Spiderman Preview Thread!- Page 13

[jimmit]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:30am

WOW. Astoundingly awful. Incomprehensible plot, terrible book, simplistic choreography, forgettable music - what little there was I could actually hear, I probably couldn't understand a good 60% of the sung vocals and the orchestrations were mostly sheer mud. The scenic design is fantastic but middling in execution. For all the talk about the flying effects, they're a let-down - see one Cirque show and you've seen far more impressive than this. How in the world did this get so far?

A lot of talent on that stage utterly wasted. One of the few Broadway shows I've ever seriously considered walking out of - and many around me did.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:34am

Also I don't know if this has been mentioned but what the hell was up with that africanish/reggage/idk what the hell you call it type song with the guy with the dreads drumming on what looked like a big plastic bucket. It didn't fit at all and I don't know why that guy was even on stage singing. It sounded like it belonged in the lion king and he belonged in stomp.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:38am

It's the first preview. Of course it's a disaster right now. This show actually having its first performance is progress. I'm sure changes will be made and it will improve throughout the preview process. This was the shows first show ever. Of course it won't be perfect.

[JRTO]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:39am

Congrats New York, you now have your very own Lord of the Rings!

I'm surprised that that visually stunning mess of a show hasn't been brought up in any of the Spidey discussions- the parallels are uncanny, right down to Michael Cohl, the producer.

LOTR had delays, stoppages, million dollar a week nut and a horribly messy story for a completely simple plot and as soon as all the curious 'car crash' rubberneckers had seen the show it was out of Toronto faster than you could believe.

I suspect the same fate awaits this poorly conceived idea.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:41am

I don't think anyone going to a first preview expected it to be perfect.

I think they did expect it to be comprehensible, however. I think they also hoped to see the potential in it. (Few have.)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:46am

The show will improve throughout the previews. It may not be what some people were hoping for and it would be hard to see the full potential in something like this show after its first preview. The numerous stops in the show definitely don't help the matter. Once the show becomes more graceful and changes are made, it will get better.

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:47am

Well, only time will tell what will happen.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:47am

The technical problems/delays were of course expected, but hearing that the book and score are a big mess is the biggest disappointment. As others have mentioned, for a show this technically demanding you don't have the freedom to do the necessary rewrites that were commonplace with other musicals.

[Baileyboo]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:47am

Well, here is what I saw-

1)Beautiful to look at.
2)Sound not good.
3)Reeve not great.
4)Jen D. not great.
5)Patrick Page- Great.
6)Natalie Mendoza- Very good.
7)Book- NEEDS MUCH WORK.
Score- Hit or Miss, with too many misses.
9)Outlook- Hazy. Much work needed.

[crewdude]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:50am

Hey Mr. Director and Mr. Producers,

the people that PAY to see these "previews" are only considered "vultures" when after paying money for what is advertised in all ads and on all posters as "Performances Begin..." they have the gall to write any opinion they had that was negative. But if they write something positive about paying money to see what can only be described as a tech rehearsal then they are "fans".

If you charge money for a "performance" then people have every right to write their opinions about the show they just paid a huge chunk of money to see no matter how negative their opinion is. Not everyone seeing what the industry likes to call a "preview" understands they are paying to watch a rehearsal. It is sold and marketed as a "performance" and the price reflects the same. Even the shows that do market them as "previews" don't explain to John Q. Public the difference between "preview" and "performance" for fear he won't pay money to watch their rehearsal.

The majority of the audience thinks they are just seeing a show. They have no idea that they paid to watch something that is not the same show that will be performed on "opening night". So they will go back to Iowa/Kansas/wherever and tell people what they saw. They are not "vultures". They are the money paying public that have every right to their opinion and every right to tell it to everyone in any medium they choose, because they PAID to see a "show".

If Directors and Producers of any show get upset at the negative criticism their show receives "this early in the artistic process", then don't perform in front of an audience until you are willing to have people say -
The score is awful.
The book is non-existant.
Too much FX just for the sake of FX.
Not true to the backgrounds of the Spiderman characters.
And the show should take a lesson from the movie
" Like any good story....it's about a girl."

You don't want to face the "vultures" then don't charge them money to see your rehearsal.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:52am

"The technical problems/delays were of course expected, but hearing that the book and score are a big mess is the biggest disappointment. As others have mentioned, for a show this technically demanding you don't have the freedom to do the necessary rewrites that were commonplace with other musicals."

Good point. Although they may not be able to make all the rewrites necessary, they will hopefully be able to make a few that will help the show flow a little better.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:52am

The stoppages didn't affect anything for me. I knew there was going to be a lot anyway. I went in ready to love this show, I've been dying to see it since it was announced and I ended up hating almost every minute of it.

I'd love to be wrong and I hope that the final product is completely different then what I saw tonight but I can't imagine how they can change that much. The music and the book are garbage.

[mikem]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:54am

I think Shenton wrote 90% of the blog entry before he walked into the theater, which is how he got it out so fast (and why it really doesn't say anything of substance).

The Wall Street Journal article bothers me more, because I have higher standards for the Wall Street Journal than for some guy's blog. It's obvious that the writer didn't see the show and is just collecting comments from Twitter and this message board, but it's not clear to me why the article had to be such a rush job (it was posted at 11:11pm, less than an hour after the show was over). Some of the information, like the rope falling on the audience, is unsubstantiated hearsay, and, even with disclaimers, it's troubling that the WSJ should feel it necessary to rush to publish such things without waiting for confirmation, for what is not exactly an urgent news story.

Could someone who was there tonight confirm that there was a rope actually "falling on the audience" during the show tonight at the end of Act I, as the WSJ is reporting?

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:54am

Well one this is for certain- this show can never make up its investment on the tour, since just from the 60 minutes footage I don't think there is ANY way this thing can tour.

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:01am

bwayphreak and others defending the show... I don't understand how you could possibly expect that a few rewrites would help the show "flow better."

If 90% of the music is crap, as described by multiple people it would take an entire rewrite of the score to "flow better." Similarly, if there are several unnecassary characters and plots, it would take an entire rewrite of the book to "flow better."

From what I am reading unless the close the show and start from square one (the sets and FXs - which is what this show has been about from the beginning) there is no way for the show to "flow better."

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:10am

"I'm just curious...have there been many shows that have cut entire roles during previews? "

Jelly's Last Jam comes immediately to mind, BroadwayPhan. I'm sure there's more.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:13am

"- I sat in the balcony. There is an entrance from a character that flies from the balcony to the stage. It took four stagehands to get the actor in the place. The actor wears a large costume. It was SO distracting. I have no clue what happened on stage preceding that entrance, because I couldn't keep my eyes off the stagehands and actor getting into place"

I was in the balcony as well and also found it to be extremely distracting.

For those of you looking for cheaper tickets the balcony(i was in center balcony) is a good place to see the show, you could see pretty much everything except for a few times when the actors went underneath the balcony while in the air.

I do however think the flying circle is def. the best place to get seats.
Updated On: 11/29/10 at 01:13 AM

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:15am

"If 90% of the music is crap, as described by multiple people it would take an entire rewrite of the score to "flow better.""


That reminds me - aren't Bono and The Edge in Australia? Who's going to handle any rewrites?

[Brick]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:18am

I cannot believe The New York Times reported - nay, live blogged and reviewed audience response - of a first preview.

Wow.

I do not wish to be Julie right now.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:18am

PRFRMR20 - I think a few rewrites can help the show. If certain aspects of the show are reworked as much as they can be during the preview period, it could help. If there are certain plots or characters that are out of place, they can be reworked so they fit in with the story better. There is only so much they can do during previews without just starting over, but a few changes could possibly go a long way. As for the music and score, like you said, there's not much that can be done to fix it.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:21am

It did look like a suspension wire for a set piece snapped and fell into the audience. The audience in the house left of the front orch turned around to see if anyone got hurt. I assumed not because I heard no buzz in the audience of any injury. The wire may have miraculously fallen into the aisle...

-- REGARDING CREWDUDE'S COMMENTS: --

Bravo to you! Some people paid $277 for a single ticket. They are selling the last row of the balcony for $70. These are high prices. And if you can afford to pay them, good for you. The thing is, if you are not theatre savvy, then you do not know the difference between a preview and a post-Opening Night performance after the work is "frozen."

PERFECT EXAMPLE: A trio sitting next to me were tourists to New York from England. We got to talking and I discovered that this was their first Broadway show. Not only was this their first Broadway show, but this was their first SHOW. PERIOD. They *never* attended a piece of musical theatre before in their lives. I asked them why they chose this show, and the husband says to me that he is a HUGE Bono and U2 fan and that's the only reason why they were there. They thought it was cool that Bono wrote music for a Spider-Man story.

During one of the technical holds, he turns to me and asks me if it is normal for people to clap during the show, or if it was just because we were being supportive that they were having troubles?

He did not know it was customary to applaud during the show. He did not know what a musical was. He did not know this was the very first preview. He just wanted to hear some new Bono music.

Here's the thing: even if you advertise the hell out of explaining that certain dates are previews, how do you explain to the public what a "preview" means and how it differs from a regular performance?

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:24am

I keep wondering what this would be like if David Merrick were producing it. I think about things I read in The Abominable Showman and wonder how he would deal with Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:24am

That is an excellent point CapnHook. Preview performances are never advertised as such and the prices are the same as they would be for a regular show.

[binau]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:25am

CapnHook, that is a terrible story . I hope they still had a good time, though.

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:37am

For those who went... what do you think the Flying Circle Box seats would be like for this show? Having seen hundreds of Bway shows, I have never actually sat in a box seat. There are some available... good or should I wait for Flying Circle more centered?