Priscilla First Preview- Page 2

[kyle4]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 11:43am

i am not sure how stephen spinella being EVERYWHERE AT ONCE means he is having a good time... but, i will give you that he was probably excited about seeing the show... at that point,i was too!!!!!!

as i say in my VERY SEXY (written in the style i want!) BLOG,

http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/

people LOVED it!!!! they were screaming and loving and hootin' and hollerin'...

it was MAMMA MIA! world.... clap along world... "i paid to have a good time, so damn it, i am going to... world!!!!".... lowest common denominator of culture, comedy and creativity world...

they pluck people out of the audience and make them do a square dance on stage!!!! and people clap wildly!!!!

if this is what broadway means to you... then HAVE HAD IT!!

enjoy it!!! say hi to stephen for me!!! i am sure he will be there!!!

oh and for everyone who keeps saying.... "it was a hit in canada!!!!"... "it is the pride of canada!!!"... "they love it in canada!!!!!"...

when did canada become broadway's cultural benchmark?!

IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE...... YOU'LL MAKE IT ANYWHERE....

COME ON... COME THROUGH....

CANADA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


gotta go do back and biceps today!!!!

have a great afternoon!!!!

Updated On: 3/1/11 at 11:43 AM

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:02pm

...!!!

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:03pm

!!!...

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:07pm

Kyle it was also a hit in Australia and a hit in the UK as well as Canada.

Some shows are designed to just be pure silly fun, that's what this is and i dont see anything wrong with that if it's done well, and Priscialla is done well. It seems so obvious to compare it to Mamma Mia but i think thats also silly. Mamma Mia is a bad musicals held together by some catchy songs. Priscilla (even though it has diluted the storyline from the film) has a pretty witty book, great costumes, brilliant staging and a kind of energy that just sweeps you along.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:09pm

Good 6 - Bad 2 - Rave 4 T.S. 3

[Eris0303]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:22pm

Kyle, I started to read your blog but any attempts gave me a headache. Please take a writing class at the learning annex. And you share your continent with most of the people on this boards since the US & Canada are on the same continent - Mexico too. Might want to add geography to your class list.

Updated On: 3/1/11 at 12:22 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 12:59pm

I feel like this is a common problem with first previews, but everyone always claims the audience is enthusiastic/"I've never heard such a wild response before," and therefore the show is good and/or going to be a hit.

Trust me, the reception last night was FAR from a rowdy first preview response. The numbers all got warm hands, and the megamix at the end had everyone clapping along, but the same can be said about Mamma Mia on a nightly basis. Book of Mormon had a much wilder response on the first preview, and if you want to argue that audience enthusiasm portends a hits talk to [tos] and 9 to 5. (The first preview of [tos] had one of the truly wildest responses I've ever witnessed.)

Someone mentioned the show was "forward-thinking." How so? Is it any more forward-thinking than the decades old La Cage playing across the way? There's nothing wrong the "message" of Priscilla, but by now it practically is trite and takes a back seat to the splashy production. (That's fine btw...I don't think Priscilla ever set out to "changes minds" or anything like that.)

The reason I expressed disappointment was because I wanted high octane, blow me away fun and spectacle. While there certainly was a lot of energy on stage, the numbers themselves didn't have a wow factor, save the costumes. The staging and choreography weren't terrible by any means, but they weren't inventive or awe-inspiring either. (Obviously just my opinion here.) For as much fun as I heard the show was I was expecting to have a little more of it.

[kyle4]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:06pm

eris

two recommendations and a comment

recommendations --

1) stop reading my VERY SEXY BLOG --

http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/

2) tylenol extra strenth liqui-caps (they are fast-acting!)

comment

I LOVE MY CONTINENT and ALL THOSE I SHARE IT WITH !!!! even you, my dear ERIS!!!!

get well soon!!!

[AlfieByrne]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:08pm

Are they having lottery for the previews? Also, the Palace stage/show deck is quite high, correct?

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:17pm

this is going to be....one of those shows...that brings out...the freaques.

isn't it.

[NYTheatre01]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:19pm

Eris! Loved your comments to Kyle....and Kyle, weren't you headed to the gym?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:20pm

kyle4, I'm not paying much attention to your impression. Remember you are just a stand-by and haven't earn't your stripes yet.

Oh...I'm thinking kyle4 may not be as new as all that. His style has a very familiar ring to it.

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 1:30pm

AlfieByrne, they are indeed holding a lotto. There are 18 seats in the front row (they removed some) for $40.00 each. They draw 2 hours before curtain. Also, the stage is indeed very high, in fact I think it is even higher than it was for WSS. For those who are vertically challenged, sitting in the front row might prove unfortunate because I, at 6 feet, could not even see people's feet and when they were towards the back of the stage they almost disappeared.

Also, Kyle has officially succeeded in making a mockery of himself. Let's just leave him at that.

[The Pud]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 6:01pm

Well said Maxximumvolume.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 6:27pm

My friend was stopped by winkball.com before the show. Went to see his video on the site and noticed, Spinella wasn't the only audience member wearing a pink boa going in.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 6:33pm

Never saw such a polished first preview as Pricilla last night - this is why they do out-of-town runs! Technically, Priscilla (the bus itself) having a sordid history in the UK run, I was amazed to see that she ran very smoothly.

Having seen the show in London as well (where I became mildly obsessed) I did miss the of the songs lost in the transfer, but to their credit, all but one of the new songs really worked in their context. As much as I love True Colors, it was really the only song I wished wasn't added. It came off a wee bit "very special moment." That said the songs sound great and don't overstay their welcome.

Tony Sheldon is simply divine as Bernadette, and is still keeping it fresh after thousands of performances. That said, Will Swenson and Nick Adams still need a bit of work on making sure they don't get lost in the mix. Will also needs work on the Aussie accent.

That said, I don't think the smile ever left my face the whole show. It was a fast-moving, witty, heart-warming spectacle.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 7:21pm

Guess I'll bite the bullet and ask what kind of merchandise do they have?

Seeing it soon and can't wait!!

[rentfan2]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 7:54pm

kyle4: I thought you left after WOTV closed........

Are you now going to make it your goal to close Priscilla?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 9:15pm

Cheapest ticket is $40? Oof!

[tking001]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 9:22pm

Ripped Man
Im not sure if they are selling them for Priscilla but I know when LB and WSS were at the Palace they had partial view's in the balcony for $24 So you could check into that

Also SRO was sold on all 3 levels for WSS
$26.50 Balcony
$36.50 Mezz
$46.50 Orc

Idk if they don't sell SRO till after opening (I know they usually dont but I heard Book of Mormon has started doing it for sold out previews)

Just some things to consider

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 9:53pm

Merch: Magnet, window card, light up martini glass, light up pin in the shape of a shoe, 4 different t-shirts, a ladies hoodie, a regular hoodie, a pink and a blue cammo hat with Priscilla on it, and pink boas. Plus, they were taking pre-orders for the Cast Album which will be available on March 15. They also have logo cups at the bar.

I may be missing something.
Updated On: 3/1/11 at 09:53 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 9:57pm

I LOVED Priscilla in TO and I think Tony is a front runner for a TONY. I also think Nick Adams has a great shot at a TONY nomination. Sadly, I think Swenson is the weakest link.

I wish they had left "Both Sides Now" rather than replace it with the overly schmaltzy "True Colors". "Both Sides Now" has more emotional depth and really gives the actors something to sink their teeth into.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 10:59pm

Winkball got video comments from audience members as they left the theater last night. They also did a pre theater thing also. Here is the link to the post theater clips. One clip appears to be from a camera inside the theater streaming the show:

http://www.winkball.com/walls/sBc2968HhT61/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-post-show/

Updated On: 3/1/11 at 10:59 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 11:07pm

"wish they had left "Both Sides Now" rather than replace it with the overly schmaltzy "True Colors". "Both Sides Now" has more emotional depth and really gives the actors something to sink their teeth into."



YES!!! My feelings exactly! Listening to the "Both Sides Now" on the OCA the song has a depth and colour ( remember it's being sung by a post op Transsexual) that "True Colours " just didn't do for me.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 3/1/11 at 11:19pm

So happy to see I'm not the only one who feels True Colors doesn't work. It seemed to be such a big hit in Toronto, and as much as I wanted to watch it work, the moment was so much more effective in London with Both Sides Now.