I was at tonight's show as well...and while I normally don't post thoughts, because I feel like everyone's already said anything I could, I wanted to for a few specific people who I once had conversations with about disliking Sunday.
For the record, I tried watching the DVD 3 times, and fell asleep all 3 times. Didn't make it longer than 30 minutes. It wasn't until I took my Sondheim class that not only did I watch the whole thing, but I loved it. Once I was able to understand connect the sheer genuinity of the score (the fact that it's pointilistic, the way "Sunday" comes together as the painting does, the parts in the melody that you hear throughout the show, etc. I also was able to further associate the idea of the work of the artist with all kinds of artists, including composers. These were the 2 things that contributed to my newfound appreciation for it.
So I am glad to say that I adored the production. It was so perfect in the way it led up to the finales of both acts, and both acts lived up to the expectations, both times I had tears in my eyes as soon as they let out that first "Sunday" -- especially the end of the first act, when after George says "Harmony," the music finally corrects its dissonance for the first time in the whole show. It's just a brilliant moment.
Totally agree that the cast was awesome. Jenna did sound like Bernadette, but I was honestly thrilled she did. It didn't seem like she was necessarily copying Bernadette, just that they both had amazing voices. I think her Dot was a little more -- I wanna say sarcastic, but that's not it -- just really great at getting some of the humor. I think their Marie's in particular were fairly different.
I do want to add that the ensemble as a whole sounded FANTASTIC. Their rendition of "Sunday" was chilling, and in this show, it's very important that that song, in particular, is in absolute perfect harmony, and boy was it.
I'm another who also prefers the 2nd act to the 1st in general, it was just more moving on the whole, but yeah, really loved the 2nd act here. Loved Jenna's Marie, though "Putting it Together" was slower than I'm used to, and I felt it dragged...though I'm wondering if perhaps they intended to do that to make the song as a whole more understandable.
Aside from the Sundays and Move on, Finishing the Hat was also a highlight. The passion he sang it with, and I just love the end of it..."look I made a hat where there never was a hat."
The orchestra did an amazing job despite it being so small. The distinct harmonies of the trumpet that need to be heard were always heard, and you could hear all the proper melodies scattered throughout the songs somewhere. A part of me wonders if maybe it is even more effective having the smaller orchestra, so one melody doesn't really overpower the others so much, and you can hear the different melodies within the songs even better.
I must say, I am very surprised that so many people completely unfamiliar with Sunday are loving it. Maybe it's my own bias, but like I said, I was totally bored until I got more insight into the amazing music. Do you guys think there's something more accessible in this production than there was in the original? Or am I just being biased because I felt that way? I think it's very interesting if this production is more accessible, and especially to contepmlate why that might be.
Oh, and I agree the sets were used so great, sometimes I couldn't believe they were in the same room. I mean, when the park set came out, the way they added and used the light was just brilliant, and completely put me in the park. I actually volunteer ushered this night, and so sat in the orchestra for a little while and watched them work and play around with the sets, it was pretty fascinating. An awesome preview for what was to come, and they were doing a lot with what I realized eventually became "Putting it Together." It was realy funny to see the side stuff happening without anything else happening on teh stage, heh.
And I can see how people would think the mezz seats are better than orch seats. I think front row mezz center may be the best seat in the house. But I sat in row ee center, which is the first row of the rear mezz, and that seat was beyond perfect (not to mention that with the aisle in front of me, legroom isn't a problem!)
I'm so glad that such a great production is being staged on Broadway now, introducing people to this wonderful work, and that people are getting into it easier and quicker than I did
One more very silly note: I always saw the part that the Chromolume goes wrong as a Sondheim/Lapine(?) jab at the musicals of the time like Cats that were relying solely on electricity to create their shows, and I coudln't help thinking that with the projected set, this production is kinda doing the same thing. Very picky and silly, but it gave me a chuckle.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
