TOOTSIE the Musical: PREVIEWS START- Page 9

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 4:24pm

I THINK I've also seen posts about people having an issue with their advertisement: something about him holding a razor because something like that could be triggering to people.

You think you saw these posts?  Does that mean you're trying to decide whether you saw people saying these things or if you just made it up?  Because I can't imagine anyone thinking that particular photo would be "triggering" unless they are just hell-bent on sticking to a specific agenda without any rational thought or logical reason.  Was it something Trump tweeted? 

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 11:27pm

Saw this tonight and I think it’s def the best musical BOOK of the season. Some great one-liners. But the overall plot is pretty weak in spots. And shouldn’t the build up of the show be the reveal? But that seems to happen so suddenly. I wish some other people would have been in on the secret. I kept waiting for the producer to give a knowing wink or something.

I didn’t mind most of the music. It’s not the best Yazbeck. But I love his music and kept hearing moments of “Breeze off the River” in Santino’s solos.

The problem I had was with Santino. To me, he just never rise to tour-de-force leading man. Is Dorothy in the musical high pitched? They referenced her has being a bullhorn. And she’s anything but. I wanted a more Patti Lupone type diva belter. I wish they had made her sound more like that instead of this falsetto singer that I don’t think suits his voice nor does he seem comfortable singing.

Also. The sets seemed very 80s. Not Rockwell’s best.

But overall I enjoyed it and was entertained.

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 9:01am

magictodo123 said: "I THINK I've also seen posts about people having an issue with their advertisement: something about him holding a razor because something like that could be triggering to people."

Can we get some receipts on this one? Let’s not freak out on someone who doesn’t even exist..

[greensgreens]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 7:27pm

This is NOWHERE near as good as everyone has said as of last weekend. Great cast, but nobody has enough to do, even Santino seems absent too much. It’s cute and we’ll be seeing it in amateur theatre for the next century, but it didn’t elevate material, it reduced it, which was sad because of the potential.

Julie’s nightclub thing needs to be cut. She’s great, but it’s a dumb song that does nothing. It’s not even a sweet production number or has a double meaning adding to her character. Jeff and Sandy were funny, but Model Behavior 2.0 is an embarrassment. Why repeat the exact same basic joke? Sarah could do a comedy number in any style that sounds fresh. Won’t Let You Down & Unstoppable are the only songs I remember otherwise. Oh, and Jeff’s thing.

The problem is everything is played light and for laughs. What worked about the movie was that people were playing characters as fully realized and complex. They also cut a lot of the heartfelt stuff - the babysitting, the late night talk with Julie’s dad but didn’t put anything in to take it’s place. So everyone is playing broad comedy all the time and it just feels a little heartless and superficial.

The problem this & Beetlejuice are having is just trying to squeeze every key line & concept from the film into these reimagined plots. Drop a few of those and add in just a bit of depth to the characters instead. I’m sure the purists will be ok if the new plots are more cohesive.

[Vicachka]

Posted: 4/11/19 at 12:06pm

I saw this last night, agree with much of what's  been already said.  I overall really enjoyed the show, I haven't laughed that much in a show in a really long time.  I agree that the score was not particularly memorable, I tend to walk out of a good show with the chorus of one of the songs stuck in my head and that definitely didn't happen here.  The execution of the jokes is really well done, though, the cast has impeccable timing and mannerisms that truly draw out the laughs.  I've seen Prom, Oklahoma, and Be More Chill of this season's new musicals so far and I'd say this one is my favorite of the 4.  I'm seeing Hadestown soon so will be curious to see how it stacks up,  but I have high hopes.  

[JuneJune]

Posted: 4/11/19 at 4:36pm

I've been wanting to see this! And I won the lottery today...but checked my e-mail just a little too late.
I'm kicking myself to yesterday for this, but I hope someone else gets to enjoy...
(Just wondering, how many of you guys have won the lotto for this show? It was my first try, so I'm trying to figure out whether I just got really lucky or if the lotto pool is just small)

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 12:34pm

Seeing this next month. Does anybody know who stage doors after matinees on 2 show days ? I'm excited to see this ! It's my mom's favorite movie

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 4:35pm

This is NOWHERE near as good as everyone has said as of last weekend.

Wouldn't it still be good to those who thought it was good (which clearly isn't everyone)?

Jeff and Sandy were funny, but Model Behavior 2.0 is an embarrassment. Why repeat the exact same basic joke?

It's a character song.  Like Adelaide's Lament in Guys & Dolls or Cain't Say No in Oklahoma.  But the song is more than just a jokey patter song, which is what I love about it.  It's a musical monologue of the character's neuroses feeding her defeatist attitude towards everything and low self-image (the first time has to do with auditions, but the reprises are towards other subjects as well).  The manic quality of the song and the length and detail that make up the number all contribute to defining the character.  The reprises only further underline the characters' attitudes towards her.  It's both funny and brilliant.

[woeisme3]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 4:46pm

Yeah, I don't think "Model Behavior 2.0" is a fair assessment. Is Yazbek never allowed to write another patter song? They also do serve different purposes: Model Behavior was about how absent-minded and ditzy the character was and how it got her into unfortunate situations, while Sandy's song is about her neuroses and explains why she's so manic and has low self-esteem. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 10:44pm

Agreed. It’s a highlight.

[TBone]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 11:20pm

JuneJune said: "
(Just wondering, how many of you guys have won the lotto for this show? It was my first try, so I'm trying to figure out whether I just got really lucky or if the lotto pool is just small)"

I entered last Sunday, got an e-mail that I was on the standby list and then I lost. I entered again on Monday - standby again but this time I won. My seat was in the rear mezz on the right. The eleven seats to my right were empty, as were a majority of the three rows behind me. 

Updated On: 4/12/19 at 11:20 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 12:16am

Saw this tonight and honestly it’s going to come down to a Tony voters personal taste because it is clearly neck and neck with Hadestown

It kinda gives me a little bit of a Hit List vs. Bombshell vibe.

So many laughs and Yazbek continues to be the premier adapter of screen to stage with music

[Dkinny23]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 11:33am

Won the lottery for last night! Got amazingggggg seats (mezzanine row 3 seat 104 - DEAD center!) — first off am gonna say I’ve never seen the movie and did not know the story what so ever. I went into this completely blind and was so pleasantly surprised. Was it the best show I have ever seen? No. But it had some very nice, fresh redeeming qualities. Overall it was really fun, light, and enjoyable. It’s full of a ton of eye-rolling one liners. I understand that’s not everyone’s style and taste, but if you’re going in to just enjoy and embrace that type of humor, you’ll find yourself smiling and laughing for two and a half hours straight. As for everyone’s comments about the show within the show being horrible — I’m pretty sure that was the point. They made it very clear that it wasn’t supposed to be good, so not really sure why so many people here are commenting on it as if it’s something that makes the rest of the show bad... unless it ties in with more of how the movie is? Not sure. But overall it was a really fun night out and hope people continue to go out and see it and enjoy it!

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 1:01pm

RentBoy86 said: "Saw this tonight and I think it’s def the best musical BOOK of the season. Some great one-liners. But the overall plot is pretty weak in spots. And shouldn’t the build up of the show be the reveal? But that seems to happen so suddenly. "

If the plot is weak and the ending is unsatisfying, doesn’t that mean the book is actually not very good?

 

[Maybeel]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 10:21pm

What age group would be interested in seeing Tootsie? Is it just for the older set?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 10:33pm

I thought the book gave us specific characters, but the ending felt messy and rushed. I wanted a better pay off, but thought the journey was fun. But, you’re probably right.

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/13/19 at 10:38pm

Can anyone speak to Michael McGrath in this? He’s currently in 4th place for featured actor in a musical predictions in goldderby and I can’t figure out why. In Chicago he didn’t sing a single line if I recall correctly and was only in 2-3 scences (which were actually the weakest scenes in the show for me). I know he’s done great work in the past so is it just people who haven’t seen Tootsie yet assuming he has a bigger role and is standout? Has anyone seen it on broadway and think he’s going to get a nom?

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 12:18am

I would be incredibly surprised if he got a nomination for his work here. He's fine, and I enjoyed his scenes enough, but there just isn't enough material to warrant any attention. I agree with your supposition that as far as Gold Derby is concerned, he's riding on his reputation for past success.

[woeisme3]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 12:51am

I think John Behlmann or Andy Grotelueschen are more likely to get nominations, I thought both were hilarious. I can see this show doing very well when it comes to the acting awards, especially in the Featured categories- it's a really strong ensemble of characters.

[Fredrich Yeager]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 2:06am

I was planning on seeing the show sometime in June or July when my friend and I visit New York (we're both huge fans of Santino), but since I've been seeing a bunch of mixed reviews, do you guys think the show will still be running then. I want to buy tickets before the Tony's, because I'm predicting a successful evening for them, even taking into account the criticisms, but I don't want to buy tickets for a show that's not going to be there. 

Also, how respectful is the show when it comes to transgender people? I saw the whole snaffoo with the merchandise and I understand they stopped selling the ones that had that quote, but I'm worried that means the show itself fall sfor the low hanging fruit of women-in-a-dress/she has a penis jokes. I've seen a lot of press about having to be considerate of women's experiences in adapting the musical with a more modern lens, and I'm hoping they take transgender experiences into account too. Or at the very least, I hope it isn't blatantly transphobic.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 8:52am

"I was planning on seeing the show sometime in June or July when my friend and I visit New York (we're both huge fans of Santino), but since I've been seeing a bunch of mixed reviews, do you guys think the show will still be running then. I want to buy tickets before the Tony's, because I'm predicting a successful evening for them, even taking into account the criticisms, but I don't want to buy tickets for a show that's not going to be there"

I think it is pretty safe to say this show will be running in June or July. From what I have read on this thread, it leads me to believe this show will probably get mixed positive reviews from the critics. "King Kong" is still running and the reviews were pretty awful with most saying the "puppet" was the best thing about the show. I would advise you to buy the tickets now.

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 12:10pm

Fredrich Yeager said: "Also, how respectful is the show when it comes to transgender people? I saw the whole snaffoo with the merchandise and I understand they stopped selling the ones that had that quote, but I'm worried that meansthe show itself fall sfor the low hanging fruit of women-in-a-dress/she has a penisjokes. I've seen a lot of press about having to be considerate of women's experiences in adapting the musical with a more modern lens, and I'm hoping they take transgender experiences into account too. Or at the very least, I hope it isn't blatantly transphobic."

This show definitely tries to be respectful and feminist. Whether it succeeds or not I think is very debatable but it's not blatantly transphobic. There are several "it's funny cause he has a penis/ is a man in a dress" jokes in there. The merch quote is much better in the context of the show. As for being considerate to women, its written by men and I think they tried, but definitely could have used a female in the room. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 12:39pm

woeisme3 said: "I think John Behlmann or Andy Grotelueschen are more likely to get nominations, I thought both were hilarious. I can see this show doing very well when it comes to the acting awards, especially in the Featured categories- it's a really strong ensemble of characters."

I’d give it to Grotelueschen over Behlmann just based on the fact he had richer material and kept the proceedings brisk and funny in his interactions with Santino

[JuneJune]

Posted: 4/14/19 at 1:02pm

TBone said: "I entered last Sunday, got an e-mail that I was on the standby list and thenI lost. I entered again on Monday -standby againbut this time I won. My seat was in the rear mezz on the right. The elevenseats to my right were empty, as were a majority of the three rows behind me."

Thanks for the feedback! I was disheartened about missing that opportunity, but if they were rear mezz it's not too much of a shame. (ofcourse any tickets for that price are great and I would've had a great time, but it's not like I missed out on orchestra premiums). You being on standby gives me hope for winning again haha.

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 11:02pm

Saw again in Mez and enjoyed the view more even than Orch at the Marquis. Rockwell's set looked terrific from up top. Show is :12 - :15 shorter as I timed it. Tighter, with ending much shorter and working better. Very strong tightening I think. Looking forward what the critics say now. Seeing HADESTOWN and LEHMAN in the next week too. Rich season, I say.