Sunset Boulevard Revival Broadway Thread- Page 33

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:10am

I didn't want to start a new thread, but has anyone rushed this recently? How early have people been showing up on a Thursday?

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 10:10 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:56am

CT2NYC said: "The red ribbon holds the script together when she first presents it to Joe. In that scene, and on the staircase at the end, she uses it as a prop when doing Salome's dance, also known as the "Dance of the Seven Veils." It's not a veil, obviously, but it's meant to suggest one, and I'm assuming it's red to represent the blood that's been spilled."

Wow, I never would've put that together! I remember there being a ribbon around the script bundle, but I never connected the two. Is this your personal take on it, or did someone involved with the show explain this at some point?

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:59am

CT2NYC said: "As I've said before, I miss the mansion set. For me, it was a character in the show, its dark and cavernous space beautifully representing Norma's loneliness. It was used, to stunning effect, in "This Time Next Year," with the juxtaposition of the quiet sadness at the mansion above and the raucous jubilation at Artie's tiny apartment below."

Although I've only seen it in online videos, I think it was a brilliant means of depicting the classic cinematic "split screen" effect to show the goings-on in two different places at once.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 11:12am

Lot666 said: "CT2NYC said: "The red ribbon holds the script together when she first presents it to Joe. In that scene, and on the staircase at the end, she uses it as a prop when doing Salome's dance, also known as the "Dance of the Seven Veils." It's not a veil, obviously, but it's meant to suggest one, and I'm assuming it's red to represent the blood that's been spilled."

Wow, I never would've put that together! I remember there being a ribbon around the script bundle, but I never connected the two. Is this your personal take on it, or did someone involved with the show explain this at some point?

Just my personal take on it, although I'm fairly certain it's 100% accurate. Let's call it an "educated guess."

 

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 11:12 AM

[spikethebunny]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 1:41pm

pnewelljr said: "I didn't want to start a new thread, but has anyone rushed this recently? How early have people been showing up on a Thursday?

 

"

I rushed it on Friday (the 17th). Stopped by the box office at 5:45pm just to see and managed to get rush that late in the day no problem. 

(Though that was also the day of the St Patty's parade and it looked like most of the city was at the parade, so I'm not sure if that is normal).

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 01:41 PM

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 4:42pm

Friday it was surprising how many things were on TKTS... I think most people try to avoid the city on St Patricks Day Parade

[singerunlimited]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:24pm

I showed up last Thursday, March 16, one hour before curtain, and I got a wonderful rush seat in the mezzanine. 

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 1:21am

If it does extend past June 25, I'd still love to see Alice Ripley wrap her hands around this material! 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 1:45am

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "If it does extend past June 25, I'd still love to see Alice Ripley wrap her hands around this material! 

Noooo

please hire a Betty who can belt and do soprano like Judy Kuhn, they need to find a young Judy. 

 

[A Director]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 2:16am

With a 70 year old Norma, I seeing nothing wrong with an early 50s Betty!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 3:22am

A Director said: "With a 70 year old Norma, I seeing nothing wrong with an early 50s Betty!

 

Norma is in her 50s, Betty is 22.

 

[woeisme3]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 8:48am

I'm pretty sure they were implying Ripley as Norma, not Betty.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 10:13am

woeisme3 said: "I'm pretty sure they were implying Ripley as Norma, not Betty."

She is not big enough to carry a production like Sunset. No way! Haha. It will never happen.

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/21/17 at 7:29pm

Interesting article on orchestra for Sunset, Sunday and Comet:  http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/03/21/even-the-orchestra-is-beautiful/

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 8:58am

chernjam said: "Interesting article on orchestra for Sunset, Sunday and Comet:  http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/03/21/even-the-orchestra-is-beautiful/"

“I have no intention of missing a show,” [Blodgette] says, as the production is a limited run. While she took notes from the audience when she conducted shows like Cats and Phantom of the Opera, this time feels different. “I don’t know how to describe it. I just don’t want to miss it.”

[PopAria]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 10:37am

I just saw this last Friday after winning the lotto.

Sorry if this was already discussed in the last few pages, but did anyone else think the orchestra on-stage was useless?  

I LOVED that the orchestra was on the stage, but the theatre acoustics are so bad that they might as well have been under the stage like every other show. I sat in orchestra row X under the Mezz overhang, so maybe that might have been why I couldn't hear them except only when the mics were turned on. But do you guys think the show could have benefited from using a band shell to help with the sound? Or do you think they were only onstage for show? 

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 10:42am

PopAria said: "I just saw this last Friday after winning the lotto.

Sorry if this was already discussed in the last few pages, but did anyone else think the orchestra on-stage was useless?  

I LOVED that the orchestra was on the stage, but the theatre acoustics are so bad that they might as well have been under the stage like every other show. I sat in orchestra row X under the Mezz overhang, so maybe that might have been why I couldn't hear them except only when the mics were turned on. But do you guys think the show could have benefited from using a band shell to help with the sound? Or do you think they were only onstage for show?"

For my first time, I sat in the front row of the center orchestra and my experience was the opposite; the vocals were sometimes drowned out by the orchestra.

[PopAria]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 10:55am

Lot666 said: "PopAria said: "I just saw this last Friday after winning the lotto.

Sorry if this was already discussed in the last few pages, but did anyone else think the orchestra on-stage was useless?  

I LOVED that the orchestra was on the stage, but the theatre acoustics are so bad that they might as well have been under the stage like every other show. I sat in orchestra row X under the Mezz overhang, so maybe that might have been why I couldn't hear them except only when the mics were turned on. But do you guys think the show could have benefited from using a band shell to help with the sound? Or do you think they were only onstage for show?"

For my first time, I sat in the front row of the center orchestra and my experience was the opposite; the vocals were sometimes drowned out by the orchestra.

"

Gotcha ... I guess I'll be trying to see this again closer to the stage :) 

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 11:06am

PopAria said: "Gotcha ... I guess I'll be trying to see this again closer to the stage :)"

I think that's a great idea, but I don't recommend the first few rows, as they are too close for such a wide stage. For my second time, I was in row E (about 5 rows back) and it was a much better experience all around.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 12:26pm

PopAria said: "I just saw this last Friday after winning the lotto.

Sorry if this was already discussed in the last few pages, but did anyone else think the orchestra on-stage was useless?  

I LOVED that the orchestra was on the stage, but the theatre acoustics are so bad that they might as well have been under the stage like every other show. I sat in orchestra row X under the Mezz overhang, so maybe that might have been why I couldn't hear them except only when the mics were turned on. But do you guys think the show could have benefited from using a band shell to help with the sound? Or do you think they were only onstage for show? 

 

The sound in the rear mezzanine is bad...I recommend spending a bit extra to sit in the orchestra if you are able to. I noticed that too...the production should fix that.

 

[sondmon]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:20pm

I just won the lottery on my first try but I got caught up in something and can't go. Do I have equal likelihood of winning again or are you unable to win twice or they maybe don't let you win again if you won and didn't buy? 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 3/22/17 at 3:23pm

^ my friend won thrice in under 2 weeks. She hasn't been able to actually any of those times (she buys the tickets and gives it one of her family members each time). If you can't go - gift it to someone else. They don't relottery the tickets so it's kind of wasteful IMO. Those tickets will go back to the box office and be sold at face value/rush/TKTS probably.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 3/23/17 at 1:22am

Saw the show again tonight - first time winning a Broadway lottery. Show is in fantastic shape as always, however I had a few thoughts:

- I was on the right side of the orchestra (row P) and had a harder time hearing the orchestra than when I was in the front mezz. Still sounded great, just not as clear or powerful.

- Glenn has gotten better control of her voice for the first act! She was having a shakey start for Surrender/With One Look at the beginning of the run but now she has full control and it was glorious.

- I adore Siobhan's performance as Betty Schaefer. I have honestly never cared about the character (and often dreamed of a revival that just cut out Betty/ensemble numbers) until this production. She has a wonderful voice and I enjoy her every second she is onstage.

- I still kind of wish Glenn would go full 1994-Norma for the final scene. The rest of her performance is perfection, and yet something about the finale seems rushed or too surface level. I enjoy that she has brought Norma down to a more human level, but that scene would work with the craziness of the original production, in my opinion. 

They also did did a curtain call speech for BC/EFA. Signed playbills for $60, limited autographed photos of Glenn for $100, posters for $200 and then did a live auction for one of the opening night gift robes - and eventually Glenn added her gloves, which she signed on stage. They robe/gloves went for $2600 along with a backstage picture with Michael & Glenn. Two people made the highest bid so they threw in a pair of gloves for the second bidder from the first act. She even made a point in saying, "these photos, we say Limited Edition because I'm not going to be doing this in another 23 years, I can tell you that...but we'll do it as long as I can make it up and down these stairs" and my favorite, when talking about the auction, "Come on guys, we have to beat Hamilton." 

Looking forward to seeing it again soon. I picked up a signed playbill and window card, however no souvenir programs just yet. Still available for pre-order online. 

Updated On: 3/23/17 at 01:22 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/23/17 at 1:41am

I also saw this wonderful production today. Glenn was in great voice and I think she plays the finale pretty crazy, if you watch the 1994 youtube video of the finale, it's pretty similar to what she does on Broadway now. 

I agree about the show being amazing, I have never seen anything like this on Broadway, the level of acting of Miss Close is something that doesn't happen often. She is a true gift. There's no one like her.

I love Michael Xavier and I think Fred Johanson is true revelation and I hope both of them receive a Tony nomination for their work.

Siobhan Dillon on the other hand, I disagree, I think she delivers her spoken lines terribly. She sings well. But in the dialog scenes, she really should listen to Judy Kuhn's version and take a few lessons. Also her outfits are terrible. She is pointing at him all the time. I am not sure why she wasn't directed better. 

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/23/17 at 1:57am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "
Looking forward to seeing it again soon. I picked up a signed playbill and window card, however no souvenir programs just yet. Still available for pre-order online. 

"

Did they say when they would be available???