SWEET CHARITY Revival- Page 8

[Tom 2]

Posted: 11/8/16 at 12:52pm

Can anyone say Tony Award for Sutton Foster? Ms Foster is terrific and an all around great performer. Can not wait to see it!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 1:08am

Caught this tonight.  Simply fantastic and so refreshing to see SWEET CHARITY in another re-interpretation from Bob Fosse's original.   The staging was incredible in such an intimate space.  The band (not orchestra) was top notch and I'm aching already for a cast recording of this production.  

To answer questions: "Charity's Soliloquy" is indeed done as the original: in the bossa nova genre.  The location changes during the number is a refreshing approach.  Very cinematic and a technique used several times throughout the musical.  The wig works perfectly in this and Sutton changes it for when she's "working" at the Fandango ballroom (as do the other actresses - you see them in wig caps, etc).   

Joel Pérez is a revelation of acting range.  Each character he plays is a completely rounded out character - from Vittorio Vitalé, Big Daddy to Herman.  What a gift he has in this production.

Kudos to choreographer Joshua Bergasse for tackling "The Rich Man's Frug", "The Rhythm of Life", "I'm a Brass Band" and most notably the iconic "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Big Spender" and just doing his own thing without homaging Bob Fosse (like Wayne Cilento did for the 2005 Broadway revival). 

There was a post-show talkback with the creative team and the entire cast (including) Sutton, who mentioned it was quite startling to her at their first public performance with how close the audience is to them.  During the show, I was sitting first row dead center and Sutton changed her shoes literally a foot away from me.  That's how close the actors get to the audience.   Also, director Leigh Silverman made a few faux pas regarding the many endings of the musical that I politely corrected her on.  It was quite obvious she is unaware of the 2005 Broadway revival.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 1:11am

*double post*

Updated On: 11/9/16 at 01:11 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 1:13am

Thanks for the review, Brody! I am relieved that the Soliloquy is in the original bossa nova style. 

Also, director Leigh Silverman made a few faux pas regarding the many endings of the musical that I politely corrected her on.  It was quite obvious she is unaware of the 2005 Broadway revival.

I would love to hear more about that if you wouldn't mind expanding on it. 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 7:53am

I am really excited to be seeing this...I need a distraction from the real world, especially now...

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 9:51am

CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE seems perfect for this show. I don't see IN TRANSIT doing well, so I could see this show sneaking in come the spring and running for 6 months or so.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 9:53am

It could be the dark horse of the Best Musical Revival Tony noms...like Spring Awakening was last year (in my opinion, the latter was just lucky to be there)!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 10:06am

this could knock out FALSETTOS for a nomination. HELLO, DOLLY & MISS SAIGON should be locks for a nomination. CATS should also get that 3rd spot.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 10:11am

I'd think Falsettos would be in instead of Cats, at least based on the reviews I've read for both?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 1:31pm

Also, director Leigh Silverman made a few faux pas regarding the many endings of the musical that I politely corrected her on.  It was quite obvious she is unaware of the 2005 Broadway revival.

I would love to hear more about that if you wouldn't mind expanding on it. 

With all due respect to Ms. Silverman, I answer this question.  

An audience member asked her about the other endings of SWEET CHARITY to which she answered there were 2 and maybe another one in a licensed version.  She mentioned the alternate ending on the film version's DVD.  She made a few errors describing them which I let slide until I felt compelled to speak up and mention the original "Good Fairy" ending and the switch-up ending from the 2005 Broadway revival.  The look in her eyes was quite telling.  She went on elaborating about how her version is more optimistic to which I interrupted again and described the switch-up ending in the 2005 version.  It was obvious she had no idea about the 2005 version.  She was proud to be the first female director to take on SWEET CHARITY, etc. and I will gladly give her that.  I think I need to have dinner with her.  A lot will be discussed.  

NOTE: and to pipe in on what others have mentioned, Sutton's literally show stopping sandwich bit is a gem.  Right up there with the bit she did with the office chair in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.  

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 5:33pm

Brody, I love you syntax. Do you mind going into Emily Padgett's performance?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/9/16 at 11:00pm

I saw Sweet Charity again tonight and after this dark day, Sutton & Co were just the balm my soul needed. When Sutton sang "anger and hope and doubt/what am I all about?/where am I going?" it really got to both her, me and seemingly many in the audience. 

This cast gave it everything they had tonight. They made me laugh. They allowed me to escape my thoughts for a few hours. Ultimately they moved me and gave me a little catharsis. 

I really, really, really love this show, production and cast. 

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 9:05pm

I really really loved this show, like Whizzer. I sat there for the whole time with a smile on my face, just like when I saw She Loves Me. Sutton Foster was incredible, completely adorable in a noncloying way.

My friend and I had the $40 partial-view seats that were upgraded. We were still in the mezzanine but had a great view. I loved the Fosse touches in the choreography. Such a fine, talented cast. I feel very privileged that I got to see this show. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 8:29am

The TodayTix lottery for this is one of the few reasons I'm keeping that app on my iPad. Even though I've only won something like that once...Lol

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 1:53pm

Pictures, finally!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 1:59pm

Horrible photos.  The over-editing and the over-saturation is disgusting.   As an Art Director in the fashion photography industry, I find these images simply terrible.  This production is colorful enough that even simple iPhone photos would have been a true representation.  The heavy contrast on the skin/faces is atrocious.  

[Skip23]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 4:03pm

It's only a good college production.

Stripping it down does nothing to help this production.  Just feels, well, stripped down.

Casting is bad.  No personality from cast members.  No one stands out.  Nickie, Helene, and the 3 in 1 guy are bland and generic.

Hensley is fine, if a bit old.

Choreography is mashed potatoes.  Bland, generic, no spark.  a BIG minus.

Love Sutton.  But she's miscast.  No vulnerability.  She comes across as willfully blind to these losers rather than hopelessly romantic. 

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 4:08pm

i'm starting to dig that wig!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 4:24pm

Skip23 said: "Love Sutton.  But she's miscast.  No vulnerability.  She comes across as willfully blind to these losers rather than hopelessly romantic."

 I could not disagree more. I thought Sutton was fantastic and found many layers with this role. It is the best work I have ever seen her do.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 2:25am

darquegk said: "There's another thread on this board that tracked all the endings- I believe the earliest, Fosse ending was one where Charity kills herself, or ponders it at the end. This was allegedly the ending that inspired the "we need a happier ending" intervention that led to the Good Fairy.

 

"

I know that suicide ending was brought up on this board before, but I refuse to believe it was ever used in any staged version--previews, or whatever.  Sure, Fosse was kinda fixated on suicide later on (Pippin, etc) but I've never seen it mentioned elsewhere, and I can't imagine anyone involved in the show, including Fosse would think suicide would be a good ending to an otherwise relatively light (albeit with many dark elements under the surface) musical.

[darquegk]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 8:07am

Far as I've heard (and I've only heard it on here), it was never put onstage. It was something Fosse suggested and was immediately shot down.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 9:42am

Why is Big Spender such an upbeat song?! Wowza. Lulls you into such a sense of security. This show gets darker every time I examine it. Lol

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 5:44am

I saw this last night and loved every second of it. I spent the entire time with a huge smile plastered across my face (except, of course, for when Foster and co. decided to rip my heart out, such as during "Where Am I Going?", and it was a nice reminder of how wonderful musical theatre can be.

I've been a fan of Sutton's for quite some time and have enjoyed her in everything I've seen her in, but this was one of the best performances I've seen her give. She had the audience in the palm of her hand; she was funny, heartbreaking, endearing, and is a true triple-threat. I bought a ticket for her American Songbook concert in April as soon as I got home, and we should all count ourselves lucky that she continues to return to the theatre as often as she does.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 9:37am

with it's success off-Broadway, I really have to imagine the producers are looking to transfer this to Broadway in the Spring. Maybe the Hudson? Or Circle in the Square if IN TRANSIT doesn't do well?

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 12:09pm

I saw this last night and thought the entire cast was great. I did, however think the Frug and Rhythm of Life were a bit lackluster. Without the Fosse choreography the number just isn't a show-stopper and is a tad superfluous. I felt similarly about the vocals of Rhythm of Life. Joel Perez has a lovely voice (and I really liked his Vittorio) but that number was sung very straight and more "Up with People" than taking me to church. Again, it felt like an unnecessary number.