SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center- Page 2
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
CoffeeBreak
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/30/17
#25SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 9/14/25 at 1:14am
It's selling well, with 9 weeks until the 3 performances.
https://www.mastervoices.org/events/sweet-smell-of-success/
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#26SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 10/16/25 at 12:46pm
Ali Louis remains booked & blessed and is great casting on paper!
https://playbill.com/article/full-casting-set-for-sweet-smell-of-success-concert-starring-raul-esparza
Ali Louis Bourzgui (The Who's Tommy) as Sidney Falco, Noah J. Ricketts (The Great Gatsby) as Dallas, and Aline Mayagoitia (Real Women Have Curves) as Rita.
quizqueen101
Swing Joined: 11/15/25
#27SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/15/25 at 3:29pm
I’m selling an extra ticket I have. 47 bucks for last row of balcony.
CoffeeBreak
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/30/17
#28SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/17/25 at 2:27pm
"Don't Know Where You Leave Off" from SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS | Lizzy McAlpine & Noah J. Ricketts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEmkczCrwo
barcelona20
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#29SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/17/25 at 2:55pm
CoffeeBreak said: ""Don't Know Where You Leave Off" from SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS | Lizzy McAlpine & Noah J. Ricketts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEmkczCrwo"
I'm not sure why they posted that.
CoffeeBreak
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/30/17
#30SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/17/25 at 3:02pm
barcelona20 said: "CoffeeBreak said: ""Don't Know Where You Leave Off" from SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS | Lizzy McAlpine & Noah J. Ricketts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEmkczCrwo"
I'm not sure why they posted that."
Advertising for the 3 performances this weekend at Lincoln Center ?
https://www.mastervoices.org/events/sweet-smell-of-success/
barcelona20
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#31SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/17/25 at 3:40pm
CoffeeBreak said: "barcelona20 said: "CoffeeBreak said: ""Don't Know Where You Leave Off" from SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS | Lizzy McAlpine & Noah J. Ricketts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEmkczCrwo"
I'm not sure why they posted that."
Advertising for the 3 performances this weekend at Lincoln Center ?
https://www.mastervoices.org/events/sweet-smell-of-success/"
Point being I have a hard time believing that video (especially one of the performers) sold any tickets. Give us Raul and Ali please.
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#32SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/20/25 at 7:12am
Interesting interview with two of the creative team.
https://www.theatermania.com/news/interview-john-guare-and-craig-carnelia-revisit-sweet-smell-of-success-the-musical-that-got-away_1812306/
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
Updated On: 11/20/25 at 07:12 AM
macbeth
Broadway Star Joined: 5/7/03
#33SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 10:35am
Excited by these changes!
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
Auggie27
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/03
#35SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 10:53pm
Going tomorrow night; can't wait!
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
theatergoer3
Broadway Star Joined: 4/13/13
#36SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:06pm
Ran about 2:15/2:20 tonight. Score is stunning. Esparza made a meal out of it. Liked the younger cast as well.
I haven’t seen the original but -
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
The ending is very different than the film’s. I liked it.
Updated On: 11/21/25 at 11:06 PM
#37SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:07pm
That’s different than the 90 mins I was told. Is there an intermission?
theatergoer3
Broadway Star Joined: 4/13/13
#38SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:09pm
Jordan Catalano said: "That’s different than the 90 mins I was told. Is there an intermission?"
Yeah - it’s about 1:10/1:15 in.
At the door they were saying 1:45 with in or addition to intermission - couldn’t tell.
InTheBathroom1
Broadway Star Joined: 10/6/18
#39SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:17pm
Really enjoyed this tonight as well. Ran 2:20 with an intermission (though intermission ran a little long). The musical is a bit of a weird one but felt lucky to hear it with such a great cast. It seems like a lot was added for Susan and I wish we could get a recording of that new material especially since Lizzy sounded wonderful. Huge shoutout to Noah J. Ricketts with the swoonworthy vocals. The duet moments between the two of them were highlights. A very nice night out.
CoffeeBreak
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/30/17
#40SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:42pm
how is the back of the balcony at this venue?
#41SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/21/25 at 11:45pm
CoffeeBreak said: "how is the back of the balcony at this venue?"
It’s FAR from the stage.
Diana Greenhouse
Understudy Joined: 11/18/25
#42SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/22/25 at 2:01pm
I’m in the last row of the balcony right now. It’s not far at all, but once you’re accustomed to the balcony at city center, everything else is a piece of cake.
Diana Greenhouse
Understudy Joined: 11/18/25
#43SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/22/25 at 2:13pm
Omg they just stopped because of mic issues. I’m in the last row of the balcony and I heard okay, but not as well as it should be, so I’m glad they’re fixing it. The band rocks
NYCTheatre12342
Swing Joined: 12/29/23
#44SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/22/25 at 2:35pmUpdated On: 11/22/25 at 02:35 PM
Diana Greenhouse
Understudy Joined: 11/18/25
#45SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/22/25 at 3:27pm
I’m enjoying it, the melodies are great, the band rocks. I like the dog eat dog world of it all, but then it turned a little sappy. It reminds me of a rock opera from the British ovation where there’s no traditional book scenes. There’s underscoring almost entirely throughout with barely any moments of reprieve or clarity. But that’s just my thoughts after act 1.
#46SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/22/25 at 5:20pm
That was sublime. I love these master voices concerts, they’re like old school Encores shows. I wish we could get more of not only these concerts but beautiful scores like this.
NYadgal
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#47SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/23/25 at 3:13pm
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
Updated On: 11/23/25 at 03:13 PM
somecheapfrenchthing
Stand-by Joined: 9/14/17
#48SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/23/25 at 8:36pm
Jordan Catalano said: "That was sublime. I love these master voices concerts, they’re like old school Encores shows. I wish we could get more of not only these concerts but beautiful scores like this."
Completely agree. One of my favorite things I've seen all year. master voices has really upped their game. I loved The Frogs, too. But this I felt was next-level. Now I wish they'd redo Anyone Can Whistle with a different Cora. I also much prefer their productions in the Rose Theatre over Carnegie Hall.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#49SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS with Raul Esparza @ Lincoln Center
Posted: 11/23/25 at 11:01pm
WOAH, that brassy score sounded stellar in a theatre built for jazz. Kicking myself that I didn’t accidentally turn on my voice memos app ;)
It's an unevenly written show with lots more good than bad, and I liked it much better than two of the other "forgotten musicals" recently onstage, Baker's Wife and Bat Boy (haven't seen Chess yet). I know the choir is a “thing” for Mastervoices, but maybe Guare needs to look at slimming down the cast (but not the band!!!!) if they actually want a future life for the show, the greek chorus-style commentary might be unnecessary. This also felt much more professionally mounted than other things I’ve seen by Mastervoices (their STRIKE UP THE BAND at Carnegie Hall was one of the worst things I saw on stage last year).
Esparza was predictably sublime, and brought way more to the role vocally than John Lithgow. You just love to hate him, and he appeared to be having a blast as the villain. High kicks at 55!! Ali Louis Bourzgui is a special talent. Noah Ricketts vocally was also a vast improvement over Jack Noseworthy on the cast album. Maybe Lizzy McAlpine is only good with a few months of prep? I didn’t like her at all the first time I saw Floyd Collins in previews, but saw it later in the run and was really taken by her performance.
The JJ and Sydney relationship kept making me think about Mamdani’s chummy press conference with Trump.
The ending felt a little toothless. Maybe too optimistic for the two hours that came before it.
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
the movie and original bway show ended with the murder of Sydney Falco, and JJ Hunsecker remaining on top as the gossip king. Now, it ends with JJ’s sister Susan threatening to squeal on him, Sidney becoming the gossip king, and Susan having the final moment in the spotlight. Maybe there’s a better version where Sidney and JJ can both get their comeuppance.
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