THE FIRST WIVES CLUB (2009-2009): Remembrance Thread- Page 8

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 2:21pm

The only people in the show that have flashy costumes are Shelly (Morty's girlfriend) and Elise's husband's girlfriend. At the end of the show for the finale, the three leads come out on stage in variations on the same dress (they all three kind of look like drag queen beginners)...

[jbm2]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 6:50pm

Has anyone who has seen this production thought it was worth while??

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 7:06pm

I thought that the show was very enjoyable even though certain elements of the film were not presented on the stage (Annie's mother, the Maggie Smith character), the pacing was fine, still don't understand how a 103 minute movie gets turned into a two and a half hour Broadway musical with less exposition...

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 10:19am

So, has anyone seen it since the inital reviewers?

Any changes? Thoughts? I'm going tomorrow night.

[VillageGirl]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 1:12pm

I've heard that there were standing ovations every night and I'm wondering if this is true? If it is true, does anyone have any insight into if it's for the talented cast or the actual material?

[philly03]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 1:20pm

^ When was the last time you went to a show that didn't have a standing ovation?

[tgrabon2]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 1:57pm

At the first preview on Tues. 02/17 I don't recall seeing anyone standing at the curtain call. Which is odd for Chicago. Kinky Boots, The Last Ship, and a few other pre-Broadway tryouts had the crowd on their feet at the end of the show.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 4:09pm

I have heard from industry sources that this show is DOA and no way will make it to
BWAY!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/24/15 at 9:12pm

Oh, I know industry sources! Tell them hi from me. A few years ago they said Glory Days would be the next Rent and that eating papayas cause blindness.

[schmoe]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 9:58am

Saw it last night and thought the first act dragged, but the second act was terrific. Noticed from the Playbill that there was a song cut from act two (song about a bar mitzvah). The first act was just slow and seemed to take so long to get the story out. The beginning with the fourth friend's death included some dream sequences and things that could just be dropped and you would still get what they were trying to say. All three of the leads were pretty great and sang well. Even though it was a Tuesday, the theater was not very full at all. Potential there, but somewhat dull right now.

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 11:47am

I have heard that Broadway in Chicago is having a very hard time selling tickets for this show, I don't know if it's the cold weather or just overall lack of interest. I am planning on going back to see the show before it leaves and take advantage of the $25.00 ticket offer...

[gleek4114]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 12:20pm

Has anyone done rush? If so, where were your seats?

[jbm2]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 12:22pm

What is the rush policy?

[gleek4114]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 12:27pm

$25 student/senior/military tickets the day of.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:04am

I saw tonight's show. I am a HUGE fan of the movie (to the level where I quote lines regularly), and I went with someone who had never seen the movie. We both hated it.

First of all, if you're not going to do You Don't Own Me, don't do the show at all. And while some passages of dialogue were lifted directly from the movie, none of them were the more memorable quotes. I can't for the life of me figure out why they left the fight scene almost entirely as it was but cut the best line--"I do have feelings! I'm an actress! I have ALL of them!" Meanwhile, all of the new material was nothing but setup for lame jokes. I felt like I barely knew the characters or why they were doing anything that they were doing.The material was so thin and so broad that actors who I have seen give hilarious and moving performances on numerous occasions simply bored me to tears. The direction didn't help, either.

The whole time, I kept wondering how people liked this material enough to produce it and think it could be a hit. The movie is around twenty years old now, it's not as hot of a property as the producers probably think it is. There were MANY empty seats. Then again, it was a Wednesday night in February.

A couple changes must have been made, as the song list was not totally accurate (also the Sarah Jessica Parker character flubbed a line at the top of the second act). The Bar Mitzvah scene is now cut, and the three versions of "Old Me New Me" (by the way, what a terrible song that I did not need to hear three times in a row) are now sung by the wives instead of the husbands.

The bottom line is that this show is not ready for Broadway. If they don't include You Don't Own Me, they shouldn't attempt to do the show at all. The critics come in two weeks, and if they want a good review in the tribune, they must add You Don't Own Me, majorly overhaul the book and score (not a single song needs to stay, and at least 3/4 of the jokes need to go), and find a new director. Then it might have a shot at being a worthwhile show.

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 11:31am

I think that the reason they got rid of that line is because Elise is a singer in the musical, not an actress. I agree that the actors are fine in their roles, they need to punch up the songs and give them some zip (I think that the songs in the show are very pedestrian) and they really need to get the rights to "You Don't Own Me", that song would make the whole show...

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 2:44pm

^The problem is that this one song is so linked to the movie that when you say "First Wives Club" you think "You Don't Own Me" and when you're doing it as a Broadway musical, the immediate assumption is that you're going to do that song. Not only is that song nowhere to be found, but a slew of existing songs that have nothing to do with the story have been added for no discernible reason. If they could get the rights to all these songs, you wonder, why couldn't they get the rights to that one song?

The musical tries so hard to recreate the looks of the film's three stars that it's impossible not to compare the two. Even the therapist is done up to resemble Marsha Gay Harden. You can't ever get so lost in the story that you forget the movie, which makes the absence of that song an incredible letdown.

And yes, I figured that the reason the "I'm an actress..." line was cut was because in this version, she is a singer. I have no idea why the change was made. Perhaps it was so they could include that lyric "Do you think I'll stand by my man like Tammy?/Well I'll show you where you can shove my Grammy!" I kid you not, that was an actual lyric in the show.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 5:43pm

You Don't Own Me is a Lesley Gore song. The musical is written by Holland, Dozier, Holland. All of the songs in the show are their songs. I'm sure that this is the real reason that the Gore is not in the show rather than 'rights'.

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 7:10am

Does anyone here know if they are selling window cards in the lobby of the Oriental in Chicago?

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 6:30pm

When I was there on opening night, the only thing that they were selling was ugly pink t-shirts with the shows artwork for $25.00, no window cards...

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 3/2/15 at 8:19pm

Received a text message today from Broadway in Chicago asking me if I wanted free tickets to this Thursday show and I had to send them an email. I think that Thursday might be the press preview and they are trying to fill the seats for the performance...

[Robbie2]

Posted: 3/2/15 at 11:46pm

^ Now that's called an Act of Desperation on part of the producers as I said in an earlier thread this show is DOA =Dead on Arrival!

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 3/2/15 at 11:56pm

They have changed the show just even that it is not a complete copy of the film, the main problem I see with the show not being successful is the songs. The old songs are fine, but they are used up in the first 30 minutes and their idea to leave out "You Don't Own Me", and what's worse the ending uses "Reach Out (I'll Be There)...

[pc1145N2]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 1:01am

I saw the show tonight and was shocked by it. This show will be eaten alive if it makes it to Broadway. I've seen my fair share of pre-Broadway shows but this one really, really is not ready. While I thought the cast was really talented, there doesn't seem to be any point for this show. It doesn't really bring anything new to the story. It really left me cold. I still can not figure out who this show is meant for.

Carmen Cusack was out tonight and her understudy, Michelle Duffy was fantastic. That was the one positive note for me.

As others have said, the theatre was really empty. I was in the second row and there were only 2 other people in the whole row.

As for broadwaydanwi's question, there are still no windowcards. I asked the woman at the souvenir stand and she said they won't be making any. At this point in the run, I'm assuming that's true.

[jbm2]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 1:09am

Seeing this in a couple of weeks.... Has anyone actually enjoyed this show?

How empty is the theater? 50%? 30%?