THE BAND'S VISIT Previews — Page 10

little_sally said: "I was at Saturday's matinee and I thought the crowd was great and very receptive actually. The only problem was that there was still a line down the block to get into the theater at 1:55. The show still started on time but they need to do a better job of getting everyone in their seats.

If the show started on time --- how much of a "better job" are you looking for? Do you want them to start the show BEFORE the scheduled start time?

Saw this Saturday night, really great night out! However I do feel like the show dragged a bit but I think that, thats just what the story is. I don't think the show being a bit slow has anything to do with the direction (actually I think the direction is quite good) but I just wish there was some sort of "umph" from the show in general. The energy felt just sorta slow, but I didn't entirely hate that, its about a town where nothing happens so.

the good:

Katrina Lenk. Katrina Lenk. Katrina Lenk. She should and hopefully will win that Tony. She gives such a special, nuanced performance and she resembles a Israeli perfectly. Her dialect, emotion and movement is wonderful. She also has a wonderful voice as we all know. (she should be getting a bow on her own, not with the rest of the company but ok)

I thought Tony was pretty good, but his role has nothing super special to do so yea...

I thought with the material Adam Kantor was given, he does a great job. I felt sorta bad at first since he mainly has the same blocking for the entire show, but his performance is very deep and he has a wonderful voice. "Answer Me" is one of my favorite songs in musical theatre history.

Etai Benson and John Cariani are also great, but again nothing special. They just don't have so much material.

The lighting is.....stunning. Visually this show is wonderful. I adore the use of the turntable, and the main "building" of the set in the center.

Reminds me of ONCE a lot, this is definitely a contender for best musical...I just wish the producers chose the Booth or the Golden for this one as sitting in the back I sorta felt lost.

I didn't know you can put seat reviews on there! That's awesome! I sat in that area a month ago and I agree with you. My friend and I rushed for it a week ago and got extreme side orchestra row F and that was a better view, in my opinion, even though we didn't see parts of the right side of the stage.

Wick3 said: "I didn't know you can put seat reviews on there! That's awesome! I sat in that area a month ago and I agree with you. My friend and I rushed for it a week ago and got extreme side orchestra row F and that was a better view, in my opinion, even though we didn't see parts of the right side of the stage."

I have to admit, I felt a little disconnected. I watched the movie for the first time today, and I appreciated the story much more. I lost a lot of the nuanced emotional content in the mezzanine, because I wasn't able to see the actors' faces and expressions clearly enough.

Miles2Go2 said: "CT2NYC said: "Wick3 said: "I didn't know you can put seat reviews on there! That's awesome! I sat in that area a month ago and I agree with you. My friend and I rushed for it a week ago and got extreme side orchestra row F and that was a better view, in my opinion, even though we didn't see parts of the right side of the stage."

I have to admit, I felt a little disconnected. I watched the movie for the first time today, and I appreciated the story much more. I lost a lot of the nuanced emotional content in the mezzanine, because I wasn't able to see the actors' faces and expressions clearly enough."

My main reason for the seat I bought was it’s an aisle seat. Long legs and bad knees here. As I recall, there were no good aisleseats for in the Orchestra when I purchased. Do you know if I offered to pay the difference, if they’d upgrade me to Orchestra at box office? Or would I be better off contacting Telecharge?Also, how is leg room in non-aisle seatsin Orchestra, anyone? It’s only 90 minute show so I could abide some discomfort."

Telecharge will upgrade you without a problem. If you don't mind my asking, how much was your mezzanine seat?

Miles2Go2 said: "CT2NYC said: "Miles2Go2 said: "CT2NYC said: "Wick3 said: "I didn't know you can put seat reviews on there! That's awesome! I sat in that area a month ago and I agree with you. My friend and I rushed for it a week ago and got extreme side orchestra row F and that was a better view, in my opinion, even though we didn't see parts of the right side of the stage."

I have to admit, I felt a little disconnected. I watched the movie for the first time today, and I appreciated the story much more. I lost a lot of the nuanced emotional content in the mezzanine, because I wasn't able to see the actors' faces and expressions clearly enough."

My main reason for the seat I bought was it’s an aisle seat. Long legs and bad knees here. As I recall, there were no good aisleseats for in the Orchestra when I purchased. Do you know if I offered to pay the difference, if they’d upgrade me to Orchestra at box office? Or would I be better off contacting Telecharge?Also, how is leg room in non-aisle seatsin Orchestra, anyone? It’s only 90 minute show so I could abide some discomfort."

Telecharge will upgrade you without a problem. If you don't mind my asking, how much was your mezzanine seat?"

$173 total."

There's a seat for Saturday's matinee in the 3rd row center, A 104, that's $190 with fees. It's not an aisle seat, and I can't comment on the legroom in the orchestra, but I'd love to see the show again from there.

Miles2Go2 said: "I see there is a seat in Center Aisle Row BB for only $20 more than my ticket. I may try to call when Telecharge is open tomorrow. Tomorrow is a busy day for me. First flight from OKC to Atlanta and then Atlanta to JFK. Then hotel, then shipping, then early dinner reservation. And then I get to see Dear Evan Hansen tomorrow night - so excited!!! I’m also seeing that show from the front mezzanine., but I have no doubt that that show will resonate with me no matter where I’m sitting since I bawl like a baby every time I listen to the cast recording. Lol"

Yeah, give them a call and see what they can do. The mezzanine at the Music Box is awesome. It's much closer to the stage than at the Barrymore.

RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns said: "Just saw tonight’s performance.

Maybe I don’t really get it, but I didn’t feel anything for any of these characters. I feel like they were trying to get me to feel for them, but I only really got close to caring about Tony’s character.

I’m not quite sure I understand what everyone really sees in this? Adam Kantor’s character is so out of place that I feel like I missed something. Did I? I feel like I missed a lot of things that people were moved by.

I loved the instrumentals, and the cast does amazingly with what they’re given (Katrina Lenk especially), but they didn’t seem to be given much. The first song (the one about the name of the town- Welcome to Nowhere?) was wonderful and I loved it.

I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t in the right seat (I was extreme orchestra left on a rush ticket) or maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace tonight, but I’m a little disappointed that the most interesting thing I discovered is that the conductor knits when she has down time.

So overall, not terrible, but not especially enthralling or enticing for me."

Did you see Once? People who weren’t moved by this, also seem to not have been moved by Once. I on the other hand, bawled through the entirety of Once. Lol

Smidge wrote: " I feel like this may have worked better when It played in the more intimate Atlantic."



Not having seen this at the Barrymore, I can't say whether it worked better at the Atlantic or not. I can say that it was a bore at the Atlantic.

The show was enjoyable, but ever so slight.

I can't see myself remembering much about it in years to come.

The score is great. Yazbek really captures the Arabic and Israeli musicality with his use of the harmonic minor scale and the instruments the Band uses on stage (an Oud and a Darbuka are played).

There aren't that many songs, maybe 7 full fledged numbers. Lenk's late-in-the-show solo "Something Different" is a knockout.



The cast are all great. Shaloub and Ciarini (despite an underwritten part) stood out for me.

Lenk is wonderful, but it's going to be a crowded Lead Actress field this year.



I just wish there were more to it.

Poisonivy2 wrote: "Eh, I didn't regret that I saw it but I don't get the hype for this either."



Hype takes on a life of its own, wholly impervious to -- or willfully defiant of --- reality.