The Official BABY, IT'S YOU Thread- Page 2

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:46am

Glad some of you got a laugh tonight!

I was thinking, have there ever been more jukebox musicals on Broadway at one time before? Tell me if I'm missing one:
Million Dollar Quartet
Baby It's You
Mamma Mia
Rock of Ages
Jersey Boys
Priscilla
American Idiot
Rain

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:53am

And how many on that list are actually good? I am surprised that they continue to make them. Priscilla was the best on that list, I think, but it's a different sort of jukebox musical.

[suechru]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:21am

Wait, a sign comes down? Like a little sign pops down on stage that says "Six months later" "One year later"? Seriously??? That's just... cartoonish.

So the question is, is this so bad it's good?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:32am

I am feeling so sorry for Beth Leavel right now. Oh lawd does this sound horrible.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:57am

Whizzer - LOVE the review :) very funny. I wonder how long this show will last.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:28am

Is it bad that I want to see this and WONDERLAND even more than a legitimate hit like BOOK OF MORMON? At least that'll be around for a while!

[mallardo]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:30am

It sounds exactly like the show that played Pasadena. I thought they were going to "fix" it.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:44am

Wowee zowee, Whizzer! I thought this one might turn out well. From what I remember Florence Greenberg had her own label (Scepter Records) and the most important acts that she developed (represented?) were The Shirelles and Dionne Warwick. Not sure why Lesley Gore turns up, except that maybe Greenberg managed her career as well (but Quincy Jones produced her records). It seems from your description that the producers were not allowed to go into detail regarding Warwick, Gore, etc., and so they just glossed over a LOT!

What a shame. Like others, I thought it might turn out like JERSEY BOYS, but instead it sounds far more like the awful and insane LEADER OF THE PACK – another jukebox musical bio (the wonderful Ellie Greenwich) on a dumb set with idiotic dialogue scenes and veiled characters (such as Phil Spector whom they were forbidden to portray) and a flew bland musical performances and staging. Dinah Manoff was good as Ellie, but didn't have nearly enough to carry the show. The wonderful Darlene Love was part of the cast, as well Greenwich herself arriving at the conclusion, but nothing could disguise a strange and limp mess.

And some other jukebox musicals (besides Leader of the Pack and the ones you cited) are:
All Shook Up
Beatlemania
Come Fly Away
Dream
Good Vibrations
Hot Feet
Lennon
Movin' Out
Perfectly Frank
Play On!
Ring of Fire
Rock and Roll: the First 5000 Years
Smokey Joe's Cafe
The Look of Love

OB:
Dream a Little Dream
Eli's Comin'
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:04am

egghumor- Yeah, I understood why in the narrative Dionne Warwick came into the show, but I think she should be talked about and not seen. Spoiler? When the Shirelles began to not have hits Florence brought Dionne, Burt and Hal to Scepter Records and made them the stars. That's all well and good, but for a show about the Shirelles we shouldn't have the show pretty much end on a medley of Dionne Warwick material. (Even the curtain call is I Say a Little Prayer!) Warwick can be a plot point, but why all the sudden attention? Did they just obtain the rights to some of the songs and feel they had to use them?

With Lesley Gore on the other hand I have no clue what she was doing there.

I guess the final shift towards Warwick meant the piece was really about Florence and not the Shirelles, but I think it needs to go.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:24am

Yes, it seems from the ad campaign and the production photos that the humdrum housewife life and uniquely successful music biz career of Florence Greenberg is the frame for this cornucopia of 60s hits. Too bad they didn't find an effective way to present it.

I suppose Beth Leavel took it on because she's supposed to be the central, "plot"-driving character and the full-fledged star of the show. It looks like she at least has some nice costumes, no?

This site offer some excellent information:
http://www.bsnpubs.com/scepter/scepterstory.html

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:31am

What was the run time?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 9:08am

It got out at 10:30.

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 11:06am

and the next thing you did was start this thread, with a bang, haha!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:50pm

I'm having a flop week and checking this and Wonderland out ASAP!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 12:54pm

Wait, I Say A Little Prayer is in ANOTHER show? First Promises, then Priscilla, now this? Hmm...

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 1:50pm

So, wait. Is there no schoolyard scene when Florence sees the girls for the first time? Or the contract scene where they are taught how to walk in heels? They just skip over all of that?!

[Idiot]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:15pm

Hey Whizzer -- the projections are actually historically accurate, licensed images. Not 'clip art'.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:07pm

I think Whizzer means the videos of things like sparkles and American flags that they use.

Those are all stock.

[kyle4]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:29pm

AMERICAN IDIOT is NOT a jukebox musical...

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 5:43pm

And you are not sexy, or a writer for that matter...

What's your point?

[kyle4]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:08pm

mr. diva

my publicist asked me if i knew you... and if i had asked you to help drive traffic to my blog... i said... no, he seems to have volunteered !!! ha !!!

so, i must thank you for that... it is very appreciated... by me... AND my pub !!!

back on topic...

i would normally have seen BABY, ITS YOU on its FIRST PREVIEW night... but my mom has tickets for later this week... so, she will be the FIRST guest blogger on http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/

until then, i will write an AMERICAN IDIOT IS NOT A JUKEBOX MUSICAL post... and, of course, it is dedicated to/inspired by the DIVA himself...

my sincerest thanks... ALWAYS !!!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:12pm

And the reason you keep posting links to your crappy blahg is because you only have 4 followers.

Don't you get it? NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR BLAHG.

[kyle4]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:25pm

3,008 when i last checked....

twitter -- @thetheaterbuff

but whenever you chime in the NUMBERS change...

again, i sincerely thank you for your interest.... and i mean that in a MAJOR way...

also, i think it is more polite to talk about the proper topic on these threads... back to BABY, ITS YOU....

[rougeduck]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:29pm

Kyle has a blog?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:33pm

But Kyle, you didn't post about BIY...


rouge, He does, if you like things written by a third grader.