Posted: 3/31/15 at 5:02pm
Posted: 3/31/15 at 5:27pm
Posted: 3/31/15 at 5:46pm
Posted: 3/31/15 at 7:00pm
Posted: 3/31/15 at 7:05pm
Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:23am
Updated On: 4/1/15 at 09:23 AM
Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:26am
Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:30pm
At the show. I found the first 20 minutes fun. Then it just got boring. We will see what the second act brings. Yawn
Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:36pm
Has anyone sat in row L center of the mezzanine or around there? How was the view?
Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:57pm
If any show needed an out of town tryout with a really sharp director at the helm, this is it. First half of act one is pretty darn wonderful. Then, it starts to slip. What is the point of the subplot love story between Portia and the Bottom brother. Cut Portia and that storyline and eliminate a couple of mediocre songs and shorten the show, which wears thin after two and a half hours. . Bea is wasted for the most part. Her pregnancy has no point. Why is it there?it has no pay off. Neither does the money box. Not a strong pay off at all. And the bottom jokes are not funny. Just obvious. Are they working on the show or just running it. I hope someone is rolling up his sleeves and getting everyone to work because there is a very sweet, cute valentine to musical theater in there somewhere.
Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:15pm
There is a lot of talent up on that stage that is trying very hard, but utlimately for me the sum of the parts was a bit "meh." Too many same note production numbers and too many puns ended up feeling manufactured and repetitive. And if it is not part of how they are being directed, I'd prefer a cast that didn't look so pleased with itself after so many of these numbers.
Much of the audience ate this up laughing at almost every opportunity. While the show had some very enjoyable moments, it felt unoriginal and a bit warmed over for something that I think really has much more potential. I agree with others that an out-of-town period might have been better unless they are truly doing significant work during the preview period. And for me, it has too many obvious echoes of Mormon and other shows making this show feel a bit like a cut and paste job.
I was in the first row of the mezzanine and couldn't understand much of the first two songs due to the volume and sound mix.
Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:24pm
Rushed the show this morning, first in line. Got tickets row B seats 14, and 16. Paid $35 a ticket. WORST seats EVER. Was told they were slight partial veiw. You can see little from seat 14 and almost nothing from seat 16.
Okay, I understand that they don't have to offer rush tickets. But, when you have people willing to camp out and support the show I think it is fair to offer those people the better seats. The people next to us seats 10 and 12 had virtual lottery tickets, and those seast are much better and are $10 less. In my vast experience rushing shows have I ever had an experience like this. Very disappointed.
Anyway, the second act was similar to the first act. Starts out strong and then drags. Things pick up a little but still, meh.
Updated On: 4/1/15 at 11:24 PM
Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:43pm
Meant to mention that I also had a very hard time understanding the lyrics in the group numbers (mostly the very first song and Shakespeare's first appearance).
This show is way into itself and the audience is eating it up. They're very happy to give themselves a pat on the back for understanding a reference.
Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:53pm
A friend said, it's a show where the audience enters not hoping to love it, but having decided to love it. As if it's some panacea in a world that isn't laughing or a season that's failed to produce a hit. Some shows generate a particular root-for vibe, effortlessly. Perhaps this is one. People arrive not only prepared to laugh, but prepared to provide their hit-designating imprimatur.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 12:05am
^similiar to the KINKY BOOTS experience
Posted: 4/2/15 at 12:09am
I LOVED Kinky Boots. I found this to just be Meh. Went in expecting great things and to laugh my butt off (had just seen Hand To God, so is was in the mood to laugh). The first 20 30 minutes are fun, then it just slides, the jokes become preditcable, and seen stale after awhile.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 11:25am
I felt the same way about Kinky Boots. I didn't dislike it. I was just going in with expectations based on what I had heard, and I just didn't get out of it what I thought I would. Same goes with Mormon.
But then again, I liked Bullets Over Broadway. And I know a lot of people didn't. (The only thing that fell a little flat for me was the closing number--something about Bananas--and lack of a smashing curtain call in the Stroman-like fashion that we saw in Crazy For You).
This seems to be a very polarizing season though from what it seems. On the Town, The Visit, Something Rotten, Gigi, An American in Paris....just a few shows that I have on my list. They all have some people raving, with others not impressed at all.
I guess that's not uncommon on Broadway though.
Despite the critiques, I might still see Something Rotten. I like Shakespeare, and it sounds like an interesting musical with a Shakespearean theme.
With Bullets, I went against the lukewarm reception of the critics and I'm glad I did.
Updated On: 4/2/15 at 11:25 AM
Posted: 4/2/15 at 11:33am
^Once the critics weigh in, you'll probably end up having a better idea of the buzz on the shows themselves.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 12:21pm
^^^Thanks. Unfortunately, sans On the Town, I'll have to see all the shows in previews as it turns out, as my vacation starts this weekend.
Hence my visits here to get the general buzz on the shows that have opened, if only in previews.
I wish they had all opened a little earlier to have that benefit of the critics' opinions too.
As of now the shows on my list include: On the Town, Finding Neverland (as a former Disneyland cast member I've always liked Peter Pan), An American in Paris, Something Rotten, On the Twentieth Century and The Visit.
Wish I had time to see Fun Home.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 12:46pm
"This show is way into itself and the audience is eating it up. They're very happy to give themselves a pat on the back for understanding a reference."
This is exactly how I felt when watching the show, and it's part of the reason I really didn't care for it. The musical references were done with not just a wink and a nod, but an exaggerated pointed finger and flashing neon lights. I don't mind self-referential material on principle, but the whole thing just felt very indulgent and not terribly sophisticated or nuanced at all. The audience around me was basically rolling around on the floor with laughter, but there were only a couple of jokes that made me do more than giggle.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 3:15pm
I loved Urinetown, but wasn't so hot on Spamalot, so maybe that should've been a sign.
I'm glad people are seeing a new show and walking out happy, but I guess I'm just not its audience.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 3:34pm
One major differece between Urinetown and Spamalot et. all is that the previous was a political satire 1st as opposed to a musical making fun of all the other musicals.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 5:29pm
Maybe we should put a hold on musicals making fun of other musicals, especially when they are not as nearly as good as those being satirized.
Posted: 4/2/15 at 5:37pm
'One major differece between Urinetown and Spamalot et. all is that the previous was a political satire 1st as opposed to a musical making fun of all the other musicals.'
Exactly right. Urinetown was meta in that it made fun of some musical theater conventions, but, in its conception, it didn't reference specific musicals at all. That came later. The show can easily be staged without ever once directly referencing stage pictures and/or choreography from famous musicals.
Posted: 4/3/15 at 11:39am
On a whim, I entered the lottery yesterday morning. Much to my surprise, after 5 PM got a notice I won. We were about to eat soon but that plan got shelved and we did the 2 minute drill to get out. Naturally, the subways were screwed up again. We wound up first row orchestra B 1 & 3. It was obstructed view(you did not see the bottoms of the actors feet but big deal) We felt sorry for those on the extreme end of the row.
Despite many naysayers here we thoroughly enjoyed it. Have not seen a mid standing O (for " A Musical" number) in quite awhile. My wife and I look forward to the cast album as we like sitcom music. Corey from Gigi was in the audience with a date. Loved the many references to theater. The audience was really enthusiastic but what do they know.
Hopefully, it will succeed but one never knows these days . If it does, great. If not , we are glad we saw it. Wish the show well .
Updated On: 4/3/15 at 11:39 AM
