Riedel: ‘Into’ is lost in the woods- Page 2

[Wynbish]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:11am

He makes a valid point about the need for a conductor monitor.

A point made on here. Aww, he reads us.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:13am

Honestly, it might work better. It's absolutely magical to have Into the Woods outdoors, but with this set, the action is so far away and they hardly make use of the thrust or any of the playing space in front of the treehouse. But I guess we'll lose the characters coming out of the woods onto the stage. That's pretty fantastic.

Ahem, that was a point I made. You're welcome, Riedel. :P Updated On: 7/27/12 at 02:13 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:17am

Everything he says is pretty true, the music was a mess and the actors looked considerably lost on several occasions. Da
Murph should have talons or crutches, two are too much. and lots of lines were flubbed and the transformation is deadly.
But he chose to pick on the negitive, that's his pitch. If the show turns around (and it can) he'll be singing his praises as he zips his pants. He's a worm and he has to keep up his character.
There's a lot of good going on here, I wouldn't bring in Lapine but there might be someone who could come in and polish this. George Wolfe? Alex Timbers? The focus and storylines need work, but the talent is up there. I hope they do the work, even in the rain, "the play's the thing".

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:29am

Regarding the conductor camera, I might be wrong, but isn't the Delacorte a thrust stage? If it is, I would think it would be distracting for audience members off to the sides. I have seen several musicals with the orchestra backstage and no conductor cam in which the actors were just fine and always with the music. That includes two Sondheim musicals (Follies and Merrily) with many of the same difficulties as the Into the Woods score. If this continues to be a problem, I would wonder how well the actors can hear the orchestra. Seeing a conductor does help, but it's not a necessity as long as the actors listen.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:30am

Given that Lapine was the reason the last revival was so inferior, I don't understand why they'd want to call him in anyway.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:52am

At least one small moniter down stage center (3 would be ideal) but the actors would have a natural point to look when they are so lost. But a week from now they will know where the music is actually coming from and adjust. The show needed better planning.

And the show has always had dreams of transferring, that's no secret.

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 5:27am

There is a pic of Adams floating around the internet and the wig along with her typically goofy looking face, makes her look ridiculous.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 6:21am

Why is there so much surprise about this show. It is a transfer from London, with very minor alterations. The director has transferred with the production.

American critics gave the shows absolute raves when it played at Regents Park, praising the direction and design.

If you want to know what the show is like, you can download it legally.

The only major new elements are cast, musicians and crew. Can you guys pull off the magic that was the London production?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 7:32am

The director, Timothy Sheader, who’s supposed to be some hot shot from London

Ugh. Can't Mayor Bloomberg pass a law or something, making it illegal to hire anyone British, "hotshot" or not, to direct American musicals?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 7:39am

One monitor wouldn't distract the audience. And I'd argue that Into the Woods is a much harder show to follow than the more straightforward Follies and Merrily We Roll Along. I mean, the opening sequences alone! Even ballads like Stay With Me are very difficult to navigate. And No One Is Alone was almost a train wreck in terms of entrances. I'm sure the cast is smart enough to figure it out after a couple of performances, but that could have been avoided altogether.

I will reiterate that transfers aren't just copy and paste. Things can get lost in translation. I know people were afraid that One Man Two Guvnors wouldn't play as well in the States, and that's much more of a direct transfer with the same cast intact. And I mentioned on another thread the recent Jesus Christ Superstar, which had raves everywhere else it played before Broadway.

[dreaming]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 8:09am

None of this sounds like issues that can't be resolved during previews. (Which again, might be a good reason to have some sort of understanding about not reviewing pieces until they are frozen.)

I think the show will be fine personally-the cast is talented enough to correct the issues on their end and the creatives are likely talented enough to correct anything that they need to as well.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 8:22am

Bill Sampson: You've been listening to that venomous fishwife, Michael Reidel!
Margo Channing: In this case apparently as trustworthy as the World Almanac!

[wicked1492]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 9:00am

His source:

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 9:10am

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/theater/amy-adams-and-donna-murphy-in-into-the-woods.html?pagewanted=all

interesting read.... and yes her hair does kind of look like a squirrel.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 11:29am

One lesson here: Though some people on these boards say, oh it's just previews, I expect lines missed, music flubs, tech problems.... but the general public and the vultures do not!
Especially in this age if you put it in front of people, you better be ready!

Devonian; In this case the production is very different than the London version, the 2 directors and half a set designer are about the only holdovers. But you would think that they knew where the problems would be and addressed them.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 11:42am

"How is he a real columnist? It sounds like he visited here to write that."

He most certainly trolls this board. I find it fascinating anyone cares enough at that paper to keep him employed. There are like literally 10 of us that care.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 11:49am

Actually not. He has boosted the circulation of the Post and in many ways made its theater coverage more influential than that of the NY Times.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 11:54am

American Idiot ran longer at the St James than Gypsy.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 11:59am

"He has boosted the circulation of the Post and in many ways made its theater coverage more influential than that of the NY Times."

I'm not necessarily disagreeing (because it would be impossible to care less), but is there any demonstrable proof to that statement?

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 12:32pm

Oof. Amy's wig.

And, I know there's something with the tree concept, but Donna' face make-up is ratchet.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 1:59pm

Riedel is Riedel. He's not the world's best prose writer. He's a five-star bitch. But he can be very entertaining, especially when he's wrong.

I wholeheartedly agree with PalJoey, who asks if Mayor Bloomberg could possibly pass a law banning British directors from tackling American musicals in New York. With the exception of Sam Buntrock's very moving production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK... and John Doyle's non-actor/musician work, I have yet to see a British director understand exactly what an American musical is or how it works. I'm talking to you, Trevor Nunn. But I will not judge this director until I see this new INTO THE WOODS. It could very well be wonderful.

I think a monitor giving the cast a view of the conductor would be a great idea. I'll agree that this show is a tricky one to navigate for actors. There are so many safety bars and whatnot, that it's ludicrous that there wasn't a monitor already in place. If the audience wants a good show, they'll put up with the minor distraction of a TV monitor. I'd rather watch the actors come in on time than uncomfortably watch mistakes.

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:08pm

Yeah piss off, Nick Hytner, and take your Carousel with you.

[coverboyz]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:20pm

I love a trainwreck as much as the next queen but let's wait until they've officially opened, shall we?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:45pm

In Broadway shows, the conductor sticks out of the pit and is sometimes visible throughout a show. Monitors decorate the mezzanine. I think audiences can deal with a monitor at the Delacorte.

I think Stephen Daldry and John Tiffany have given us a couple of entertaining musicals within the last couple years. Well, their shows take place in Europe, but they're bonafide Tony-winning Broadway musicals.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:52pm

The main issue with a monitor in the space is... well, where can you put one? There's no balcony to put one on. There are two voms, the upper railings of which are used for lighting instruments- but the area isn't very large and are taken up with said instruments.