The CHAPLIN musical — Page 2

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#26

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 4:43pm

Multiple friends who saw the final dress last night really enjoyed it. Excited to hear thoughts after tonites preview.

I'll take the wind and soar.

#27

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 5:44pm

Whizzer: There's a giant poster for Chaplin in Times Square. Kinda hard to miss.

Exactly. The fact did he did miss it is a pretty bad sign (pun intended). The artwork is completely uninteresting.

....but the world goes 'round

#28

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 5:49pm

That Matilda poster is brilliant.

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#29

It's a fair point that not every show knows the theater where it will perform a year in advance. Still almost every show knows two months or so in advance. Although, it's not just about announcing a theater or even saying tickets are on sale. It's about getting the word out and generating buzz that a property is coming to Broadway.

If a show doesn't have the money to heavily advertise, at least in the Midtown area, then it hasn't raised enough money to be on Broadway.

I hope Chaplin's good. (I certainly would rather sit through a great show tonight than suffer through a bad one.) It's just my opinion that the producers/marketing team of the show step it up. It would be sad to see a great show fail due to shoddy publicity.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#30

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 7:36pm

It would be sad to see a great show fail due to shoddy publicity.

Sadly that happens all the time.

Scratch and claw for every day you're worth! Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming You'll live forever here on earth.

#31

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 8:00pm

I received the REBECCA mailer and was fooled into think it was an invitation to the dress, when after reading it realized it was their public mailer for discounts. The mailer's success is disguising the advertisement as an invitation, it tricks you into reading what usually gets glanced at then thrown away.

I have not received a CHAPLIN mailer, but do remember a Times Square billboard and a giant poster in Shubert Alley. The advertisement's yellow & black color scheme help it to pop out from all other advertisements, but there is something about the yellow that turns me off to it.

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#32

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 9:17pm

Anyone know the rush details? I saw that it was $35, but am curious if it's student or general. And if they take credit.

#33

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 9:42pm

^I believe it's a general rush and that they accept both cash and credit, based on Telecharge info.

Also, I have to say that I loved the scenic design. Everything is in black and white with touches of red, which creates some very effective and emotional moments.

#34

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 10:08pm

Curtain...

Whaaat?

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#35

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 10:11pm

defyingravity11, when you described the color, my first thought was "Schindler's List."

"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop

#36

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:20pm

^Actually, it kinda feels like that in the second act.

The projections were also very impressive, but not too imposing or distracting (like Ghost). I can't wait to hear other thoughts. I feel like the first act is more of a crowd pleaser and the second act will be a little divisive.

#37

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:42pm

Not sure how much I like the curtain. How is it for people who went? I might wanna take advantage of the 2 for 1 deal that is going on during "Broadway week". As for the advertising: yellow and black are probably the only appropriate colors to use...

#38

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/21/12 at 11:54pm

I just got home and I think it was a pretty mixed evening. The show is completely aboveboard and earnest in its presentation of Chaplin's life. There are no cringe-worthy lines or scenes. No camp that made the audience unintentionally chuckle. It's a straightforward telling of his life from 1894-1972. The downside to this approach is there is little dramatic tension; it often plays like an oral report from a middle schooler asked to give a rundown of the achievements of a celebrity. There is some imagination in the staging, but little imagination in the way the book is written.

Rob McClure is very, very good as Chaplin. He has mastered the physical aspects of the role, and he has a soaring Anthony Newley type voice. (In fact they should replace his 11 o'clock number with "Who Should I Turn To When Nobody Needs Me." It would be appropriate and he would kill the song.) The trouble is despite the fact that he almost never leaves the stage I didn't find the role to quite star-making enough. Chaplin needed more songs. There was a moment early on when he first arrived in Hollywood and I was like, "Yes! This is what we've been needing! Now maybe his role will pick up steam." I wish they would give McClure more moments to show off his talents.

The three female leads have weird roles. Noll plays his mother, Coella plays Hedda Hopper and Erin Mackey plays his fourth wife Oona. All three sound great and act well with what they're given to work with. Only Coella really has a number to showcase what she can do though.

Each act feels a little long, and I'm sure they'll tighten the pacing and make some trims/changes. I think they need a stronger point of view to really make the piece dramatically interesting though. Right now it's like watching a featurette on DVD. Nothing challenging. Nothing too in depth.

The design is completely in black in white. The costumes, especially for the women, where beautiful. It gets a little boring to look at after a while though.

The score is pleasant and was reminiscent of Barnum, but never as catchy. I kept waiting for a "Come Follow the Band" number that really would rev up the audience, but we never got one.

I'm pretty in the middle on the whole thing. I'll definitely go back in late previews to see what, if anything, they change.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#39

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:00am

Whaaat?

#40

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:00am

LOL

I'm glad it's not a complete train wreck and I'm really looking forward to this one.
How was the audience?

#41

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:04am

Oh yeah, I mean this was in no way shape or form a trainwreck- Wonderland/Baby It's You- type thing.

The audience felt very comped. Lots of friends and family, but really for a first preview they were pretty quiet. Definitely not a crazy response.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#42

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:05am

So really you think it's just some structure that needs working on and one or two really strong songs to pull the whole thing together?

#43

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:07am

Basically everything WhizzerMarvin said, I agree with. However I actually left the theatre absolutely loving everything I saw.

As per the curtain picture - It's actually a video projection, not just a picture. And once the music starts, it starts a short clip of Chaplin walking on the tightrope, which then fades into reality. I thought that it was quite clever of an opening.

I also agree with what WhizzerMarvin said about Rob McClure, but I thought that the role is indeed star-making. I don't think that "star-making" depends on how many songs he sings. I thought he was particularly strong in all the book scenes.

Erin Mackey stood out for me, though she only is in maybe the last quarter of the show. Christiane Noll was great, as always. Her role however is not large, but the way the use her throughout the show, I thought, was very smart. Jenn Coella has the only really "belt" song in the show and she was very strong in that.

I particularly liked the set and thought some of the transitions were spectacular, particularly in the opening to the 1st scene. The lighting was effective and the costumes were really stunning. Like WhizzerMarvin said, the entire design is black and white, however there are some splashes of color throughout (SPOILER - especially in the end).

Being the first preview, I think this is probably the tightest I have ever seen a preview. The show can only become tighter from here on and I can't wait to see how it does.

#44

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:12am

Sounds like my lament about most new musicals these days: It needs beetter music. Am I right?

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#45

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:12am

The first act was something sorta blandish. The second was just dreary. The score has a few pleasant but unmemorable songs. The others are merely unmemorable. The concept of presenting everything in black and white was a big mistake. It's unattractive and very hard to stare at for nearly 3 hours. A colorless musical, then, in more ways than one.

It's also strange that a musical about a master of comedy has so few laughs. I think even I Pagliacci has more.

#46

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:13am

LOL.

Who had After 8 shltting on the show at 12:15? I had him down for 1:45 so I'm out of the pool.

#47

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:16am

Basically Jordan, yes.

What's the point of doing a Chaplin musical? In my estimation the best reason to write one is to create star vehicle. McClure is ready to provide the star. They just need to find a way to really let me breakout. Yes he is very good in the book scenes, both comic and serious. His acting is very strong. He just isn't given the memorable musical material to turn this into a "star" role.

When Streisand got her bio star vehicle she got "I'm the Greatest Star," "People" and "Don't Rain On My Parade." McClure needs stronger songs (and a few more of them) to really make this HIS show.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#48

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:24am

Oh, there was one moment I thought of that I think needs changed. There is a New Year's Eve party and this underscoring is going on as the cast counts down, "10 (beat), 9 (beat), 8 (beat), etc" and I had such an urge to yell out, "Legs is Mine!!!" at the end of it, ha. The underscoring sounded way too similar, and although unintentional, I don't think this creative team, nor any creative team, wants to evoke "Legs Diamond."

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#49

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 12:27am

haha love the reputations that get built here :)

#50

Whaaat?

Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:27am

I'm a huge Chaplin fan, so I would love to see this work- but from what I've heard of the music so far, nothing really stands out as special.

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