Riedel on Good Vibrations- Page 2

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 4:31pm

Lowered Expectaaaaaaaaaaations!!!


ABSOLUTLEY NOT, Just a different genre.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:04pm

Whoa, dude. Like, way harsh article.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:07pm

A "different genre?"

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:11pm

that's "genre" pronounced buh-ket o sh it, namo.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:15pm

That sounds vaguely Japanese, though I think genre is a French word. No?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:20pm

it's polish. don't worry about it the letters you see are all silent. it's a cultural thing.

[Iris Chacon]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:25pm

Macgruder;

I said broadway SHOULD be a venue of excellence and extraordinary. In my opinion thats what all productions gearing for broadway should strive for. Making broadway the olympics of theater. Of course alot of garbage has co-existed throughout the years. ( and I am not implying that lighter fare is garbage. I had a great time at mamma mia).
At $100.00 tops mediocrity should just not be enough.

Updated On: 1/19/05 at 06:25 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 6:59pm

He mentions Dracula running for 6 months

After opening, it ran 4 1/2 months. He also appears to take glee in reporting on a shows misfortune

Updated On: 1/19/05 at 06:59 PM

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:01pm

Finding Namo,
Different genre" Meaning not everything is classic, some shows are FAD pieces, FUN pieces and not meant to become a "Classic" Doesn't mean they are bad, or have lower expectations. By the way have you actually seen the show?

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:02pm

papalovesmambo, Have you seen the show?

[Iris Chacon]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:07pm

Mr Roxy,
He IS a broadway GOSSIP columnist. I guess he could report the stuff without taking such pleasure in the shows misfortune. But it wouldn't be as fun. I enjoy reading his colunm.

Updated On: 1/19/05 at 07:07 PM

[gwapnisky]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:08pm

Hey all,

I was able to see the show this afternoon.

What a disaster? That's coming from me, as well, as a whole host of people I heard talking during intermission and afterward.

The ushers saw me with the Post open, and wanted to read it during the show. At intermission, one usher came back and told me Michael Reidel was in the audience today. I saw him after the show.

I asked what he thought, and his response was (with rolling eyes), I hope they have enough white paper and tape to put on the door.

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:16pm

gwapnisky,
What made it an disaster this afternoon?

[gwapnisky]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:23pm

have you seen the show?

the mics don't work well. the music is too loud, so you don't hear the lyrics. the set doesn't make any sense.

there is no story. the choreography is terrible.

quite honestly, it looked like a musical review you would do in high school.

there is one little story that happens in the end, which comes out of absolutely nowhere. and then, there is no play on it once it's revealed.

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:44pm

Gwapnisky
I did see see the show in December and the mics weren't working very well then either and that was bad. I thought it was too loud too when I sat down below, when I sat up above it wasn't so I don't know if that's an acoustics problem or what, but I would think they could fix that.
I liked the sets, unless they have changed. I diagree about the story, I thought there was a story, it wasn't a deep story, but a story. I do like the choreography it was very clean crisp and energentic when I saw it.

Unless it has changed since December it wasn't like a high school review. I do know they have a ghost director now and maybe they trying some stuff that isn't working, I know that has happened at least once during the previews and it got changed right away.

[RadioTV2]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:49pm

Here is my review of "Good Vibrations" that was posted under the title of "These are Truly Good Vibrations!"

" Got student rush tix for "Good Vibrations" matinee today. Sat in the front row on the left and I must say that most of the negative things people have said on this message board are completely false. Here's my take of the sold-out performance of "Good Vibrations" that I attended this afternoon.

THE CAST
The cast of this show is amazing. This show is truly an ensemble production, but as in every production, several actors do rise above the rest. David Larsen is wonderful and he can hit some notes that I have never dreamt of getting. Kate Reinders deserves a Tony Nomination for her turn as Caroline, the nerd turned popular girl, and as always delivers a knock-out performance. Jessica Snow-Wilson does well in her limited role, as do Brandon Wardell and Tituss Burgess. Just because it has to be said, Chad Kimball!! :) The cast works wonderfully together and makes this show a delight to watch!

THE BOOK/SCORE
Well, I love the Beach Boys’ music, and to me the book worked very well with the show. The lines were funny, and the plot worked fine while using the songs. I think the book-writer should be applauded because he had an enormous task, and surpassed what he needed to do.

THE DIRECTION/CHOREGOGRAPHY
John Caraffa does a splendid job in the choreography department, providing some groovy dance moves for everyone in the cast. His direction is also very good, but could be better.

THE DESIGNS
The set was very underwhelming for me, a little less so in the second act, but all in all, not up to what it could have been. The costumes were wonderful! The lighting was amazing, and will definitely get a Tony nod, if not a win!

All in all, I’m very pleased with this production, and I can see it being nominated for Best Musical. I’m not saying it will win, but it deserves to be nominated. So, regardless of what you have heard, do yourself a favor, and go see “Good Vibrations”!

“I’m picking up good vibrations!”"

[kudzu]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:53pm

radiotv2, That sounds more like the shows I saw. I am going back in January, so I'll be interested to see the changes.

[got-a-light]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 7:59pm

the post loves to close a show before it opens. look at what they did to "taboo".

as for him reporting that "42nd street" was a money loser. i also find that hard to believe, but maybe i'm wrong. granted i didn't think it was a good show, but it ran long enough and seemed to have decent ticket sales during it's run.

[RadioTV2]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 8:42pm

Everybody like my new icon?

:)

[Iris Chacon]

Posted: 1/19/05 at 9:09pm

42 street was a money looser. I believe Varitey did a report on that. And yes; he was a little relentless on his Taboo negativity. But the show was pretty bad even without his help.

Updated On: 1/19/05 at 09:09 PM

[Apollo]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 12:16am

i don't know when you saw the show, but coming from someone who did theatre for 12 years, I know a little something. i especially know what the audience and ushers said.

i didn't understand what point the orchestra had on being on stage in the first act, and then magically disappeared.

the videos of them driving were absolutely pathetic.

they did nothing with the giant plastic wave which sat on stage for most of the second act.

the choreography was so poor. tell me what was different in that compared to a high school production. there was nothing exciting.

entrances and exits were obscure as well.

costumes? what costumes? it looked like people just got off the box office line and went on a stage. look at the shoes carefully. when the guys were holding their surf boards, most of them had sneakers or flip flops on. hmmm. when they were on the beach at night (with that horrible video of waves), most had no shoes on. seems rather backwards. why, when they all came out dressed in white, did only 2 of them have flip flops on? not consistent.

lighting was all over the place. the moon ended up going all over the ceiling and the audience. the stage right doors were left open half the time to show the backstage.

where did the gay romance come from? and why, when they showed the 3 couples at the end, were the gay couple the only ones to not hold each other's hand?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 12:30am

Speaking of gay romances, blow in my ear and I'll follow you anywhere, Apollo.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 12:43am

There's nothing wrong with liking a show. And many people here do and are welcome to share their opinions.

But when you go and make statements that "everyone at the showed LOVED it" and everyone thought it was a hit, we have every right to question your possible association with the show. If you want to make such statements as those, then you need to be able to defend them. But, of course, after these statements were brought to your attention by memebers of this board and ATC, you then recounted and said you didn't mean what you said.

And you wonder why we question your validity?

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 1:29am

You know, Iris, you that's my big problem with 'lil Mikey.

He destroyed TABOO. Which disappointed me, but that's not what got my goat. In the Post this year, long after TABOO closed, Mikey has referred to it in print as both misunderstood and underrated.

I love dishy theatrical gossip as much as the next person. But the fact that he trashed the show to fill inches in his column, and then decided that he had misjudged it, doesn't sit very well with me.

I know he fancies himself as a Walter Winchell (or more accurately, a J.J. Hunsecker), but destroying TABOO because it was an easy target, and then feeling remorse about it, is irredeemable, in my opinion.

[gherbert]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 7:37am

Michael Riedel should be taken with a grain of salt. He doesn't have the immense power to drive a show into the ground single-handedly. Yes, he may slightly push it along, but although, Veuve, you are correct that he was mean to Taboo, there were other factors larger than Riedel that attributed to that show's failure.

I rather like Riedel because he is the last of a tradition of gossip columnists for Broadway. Walter Winchell and Dorothy Killgallen used to be villianous as well.

Once, Dorothy started to constantly attack Little Me while in previews at the Lunt-Fontanne and the creative team counldn't figure out why, because the show had been playing really well and got good reviews in Philadelphia. So they had a connection ask her, to find that the night she came to see the show there was a theatre party and she had to sit in the balcony.

Riedel's column's have enraged me and entertained me and I can't say I hated either.

Plus, Good Vibrations did open cold on Broadway and was somewhat rushed. As Chita Rivera said, opening cold is New York is like having open heart surgery on 45th Street with everyone looking in. In the glorius days of the out-of-town tryout, audiences in Boston, Philly, New Haven, etc. knew they were seeing a work in progress and took it in and enjoying their creative role.

But now shows decide to just open cold and nine times out of ten are worse for it.