Spiderman Preview Thread!- Page 62

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 3:05pm

It just seems with every bad show there are ALWAYS people that try to use the "but when I saw it the audience LOVED it" line as if that somehow backs up their opinion. There's no way to really tell that.
I have no idea what the whole audience was thinking when I saw it. I did notice that it was the first musical I have ever seen on Broadway that did NOT get some sort of standing ovation at the end. Even Dance of the Vampires got that when I saw it.
And PJ...trust me, shroom trips are way more fun than what's currently on stage at the Foxwoods Theater. Cheaper too.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 3:58pm

Scott,

Sorry, but you sound like the director I’m currently working with. Every single review has been negative for his show, but he keeps sending out emails saying that the reviewers don’t know what they are talking about, and that he invited ‘5 of the top industry professionals and they said there wasn’t a thing wrong with it’.

As Stew-Pot said, there are only about 7 people on this board who liked it, and your review seems like you saw a completely different show than everyone else.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 5:18pm

I truly dislike this board. This is my experience with Memphis all over again. I honestly don't mind people with different opinions than mind. I find the lack of civility rather telling though.

I am curious as to where SMTOTD is drawing it's audiences from. It is near selling out every performance. Internet word has been rough, no one has hurt themselves recently and the free publicity is slowing down. Ticket prices are insane with most of the excellent seats being reserved as $275, yet they are filled.

I am not someone who judges good theater by it's box office success, but by it's word-of-mouth. Let's just wait and see...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 5:40pm

But that's part of the problem. You want someone to win or lose. Which is ridiculous. Mamma Mia is a ridiculous show that has been raking in bucks for YEARS. It doesn't make it good, it just makes it a financial success.

We won't know for YEARS whether this IS even a financial success. I believe the evidence points to this needing to run to sold out houses anywhere between 4 and 6 years just to break EVEN.

I saw the show, Christmas night. It was sold out. The ONLY place there was enthusiastic applause was immediately following the big flying sequence of Act I. Everything else was polite applause -- at best including the curtain calls. I'll second the comment that intermission was just: odd. Very little talking, and what seemed to be a lot of disillusioned folks.

Likewise: Twilight (both the books and the movies) are garbage. Absolute garbage. Doesn't stop people from buying them.

How can you call something a masterpiece and yet cite some obvious flaws? Illogical.

Updated On: 2/4/11 at 05:40 PM

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 5:58pm

I don't want anyone to win or lose. I want people to be respectful of other people's opinions. (I agree with you completely about Mamma Mia.)

I am not interested in SMTOTD's financial success. I have no financial investment in the show. My comment was only about how ticket sales reflect a show having found it's audience, which usually means word-of-mouth.

I'm not sure what obvious flaws I cited except a very minor - and I thought absurd - comment that there wasn't a unique set for a specific moment in the first act. Absurd because by this point in the show, we had already seen more scenery than most musicals have throughout. My criticism was to point out that SMTOTD sets a new standard in visual design.

* * *

My intermission was completely different than those others reported here. In fact, I was standing in line for the men's room and a man a few people behind me was on his mobile being even more emphatically positive about the show than I have been here. This sparked several conversations with the men on line and even into the urinals. Now, men, you know how rarely we actually talk with each other while taking a piss. Last night, in the men's room at The Foxwood Theater, men were going on about how excited they were about this show.

As for the applause... I too experienced a sort of loll regarding the final curtain call. Here's my take on that. Standing ovations are given to the performers. Although everyone in SMTOTD is good - even excellent - it isn't the cast that blows us away.

- I'm going to get killed for this one -

I suspect that if Ms. Taymor had walked onto that stage, people would have gone wild. It is the story telling that is what makes SMTOTD so brilliant. Please don't get me wrong here: not the book, or the music or even the "spectacle", but the themes being told in this "new" form of theater magic.

Okay, have your field day. Start the name calling...

Updated On: 2/5/11 at 05:58 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:05pm

Likewise: Twilight (both the books and the movies) are garbage. Absolute garbage. Doesn't stop people from buying them.

dramamama- That is a great comparison. There are things out there that are a success, but that are far from wonderful (take Wicked for example). I have not had the opportunity to see Spiderman yet, so I can't comment about it, but that truly is an excellent point you make.

Updated On: 2/4/11 at 06:05 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:19pm

No name calling. Matter of fact, I didn't say anything negative twords you.

But now I'm just worried about your level of taste.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:33pm

No one is calling you names. But is hard to take anything you say seriously when you call this incarnation of Spiderman a "masterpiece". I would have the same reaction if someone called American Pie 2 a masterpiece in film. Whatever floats your boat..but I'm sure not going to trust your taste in film. Same thing here.
I've actually been a big fan of Taymor over the years. I can recognize the flaws in The Lion King but I thought that was brilliant theater. After seeing this...I don't think Taymor should ever be permitted to come anywhere near the book of a musical. She should stick to directing...and have a strong production team that doesn't let her go crazy.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:40pm

So let me get this right
Because this person liked the show everyone is jumping on him and trying to tell him how wrong he is. And because he commented on the audience being positive people are jumping on him for that as well even though all the negative comments seem to have commented on the audience as well?

Scott i have not seen the show so can't judge if it’s good or bad but i thank you for your opinion it was great to read and please feel free to express your own opinion on any show you want.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:54pm

No one said he was wrong.

We just commented on his opinion.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:56pm

No one has told him NOT to post his opinion. Most of us haven't jumped on him or even torn apart his words. Most are just disagreeing with him and expressing our own experiences and opinions.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 6:59pm

Nope songanddance man. That's not it at all. My main problem with his review was the gushing preamble to it all. If you take in consideration his enthusiam for the show before he even saw it, and his adoration of Julie Taymor I just don't think his "review" can be taken seriously.
I know several people who have seen it and everyone, even the few who manged to enjoy it, admit that the second act is a muddled mess.
There were a few things I enjoyed. Mainly the set design. The Chystler Building set was especially impressive. The flying was cool...for about two minutes. I don't really know how to explain this..but it's almost like there's not enough flying, and too much of it at the same time. I thought the Green Goblin/Spiderman aeriel battle looked corny with all the wires. Which makes me think a flying superhero isn't a great idea for a broadway show cause no one has figured out how to do it yet...not even Julie Taymor with her $65 million plus budget. Updated On: 2/4/11 at 06:59 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 7:12pm

"My main problem with his review was the gushing preamble to it all.""

So he’s not allowed to be excited by the show or gush, yet people on here are allowed to be as venomous as possible about the show?

"If you take in consideration his enthusiam for the show before he even saw it, and his adoration of Julie Taymor I just don't think his "review" can be taken seriously."

Don’t be daft, so he was looking forward to the show and likes Taymor as many do, that does not make his review or opinion any less important.

"I know several people who have seen it and everyone, even the few who managed to enjoy it, admit that the second act is a muddled mess."

Didn’t someone just comment on him commenting on all the audiences opinion that night? so because you know a few people who have seen the show and they said act was muddled then that has to be everyone’s opinion?
I have friends who have seen the show and enjoyed it that does not mean the whole audience will feel the same because my friends enjoyed it.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 7:17pm

I'll tell you what is daft. Someone seeing the second act of Spiderman Turn Off the Dark and saying that it has no problems.

[willheim2]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 7:30pm

Just saw this new review of SMTOTD. It's like all the others, the most telling thing for me, and the most consistent, is that no matter what you say, audiences just aren't thrilled, the applause is tepid and the take away is underwhelming.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-john-grohol/spiderman-turn-off-the-dark-hot-mess_b_816654.html

That was the thing that was so strange to me. No applause. Just kinda quiet and everyone leaves. Not what you are looking for in a mass appeal show about a super hero. I mean, it's not like everyone is leaving profoundly moved beyond words, right?

[beensince1987]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 7:33pm

I am just wondering what other shows Scott thinks are "Masterpieces".

I thought Spider-Man was very very far from it...

[brettystar]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 7:46pm

Scott - I also thank you for your review and appreciate that you remain calm when it seems so many others treat this board as a way to get their daily frustrations out by being overly negative and can 'appear' to gang up on others (intentionally or not).
That said, I do think your choice of saying everyone loved it is a little misguided - as you can't possibly tell. There is surely no way that everyone in a room of 2000 plus people could universally have loved it, but I guess you just mean that overall the audience appeared enthusiastic.
I am also interested in hearing what work you think DOES need to be done as I can't see any criticisms - aside from the set transition from lab to Queens set.
I am glad you enjoyed it and people have commented that you can't be taken seriously, yet they criticise other shows that are phenomenally successful - so maybe they should appreciate that just because a show is not to their taste does, it does not mean it is a bad show.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 8:33pm

Scott...I dont want you to think that I am bashing you. I enjoyed the review you posted, and makes me want to see the show more...however, I think what people have a problem with is that you called it a "masterpiece."
A masterpiece is a show that has little to no faults, connects with an audience every night, is 100% memorable, and is an overall amazing experience at the theater. Spider-Man has achieved NONE of these.
It has nothing but faults (I dont see how you can look past that both acts have major issues with story/character development, with Act 1 being the better of the two)
The audience reception has been "meh" at best. Although at your performance, they may have been more forgiving, reports from not just people on here but in the theater community in general has been that audiences are not responding well. The show has been selling out, but that is because of the mass of media attention it has gotten.
I am no way looking down on you. You had a enjoyable night at the theater, and that I am very happy about because I think that's something we all want. But this show has been falling down for quite some time, and to have someone call it a masterpiece just irks people.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 9:42pm

I enjoyed the review also. And yes, you are coming down on him whe you say you can't take him seriously because he thinks the show is a masterpiece. Maybe he is just seeing the show differently than a lot of people. I am hoping to see it soon and I have been wondering if I go in and actually like this show despite everything I have seen and heard. Scott found something in this show that most people didn't. Nothing wrong with that. I have been at odds with people over shows plenty of times. I loved "SHREK". It got pretty much raked over the coals on here. So Scott, as long as you enjoyed yourself, that's all that matters. JMO

[SNAFU]

Posted: 2/4/11 at 10:37pm

A friend of mine took his parents to see the show earlier this week. They were excited about seeing it. They were upset slightly and disappointed there were no stoppages, injuries or deaths. What does this say about ticket sales and the future of SMTOTD?
Could the reported sluggish advance be because there has been no "negative" reporting of what is wrong? Why has the announcement of it being a preview still been made even though the show has gone on without a hitch for a while?
Sorry, the cynical SNAFU prevails in this. Specially since $65 million ( do we REALLY believe that is still the number? I'd say it is nearing $75- $80) .

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 12:50am

Thank you to all of you who defended my right to an opinion and to post. Unfortunately, it's late and so I will respond in greater detail tomorrow when there is more time.

I will leave you tonight with some of "Scott's Masterpieces":

Dreamgirls
Grand Hotel
Hello Dolly (my first Broadway musical)
Follies (London)
Sunday in the Park with George

There are more, but these came quickly to mind and are in my "top" list.

Good night. Perhaps tomorrow I will write about my impressions of Act II.



Updated On: 2/5/11 at 12:50 AM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 2:04am

"A friend of mine took his parents to see the show earlier this week. They were excited about seeing it. They were upset slightly and disappointed there were no stoppages, injuries or deaths. What does this say about ticket sales and the future of SMTOTD?"

I think it says a whole lot more about your friend and his parents than it does about ticket sales and Spider-Man's future.

Thanks for your reasoned review, Scott.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 8:07am

"A friend of mine took his parents to see the show earlier this week. They were excited about seeing it. They were upset slightly and disappointed there were no stoppages, injuries or deaths. What does this say about ticket sales and the future of SMTOTD?

I think it says a whole lot more about your friend and his parents than it does about ticket sales and Spider-Man's future."

haha i was going to say the same thing

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 8:57am

Scott, I was wondering if you were going to talk about Act II but thought that maybe we were to take away from your review that you liked it and decided not to go into detail.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 9:13am

I was planning on writing about Act II, but got side tracked by the commentary. I'll write about it today when I get a chance.

It is the act that needs the greater share of the work their doing before opening, but IMHO it is by far NOT the mess that many people have reported here.