SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE in Performances (The 2017 Revival)- Page 8

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 8:27am

dev101 said: "Afterward, I waited at the stage door, and was lucky enough to get a picture with Jake. Each member of the cast was very gracious and the crowd was very well behaved."

dev101, would you please tell me where Jake came out after the show? Was it on 44th, or 45th?

 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 8:44am

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but how are the seats in the last few rows of the balcony?  Is the view ok?

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 9:04am

"The chromosome is not exactly an important part of the show."

Now this just might be the broadwayworld.com post of all time.

[dev101]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 12:40pm

He comes out on 45th 

[MinnieFay]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 1:18pm

dev101 said: "He comes out on 45th "

Except for when he doesn't.  There are multiple exit routes available --- including through the Hudson Hotel.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 1:24pm

MinnieFay said: "dev101 said: "He comes out on 45th "

Except for when he doesn't.  There are multiple exit routes available --- including through the Hudson Hotel."

And has he been varying his routine? For those who have seen Jake after the show, how did you know which exit he would use?

[KnewItWhenIWasInFron]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 1:55pm

Could the stalkers please confine themselves to the specific stalking/stage door threads, so the rest of us can actually read about the show here without wading through all of this? Thanks.

[dev101]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 2:33pm

MinnieFay said: "dev101 said: "He comes out on 45th "

Except for when he doesn't.  There are multiple exit routes available --- including through the Hudson Hotel.

My experience was that he came out on 45th. Can't say what he will do tomorrow or next week. 

 

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 3:17pm

I held my review for awhile... just because I know my comments here were controversial...paranoid, even... and I did not want people to get mad at me...

But I loved the production...I was there opening night which was really magical (wish I could have thanked BARTLETT SHER, who was near my seat, for SOUTH PACIFIC but I was too shy...) 

I thought JAKE GYLLENHAAL did a tremendous job and really sold me on the role... I wish he could be nominated for a TONY... It's still remarkable to me that this is his Broadway musical debut... The level of acting was A+! He should do more musicals...

ANNALEIGH ASHFORD struggled a bit (the aforementioned "SUNDAY IN THE 'DARK'..." was a bit of a tense moment, especially with STEPHEN SONDHEIM watching...Oy!!) but she is a talent and nailed her comedy in the second act...She needs to sing out more, though... That would be my only criticism...

I would like to see this again, as the projector kept going in and out during the first act... The staging did not bother me as much... Honestly seeing so many talented people on stage, including the KING AND I reunion of RUTHIE ANN MILES and ASHLEY PARK, was really something special...

I wonder what the reviews will be like...I am biased as this was the first time I ever saw it on stage (I skipped the 2008 production because the performers' vocal abilities seemed... limited) so I may not be the best judge here...

Are they going to do a lottery for non-preview performances? Would love to go again...

Also the HUDSON THEATER is great but the seats were hard as a rock!!! 

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 5:16pm

dev101 said: "MinnieFay said: "dev101 said: "He comes out on 45th "

Except for when he doesn't.  There are multiple exit routes available --- including through the Hudson Hotel.

My experience was that he came out on 45th. Can't say what he will do tomorrow or next week."

Thanks for sharing your experiences, dev101 and MinnieFay; I appreciate the info!

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 8:43pm

Does Jake stagedoor matinees?

[newintown]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 8:30am

It's a very enjoyable revival, and one that still doesn't approach (for me) the brilliance of the original. Still, it's superior by far to the Menier and Kennedy Center revivals.

The orchestra, although a bit over-amplified for my taste, is perfect. A group of top musicians at the top of their game. My favorite performances are those of Ashley Park, Phillip Boykin, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Jenni Barber. These people all sing and act beautifully, and really make the most of their few moments. Erin Davie is also very good, but her few bits of the score aren't ideal for her voice.

Penny Fuller does really gorgeous work with "Beautiful." Sadly, her lines seem to be defying her. She went up a few times, and stumbled several others. Perhaps it's more difficult for her to have so little to do.

The leads each offer enjoyable things to watch; Ashford is an actress who knows how to work a small moment to great advantage, and because the show is hers, she doesn't need to try to steal it, as we've seen her do several times before. She plays Dot in a way I've not seen before, as a wild young girl who really can't concentrate. It was great fun to watch. Her "Children and Art" was one of my favorite versions I've seen. Unfortunately, the quality of her voice isn't as interesting as her acting, and the low notes barely whisper out of her. As Dot, I found her singing rather bland.

Gyllenhaal is doing, it seems to me, a very good movie star performance; that is, he's something of a blank slate asking the audience to project a performance onto him. He has simply enormous beautiful eyes that he tends to keep full out at the audience, and the effect, I imagine, works well for most. I found him to be a bit one-note (morose) most of the evening. He comes to life a bit during "Putting It Together," but nowhere near to the ultra-desperate degree we saw Patinkin get to (which seems more appropriate to me, given the character and situation). As for his singing - well, he's clearly working very hard at it, but it's neither particularly expressive nor attractive to listen to to. Nothing terrible; just a novice working very hard to get better.

Both leads still seem quite tentative at a few times with dialogue, lyrics, and music.

The Chromolume (#7) is pretty and fun to watch, yet I think we've all seen similar things in airports and finer hotel lobbies. It doesn't really make a lot of sense when George says "I put the names of my contributors on the side of the machine," when there really isn't "a machine" to be seen. But that's a minuscule quibble. If you sit in the first 3 rows, you'll find it next to impossible to really see the Chromolume, and even the next 4 or 5 rows need to crane their heads back uncomfortably.

As far as staging, there is little to discuss, it's a small stage with no set to speak of, so people move around a bit, but little more than that.

For those who are curious, I really adore the show itself, and think it's easily one of the best of its decade (and of my lifetime). It's possible that my standards/expectations for it are too high.

Updated On: 2/21/17 at 08:30 AM

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 2/21/17 at 9:46am

I don't mean to repeat myself but I think my post got lost in the shuffle a bit :) can anyone comment on the view from far right, row P in the orchestra? 

[dev101]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 9:01am

Any chance they will make a cast recording? Im dying to relive the whole thing over again. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 6:32pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Jake-Gyllenhaal-Annaleigh-Ashford-and-More-Bring-Artistry-to-Broadways-SUNDAY-IN-THE-PARK-WITH-GEORGE-20170222

Beautiful.

Also, I would think a cast recording is very likely.

[dev101]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 7:04pm

n2nbaby said: "I don't mean to repeat myself but I think my post got lost in the shuffle a bit :) can anyone comment on the view from far right, row P in the orchestra? 

 

"

I sat row M far right and it was still great, not sure about P

 

[dev101]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 7:05pm

ljay889 said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Jake-Gyllenhaal-Annaleigh-Ashford-and-More-Bring-Artistry-to-Broadways-SUNDAY-IN-THE-PARK-WITH-GEORGE-20170222

Beautiful.

Also, I would think a cast recording is very likely."

beautiful pictures, and even they don't capture how lovely it is. And I hope you're right!

 

Updated On: 2/22/17 at 07:05 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/22/17 at 7:30pm

That is GLORIOUS production photography. 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/23/17 at 12:22am

I was at tonight's performance and found this production to be a thoroughly mixed bag. Don't get me wrong- I cried multiple times this evening. It's always been a wonderful show, and hearing that score performed by that orchestra was really glorious. The first chords alone took my breath away. I'd also forgotten how excellent the book is- it's so tight and well-constructed. I was also pleased to see this production do away with that odd interlude where Dot reveals she's pregnant.

The cast is mostly very good and sings well, though I did think the male voices in Sunday could be a little stronger- I mostly heard the soprano line, which distracted from the harmonies. Ashley Park gave my favorite performance of the night- I always love the Celestes, but she made more of Celeste 1 than I thought possible. Robert Sean Leonard, Erin Davie, Jenni Barber, and Philip Boykin also did some nice work. 

It's a problem for any Sunday production, however, when one of the Celestes gives one of the most consistent performances. Jake and Annaleigh are very good, for the most part. But there is a tentativeness to both of their performances- Jake, in particular, hasn't fully formed a characterization for either George yet. In fairness, I think it's a deceptively difficult role to play, but he didn't do much to distinguish himself. His signing was fine, and he does have a few lovely acting moments, but it isn't a fully realized performance. Dot and Marie, in contrast, have a lot more material to play with, and Annaleigh generally does well, but I felt like a lot of it was surface work. We Do Not Belong Together, in particular, felt more like she was focusing on the music rather than acting. Sung beautifully, but very little feeling behind it. I will say both of them did wonderful stuff with Color and Light- those last moments felt electric between them, and I've never seen that scene work quite so well. 

Ultimately, I think the blame lies with Sarna Lapine more than anyone else. The direction here is virtually nonexistent, and it extends to the performances. Why oh why, if you're going to expand the ensemble, make the stage smaller for heaven's sake? Why did she not have Jake stand still while he sang Finishing the Hat? Why in the world is George rolling around on the ground during The Day Off? Granted, I hate that sequence, but it was needlessly bizarre. I wonder if a stronger hand could have helped Annaleigh and Jake, who are both great, but were stranded playing difficult roles. The scenes are staged decently enough, but the show is sort of at sea, staging-wise, during the musical numbers. And for the love of god, I truly don't understand the purpose of having a smaller stage- it's a baffling choice. 

The design is fine, more or less. Some of the projection work is quite pretty, especially in Color and Light, but it is not a set. I don't think Sunday needs a luxurious set to work, but it is a show based on a painting- and this is a rather drab production despite that inspiration. The lighting is quite nice, and the Chromolume is fun.

This makes me sound like I hated this, which I didn't at all! It is a gorgeous show and that's still true here. But I was frustrated that everything still felt a little under-prepared and undercooked. Still, if you love this show, I would encourage you to go- there's enough good here that it's worth checking out. Just don't expect it to fully soar in the way this musical can. 

Updated On: 2/23/17 at 12:22 AM

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 2/23/17 at 12:46am

Does anyone know if Erin has been stagedooring? 

[wonkit]

Posted: 2/23/17 at 8:16am

I was at the matinee yesterday, and my reaction was pretty close to what wonderfulwizard11 wrote so cogently. Everything was there but it never came together with much emotional force. I had a much stronger negative reaction to the set - so underwhelming. The projections seemed quite drab for a play about art. (I was in Row K orchestra right.) I have a problem generally with the popular decision to put the orchestra on stage since it interferes with the suspension of disbelief for me to see the source of the music I am hearing. I prefer to think the music I am hearing is in the mind of the character who is singing. Silly me...

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/23/17 at 9:15am

Reviews tonight! 

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 2/23/17 at 6:52pm

I was pleased to read details of the chromolume in the TimeOut review. Also glad that I did NOT see it spoiled here. 

In my case, since I'll not have the chance to see the production, I was glad to have an offsite link (with spoiler warning) to discover what was so special.

Now that I know, I must say that it sounds perfect and wonderful - Thankfully we don't need to depend upon a state-of-the-art Japanese microcomputer which controls the voltage regulator. Times change so quickly.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 12:40am

Laurapattifan said: "Does anyone know if Erin has been stagedooring? "

Yes. She stagedoored when I saw the show. 

 

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 2/24/17 at 12:01pm

I was there.  It was better than the original, which I walked out on.  There is a master class for diction and stage presence being done by Penny Fuller and Liz McCartney.  And a very funny old lady sketch by Ashford in the 2nd act.

Diction is the key word here though.  Sondheim is 85 per cent lyrics and 15 percent melody.  If you have a problem with diction and getting the lyrics out in a clean and natural way, and that would be the majority of the cast including the leads, you should not take on a Sondheim show.  This is Broadway and not Apprentice Broadway and the amount of money spent on tickets demands you be the best and not paying for you to learn how to sing and act on the dime of the audience.  Just because many of you already know the lyrics and dialogue doesn't mean the actors have diction.  There has been a lot of forgiveness here on this cast and direction, I guess because of the cult status and reverence for Sondheim and Lapine. 

Fuller and McCartney - A

Annaleigh Ashford - B+ because the old lady sketch as exception even though the diction lacked throughout the show - I blame the musical director for this.

Jake G.  - B:  not bad for not being trained to sing but the diction is a problem.  I blame the musical director for this.

The rest of the cast - B- I blame the director and musical director for this and has, as been previously stated, a look of being under rehearsed.

Costumes -C - absolutely no imagination on the 1984 designs - absolutely lazy and dull in design.

The lighting art piece - A- a delightful distraction and perfectly displayed.