lightguy06222 said: "is it a hit????? because you're still out the $88"
Actually, in this example, you still haven't paid the ushers, bartenders, audio people, lighting people, stage managers, musicians, or anyone onstage...
Went with comps last night, and yeah, it's pretty bad. Production values far lower than what you'd expect on Broadway, and misguided directorial choices from every angle. The best moments were when they just let Ruben sing, and when the ensemble members (working impressively hard) did comic bits. But the ratio of talking to singing was way too high, and the transitions especially needed a whole lot more thought.
There is a lot of potential, but unfortunately it's mostly wasted. Not sure why they'd go for this rather than just a reunion concert.
Completely at a loss as to who even thought this was a good idea to bring to Broadway. Granted, I am definitely not the target audience for this show. I have never been into American Idol and do not particularly like either headliner here. In all honesty, both of them have been little more than footnotes or trivia answers for a number of years now, so I know of few people who were clamoring for a reunion. If they were going to do this, then the show surrounding them needed to be polished and outstanding, but the segments that they have been airing make the whole thing look like Amateur Night in Dixie. From the commentary, I am uncertain whether Aiken's white coiffure is natural or a dye job, but either way it is frightening me - when I first caught a gander at him I thought I was witnessing the discovery of a rare albino earthworm! And I am also hard-pressed as to why Ruben is eternally inert. I know people are going to cite his weight as an excuse, but I have seen performers larger than Studdard who were still able to energetically move about on stage. If memory serves, wasn't this one of the critiques against him back during the AI competition? This is eons later and he still has not mastered movement on stage!? I mean an ailing performer with a long career behind them may be able to get away with being largely immobile on stage now, but Studdard does not have that kind of cache.
Christoph said: "And I am also hard-pressed as to why Ruben is eternally inert. I know people are going to cite his weight as an excuse, but I have seen performers larger than Studdard who were still able to energetically move about on stage."
Supposedly he just had surgery recently, and even during rehearsals, he supposedly just watched from the wings while someone else stood in for him. I do not know what the surgery was for, though.
Christoph said: "Completely at a loss as to who even thought this was a good idea to bring to Broadway. Granted, I am definitely not the target audience for this show. I have never been into American Idol and do not particularly like either headliner here. In all honesty, both of them have been little more than footnotes or trivia answers for a number of years now, so I know of few people who were clamoring for a reunion. If they were going to do this, then the show surrounding them needed to be polished and outstanding, but the segments that they have been airing make the whole thing look like Amateur Night in Dixie. From the commentary, I am uncertain whether Aiken's white coiffure is natural or a dye job, but either way it is frightening me - when I first caught a gander at him I thought I was witnessing the discovery of a rare albino earthworm! And I am also hard-pressed as to why Ruben is eternally inert. I know people are going to cite his weight as an excuse, but I have seen performers larger than Studdard who were still able to energetically move about on stage. If memory serves, wasn't this one of the critiques against him back during the AI competition? This is eons later and he still has not mastered movement on stage!? I mean an ailing performer with a long career behind them may be able to get away with being largely immobile on stage now, but Studdard does not have that kind of cache."
I have seen Aiken up close and his hair looks fine. It is his choice. If you don't like it, fine. But no need to be nasty about it.
Mr Studdard is not every other heavier person so not fair to slam him about his movement. Unless you know him personally, you don't know what is going on with him.
If people came here they would get a lot of negative opinions which really don't reflect the real world. Its a shame that the chat threads have become contests for who can find the most fault and be the most nasty.
EVEN THE GRINCH COULD LOVE ‘RUBEN AND CLAY’S CHRISTMAS SHOW’
Their Christmas show marries the best of classic holiday variety shows with the amazing talents for which the now-40-year-olds are remembered. The show is a two hour roller coaster of emotion. Aided by a cast of five singers/actors, as well as a set to rival that of any Andy Williams Christmas TV special, the pair make their mark by embracing the best of what makes Broadway, Broadway. Campy costumes, wonderful orchestrations, and all-out spectacle.
MassiveMeGo said: "Yours is random. This is national to millions."
And yet it did nothing to boost ticket sales, or, since you'll want to argue with this, if it did the boys were selling NOTHING on their name alone.
If the opinions here mean nothing, why have you spent so much time and energy battling it?
AGAIN, the vast majority of comments here have been about results (the box office) NOT a out the show itself. And, NO, we arent the problem because we didnt see it. There are lots of shows that succeed without me seeing it.
Your constant talk about a 3 Year agreement is ridiculous. That too, speaks to intention, rather than to quality or success, and those plans can be easy scraoped. As many have said, this would likely do better on a tour when people can only go on one specific night in their community.
Pay up, buddy, this flopped and you have a bet to settle.
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.
Just FYI, disagreeing is not battling. Battling is what you do to get banned.
"AGAIN, the vast majority of comments here have been about results (the box office) NOT a out the show itself."
Total bull. If you weren't attacking me you were attacking them. Very little was about the actual show but more about bragging that you didn't pay for tickets, refuse to buy a ticket, need comps and plan to hate it anyway"
"And, NO, we arent the problem because we didnt see it."
MassiveMeGo said: "Just FYI, disagreeing is not battling. Battling is what you do to get banned.
"AGAIN, the vast majority of comments here have been about results (the box office) NOT a out the show itself."
Total bull. If you weren't attacking me you were attacking them. Very little was about the actual show but more about bragging that you didn't pay for tickets, refuse to buy a ticket, need comps and plan to hate it anyway"
"And, NO, we arent the problem because we didnt see it."
Nobody said that."
NO, you only fixated on the "attacks" on them- or took any comment that wasn't praise AS an attack. And YES, you did say I was part of the problem for not wanting to purchase tickets.
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.
As an avid viewer of "The View" I can say these are the shows that opened this year which Whoopi and the ladies raved about as being 'the best', telling national audiences not to miss these on Broadway:
1. Margaritaville
2. Summer - The Donna Summer Musical
3. Head Over Heels
4. Ruben & Clay Christmas
What do they all have in common? I'll leave that for each of you to answer...LOL
David10086 said: "As an avid viewer of "The View" I can say these are the shows that opened this year which Whoopi and the ladies raved about as being 'the best', telling national audiences not to miss these on Broadway:
1. Margaritaville
2. Summer - The Donna Summer Musical
3. Head Over Heels
4. Ruben & Clay Christmas
What do they all have in common? I'll leave that for each of you to answer...LOL"
There is also the fact that hosts have to pretend interest in whoever comes on their show to do promos. They aren't going to tell their audiences not to see something.
"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.
Ignored Users: suestorm, N2N Nate., Owen22, master bates
Whoopi (and any other interested host of The View) was given comps to both Summer and HOH. Of course she owes them a good review- or no review at all. Imagine if she started bashing shows. All the free tickets would dry up quickly.
In fairness to Whoopi and The View, it’s not like the program is Theater Talk. They aren’t there to be theater/film/tv critics. Stars come on the show to promote their projects and the ladies endorse them. On opening night, when I attended, one of the other View hosts was brought up as the audience Mad Libs participant. You really think they’re going to tell it like it is after that?
The show itself was complete garbage and a total embarrassment. What was most puzzling was why this variety show format was chosen in the first place. Ruben, <<edited by BWW staff>>, is the last person who should be used in zany skits. He was set up to fail from the start, and fail he did.
Even good ideas came off half-baked, and the “stars” weren’t able to add the extra baking powder to help them rise. For example: there was a skit where Ruben and Clay were helping Santa answer a backlog of letters that had piled up in the workshop. A cute idea, and you can imagine Sonny and Cher or Carol Burnett having a lot of fun with the idea. Unfortunately there were only three letters. The first was from a boy saying, it’s 2018, get an email address already! (NOT funny!!) and then the final two were from Ruben and Clay. Cute, but they weren’t funny either.
What should have happened was that would find celeb letters (e.g. Dear Santa, can you help me find a new wife for Christmas? Love, Tom Cruise/Dear Santa, Keep daddy out of jail, Love, Ivanka) and then they could make funny replies. A stand-up comedian could have a lot of fun doing this, but when one of the stars is comatose and the other has flop sweat from pushing too hard, it makes for simply a sad evening.
To say that this show is anything other than a financial AND creative disaster is preposterous.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
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.