The Pirate Queen 11/1- Page 4

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 8:30am

Lady Italy, it's fine that you love The Pirate Queen so much, and have purchased so many tickets for it. I don't understand why you so frequently resort to personal attacks in these discussions. Why waste so much energy attacking an anonymous avatar on an opinion board? My sense is that the Pirate Queen's often bizarre lyrics owe more to Allain Boublil's unique take on the English language than any sort of historical authenticity. I'm also certain that most of this nonsense will be rewritten long before this show hits New York.

"The show needs the viewer to listen and pay strick attention to the story line (as does Les Mes). Apparently simplicity is more your style. Let's not have to think...instant gratification seems to be the style of the day."

Simplicity is more of MY style? (At least I can spell the word "strict"!) Les Mis works because it is so well written that the viewer doesn't have to pay attention to the storyline. I don't think The Pirate Queen has much of a story to pay attention to at the moment.

Of course what I think doesn't matter a bit. LadyItaly, if you so strongly feel that the current version of Pirate Queen is comparable to Shakespeare you should be venting your rage at John McColgan and Moya Doherty, who don't seem to share your confidence in their work. They're the ones who are bringing in a new writer, which at this stage of the show's development is a clear sign of desperation. There are even rumors that Frank Galati might be on his way out. I see all of these things as very positive developments. These producers do indeed have a lot of money, but the only way that money is going to make this show any better is if they use it to hire better creative talent.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 9:44am

"The show needs the viewer to listen and pay strick attention to the story line (as does Les Mes). Apparently simplicity is more your style. Let's not have to think...instant gratification seems to be the style of the day."

I don't even know where to begin refuting that one.

[NYLG]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 3:29pm

"...Les Mis works because it is so well written that the viewer doesn't have to pay attention to the storyline. I don't think The Pirate Queen has much of a story to pay attention to at the moment."

Tech...I agree with you completely. I saw PQ last week. Les Mis, one of my all-time faves, btw, is VERY well written. It works, not only because the story is strong, but also because you care about the characters and their relationships. Not so with PIRATE QUEEN. The book is weak, and the characters are flat...which is not to say that there aren't some excellent performances scattered amid the schlock. I just didn't feel like the characters had any connection...either with the audience or each other. Most just seemed vacuous to me.

I said it last week in another thread, and I'll say it again. I felt like someone ingested MISS SAIGON, LES MIS, RIVERDANCE AND SPAMALOT...and then vomited all over the stage. I really wanted to love this show. I left the theatre feeling empty, and wanting much more.

I lived most of my life in New York, only recently relocating to Chicago. I didn't go to previews very often in New York...mostly waited for a show to be frozen. So...seeing a show at this point in its development is something I have only done for the past few years. With the exception of die-hard theatre fans, perhaps Chicago audiences are more forgiving...or just accustomed to all of these try-out runs. I am not. That being said, I really hope that this show gets a major overhaul...because it will never survive the scrutiny of New York audiences.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 3:56pm

"The producers have more Money than GOD and whether you like it or not this show will arrive on Broadway and be a hit because there is a lot of good stuff to work with and they will not make it a "book" show cause you want them to."

I have three words for you: Woman in White

A hit is not defined by the amount of money invested in the show, but whether or not it recoups that investment.

"The show needs the viewer to listen and pay strick attention to the story line (as does Les Mes)."

Well, I paid "strick" attention to the story line and I was confused by the huge gaping holes in the story such as, oh I don't know, almost the entirety of Grania's accomplishments, success and accumulation of ships and men that garners the attention of the Queen. She earns the title of "Pirate Queen" after defeating one British ship and in the very next scene Elizabeth references to Grania's (or Grace, depending which name you wish to assign her, which is also not clearly explained) armada of 100 ships and 1000 men, with no mention of how much time has passed nor of the events that led to Grania's apparent success, which to me, relates directly to the title of the show.

I included a link to my review if anyone wants to read it who hasn't yet.
The Pirate Queen 11/8

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 6:14pm

brdlwyr- Really? Only $82 tickets left? That's really interesting. When I was there on Wednesday more than half of the entire balcony was empty. Granted, it was a weeknight, but that's still interesting.

[Sally]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 9:42pm

I'll give just general impressions and not even try to go much into what to fix and what not. I'm about as qualified to be a show doctor as I am to be a pole dancer, which means--NOT.

For about the first 30 minutes or so, I couldn't imagine this show lasting more than a few weeks on Broadway. I dunno, it seemed to me that the "elevated" syle of the sung through show just didn't work very well with what was being sung and what was going on. For me, it got better as the show progressed, and by the end, I was more into the show and enjoying it more.

I could understand most of the words, even in the English scenes, which were funny. I enjoyed them. I didn't much care for Linda Balgord in Sunset Boulevard, but I liked her a lot in this show. I think PQ does better in its lighter moments than in the heavy drama, which, of course, makes up most of the show. I didn't mind the stylized sword fights and am not sure making them more slash, clash, and gritty would be an improvement.

Stephanie, whom I had never seen before, lived up to all I had read about her. It was worth the price of admission to see her.

My central impression comes from an unavoidable comparison to Les Mis. In my opinion, in Les Mis, each scene is more gripping or entertaining than the last, each song something special. In Pirate Queen, that was just not the case. There were some good songs, good acting, WONDERFUL singing---but the show just did not grip me emotionally very much.

Although others might not agree with me, I was more pulled in to the story and affected by the songs in WiW (London).

I am far from being a theater professional and am not even a very frequent theater-goer, and it never fails to amaze me how much talent is up there on the stage---and how much time and money has gone into putting the talent there---and how often all that effort just does not come together in the way they all hoped it would.

When I left the theater, I had been entertained, buy I definitely had not been "wowed."

I really hope they can do something in NYC to make this show work.