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[tking001]

Posted: 3/25/11 at 10:58pm

Could it be because the house wasn't that full?
I know sometimes at American Idiot they have closed the balcony

[tking001]

Posted: 3/25/11 at 11:27pm

Incase anyone is interested they sell the boxes online
I was just able to pull up rear box row A seats 1-2
for $73 with a discount

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/25/11 at 11:27pm

If Patina beats out Sutton for the TONY, Foster can quote the old Merm chestnut "You can't buck a nun", even a fake one.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 12:16am

They used to curtain off the back half of the rear mezzanine in Miss Saigon's later years. It's just so the theatre doesn't feel quite so empty when the seats in the very back haven't been sold.

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 2:16am

I loved it. Patina gives an incredible, star turn and deserves to win the Tony. It's fun, has a terrific score from Menken, and has a very solid book with great jokes, well developed characters, and a straightforward narrative drive that's worth getting attached to. It follows the film pretty closely (I watched it just this morning) but expands on the scenarios nicely and adds some tension, and I love what they did with the main character; she is much stronger and more relatable on the stage.

It's not quite as undeniably brilliant as Book of Mormon or as powerful as the late, great Scottsboro Boys, but in terms of the pure fun musicals this season, it's far and away the one I enjoyed the most and will likely be returning to again.

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 4:17am

I've always had the same problem with the show as Almira. Why on earth are the nuns able to sing perfectly good before being taught to sing on key? And you mean to tell me that during that one song which lasts 5 mins at the most they all miraculously learn to sing on key and in harmony? I like the show and love the music from it, since I am a huge disco era fan, but I think this is a little preposterous. Anyway I will be excited to see it in the summer when my yearly trip to NYC begins.

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 10:28am

Re: Raise Your Voice

The nuns don't learn how to sing in 5 minutes. The staging of Raise Your Voice is done very well, so that you see the passage of time throughout the number. (Nuns practicing in their rooms, different rehearsals, etc.) It just doesn't reflect that way on the recording.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:46am

Saw the show tonight and I LOVED IT! Such a fun musical. Patina is giving a Tony worthy performance. I would not be shocked if Victoria Clark becomes the frontrunner for Featured Actress in a Musical. The character's music has clearly been tailored to Clark's wonderful talents. We even get to hear her riff! Marla Mindelle, Sara Bolt and Audrie Neenan also do some wonderful work.
I am only familiar with the cast recording, and there have been MANY changes. I particularly loved how the end of the "Take Me to Heaven" Reprise has been altered to give it more of an act 1 finale feel.
The ending of "The Life I Never Led" has also successfully been altered. And Eddie starts the "Fabulous Baby" Reprise. That wasn't on the cast recording, so I assume it wasn't in the London production.
The majority of the jokes are fresh and funny.
Only complaint is that the lighting was way too dim at points.
ps: apparently "How I Got The Calling" might be returning.

I am not embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed this more than MORMON!


Updated On: 3/27/11 at 12:46 AM

[brettystar]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:50am

Thanks Ljay I can't WAIT to see this in June. Also good to hear 'How.. Calling' may return!! *crosses fingers and prays*

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:56am

I saw it Friday night and had the best time. I expect to return many times. A lot of what ended up being my favorite songs were ones that looked unpromising when they began. I found the men's numbers surprisingly hilarious. I'm still humming the songs and really should look into getting myself the cast recording. I loved it!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:57am

Ljay, how would you compare Clark to Benanti in terms of competition in Featured Actress? And I'm also very glad to hear the continued positive response here. If they are really fixing it since London as much as it seems, I think it's going to do very well.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:59am

If WOTV was still running, I think Benanti would take it. But Clark will likely have the buzz, as her show is currently running. She is really giving a wonderful performance. Funny AND touching.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:02am

And she's not coming across as too young (as many posters feared when her casting was announced)?

Also, I'm dying to know how Take Me To Heaven (Reprise) has been altered. Could you describe the change at all? I always forget that Raise Your Voice isn't the Act 1 finale since it sounds so much more like it than the Take Me To Heaven (Reprise) on the recording.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:03am

I'm not very musically inclined, so I cannot really explain how they altered it. It's just way more exciting now.

Also another change: Deloris sings in counterpart with Mother Superior towards the end of "Here Within These Walls."

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:04am

I saw it tonight and thought it was fabulous. Patina Miller can go ahead and clear a spot on her mantle for her Tony, because no one is even coming close to her at the moment.

I thought the show was entertaining and fun from start to finish. The score was infectious (I'm still humming the tunes now), and everyone was well cast. Patina, as I already mentioned, is giving a star performance, and she's well-supported by Victoria Clark, who gets to flex her musical comedy muscles again. Sarah Bolt (so happy to see her stepping out of ensemble roles), Audrie Neenan, and Marla Mindelle are also wonderful.

I didn't have the problems with act 1 that some others did. I never felt like the show took too long to get going. In fact, I felt like act 2 was the one that dragged in the middle. Hopefully they can tighten up the second act.

I loved Zaks' staging of Raise Your Voice. He showed the passage of time incredibly well. It's actually kind of genius how he stages it. I also loved the chase scene in act 2- another strong bit of staging by Zaks, who's redeemed himself for The Addams Family.

The show just has the feel of a hit. The (completely full, as far as I could tell) audience ate it up this evening.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:05am

I didn't think she came across too young at all. Can't comment on the changes as I hadn't seen or listened to it before Friday night. I thought Victoria Clark was excellent. There were many moments when the audience was almost willing her to give into laughter, but she held her stern face very well! I loved her!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:11am

Vicki had a fun ad-lib tonight at the top of act 2. Near the end of act 1, during a set change (after Raise Your Voice), one of the benches got stuck and fell off its track, making a lot of noise as it rolled around the stage. Clark had to walk over and pick it up and move it offstage. At the same time, one of the tech guys ran out to help her, and tripped over something (because it was kind of dark).

Anyway, during the first scene of act 2, when Clark is talking to God, she is talking about all of the challenges he's given her (an empty church, Delores, etc.) and at the end Clark goes, "And tonight, you threw a pew at me." She got a nice round of applause for that one!
Updated On: 3/27/11 at 01:11 AM

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:14am

^ That's awesome. Last night one of the gold streamers that comes down during "Fabulous Baby (Reprise)" did not go off with the rest of them, so it was hanging down for the rest of the act...that was the only technical glitch I noticed though!

[jv92]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:14am

Also went tonight and had a swell time. I'd suggest cutting the Sweaty Eddie number and the rather grotesque "Lady in the Long Black Dress", but other than that, this is a great Menken score. It's a vastly entertaining, feel-good show, and Patina Miller and Vicki Clark are extraordinarily good in their roles. A great show!

[BwayTday]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:19am

Has "The Life I Never Led" been changed back to the original ending? Or is it another new ending?

[Sant]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:53am

Saw the second preview and it was nice to see the show with the changes for Broadway after seeing this show in London 6 times...

The show is now tighter and runs smoother. The characters are more like in the movie now, which is nice especially when it comes to the character of Sister Mary Lazarus - the role was awful in London!

Some of the biggest changes are (a possible spoiler alert!!):

* Mother Superior's short opening monologue is gone
* "Take me to heaven" is now the song Deloris sings in AUDITION to perform in Shank's club instead of singing it in the club to an audience. The song itself hasn't been changed really, though.
* "Fabulous baby" has been trimmed and tightened with all/most of Deloris's back-up singers' comments ("There she goes, "Baby, what ever you're sniffing, I want me some!" etc.) are gone, the song's more Deloris's solo now
* "How I got the calling" is now "It's good to be a nun", only Sister Mary Robert's part has remained the same
* "Here within these walls" has now a section with Deloris singing in counterpoint
* "Do the sacred mass" is gone, the bar scene is shorter and tighter and better
* Act II begins with a new spoken scene instead of "Sunday morning fever" opening the Act
* "Sunday morning fever" has the dialogue sections re-written, unfortunately they're more horrible now!!
* Mother Superior has a new solo song, "Haven't got a prayer"
* a lot of the dialogue before the song in "Bless our show" scene has been cut
* "Here within these walls" reprise is gone
* the chase/fight scene in the abbey has been re-staged and works now better

There's been also a lot of changes to the dialogue throughout the show, but the basic ideas of the scenes have remained intact. They've also made some changes to the sets, costumes and choreography.

"The life I never led" has a higher ending than in London, now it ends with a big, high note, though it isn't as high as on OLCR's reprise's last note, that one you won't hear in the Broadway score - at least at the moment... The reprise of the song is cut/interrupted before Mary Robert can hit the last big note.

"Raise your voice" has been kept pretty much intact, the idea of showing passing of time wasn't Zack's idea, it was already there in the original London production which was directed by Peter Schneider.

"Take me to heaven" reprise hasn't been changed much, it's pretty much the same you hear on the OLCR.

They've made so many changes (big or small) to the score that my guess is that we will have an OBC recording.

Updated On: 3/27/11 at 06:53 AM

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:21am

How does Act II open? When I saw the show in London it opened with Sunday Morning Fever

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:53am

Could you post the new song list?

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:20am

Act 2 begins with Deloris and Mother Superior in a confessional, with Deloris trying to convince Mother Superior to allow her to stick with the choir. It's a short book scene that leads into "Sunday Morning Fever."

[mallardo]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:27am

I've always found the "rather grotesque" Lady in a Long Black Dress to be clever and frankly hilarious. It's one of the highlights of the show for me. I don't get why some people seem to be offended by it.