill-fated idea and doesn't have to be). There's a difference. I certainly didn't think it's good, but I didn't really hate it either. I'll post more eventually. I'm lazy. But quickly, for the sake of fairness, I think Stephanie and Hadley are both very talented and the dancers were f'ing phenomenal. I've always been mesmerized by Irish step dancing, so that was my favorite part.

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 01:42 AM

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:42am

Don't take it so personally, the reason I keep reading your threads is because I am interested in what you have to say about the show. It's just easier for me when there are fewer threads... it's easier to follow.

Best Actor in a Musical is pretty crowded this year...

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:49am

Emcee- Happy to clarify. My sarcasm never comes across in emails so I don't know why I thought it would in a post. The lack of an ending was shocking. But if you haven't seen it since, the new ending is actually rather pretty. I still wish it packed a bit more of a punch, but at least it's still not just the actors simply walking off stage and beginning the curtain call. That was so odd.

RoninJoey- Happy to hear you're interested. And again, sorry for the numerous threads. I was just trying to keep my different experiences with the show in varied threads, for those who cared to follow along. But I get what you're saying.

I agree, like the Best Musical category, Best Actor is crowded this year. But Hadley is giving a wonderful debut performance. Whether or not he gets nominated, I hope people sit up and take notice of this great voice.

-QB

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:49am

Fraser
Lee
Cerveris
PIERCE
and that guy in COMPANY

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:53am

What was Cerveris in this year?

[queenbee2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:55am

Cerveris has not been in a Broadway musical yet this year.

He will be in Love Musik.

Which no one has seen yet.

And he always gets nominated.

He's bald.

-QB

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 1:58am

But He's hairy everywhere else
I don't get that.