RISE
RISE
wonkit
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/30/08
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
theaterdarling
Stand-by Joined: 9/4/17
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#7RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 12:56am
Episode NINE? Who's going to wait thru 8 episodes of mediocre?
While I know it's supposedly based on a true story....does anyone really need another white savior? I also heard the original teacher was gay, and that seems to have been straight-washed.
(Note...havent watched it yet, trying to keep an open mind.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
A Director
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/07
#8RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 1:35am
The show is based on DRAMA HIGH The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater by Michael Sokolove. The teacher is Lou Volpe who came out as gay. The school is Henry S Truman High School in Levittown, PA. Sir Cameron Mackintosh makes an appearance in the book when he comes to see the school's production of Les Miz.
The book is very good. I give it two thumbs way way up!
Wayman_Wong
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#11RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 3:23am
Yes, NBC and ''Rise'' got quite a bit of negative press for ''straight-washing'' the teacher's character back in January. Producer Jason Katims said Lou Volpe, the real-life teacher, was the inspiration for their fictionalized version, Lou Mazzuchelli, but Mazzuchelli is straight. Some media outlets reported that Katims, who is straight, chose to make the change, so he could better relate to Lou's story. However, Katims says he was misinterpreted, and insists ''Rise'' is ''committed'' to LGBTQ inclusion and worked with GLAAD on it.
http://www.vulture.com/2018/01/nbcs-rise-rewrote-a-closeted-gay-character-as-straight.html
bear88
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/26/16
#12RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 5:00am
The plotlines were so plodding and predictable that it grew tiresome quickly. Katims, the creator, is one of the folks behind Friday Night Lights, and that shows in its bid for a more down-to-earth look with handheld cameras. There's talent in the cast, but the show actually made me miss the over-the-top weirdness of the early Glee episodes. Because it's basically the same show, only made in an FNL style.
I'm not as familar with Spring Awakening as most of you, so hearing some of those songs was interesting.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#13RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 7:45am
Hmmmm...so many stereotypes...of teachers, of coaches, of parents, of kids...it's hard to know where to start. I'll agree with the above statements that there is a lot of talent there, but not (so far) in the very blah writing.
As both a teacher and a hs director, I rolled my eyes far too many times: they were in production for Grease (far enough that they already had choreo down and were off book) but we're supposed to believe they didn't already pay the rights/royalties? And then they paid for the royalties for SA? But now they are going to do Pirates because it's free?. (It's not.) And that ALL of this has happened before homecoming? Or at least during football season?
And just what is it that has made him the savior that they are now all gung ho and starting fires over him?
I'll keep watching a few episodes (I know a pilot is not the best work for any show) but with a weary and watchful eye.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#14RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 10:32am
I honestly watched about 10 minutes and gave up. The plot is honestly nothing special and has the same elements verbatim as other shows.
- Optimistic savior teacher
- Opposition from school board/forces that be
- Outcast high school students
- The otherwise maligned jock/golden boy,
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
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greenifyme2
Broadway Star Joined: 5/19/17
#17RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 12:09pm
If you were pitching a TV show based on your own experiences in high school theatre, what would it look like in contrast to the standardized Glee/Rise/High School Musical presentation?
My story: a school with a failing football program tries to jump on the high school theatre bandwagon and make itself into a local theatre powerhouse, with variable results. Soon, two "factions" emerge with little crossover between them- a musical branch that attempts to produce enormous and challenging shows, led by an increasingly despotic and paranoid English teacher who attempts to control not only the productions but every aspect of her students' lives; and a plays branch that devolves quickly into anarchy due to gifted but weird students, nominally overseen by an incredibly hands-off teacher still stuck in his "Slayer, Sluts and Beer" glory days. Comedy and drama ensue.
John Adams
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/1/13
#18RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 12:42pm
I agree with all of the comments above. This is such a "by the numbers" show. The specific formula used to create it seems very transparent.
In addition to the elements RE: rights and the "magical" characterizations that dramamama mentions, there are WAY too many elements that are insultingly false.
The coach's salary fluctuates depending on whether/not the football team wins? I wonder how/why his teachers' union condones that...? (Oh, and the show runners neglected to give the actor a mustache to curl. MWAH, haw, haw, HAW)
There's a kid living in the lighting booth? In a public school? And no one know he's there, or hasn't already reported his circumstance to DCFS? By law, at least in my state, the school/teachers are obligated to do so, with stiff repercussions if they don't.
It seems that even NBC doesn't have faith that this show will catch on with viewers. Obviously, I could be unaware, but I don't recall a network using their promotional commercials to encourage viewers to "set your DVR, now" rather than to watch the show live. Could it be that they already know viewers will be more interested in watching something else in that time slot?
The one aspect I do like about the show is that the students' vocals do not sound like they've been professionally mixed, and ready for download. Their performance of "I Believe" isn't even close to the talent and quality of the OBC, and its recording. That's a plus (for my tastes) because that aspect is much more grounded in reality for a high school production.
The show runners dropped the ball on that element however, because the writers neglected to show enough examples of the "heart" or spirit within those kids that would allow an audience to overcompensate, and find even the most mediocre performances to be thrilling. I don't know if dramamama would agree, but as a retired teacher, I've been lucky enough to be in exactly that situation, many times. A situation where if you didn't know those kids, and you hadn't worked with, and seen their struggles and processes, you would probably think, "meh..." - but instead, you're thrilled.
That's a big negative for me. There's been no evidence of establishing a connection with the kids or adult characters' real lives (as FNL did ). ...and nine episodes before it hits its stride? How many episodes are there in season 1? Even if there were 20 in season 1 (which I kind of doubt), that would still mean that nearly half of the first season is expected to be wasted. 
#19RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 12:54pm
I enjoyed it, but I also think the audience was running three miles behind if they didn't have a vested understanding of SPRING AWAKENING. I'm interested to see where it goes, and for me personally the young gay plotline, and the trans plotline make-up for the straight-washing of the lead character.
This also reminded me why most pilots are terrible. There was SO much thrown at the wall last night. Wondering what will stick and what will be dropped. His son's random alcoholism?
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
#20RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 1:00pm
I was willing to give it a chance being that I’m a sucker for the nostalgia of high school shows and loved Glee (well, the first few seasons at least).
I thought the performers had incredible voices but everything else fell flat. I know its supposed to be based on the true story of Drama High but it’s a carbon copy of Glee, just more bleak. Lou and his whole situation with the his wife not wanting him to run the Theatre Club and even down to the way he dresses eminates Mr. Schue. Even his feud with the football coach, a poor stand in for Sue and lacking the biting wit and hair gel jokes. He even fells the need to blackmail the football star into joining the production (ahem, Finn). I could go on and on and on about the similarities.
There’s nothing new or exciting about the show. Giving the theatre kids worse home lives than the Glee kids doesn’t exactly produce fresh content.
If Lou’s character wasn’t straight-washed, I’d probably more interested in his character being that he’d likely be more dimensional and it’d be interesting to see how that fits into a small, Pennsylvania town. It’d also be interesting to see that angle influence other LGBTQ students in the theatre department. But alas, another white, straight savior as most of you have already brought up.
I’ll probably keep watching for the sake of making Glee comparisons at this point and assessing the vocal talent of the theatre kids. I don’t give this show past its 10 episode pick-up.
perfectliar
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#22RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 1:11pm
Call_me_jorge said: "Did anyone else find Stephanie j blocks hatred of spring awakening unbelievable?"
No. I thought that was actually one of the most realistic storylines in the pilot. She's playing a religious conservative who doesn't want her son performing a gay role in an explicit musical. What's unbelievable about that?
#24RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 1:32pm
I watched. Certainly not a favorite of mine from the 1st episode, but I am willing to see if it gets better.
Did anyone else find the lighting in most scenes to be too dark? I don't think it was my tv. But, it was kind of hard to make out details and that I find bad. Like the scene with the religious family eating dinner. I thought they looked like creepy plastic people because I couldn't see the features of their eyes very well. I think if that stays the style, it could be very off putting.
"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005
"You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy.
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#25RISE
Posted: 3/14/18 at 1:36pm
I was pretty disappointed. Friday Night Lights and Parenthood are two of my all-time favorite shows, so when I heard that Jason Katims was doing a musical theatre-themed show of all things, needless to say I was 100% ecstatic.
I think I could look past some of the specific issues that have been mentioned in this thread... but I just can't get through a show where the main character is so damn unlikeable! I wanted to punch him in the teeth the entire hour. (Not the least of which when he addressed a closeted student's legit concerns with a tonedeaf me-me-me speech about how this is his jaded-teacher opportunity to be inspirational! That was pretty cringe.)
I do think Auli'i Cravalho is a star in the making. I couldn't take my eyes off of her - she really has that intangible x-factor to me. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up with some great Broadway roles in the future, and I will happily buy tickets!
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