SCANDALOUS Reviews — Page 2

"C H A R D O N A Y is censored by the BWW software because it picks up on the "H A R D O N"."

OMG, that explains it. I tried to type the name of that wine in a post once and it filled it with asterisks, so I changed it to Merlot.

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/Scandalous2012.html

Talkin' Broadway is negative for the show but very positive for Carolee.

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Just realized my post looks like I was correcting the spelling.... I was not, just showing how the censoring renders it incoherent.

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NEWSDAY also negative for the show and positive for Carolee Carmello:

There is nothing remotely scandalous about "Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson," the biographical musical that has book, lyrics and additional music by Kathie Lee Gifford. Despite the inevitable celebrity-lite target on Gifford's back, the musical about the media-star Christian evangelist of the 1920s does not have the toxic aura of a vanity production. It is well-produced and professional.

It's also not interesting, alas, at least not interesting enough to sustain 2 1/2 hours of fast-forward storytelling and inspirational songs that almost always end in throbbing climax. At least as problematic is the bombardment of nursery-rhyme lyrics ...

But we have a reason to give thanks, and that is Carolee Carmello. One of our most deeply wonderful, inexplicably underutilized singing actors, Carmello finally gets a giant vehicle that needs her massive talents. If life is fair, or enough people see this show, there won't be another second-cast Mother Superior in "Sister Act" or vampire's mother in "Lestat" for this amazing artist. ... I

Carmello ...has a strenuous, exposed character who, with much better material, might have rivaled Mama Rose and Evita. Despite the monotony of the touch-what-you-dream songs (music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman), Carmello alone makes Aimee's journey feel as adventurous as it clearly was.


Full NEWSDAY review

^ B-..... wow

There are certainly a few adjectives the marketing team can pull out of that Times review for the billboards. Definitely not a positive review, but nonetheless...

I see Kathie Lee forkin over the money to get it through to New Years.

Um...Women on the Verge verged on unbearable. It's also one of my favorite movies that was ruined. I'm definitely not defending Scandalous but that's a horrible comparison.

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Unless they dump more money into it, I don't see it lasting beyond 11/25. You can just look at Ticketmaster to get a decent gauge on the advance. For example, for next Friday evening(during one of the busiest weeks of the year) there are about 75 seats sold in the entire mezzanine and the orchestra looks less than half sold. If you can't generate an advance for the post Thanksgiving weekend, you're basically DOA.

But the question is how much this church (and Kathie Lee) are willing to pour into it to keep it open.

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So having too much time on my hands, here are the usable quotes:

“The American Theatre Wing might as well give Carolee Carmello her Tony Award now. Carmello is performing miracles, only hers are onstage at the Neil Simon Theatre. Carmello delivers one of the season’s must see performances. When Carmello sings, there’s magic in the theatre. the entire cast is fantastic, Joel Fram’s music direction and vocal arrangements are an absolute delight. ”.. Backstage.

Ms. Carmello, a gloriously gifted singing actress…thrills us with the purity and power of her voice. She leads a few rousing come-to-Jesus gospel-tinged numbers with bright-beaming intensity. She delivers the climactic soul-baring ballad with plenty of emotional heat. New York Times.

Carolee Carmello gives a charismatic performance in the lead, belting out her numbers like a one women church Choir. Scandalous has enough high energy and witty lines….. Entertainment Weekley. W



Well produced and professional……We have reason to give thanks……..One of our most deeply wonderful, inexplicably underutilized singing actors, Carolee Carmello finally gets a giant vehicle that needs her massive talents. Carmello alone makes Aimee’s jouirney feel as adventurous as it clearly was.” Newsday

here's another pull quote.

"Broadway favorite Carolee Carmello is committed and powerful in the role of Aimee. there's fire there, and some kind of electricity"
Village Voice.

With the average ticket price being $26... it would be a miracle that they could keep this alive long. A gross of less than 200,000 for a musical?? Ouch. I hope they do though. Carolee's performance is certainly worth it. I love when producers give a show a chance to run. They did that with Memphis and Memphis took home the Tony,