Something Rotten Previews- Page 13

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/6/15 at 2:27pm

So, so true.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/6/15 at 2:35pm

"Sidenote: They need to fix the sound mixing for the opening song, couldn't understand a single word anyone was saying aside from "SHAKESPEARE!"

I noticed that during the first week of previews as well. Yeesh. Fix it.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/6/15 at 2:53pm

"There is audience protagonism as to who can laugh harder and in a more insincere manner at the jokes."

Interesting observation. And so true.

And then there's the attendant phenomenon of audience members who come to a show with the intention of bawling their eyes out, and the resultant competition between them as to who can sob the loudest (cf. threads on final performances of Sunday in the Park with George and Bridges.) Pure narcissism, truly. Ridiculous? To be sure. But no less obnoxious for that.

And then there's the competition to see who can jump to his/her feet the fastest at curtain calls for a Mark Rylance performance, Hamilton, or some Tom Stoppard bore and scream "Bravo!" with the most bravura.

All the world's a stage, and audience members are damn well making it their business to be players.

 

[jakebloke]

Posted: 4/6/15 at 4:02pm

So true.

I was sitting in the 3rd row Mezz (such lovely leg room....note sarcasm) and the guy in front of me felt the need to slam his whole body backwards every time he felt the need to guffaw......right into my knees.  So annoying.   He was also one of the first on his feet to give that mid-show undeserving standing O.  He needed to be seen and heard as well as force his enjoyment of the show.  

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 10:05am

I saw the show last night and liked it, on the whole. There were sound issues that I assume are being attended to, but overall, the score is good, but not great.

The cast is wonderful all around. Everyone is doing great work up there, and seem to be having a very fun time. Borle was the only one who seemed slightly above it all. He is so talented, and his character is pompous, but there was something else that felt like he wasn't having the fun of the rest.

The standouts are D'arcy James, Cariani and Oscar, all of whom were absolute delights. Blickenstaff and Reinders were lovely. Heidi's voice is so delicious, but it seemed a bit tired. No wonder. She still sounded great. I loved the love quartet in the second act.

I didn't have a problem with the length of the second act as many here seem to, and the pace of the whole show was swift.

The book is a bit too winky for me. I like broad humor, but this seemed a bit forced at times. I cannot imagine many folks will get all of the broadway humor. How many folks out there will get the "red and yellow and pink and green" reference? I chuckled, but never laughed out loud, even if others did around me. I guess these jokes seem to have been done before, and better.

A nice show, if not something truly new. The performances are the thing here, imo.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 9:30am

I went last night with a friend. Reading the previews thread here set my expectations a bit too high and while I enjoyed it, there were parts that dragged and felt like rehashed elements from The Producers. (Spoilers ahead)

Act I was excellent. The songs were catchy, the plot and jokes were funny, and a good premise set up for conflict in the second act.

Act II lost me. Secondary storylines with potential for comedy or conflict were just dropped. Couldn't they have done more with Bea the feminist who wants to prove her worth? Where was the moment of discovery with the money box? What about the producer trying to conceal his identity?

The parallels with The Producers kept conjuring up memories of that show. The musical-within-a-musical was nowhere near as funny or outrageous as Springtime for Hitler; the courtroom scene was resolved neatly and I also didn't feel a huge investment in the outcomes for the characters; and the nonstop musical references, which had already been done in the first act and which had been funny then, were just tedious. And lastly, where The Producers had gorgeous lush music, Something Rotten sounds so barebones. I mostly heard guitar, percussion, and keyboards. When you write a homage to musicals, shouldn't your music soar?

But I think the biggest problem is that the relationship between the brothers isn't defined enough. For most of the show, they're chummy and get along great. The only drama is with Shakespeare and jealousy gets old fast. Finally, Nigel finally takes a stand, and the audience is siding with him, but then he returns after one song and Nick ruins them both. It's hard to feel sympathetic or to like Nick's character.

Overall, it was a fun time and there are a lot of good qualities about this show. The audience loved it. I enjoyed myself. But the second act just didn't live up to the first act.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 9:48am

OT, but picking up a thread above: The St. James mezz and the Golden's and Simon's, in my experience, are the three most uncomfortable, particularly if you are taller.  There's simply no way to adjust and feel comfortable, even sitting semi-sideways, a requirement in the St. James (the next morning you'll wake up and your knees will swear you were skiing the night before). And if you're in the second or third row, and you encounter a large, (unfortunately) moving target in front of you, like the poster above notes, you can have a terrible time.  I love mezz sightline, but have found those in a handful of B'way houses almost ruin the shows for me. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 10:02am

I'm only 5' 1" and had hardly any leg room in the front mezz. The man next to me was rather round and very tall; I don't know how he didn't go numb (unless he actually did).

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 10:02am

Has anyone seen this more than once yet and can say if there have been any major changes made? Saw the final dress and curious to see if anything has been done since press performances and opening are coming up fairly soon! Hoping the second act got some tightening! 

[pboddy]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 11:01am

The biggest change in Rotten! from the early previews is the final scene

"Welcome to America."  The scene is brighter and splashier and features

a kick line.  It gives a better sense of the triumph of the Bottom Brothers,

the musical, and excess in the New World.

 

I got the best of many laughs when producer Lord Clapham,

played by Peter Bartlett, responds to Nick Bottom's

musical focusing on the Black Death.  "It's a terrible idea,"

Clapham said.  "It will make me look ridiculous" as he made gestures

equaling the Black Death idea in ridiculousness.

[brdwydreamer]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 5:24pm

"Reading the previews thread here set my expectations a bit too high and while I enjoyed it, there were parts that dragged and..."

I actually felt the opposite. After reading some of these posts, I set the bar REALLY low for Act 2 and the females, so I was pleasantly surprised.

I got rush tickets and sat in the 2nd row, which I can't unreccomend enough. There are so many big and beautiful tap numbers, and sitting that close you miss everything from knees down.

I agree about the 'box realization' moment; I kept waiting for it and it never came.

I agree that the female characters weren't as exposed as the men, but I can't imagine them adding more to the show to bring out their story. The show is just long enough.

I also agree that it's a battle of laughter in the theater, as it proves how much Broadway/Shakespeare knowledge you have, making anyone else that didn't get the reference and laughing their butts off, feel like they're missing out. Thus, while I think it's overall a great fun time on Broadway, I don't know how well it's going to stick with your average human that doesn't understand the majority of the references made.

I didn't have issues with too many plot lines. I though everything made sense and wasn't hard to follow.

I'd see this again, and I'd give up 2nd row orch to be squished at the mezz and or balc any day.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 10:34pm

Has anyone been back? What changes have been made?

This show has enormous potential if they shape up act 2 a bit.  I also think Shakespeare's intro song should be changed. It just didn't do it for me. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:05pm

I'm in the last row of the Mezz on Saturday. Hope it doesn't suck.

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:36pm

Just bought tickets in the second row of the balcony. Sat in the mezz row L for SIDE SHOW and leg room was fine. I almost bought first row balc, but my friend and I are both 5'3ish and I didn't want the bar to be right in front of us. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:40pm

According to Paul Wontorek while Periscoping today, the love song is cut.
@6:45

Updated On: 4/9/15 at 11:40 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:16am

"Every dance break seems to be pleading "ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET? ISN'T THIS CLEVER AND FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING?""

This.  This.  Man oh man, this.  I'd expand it to include every line of dialogue, too.  So many able cast members and dancers working so very very very hard to put this over -- I kept worrying that poor old Peter Bartlett was going to flounce himself into a stroke.

I split at the intermission.  A few too many labored puns on "bottom" and "top" (wink wink nudge nudge GET IT?) jokes, and the obvious schtick about the uptight Puritan being actually secretly gay, and I just got very tired of the whole thing.  

 

 

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:41am

Wow...the love song is cut? So, now the ladies have almost nothing to do. I suppose it wasn't necessary, but it was a pretty song...and it was one of the few moments that wasn't forcing a laugh from the audience.

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 10:41 AM

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:03am

Oh good! There's nothing wrong with the love song in itself, it's very pretty, but it has/had absolutely no business being in the show. It brought the momentum to a screeching halt and turned everything deadly dull in a heartbeat. It was by far the worst part of the second act.

 

To be honest, both women are superfluous to the plot. I find it odd that the writers who did such a great job with the main story couldn't find an equally captivating storyline for the women.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:12am

Not sure where to set the bar on this one. Seeing tomorrow's matinee and reviews on here seem to be quite varied. Eager to see it though to see where it ends up falling on my scale.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:26am

"Oh good! There's nothing wrong with the love song in itself, it's very pretty, but it has/had absolutely no business being in the show. It brought the momentum to a screeching halt and turned everything deadly dull in a heartbeat. It was by far the worst part of the second act. "

 Um, and by the worst part of the second act, you mean it was the ONLY good part of the second act.  It's the only thing that didn't feel completely forced.  I was bothered by how little character depth there was in the show, and that quartet was the only moment where we got to see more of the characters' feelings.  It's also a beautifully written song.  It's a shame that so many people are fooled by the obvious laugh rather than taken with quality writing.

[Up In One]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:52am

Seeing this tomorrow - after reading the posts in this thread my expectation is for a two hour Carol Burnett like musical variety show. Not that there is anything wrong with that but Im not expecting anything overly creative or unique. Sounds like good programming in a season without a lowest common denominator musical. I am going for the performers and a lot of laughs, will let you know how high above or how far below it exceeds my pretty lightweight expectation. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:54am

I don't think removing that song - which honestly made no impression on me either way- is going to fix anything. If anything, it will make the female characters even more superfluous. 

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 12:33pm

"Seeing this tomorrow - after reading the posts in this thread my expectation is for a two hour Carol Burnett like musical variety show. "

 Would that you were so lucky.  Carol Burnett's comedy was at least always clever.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 12:38pm

This is like that SNL sketch when NPH hosted, with all the Broadway characters meeting. But for two and a half hours. 

[aj88]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 11:04am

I was at the show last night (04/10). Yes, they did cut out Lovely Love (although it still remains in the Playbill as of now and they also use the melody for underscoring in Act Two, which my partner happened to notice).

I went in expecting it to be very good with an underwhelming Act Two.

I will go ahead and say this:

I have seen many Broadway shows over the past 16 years, but never has a show got me smiling and in its corner in the matter of a minute like this show did. Welcome to the Renaissance was such a joyous fun opening number and I would say I had a smile on my face for most of the show.

The score is so tuneful and I cannot wait till the recording comes out. 

As for the cast, I was very pleased with everyone and I think D'Arcy James will contend with Cerveris for the Tony (although I haven't seen Fun Home yet). 

I can't really name a weak link in the cast....if anything, I actually thought Christian Borle, while good, was the one I liked the least. John Cariani did good with what he was given and had some lovely moments. I actually really liked the ladies and thought they were lovely, particularly Heidi Blickenstaff. Kate Reinders had the more thankless role but she got the most she could out of it.

The smaller roles by Brooks Ashmanskas, Peter Bartlett, Brad Oscar, Gary Vichi, and Michael James Scott were all wonderful as well.

As for the Act Two issue, I do think there were certain moments where the energy did seem less at times and it did seem to follow a similar story pattern to The Producers but I still highly enjoyed it. I do think Lovely Love, while a pretty sounding song, had to be cut because the Act seems to be moving along at a solid pace that should only improve more now.

As for the Tony race, it will be interesting to see what happens. I keep saying if Spamalot can beat Piazza....or Spelling Bee and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for that matter, a fun show like this could take down FUN HOME but I am not certain....and I can't, nor should I, comment on FUN HOME yet as my only knowledge is the cast recording. 

I can't wait for the award season to begin!

Updated On: 4/11/15 at 11:04 AM