STAGE TUBE: 'THE FIRST WIVES CLUB' New Video Preview!- Page 2

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 4:12pm

I find her to be rather bland no matter what she's in. I just don't think she's all that outrageous. Or contagious. I think she's ready for a change, though.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 4:23pm

The biggest problem (and the biggest thing that needs to be changed if a New York transfer happens) is that the three central women don't have the right arcs.

In the film, each had a very specific journey that involved overcoming insecurities and finding peace with who they were as women. Getting revenge on their husbands was part of it, yes, but it served a greater purpose in helping them find themselves. All of that is practically non-existent in the stage musical, where getting back at the men has moved into the spotlight in a way it shouldn't (even though it takes practically the whole first half of the show to even get those plans in motion.)

I found Sheryl Lee Ralph to be the strongest of the leads by far, but Elyse (as it's spelled for this version) has been given zero vulnerability. She starts the show strong and sassy and ends that way. Since she's now a fabled pop star, where are her concerns about being able to compete with the young singing starlets who are churned out on a regular basis? Lord knows the music business is incredibly fickle that way.

Annie and Brenda both have similarly broad strokes. Annie should start the show incredibly meek and mild and grow into her confidence as the story unfolds, but Ziemba gives the character far too much of a backbone far too soon. It's actually Brenda who comes off as sheltered and shy instead when she should be using her inflated confidence to mask her own vulnerability. For example- in the clip everyone's seen, Annie practically growls the moniker, "THE FIRST WIVES CLUB!," followed by Brenda coyly chiming in with, "Oh, yes! First Wives!" ...shouldn't it be the other way around?

The "Jump For Joy" number they have written for Annie is cute enough (if a bit bland,) but the impact of seeing the character let loose for the first time is practically non-existent because of how confident she's already come across the whole first act.

Similarly, Walsh delivers with her number hoping for a reconciliation with Morty at the end of the first act, but the tone given to the character doesn't seem right. It's as if they've given Sam Harris's best friend character all the personality Brenda should have herself.

Updated On: 8/5/09 at 04:23 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 4:27pm

Somethingwicked, you saw the show?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:19pm

adamgreer, yes.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 7:03pm

I agree with somethingwicked that the men's roles were built up to an insane degree. We know the men are cads, let's move on. I also completely agree with the Variety review, which said the show went out of its way to demonize nearly everyone but the women.

Yet the ladies are all about winning back their husbands at the beginning. Well, if they're so terrible, who wants them? That's why I felt Harris's act 1 closer was embarrassing. It's not like Fanny singing "My Man" in FUNNY GIRL, where we know she and Nicky have a connection and that he does love her underneath the horrible things he's done. He's too prideful to accept her help and she won't take no for an answer. It's not played as a "victim song," whereas seeing Harris grovel for the man who dumped her and their son was too much.

None of them had a backbone, and I fault Rupert Holmes for making the leads too nice. The revenge plotline had no bite whatsoever and was blandly executed. This is sort of like what happened in Diane English's remake of THE WOMEN last year - she was put off by the bitchiness of the original and wanted to express female solidarity. That's fine, but don't forget the wit and satire of the original comes from real conflict and characters who are fundamentally at odds with each other. Holmes made a similar mistake here.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:14pm

I tried watching it but it said the video was taken down.

I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad about that, though.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:19pm

If the Old Globe takes down a promo video every time we say something bad about it, they're going to have a hit on their hands!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:21pm

What a waste, when there are so many other good movies out there like TAXI DRIVER or GOODFELLAS just begging for a musical version.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:24pm

Actually, just checked and the video has been reposted under a different URL:
TRY THIS

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:28pm

Thank you for reposting that link, I hadn't seen the video yet.

So who does everyone think will replace the gals on Broadway when their contracts are up in 2011????

[Pgenre]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:33pm

Alexis Smith, Dorothy Collins and Yvonne DeCarlo.

Yma Sumac as the 3 mistresses?

P

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:40pm

Thanks. That was, well, pretty terrible.

Also, I think there was some serious miscasting going on here.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 8/5/09 at 11:10pm

"I find her to be rather bland no matter what she's in. I just don't think she's all that outrageous. Or contagious. I think she's ready for a change, though."


Agreed.