The Robber Bridegroom (Previews)- Page 3

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 10:45am

holdyourbatboy said: "Was at the show last night and it was unexpectedly wonderful. Charming, fun, hilarious, magical at parts. Timbers staging is VERY Starcatcher, which isn't a bad thing in my book. It was just delightful from beginning to end. Lesie Kritzer walks away with the show. Timbers lets her go wild, and she stopped the show multiple times with uproarious laughter from the audience. It reminds me of why she was so acclaimed when she first came on to the scene. Pasquale's singing is as phenomenal as you'd expect. Great casting. Delightful, charming, FUN. Don't miss this one."

 

This is making me very excited.  I'm trying to put together a late-April trip with a friend where we see this, Bright Star, Shuffle Along, and Cagney.  Your review is making me push even harder to make this happen. :)

[TNick926]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 10:53am

I totally agree with holdyourbatboy's assessment of the show, and my friend Leslie Kritzer does indeed stop the show with her hilarious performance, but everyone is truly a delight!  Pasquale is so sexy and funny, and his singing is gorgeous!  Delightful moments to shine for every cast member, rousing infectious energy from one and all - the set and lighting and costumes all work together to create something that feels "impromptu" yet the staging is sharp and the ensemble never stops playing characters or props or set pieces, it's so inventive!  I truly loved this show, which I'd never seen before.  Musical comedy bluegrass twangy heaven!

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 1:05pm

90 min of pure joy and fun! The ladies of Broadway are luck that Leslie is off-Broadway giving this performance because I would inscribing that Tony for her now if I had the chance, hands down on the best comedic turns in musical I have seen in a good long while. Oh that band! Those are some hot musicians up on that stage. 

@GreasedLightning I was in row M on the far right last night and was able to see everything perfectly.

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 2/26/16 at 4:52pm

Lavieboheme3090 said: "90 min of pure joy and fun! The ladies of Broadway are luck that Leslie is off-Broadway giving this performance because I would inscribing that Tony for her now if I had the chance, hands down on the best comedic turns in musical I have seen in a good long while. Oh that band! Those are some hot musicians up on that stage. 

@GreasedLightning I was in row M on the far right last night and was able to see everything perfectly."

 

We know the banjo player a little bit.  My daughter did a summer stock theater show with him a couple summers ago. I'm so thrilled for him.  I didn't get to know him well, but he was very pleasant and immensely talented musically.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/27/16 at 9:08pm

Does this have eyes on transferring to Broadway in one of their bigger spaces? Or is it just to get the show out there more?

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 2/29/16 at 4:26pm

I've seen the show twice now. First time was the second preview and next over the weekend. I didn't think I could like it more than I did the first time but I did. There were a couple more sight gags added which are hilarious. My only quibble is that I wish they would cut down on the number of "BYE"s but that's a minor thing. Even though the mezzanine is good in the Laura Pels because it's such a small theatre I would recommend the house right side of the orchestra because there are some small touches with the band that you'll miss being too far on the left.

 

This was one of the musicals I was most looking forward to this season because of the involvement of Steven Pasquale and Alex Timbers. Neither of them disappoint and are operating at the top of their games. Honestly the entire cast is killing it. Leslie Kritzer took some time to hone her performance which I liked the first time around but think she's reigned it in a little to give a hilarious Salome. Ahna O'Reilly is another one that I was surprised by because if I've seen her before I don't have any recollection but won't forget her now.

 

Alex Timbers gives us some BBAJ mixed with Peter & the Starcatcher and it works so well. The first time I thought this show would have been better served in a slightly larger space because the choreography was sacrificed a bit but I didn't feel like that the second time. I know this is a weird comparison but this is what SOUTHERN COMFORT wishes it could be.

 

The music isn't typically my cup of tea but the new orchestrations are amazing. Justin Levine really is a genius and I've loved every show he's been a part of. There are some really great numbers in the show like "Steal With Style," "Nothin Up," "Deeper in the Woods" and "Love Stolen." I went to listen to the original cast recording and it's not for me. Probably a combination of old 70's orchestrations and a really bad recording that sounds like it was done in a well.

 

I would highly recommend this especially to fans of Timbers' work and Steven Pasquale's amazing...everything.

[newintown]

Posted: 2/29/16 at 5:27pm

As I recall, "Bye" is a slight running gag in both the book and score - not a huge thing. I hope they aren't adding more than are there already, because there are a lot.

 

As for the "orchestrations" (I would use "arrangements," because this isn't an orchestra, but a bluegrass band), the originals had nothing essentially '70s about them - they were straightforward bluegrass charts for fiddles, guitars, banjo, and bass. I saw one production that misguidedly added piano, and it sounded totally wrong.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/29/16 at 6:42pm

Has there been any talk of a cast album?

[kevinr]

Posted: 3/1/16 at 11:14am

Just wondering if Steven Pasquale signs and does photos at the Stage Door. 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 3/1/16 at 11:16am

newintown said: "As for the "orchestrations" (I would use "arrangements," because this isn't an orchestra, but a bluegrass band)"

 

Since the Playbill credits him as doing the orchestrations I'm going to go with that.

 

[TNick926]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 1:27pm

Fun backstage at THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM - Leslie Kritzer in foreground...

[Kad]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 3:27pm

Saw this on Wednesday and had a great time. It's such a fun, funny, and past-paced production. I'm not sure how much of the book has been tweaked, but I was surprised by how contemporary the writing felt. 

Kritzer devours that scenery and turns in a dementedly funny and physical performance- she easily stole the show for me. 

The bluegrass band sounds fantastic, as does the effortless and sexy Pasquale and the rest of the cast. 

I certainly hope a cast recording will be made; the score is tuneful and relatively unknown to many, and is represented here very well. 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 3:33pm

newintown said: "I suspect that this is a slightly trimmed Robber; for instance, are all the transition square dance calls performed? Many people who don't quite get the show cut them. Is the Raven heavily featured? Do Goat's mother and sister get stage time? Does anyone have a song list?"

There are no transition dances; the Raven is not heavily features- she appears maybe twice and has a handful of lines (though a very funny death); Goat's mother appears only once, when Salome first hires him, and his sister appears twice, first in the same scene as the mother and then again for Goat's deception of Little Harp. 

[SLSigafoos]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 3:34pm

kevinr said: "Just wondering if Steven Pasquale signs and does photos at the Stage Door."

When I saw the show, he walked up the main steps into the foyer and out of the main doors and quickly scrawled signatures for a few people who were waiting inside, and then he walked over to the Hamilton stage door to pick up Phillipa. We only know that b/c we were headed in that direction to meet other people and saw him/them leave. But it was also very cold the night we attended, so who knows...with warmer weather, he and the rest of the cast may come out and actually meet people outside.

 

 

[newintown]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 4:05pm

"Since the Playbill credits him as doing the orchestrations I'm going to go with that."

 

And you are well within your rights to do so; I'd add that if a Playbill calls a cast recording a soundtrack, or says that the moon is made of cheese, you'd be just as within your rights to agree with those errors as well.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 4:17pm

newintown said: "And you are well within your rights to do so; I'd add that if a Playbill calls a cast recording a soundtrack, or says that the moon is made of cheese, you'd be just as within your rights to agree with those errors as well."

 

[newintown]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 4:26pm

Ah, sweet.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 10:42pm

Saw this tonight and I'd say this is an excellent production of a not great show. The music is boring and the melodies are thin. The plot is obvious. 

But between Pasquale's voice and Kritzer slaying it, it's worth seeing. Plus the lighting and design are gorgeous. 

Kritzer deserves some sort of award for this. She stole the show.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 12:04am

I agree with Ripped Man. Excellent production of a very flawed musical. For the the fault  lies with the book much more than the score. The lyrics are also much better than the book. It hasn't had a major revival in NYC since the 70's and there is a reason for this. The actors at the Laura Pels are amazing and if they can't make these jokes land no one can. The budget for this show was huge. You are never going to see a better production of this show. I can't say I didn't have a lot of fun, I did. I give it a B. It should have been an A+ with this cast and this director and designers. Steven Pasquale is superb. He is sexy and sounds great. The role is perfect for him. It suits his voice really well. Leslie Kritzer reminded me of Carol Burnett. She was great and certainly took the role about as far as you could go. I have to say the big disappointment for me was Anna O'Reilly who gets to sing "Sleepy Man", which  is the best song in the show. She just doesn't have the chops for it. I hear Liz Callaway. I sat there and I can't say I wasn't enjoying the show, it just has a lot of jokes that don't land. It's like a musical version of Hee Haw meets The Beverly HiIlbillys meets Green Acres. I was sitting in the third row of the mezz which is the last row in this tiny mezz. It was a fantastic seat.  I can't help but thinking if I was in the first ten rows I might have enjoyed it more.

[MervynGoldstone2]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 8:40am

CurtainsUpat8 said: "I agree with Ripped Man. Excellent production of a very flawed musical. For the the fault  lies with the book much more than the score. The lyrics are also much better than the book. It hasn't had a major revival in NYC since the 70's and there is a reason for this. The actors at the Laura Pels are amazing and if they can't make these jokes land no one can. The budget for this show was huge. You are never going to see a better production of this show. I can't say I didn't have a lot of fun, I did. I give it a B. It should have been an A+ with this cast and this director and designers. Steven Pasquale is superb. He is sexy and sounds great. The role is perfect for him. It suits his voice really well. Leslie Kritzer reminded me of Carol Burnett. She was great and certainly took the role about as far as you could go. I have to say the big disappointment for me was Anna O'Reilly who gets to sing "Sleepy Man", which  is the best song in the show. She just doesn't have the chops for it. I hear Liz Callaway. I sat there and I can't say I wasn't enjoying the show, it just has a lot of jokes that don't land. It's like a musical version of Hee Haw meets The Beverly HiIlbillys meets Green Acres. I was sitting in the third row of the mezz which is the last row in this tiny mezz. It was a fantastic seat.  I can't help but thinking if I was in the first ten rows I might have enjoyed it more.

FINALLY Someone has said it!  For those us who of know and love THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM, the highlight of the score is the beautiful ballad "Sleepy Man" which occurs late in the evening. This song is a little mastepriece of composition, with notes , musical phrases, and chord progressions that are surrprising and lovely.  Ive heard this song many times since the 1978 premiere, sung by such as Patti Lupone, Rhonda Coullett, Liz Callaway Idina Menzel and countless others. They all sing the song AS WRITTEN, including the two high Fs which are crucial to the song's effect.   At the otherwise enjoyable current Roundabout revival I waited all night for my favorite song....only to heart it butchered.   Up until that point I had found the Rosamud of Ahna O'Reilly charming, engaging, funny, attractive and delightful...wth a lovely, voice that seemed right for the role.  Then came SLEEPY MAN..and she changed and rewrote the melody leaving out the Fs and ruining the song, I wanted my money back!  With all the talented singer-actresses in NY couldn't they have found someone who coud actually sing the song that many of us know and love?  Why was this allowed by the composer and musical director?  Infuriating !  If you are a ROBBER BRIDEGROOM fan and love the show and score as I do, I suggest you avoid this production uness they make a change on this frustrating issue.

 

 

"

 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 2:04pm

"And you are well within your rights to do so; I'd add that if a Playbill calls a cast recording a soundtrack, or says that the moon is made of cheese, you'd be just as within your rights to agree with those errors as well."

I'd hardly expect Roundabout to be so sloppy as to list the wrong orchestrator in the program.  The orchestrations are actually the combined efforts of Justin Levine and Martin Lowe.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 4:10pm

Can anyone comment on the running time? Is it actually 90 minutes or closer to 100-105? I ask because I am supposed to be somewhere way uptown (should be 40 minutes by subway) by 4:45 but was hoping to catch a matinee at 2 which would give me plenty of time to travel if I am out by 3:45 the latest. 

[JayG 2]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 5:20pm

Pasquale was sleepwalking the day I saw it, and I don't think Timbers is at his best here, but  in spite of that, the show is key. It's fun, funny, and the score mostly delightful -- and Kritzer is doing her best Carol Burnett (and it works). So, ultimately, it really is a good time.  

 

[newintown]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 9:17am

"I'd hardly expect Roundabout to be so sloppy as to list the wrong orchestrator in the program.  The orchestrations are actually the combined efforts of Justin Levine and Martin Lowe."

 

Ah, that's a misunderstanding; the disagreement (as such) isn't about who, but rather what. I made the small correction that these aren't really "orchestrations," but are "arrangements," as there is no orchestra, but instead a small bluegrass combo. It's really just a minor point of semantics that only musicians care about, that was reacted to out of proportion to its import.

[Jallenc32]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 10:23am

GreasedLightning said: "Can anyone comment on the running time? Is it actually 90 minutes or closer to 100-105? I ask because I am supposed to be somewhere way uptown (should be 40 minutes by subway) by 4:45 but was hoping to catch a matinee at 2 which would give me plenty of time to travel if I am out by 3:45 the latest. 

 

"

I was out of the theater by 3:45 on Saturday following the matinee, but I was on an aisle which sped up my getting out of the building.