THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Musical - News & Discussion Thread- Page 18

[ShowBro]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 2:22pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Why on earth would you want to make race an issue in this show? Miranda is already the boss from hell and now people want to have it implied she’s a racist, too?"

Race wasn’t an “issue” in the movie because Hathaway was white. Is this rly that hard to comprehend?

[Kad]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 2:35pm

Casting a diverse group of actors often gets pushback from the right because it’s “too woke.” Casting a diverse group of actors without completely changing every aspect of the material to fully address each of their individual experiences as a minority often gets pushback from the left because it’s not woke enough.

Meanwhile, the show still sucks and it seems like it sucks for reasons completely divorced from the cast. 

Updated On: 8/8/22 at 02:35 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 2:42pm

Alexis Soloski found very little to enjoy. These are nightmare reviews for a producer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/08/theater/the-devil-wears-prada-review.html

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 2:46pm

Isn’t the point that Miranda is essentially awful to everyone? Everyone fears her because of her wrath and the fact that at any moment she may turn on you. I don’t really think it’s racial or needs an emphasis placed on race. It’s Andy’s journey of climbing the ladder and changing along the way to fit into Miranda’s image of the Runway brand! 

[gingersnap2]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 2:48pm

It seems like Chris Jones was overly kind to Paradise Square in order to keep out-of-town tryouts coming the Chicago... just so he could offer his "sage wisdom" in the form of a "review" on shows like this. I don't necessarily disagree with his points, but blatantly giving prescriptive orders isn't what most audiences want in a review. Once again, he's coming off as someone who thinks he's the one true savior in all of theatre.

Sorry, he just drives me mad in most ways. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 3:01pm

Bill Snibson said: "Isn’t the point that Miranda is essentially awful to everyone? Everyone fears her because of her wrath and the fact that at any moment she may turn on you. I don’t really think it’s racial or needs an emphasis placed on race. It’s Andy’s journey of climbing the ladder and changing along the way to fit into Miranda’s image of the Runway brand!"

Apparently not. Per the NYT review: "And though magazines like Vogue have finally admitted a lack of diversity, the musical never acknowledges that everyone mistreated by Miranda, who is white, is a person of color."

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 3:08pm

The film is quotable and has an iconic performance, but everything outside of the workplace drama is completely disposable, and there's been so much change in the last sixteen years about how fashion and media uses and abuses human bodies, and about toxic workplaces, that there's no reason for the musical to stick to the original as much as it does.

We also don't get a sense in the first twenty minutes of what makes "normal" Andy so special, because the show wastes that time sending up her do-good naivete (secondary problem: this just comes across as "lol! this black person cares about civil rights!", which is bizarre). This also means that we don't get a decent sense of why her relationship with her friend and boyfriend matters - the very first scene they have together is a generic "we're friends and we're poor!" scene, and every other scene is them being annoyed by her job. When they get to the end of the first act and they're singing about how they want the old her back, it's like...why, and who are you?

There's also an issue with tone, which is probably the hardest part of adapting this work. The "cerulean" monologue is a great example, where they just copy it over word-for-word but add a chorus in the background going "oooh, you did it this time" and echoing words like "sweater" and "lumpy" or whatever. It's a big moment in the film, but it's also a quiet, tense one where we come to understand why Miranda is allowed to act like she does. Trying to vamp it up only reduces its power - either change it to make it an actual singable moment, or leave it alone to let the actress flex.

It's also been inflated into a much more broad, fantastical comedy. All the jokes about Paris feel like they're straight out of something unrevivably lame from the last century, and the Emily character has become a hyperactive clown, which takes all the poison out of Andy screwing her over. That could actually turn into something interesting if we're presented with the revelation that we were only seeing her through Andy's eyes and, once Andy comes down at the end, we find out that she's actually a somewhat normal person. Instead, we just get the movie ending, which kinda works in the movie because Blunt performance gives her depth, but the musical's Emily is just manic schtick from start to finish, so there's nothing there.

The most interesting thing about the work (book, movie, musical) is the element of Andy transforming herself and how that leads to her helping Miranda screw over Nigel, who went out of his way to help Andy and, in the musical, opens up to her about his journey. In an ideal adaptation this would be almost Shakespearean, but none of Andy's songs are particularly enlightening and, as noted above, we don't get a good sense of where she's starting from except as a lame caricature of a liberal arts graduate, either in song or in dialogue.

Her big number at the end, where she muses over "what's right for me", is particularly funny, because she just sings "What's right for me, it's time for me to choose what's right for me, what do I want the world to see?" over and over. You've had our attention for over two hours and you still don't know what you want? It's a number that could feasibly work if we'd had a decent glimpse into what truly drives her, so when she's singing about following her dreams we can envision them because we know what they are, but we don't, so it feels like an I Want number that accidentally got put at the very end.

I agree with a lot of the sentiments that they could have done something very interesting with Miranda and the fashion industry struggling to adapt. The fatphobia is still there, if slightly reduced, but basically unquestioned, and on top of that is a bunch of misplaced jousting at wokeism, which, again, reads really weird with a black person in the lead. And then there's Miranda, who gets stuck as a copy of the film version with an 11 o'clock villain number slapped on at the end. It's a halfway decent song, but it gets bogged down by generic jazzy belting, and it doesn't solve the question of how we're supposed to feel about Miranda. If they're able to laser-focus the show on the relationship between her and Andy, it might start to coalesce.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 3:22pm

I hope they find the time and money to rework this - I feel bad for those actors/crew that thought they'd have work for a while - heading to NYC for next season.  This will need major work and likely recasts.  

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 3:36pm

I am really disappointed in what they did with this show, based on the reviews. I watch the film religiously. Hopefully, they can fix this up if they intend to bring it to NYC. Maybe make it a part of the 2023-2024 season. 

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 4:58pm

Chicago Sun-Times

Review

“In its current state, “The Devil Wears Prada, the Musical” is a poor knock-off, a cheap flea market bag with a designer label glue-gunned to the lining. Back to the sketchbook!”

Updated On: 8/8/22 at 04:58 PM

[Dolly80]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 5:14pm

That’s Broadway cancelled then.

Must try harder next time.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 6:51pm

The Charley Kringas take here is the one that best explains the cascade of poor decisions to me. I got the ways the show doesn’t work. The mistakes are in the DNA of the adaptation.  

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 6:53pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "“ You’ve Prada be kidding me.”"

Why?  You wish that businesses close because you don't like them? Don't worry, love, it will if it doesn't catch up. You don't need to spread your inner hatred for that to happen.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 6:59pm

"You've Prada be kidding me" is a quote from the New York Post review. 

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 7:08pm

Sorry, but not surprised at the reviews. I don't think this has a chance of transferring unless major overhauls occur. I will be there tomorrow night and hope to at least enjoy the performances. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 7:11pm

Lolz. 

[Marlothom]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 7:22pm

I wonder if they will bother to make any more changes across the next two weeks - I heard they were continuing to work during the day, but if they decide they won't be transferring soon, I wonder if they will stop trying.  A friend who went to the opening last night told me they've shortened/changed the weird opening - the curtain only goes up halfway to show just legs in red high heels - the ensemble is spared dancing in body suits and dance belts.  So that's something! (Irony).  

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 7:24pm

First "The First Wives Club", now this.  I think whomever is in charge of musicfying classic films that are beloved by the gay community, should know better.  In the case of "The First Wives Club", should have been shot for not obtaining the rights to "You Don't Own Me", with old Holland-Dozier-Holland songs was very wrong.  The show had an OK rewrite by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, but it was not worth two and a half hours in the theatre.  I am completely bypassing "TDWP" completely, solely on the basis of what people have said on here.  I can't believe that Elton John is incapable of writing bad songs, I saw "Billy Eliott" in the West End and found it enjoyable.  To have someone like Beth Leavel in a musical and not really give her any show-stopping songs is crazy.  I appreciate that Chicago is one the list of places to try out shows, but in most cases, I think it's more of a hindrance than a benefit.

[Ke3]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 10:09pm

Forgive me if I’m incorrect, but isn’t it pretty rare for the NYT’s to review the out of town tryout of a musical aiming for broadway?

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 10:35pm

blaxx said: "YvanEhtNioj said: "“ You’ve Prada be kidding me.”"

Why? You wish that businesses close because you don't like them? Don't worry, love, it will if it doesn't catch up. You don't need to spread your inner hatred for that to happen."

Lmao girl you’re doing way too much. 

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 10:41pm

Anyway, I’m honestly happy that there is some dialogue around the diversity choices in the cast. Like I mentioned a few days ago, The optics of having Miranda treat a woman of color like crap doesn’t really sit right with me. And I know someone is gonna say “OH sO itS OKay FOr HeR TO TReAT A YT WomAn liKe THat” or “SO sHoulD wE Just reCast It ALl?” The answer for me, personally, is..I’m not sure. But I honestly can’t imagine that this show went through workshops, meetings, creative notes, calls with producers, etc..and NO ONE brought up the fact that maybe that wouldn’t be a good choice? I’m not sh***ing on Taylor or trying to take away my sis’ check $, but it just seems like this couldn’t been more thought out. Like someone pointed out earlier (Kad or Jordan? Can’t recall), regardless of the casting choices racially, the show is still in bad shape 

Updated On: 8/8/22 at 10:41 PM

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 10:50pm

MagicFoot said: "Okay so like I said I saw it tonight for invited dress and it was … FANTASTIC. They said it was a “rehearsal”, which I have heard at other invited dress performances but it is in super good shape. I know it will also only get better.

First, TAYLOR IMAN JONES IS A STAR. This performance solidifies her position as a Broadway lead.

Beth Leavel is also fantastic and gives such a different Miranda than Meryl, which is good. She has a knockout 11oclock number.

The music and lyrics are SO fun and catchy. The vibe of the show reminds of me of Mean Girls meets American Psycho? But the taste level is SO HIGH. From what I could see, multiple custom looks from fashion brands. Clearly this show has an insane budget.

Multiple costumes, scenic reveals, and line readings got applause. I was really excited about the design - super unexpected. They did a great job modernizing it.

Okay that’s all I want to say for now because I want to see it again when it has a few more runs under its belt. But for anyone worried by the press footage that came out, don’t be. This is GREAT and will be coming to Broadway this season I bet."

Safe to now say that this was indeed a shill account and acknowledge that producers pay for people to get on these boards and rave about their garbage shows in hopes of drumming up excitement! Magicfoot has been very very quiet. 

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 10:53pm

lol I totally forgot about that. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 11:19pm

Right, but that's your take away and experience, and that's totally valid and cool. My take away might be totally different. 

It's like when I saw Rashad in August Osage County. She was the mother of 3 white daughters. Obviously it was never brought up because that's not the show. Not once did I think "This doesn't work." But my friend who went with me said she could not get passed it and it took her out. 

[pethian]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 11:29pm

Ke3 said: "Forgive me if I’m incorrect, but isn’t it pretty rare for the NYT’s to review the out of town tryout of a musical aiming for broadway?"

They've done it before for some 'high profile' shows though not all that often. And they've certainly reviewed London shows that are Broadway-bound. In this case it appears a whole slew of major papers were there from coast to coast.  I wonder of the producers had any control over it at all.