TOOTSIE the Musical: PREVIEWS START- Page 7

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/3/19 at 8:40pm

DramaTeach said: "Then that song needs to be better or she needs to deliver it differently because I didn’t care about her."

Well you yourself said you may have zoned out. Had you not, maybe you would have heard her backstory and Cared. But since you zoned, the song is bad? She sang and delivered it just fine, in my opinion. 

 

 

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 4/3/19 at 8:44pm

Then that song needs to be better or she needs to deliver it differently because I didn’t care about her.

Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.

Updated On: 4/3/19 at 08:44 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/3/19 at 9:12pm

Judy Denmark wrote:

"Do you think that was the case when people first heard it, though? I mean, I totally get your point about reprises, but do you think 1964 audiences left with Act 1's Sunday Clothes in their heads?"

On the part of this theatregoer who saw it in 1964, the answer is yes. Along with many other songs from the show. And it had nothing to do with their being reprised multiple times. It was because they were GOOD. There's the explanation right there. They were GOOD. And I can still remember songs from shows way back when that were never even recorded: The Student Gypsy, Hot Spot, Come Summer, La Strada, Georgy.... Why? Because they were GOOD. Damn good. And 638,802,411 times better than the drab, tuneless fare that the critics heap with praise and awards.

I agree with those who find Yazbek's music unmemorable --- or worse. And the same holds true for the rest of today's critics' darlings. They could play their songs a thousand times, and I would still not remember them --- because they're not worth even hearing, much less remembering. It was bad enough listening to them once in the theatre. To have to listen to them even one more time is too dire a prospect to even contemplate.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/3/19 at 10:49pm

NYCblurb said: "Then that song needs to be better or she needs to deliver it differently because I didn’t care about her.

Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach."

So my opinion is not valid because I teach?  I complimented many aspects of the show and mentioned how much I enjoyed Mr. Yazbeck’s previous score.  I’m pretty sure others share my opinion and perhaps their comments or something similar will “teach” you to learn to take constructive criticism. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the time when creatives work to improve the show, no?  Instead of falling all over their genius (which I don’t doubt Mr. Yazbeck possesses after The Band’s Visit), perhaps real feedback is more helpful.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 1:44am

After Eight----I don't know why you even bother.

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 2:40am

Was my attempt at a funny, teach.

[A Director]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 3:07am

Would someone explain to me why After Eight keeps going to the theatre? After Eight seldom likes a new musical.  Why doesn't After Eight stay home, save money and listen to cast recordings from the past?

After Eight is like a bitter old man who yells, "STAY OFF MY LAWN!"

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 3:48am

"The food was awful.  And such small portions!"

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 7:06am

SweetLips22 wrote:

"I don't know why you even bother."

Why I even bother ....what exactly? Speaking out? Setting the record straight? Telling it like it is, cutting through the distortions and obfuscation?

Here's why. It's important to give merit its due. It's essential.

Imagine, trying to tell us that we remembered the great songs from shows past only because they were reprised, and not because they were great. I walked out of Hello Dolly! on a cloud  in1964 with all these wonderful songs whirling in my head for days on end, only because they were reprised? Even the songs that were not reprised? Why, the very idea! 

How dare one try to to deprive these works of the merit they are due.

Outrageous!

And that's why I bother.

[pacificnorthwest]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 7:55am

Charley Kringas Inc said: "I mean, it's rare that I come away from a musical or cast album with one view or listen and have any of the songs really stuck in my ear (DEH being "anthem after anthem" is honestly part of the reason I don't remember a single note from it)."

I'm the same way. I don't have an immediate memory for music. I read here, jealously, all the time about people leaving the theater singing their heads, humming the songs. It's rare that I'm able to do that. I wish it weren't so, but I need to listen to the cast recording.

Someone said they don't remember a single song from The Producers. For me, that was one of the rare cases where at least some of the music stuck from the first time I saw it. Went back multiple times and still use the cast recording as therapy in traffic, so I've known that one by heart for going on 18 years. I'd love to see it revived.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 8:45am

I don't always, but I pretty much agree with After Eight on this.

I do find myself humming/singing songs as i leave some shows and remembering them. To this day, I remember and can sing the song "Who do you think you are" from the original production of The Wiz. It was not included on the recording but stuck in my head note for note.

We are all different and respond in different ways. For me, I love the older music. A lot of it became part of the fabric of our lives. It was recorded by multiple artists, sung on variety shows and played on the radio. People who never even saw the shows knew songs from them. That doesn't really happen today. But there has also been some wonderful music out there since. Just my opinion and random thoughts.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 10:39am

Would someone explain to me why After Eight keeps going to the theatre?

Who cares?  Whether he goes or not, he'll post the same schtick he's been posting for years.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 11:47am

I will say that, with regards to earworms in musicals, the classic Broadway sound is much, much more likely to stick with me than faux-modern pop. Which is not to say that I dislike modern pop, but the version you see on Broadway often feels so clammy and commercial (whether it's stadium country or dessicated punk), while there's something jubilant and entrancing about the sound that harkens back to the various origins of Broadway - ragtime, burlesque/music hall novelty songs, jazz, klezmer, folk, operetta, blues, etc.

That's part of what I love about Yazbeck - he's terribly embracing of those sounds and of being unapologetically Broadway in a way that other composers/creators seem to shy away from. See also all the spoofy/parodic musicals - it can't just be a musical, it has to put on airs about it so the audience can enjoy it while still feeling above the genre because musicals are still regarded as being for, you know, "those" people.

Tootsie is a bawdy, old-fashioned musical comedy, which is really refreshing, and its use of that classic sound is precisely why so much of it has hung around in my head.

[John Adams]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 12:15pm

A Director said: "After Eight is like a bitter old man who yells, "STAY OFF MY LAWN!""

...that's something I enjoy about his posts. But, even more, I like the way he expresses himself. His opinions are strong (regardless of his leanings towards negativity), but I have never felt that his posts are designed to deliberately cut anyone's jugular, to be cruel just for the sake of being cruel, or for the sake of attention.

...Still my favorite curmudgeon, and FTR, I'm glad the rumors of your demise were greatly exaggerated.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 1:47pm

"That's okay.  Even though they have cast recordings, I still can't recall a single tune from Dear Evan Hansen or The Producers, but they seemed to do okay despite that.  "

Really, I am surprised you did not recall "Keep It Gay" from "The Producers". It was one of the funniest moments of the show and IMO very memorable.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 2:09pm

Really, I am surprised you did not recall "Keep It Gay" from "The Producers". It was one of the funniest moments of the show and IMO very memorable.

I recall that the number was in the show, but I don't remember the tune or what happens during the number other than a parade of gay jokes.  Other than some funny lyrics (though the "funny" had more to do with the performances of the original cast than anything else), I think The Producers has some of the most generic and forgettable music I've heard among the musicals I've seen on stage (though the premiere of Gotta Dance is right up there with it).  Even though the show was bad, I thought the music in Young Frankenstein's score was stronger.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/4/19 at 7:13pm

I recently saw this and liked it enough. It’s a perfectly passable musical. The book is much stronger than the score, and it is full of hilarious jokes and zingers that made me genuinely laugh out loud. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much in a theatre.

The supporting cast is much stronger than the two leads. Sarah Stiles is an absolute riot and had some of the best jokes of the night. Santino Fontana and Lili Cooper were pretty good as well, but I wasn’t completely blown away by either one of them.

The design was a miss for me. It was a clash between cartoony and realistic settings. It didn’t feel cohesive at all. I will say that it was nice to not have any projections, though.

The biggest let down for me is Yazbek’s score. We all know Yazbek is capable of composing zany, zappy, zippy, and catchy tunes, however, none of the songs here are any of these things. They’re bland, generic, and unexciting. I did really appreciate having a full overture and entr’acte, though!

Overall, this show is fine. Its definitely very funny and entertaining, but it didn’t wow me in any way. In a season of weak musicals, this is definitely one of the better ones, but that really isn’t saying much.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 12:51am

this was a bit of a mess.

there are LOTS of great lines, and Yazbeck writes some clever lyrics. But it felt like a hilarious, witty writer was handed a horribly corny show, and punched it up. He did a great job! But its still a horribly corny show. Then they found Santino Fontana, a gift to this show from the Gods, and a truly incredible cast of supporting performers, and the show got even better. But underneath all those gems its still pretty rough.

People here have been saying that Yazbeck's score isnt hummable. Thats kind. Its bad. The songs are bad, in that they are boring and drag and you want them to end. I love the guy, I really do (Bands Visit was genius from a musical perspective), but by the end of the first act, when someone took a breath to start a song, I felt myself groan.

Fontana is great as Dorothy. But Michael sucks? Like hes an unlikable, annoying character. Everytime he took the wig off, things slowed down because it was never clear why anyone tolerated him? Fontana sounds great (and deserves serious credit for being able to so nicely sing in two distinct voices, and do it so well!) but he cant make us care about Michael, ie care about the show. And while the humor saves Dorothy and everyone else, Michael isn't funny. Hes just...there. A huge miss.


Everyone else made the most of their roles. Sarah Stiles will get a Tony nom, and absolutely kills it with the role shes given. But what a horrible character! She opens the show whining and never stops. And why does she like Michael? He's horrible.

Lilli Cooper sings the **** outta her songs, and looks incredible. I could easily see falling in love with her. But when did Michael? That seemed to happen instantly, and then the whole conflict of the show is his love for her? 

Thought everyone did a good job, the absolute highlight was John Behlmann. Given the best material, he steals every scene. But really everyone has their moments and does the most they can. It doesn't save the show. 

And that last number? The curtain call was so uncomfortable. The cast looked exhausted and awkward as they tried to liven up a relatively lukewarm audience. Its such a forced "big broadway finish!" that isnt earned. And at least from the mezzanine, it felt like the cast knew it. 

Hadestown has this is in the bag.

Updated On: 4/5/19 at 12:51 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 1:05am

I would love to have seen a number where we see his transformation. Especially with the shows logo of him with the shaving cream on. Or at least seeing him shopping for the clothes, wig and make-up and then the reveal as it is in the show.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 3:11am

how about a scene (forget a number) where we see Michael struggle, and/or come to the decision he makes to become Dorothy? It just happens. Michael doesn't change; he puts on a dress. And then at the end, he feels bad but.... is the same guy? It all just felt synthetic, and it made Fontana's job (already hard) that much harder.

fwiw, id take a scene/number explaining how/why Michael falls for Julie, how/why Julie falls for Dorothy, how/why Behlmann's character falls for Dorothy, or anything that takes Sandy from point A to point B. Her singing that same song throughout was hilarious, but it highlights that she begins at ends in the exact same place. 

I can forgive all of this stuff with the right production/songs (Hadestown's characters weren't written any better but the songs they get to sing....) but this was disappointing.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 3:23am

I would have been fine with just a trsnsformation scene.

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 9:09am

Wow I can’t believe I haven’t seen any raves for Santino. I do agree it’s mostly because his character is beyond unlikable even at the end. Do those who saw it on broadway still think he has the win in the bag? He is definetly benefitting from a lack of competition, but maybe Brooks, Damon or Derrick could take it?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 9:57am

Michael's jerkassness is kind of essential to the piece. He's unemployable because of his personality.

[Luscious]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 10:07am

It's called satire. Unlike the movie, that's the approach that the producers decided to take with the show. The Producers was also a satire. Did everything (anything) in The Producers make sense or reflect actual reality? Don't listen to the nay-sayers or Hadestown fanatics. This show is going to be a smash hit!

BTW... I'm not saying that Hadestown is a bad show - I'm sure it will have its fans and receive critical praise - but personally, I loathed it.

Updated On: 4/5/19 at 10:07 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/5/19 at 11:05am

After Eight said: "Judy Denmark wrote:

"Do you think that was the case when people first heard it, though? I mean, I totally get your point about reprises, but do you think 1964 audiences left with Act 1's Sunday Clothes in their heads?"

On the part of this theatregoer who saw it in 1964, the answer is yes. Along with many other songs from the show. And it had nothing to do with their being reprised multiple times. It was because they were GOOD. There's the explanation right there. They were GOOD. And I can still remember songs from shows way back when that were never even recorded: The Student Gypsy, Hot Spot, Come Summer, La Strada, Georgy.... Why? Because they were GOOD. Damn good. And 638,802,411 times better than the drab, tuneless fare that the critics heap with praise and awards.

I agree with those who find Yazbek's music unmemorable --- or worse. And the same holds truefor the rest of today's critics' darlings. They could play their songs a thousand times, and I would still not remember them ---becausethey're not worth even hearing, much less remembering. It was bad enough listening to them once in the theatre. To have to listen to them even one more time is too dire a prospect to even contemplate."

i agree with a lot you say.  There is a 'Broadway sound' that every musical used to have, not so much anymore, and I do miss that.  I loved DEH when i saw it (only once to date) a couple of years ago...being out of town results in fewer viewings until they tour); but I only rarely listen to the score because it just doesn't have that Broadway sound that lives up to repeated listenings.  Interestingly, my 'go to' recent OCR is Bandstand, which feels like a perfect meld of old-Broadway and 40's band music.  I also agree with the person who referenced The Producers; I must have listened to that 500 times.  I enjoyed the score, loved the 'old-Broadway' orchestrations and overture, and the individual performances. 

On the other hand, something is not automatically good because it was from the 50's to the early 70's.  To this day, Come Summer was one of the worst shows I have ever seen, and the score was boring from beginning to end.  I remember wondering (at the age of 17) how the performers could even sing the songs, as there was no discernible melody to them.  Georgy did have 2 songs that were mildly entertaining, the title song and Do You Remember the Day (I still remember the melody of the latter), but the staging of the latter was also  'wincingly' corny; and La Strada was agonizingly boring...as with Come Summer, I wondered when I saw it on preview (I seem to remember that it began previews and closed in the same week).  Note: The only reason I saw that one was because my father had a friend who invested in shows and was always offered 'papering' tickets.  Most of the score of The Yearling was terrible; since it had one excellent score, does that forgive the rest of the junk?

PS -- In fairness, also loved some stinkers from that era.  The one that immediately comes to mind is Sherry, whose two show-stopping numbers (yes, there were two, even though the show was a mega-flop) sounded exactly the same.  I also prefer the score of a number of mega-flop 60s and 70s musicals, e.g., Drat! The Cat!, Darling of the Day, Maggie Flynn, Cry for us All / Who to Love, and Carmelina, to a number of critical successes and/or hit shows, e.g., Billy Elliott, If / Then, Fun Home, The School of Rock, Frozen, Anastasia,  (although I did like the score more than any aspect of that show), etc.