Priest's NYC Trip Summary and Reviews of FOTR, TAM, WT, PO and LW- Page 3

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:00am

I am going back to New York on a school trip in Feb and Little Women is one of the shows we are seeing.

It will be interesting to see if they have fixed the problems.
I hope, but highly doubt, they will.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:14am

"Love isn't love without a violin-playing goat"
(Julia Roberts in Nottinghill, referring to Chagall)

Glad you had such a lovely trip.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 3:31am

glad you liked Twelve Angry Men! I got tickets to that for Christmas, seeing it January 13th. I cant wait!

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 4:03am

Priest - great reviews! I'm another Sondheim junky and I'm flying in to the city to see Pacific Overtures and Fat Pig. I'll be sure to post my reviews. And to think, you weren't even that smitten by PO before you saw it!

[mallardo]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 12:10pm

Just wanted to say I totally agree with you about Pacific Overtures - brilliant is the only word. But you didn't mention (I don't think) Welcome to Kanagawa which was a complete showstopper, wonderfully performed by Francis Jue!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 1:38pm

Yes, I thought Jue did a fantastic job with 'Kanagawa'

I did think that the staging of that one number could have been slightly cleaner.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 1:47pm

Wish you had liked some of your shows better, but I'm glad you're happy overall. What was the occasion for the trip, Priest?

[eslgr8]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 1:58pm

What really impressed me about your report and brought a tear or two to my eyes was your love of the theater and of performers such as George Hearn. It is truly wonderful for you that you were able to meet him. How did you feel about the fact that your opinions of Pacific Overtures and Little Women were diametrically opposed to those in the rest of your party? I guess it goes to show that "good" and "bad" are subjective. But it must feel strange to be the only one to like something or the only one to dislike something. I haven't seen any of the shows which you saw, so I cannot offer my own opinion. I can only say how glad I am for you to have been able to enjoy such a wonderful and rewarding time in NYC. I wish you great success in your studies and future career in the theater.

[Icbanannie]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:47pm

THANK YOU for you review of Little Women. I feel the same way you do and it seems that everyone I talk to who has seen LW LOVES IT and was moved. I was moved..to leave the theater cause it was so bad.

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 2:56pm

Thanks for your reviews Priest!
I always hope that a show will throw some magic at me and as long as it does I can usually forgive a lot.
I have so far enjoyed Le Cage and Little Women.
Can't wait for Pacific Overtures (a long time favorite of mine) and Fiddler.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 3:55pm

"How did you feel about the fact that your opinions of Pacific Overtures and Little Women were diametrically opposed to those in the rest of your party?"


I kind of expected it with Pacific Overtures.
I knew that they would find it odd.
They go to theatre for mindless fun, not to be challenged.
As my cousin put it, "I don't go to Broadway for politics"
Her loss and a close-minded view.


As for Little Women, I was expecting to really like it based on the opening number and Sutton, but didn't see how any one could get past the slopiness and was surprised they all loved it so much.

I didn't know what to make of that.

[rubydoo]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:52am

Priest, thank you for your reviews. I agree that no one should ever say that you're ignorant about Broadway shows. But, as you've already admitted, you just seem to hear the beat of a different drummer. You admitted that your likes aren't most people's when you said that your party loved Little Women and you were the only one who refused to stand. I loved Little Women like many who have seen it. Although I liked Pacific Overtures, I didn't love it like you did. It's great to be different, but it's best not to come off as elitist, which is why I think that you've raised the hackles of so many. Or perhaps you just like to instigate good dialogue as you have? Good luck.

[Tirso de Molina]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 12:22pm

I agree with you 100% about the Pacific Overtures! I saw it twice and was bowled over both times; both the conception and the execution were brilliant, I thought. Unfortunately, it's never going to be "popular" show, and it may be that the better a production realizes the work, the less it's going to appeal to many theater-goers. I'm very, VERY glad I got to see it twice, because I'm sure it will be another 10 or 20 years before the next substantial revival!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 12:26pm

I'm seeing PACIFIC OVERTURES tonight and can't wait for it. I've been wanting to see this one for years. I've already told Priest that I agree completely about LITTLE WOMEN. Besides Sutton Foster's gorgeous performance, there isn't anything in there I feel that's worth going back to see again. 10 minutes after the show ended I couldn't tell you one song that was sung, they were that forgettable. And yes, Amy McAlexander (I believe that was her name) who played Amy was the single most annoying actress I have ever seen set foot on the stage IN MY LIFE. I said it before, but I might consider going back after opening night to see if they tightened the book up, but if Amy is in it, I will not step foot in the Virginia theatre again. She was so grating that I wanted to leave halfway through Act One.

Updated On: 1/1/05 at 12:26 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 6:29pm

"And yes, Amy McAlexander (I believe that was her name) who played Amy was the single most annoying actress I have ever seen set foot on the stage IN MY LIFE."


Well, part of it was that, up close at least, she looked so old.
(Not OLD, per se, but defientely a lot older than the age she was supposed to play)

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 6:45pm

Priest- i think we share the same sentiments about Pacific Overtures!!!! IT was friggin brilliant!

[bta212]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 9:18pm

It really is amazing how varied people's responses to shows can be--Priest's description of being glared at during the ovations for Little Women reminds me of seeing "Boy From Oz". I was dumbfounded by what I thought was an evening of total Crap, and all around me were people giddy with excitement and delight. I mean, Hugh is hot and all, but C'MON...

I'm going to observe the slightly enforced rule regarding pre-opening reviews for Little Women, but I would say a few things:

Having seen it at Duke and again last week, I am astounded by the changes, particularly in the First Act--the book has been extensively (60%? More?) re-written to focus on the principal themes. I think VERY successfully.

I find the carping about Amy McAlexander a bit too harsh. I think that there is a "preciousness" that comes from a decision to have the actors e-NUN-ciate and ar-TIC-u-late in an "authentic" mid-19th century fashion, and Amy's delivery combines with her character's childish whining and pretentiousness (appropriate to the character) to make her a bit cloying, but not--to me--so painful as Matt G and Priest describe.

I think the fundamental weakness of basing a show on "Little Women" is the likelihood that people will find the show treacly or simple or maudlin--the source material is short on razor-sharp cynicism. Wouldn't it be unbelievable (astonishing???) to see what Sondheim would do with the assignment? I'm not comfortable judging the book against Overtures. I really enjoyed the show--the book, the lyrics, the score--as an adaptation and interpretation of a favorite old book, much the same way I felt about Hairspray. Neither is a landmark by any means (sorry folks, Hairspray doesn't "deal with racism") but a good night out.

Updated On: 1/3/05 at 09:18 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 9:53pm

I'm going back to NY the second weekend in Feb with some theatre people from my school.

The shows my teacher picked:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Democray
Little Women
Brooklyn


I'm going to go, but I almost don't want to.

After listening to Brooklyn, I don't want to have to subject myself to that.

Updated On: 1/3/05 at 09:53 PM

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 9:58pm

I'm seeing DRS in early March.

Be sure to make a "Priest's NYC Trip Summary and Reviews" Part 2.

[Plum]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:00pm

It'll be worth it for the other shows, Priest. While you're watching Brooklyn, just imagine hanging yourself with the trash.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:02pm

I might ask him to let me skip LW or Brooklyn in order to see 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'


And I am so excited about DRS.
Mainly because of Joanna Gleason.

[Plum]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:06pm

Ooh, I want to see Spelling Bee so badly! I don't really want to see early previews, but school may force me to do just that.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:11pm

Spelling Bee is definitely on my list. Hooray for Finn!

[Plum]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:20pm

It's a Finn musical, and it lets me relive scarring experiences from middle school? How awesome is that?!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 10:21pm

I'm seeing Spelling Bee a week from Friday and DRS the same week as Priest.