The Visit Previews- Page 12

[AAO26]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 3:44am

The Visit - WTF - as reviewed by Ben Brantley - NYTimes

 

Specifically - Chita Rivera's performance:

 

"Both the actress and the character she plays demonstrate that waiting can be a fine art. How they do so defines the essence of that controlled charisma we call star power."

 

"Ms. Rivera is often required to stand stock still and radiate the sense that everyone will come to her. She must also make us believe that when and if she chooses to stir, it will not be an anticlimax. That she is not mistaken in either assumption makes this “Visit” an essential visit for anyone who cherishes the rare and endangered species of the Broadway musical goddess."

 

"And, yes, at 81, Ms. Rivera can still memorably flounce a skirt — and shake a leg and extend a gorgeous gam at a perpendicular angle. Every rationed gesture registers incisively, as does every withering put-down Claire utters with invulnerable assurance."

 

"The show’s contradictions are reconciled in Ms. Rivera. She is indeed hot and cold at the same time, a commanding force of arrogance fueled by love."

 

"When Claire dances wistfully with her younger self, it’s hard to feel too sorry for her. Who wants the girl that was, when the woman she’s become can rule the world with a single, perfectly chosen gesture?"

 

[newintown]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 8:48am

I haven't been much of a fan of John Doyle, I confess, finding his work generally either over-gimmicky (Company, etc.) or bland (Road Show), with a few exceptions (A Catered Affair, Mahagonny).

But he's worked magic, I think, with The Visit, sharpening a rather flabby piece into a beautiful and compellingly sharp evening.

The show, as it is now, is unendingly delightful; to see Chita Rivera (and Michelle Veintimilla) do "Love and Love Alone" is, I think, the most powerful and beautiful piece of theatre this season.

And what an extraordinary delight to hear a show that sounds almost acoustic, rather than sitting 10 feet from an actor and orchestra and hearing nothing but the amplifiers. The little Lyceum is the perfect house for this.

It's a joy to have TWO really good shows in one season (this and Fun Home); but, like Fun Home, I fear that this experience is too rarified, too special, too smart (hurl the accusations of "Elitist" now, if you like) for the mass market, for whom the dumbed-down shows of the seasons have been aimed.

Updated On: 4/17/15 at 08:48 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 10:22am

^ I agree, 100%. This is the sharpest direction that I've seen from Doyle.

On Wednesday, I was on the verge of tears throughout most of the performance, not necessarily because of the material, but because I knew that I was seeing something special that may not be fully appreciated at this time, but will be remembered, discussed, and asked about in the future. 

Hopefully we will get a cast recording soon.

[brdwydreamer]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 10:29am

I was so bummed about this one. I went in with my friend super excited and ready to be blown away, but I think expectations were set to high.

The set is INCREDIBLE. That also sets the bar pretty high from the get-go.

I don't really know what it was, it just didn't grasp my attention. Chita's presence is undeniably breathtaking, but I feel as though they handicapped her character so much that a lot of THE Chita was bottled up inside and I just waited for it to burst out and it never did, or at least not how I expected or hoped. (Expectations are a really bad thing to bring into a show. I know.)

The schoolmaster stole the show for me. I was very moved by his powerful song.

It's an interesting piece of theater, but I was indeed a bit let down. I'd be willing to see it again, as I agree on some posts here that say seeing it more than once or hearing the score more than might help to really get connected to the story.

A couple of people walked out about 25 min. prior to curtain. It wasn't THAT bad. Just not my cup of tea I suppose.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 11:08pm

Fabulous shot of the cast getting notes prior to the show...I hear it is now frozen.

 

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/17/15 at 11:11pm

Links not working. The show definitely seemed frozen Wednesday. I LOVED the changes that Doyle has made. I'm sure the critics will be attending all weekend. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 12:52am

For those who are curious to see how the show has evolved over the years, here is "I Will Never Leave You" from the 2008 Signature production. It includes two now cut characters, and the now cut/unnecessary "One Legged Tango" dance. This dance would never work with Chita's current interpretation of the character. 

 

I Would Never Leave You & One Legged Tango from "The Visit"

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 1:07am

^ they cut the wrong two characters.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 3:04am

Updated On: 4/18/15 at 03:04 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 3:56pm

Opening night tickets are available in the balcony. I just purchased some! Should be fun.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 4:02pm

Enjoy yourself

Hoping this scores at Tony time as it will need help to get over the hump.

[binau]

Posted: 4/18/15 at 8:37pm

SPOILERS

Chita's line readings between the masque and "Yellow Shoes" are pretty masterful/chiling/tense

[You <Anton> said]

"Are you sure it's mine...are you sure it's mine."

"You must not have the baby Claire, kill it"

---

"..would testify they had slept with me time and time again, and they did Anton, under oath". 

"And I forgot nothing Anton, nothing. You chose your life, but you forced me into mine. I fled Anton and became a whore"

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/19/15 at 10:37am

Still haunted by this two weeks later, it really was breathtaking. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/19/15 at 12:40pm

The Visit should be celebrated on every level. Flawed, yes, but how challenging. It's a miracle something this avant garde got to Broadway. I preferred it when it was darker (I felt its tone was uneven) and Chita is chilling. 

I love theatre that makes you think. The Visit delivers. The talent from the top down delivers and it's a wonder from the set to the cast. 

I need to hear the score more, but I have loved Chitas 11 o'clock number since she recorded it on her solo disc. 

Chitas dance with Michelle is a real meta moment. Audience members myself included were crying (it might be lost on a non-Chita fan). I got to have a great conversation with Michelle at the stage door-she is aware she is living a dream. 

There re were about 4 of us waiting for Chita. She came out, chatted, hugged, signed and took photos. She was salt of the earth. There will never be another. 

 

 

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/19/15 at 1:13pm

Michelle Veintimilla is absolutely stunning. It's hard to take your eyes off of her. She is a perfect complement to Chita. She also has fantastic chemistry with John Riddle as Young Anton. They have given Young Anton more to do in previews, and Riddle is making the most of it. From the front row, I noticed that Riddle had visible tears in his eyes during the second half of the show when Anton is struggling with his fate. 

Two great young performers. 

[AAO26]

Posted: 4/19/15 at 8:26pm

There is not anything easy about The Visit. One senses despair and decay even entering the theater and glancing upward toward Pask's ominous structure. It is difficult for an observer to "get" everything through one viewing. To be certain, Kander and Ebb give us some amazing and atypical music. Rivera, Rees and many others are superb. Then, there is the morality, or lack of—the central theme which rests beneath the entirety of this musical. The visions are complex and sometimes difficult—all of this within about 100 minutes of theater

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 4/19/15 at 8:34pm

Well said, AA.   There is something unsettling about this production from the moment you walk into the theater.  You know you are going to see something absolutely mesmerizing.

And haunting.

And the way Chita plays it!   Understated and quiet, but still pierces you right through the soul.  With a word, a glance, a gesture.

The rest of the cast is superb too.  I found myself especially taken by young Anton and young Claire…when I wasn't looking at Chita.  She held my attention most of the time.  But when I did look away briefly, it was usually at these two performers. 

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/20/15 at 11:51am

I saw yesterday's matinee and I am still trying to digest what I saw. It's been a long time since a musical stayed with me this long, and I can't stop thinking about it. Yes, it's very dark and upsetting but I think it also has a lot of emotional resonance. I really loved a lot of it. Chita is indeed fantastic; subtle but with just the right amount of fire (I found her particularly strong during "A Confession" and "In the Forest Again"). I thought Roger Rees was great (I didn't find fault with his singing at all) and I really loved Jason Danieley's big number. I was especially taken with Michelle Veintimilla and found myself watching her often. "Love and Love Alone" was a real highlight (not just of the show, but the season).

The direction and pacing is flawless; what was 90 minutes felt like 15. I thought the score was serviceable, and there were some very  beautiful melodies but the show works almost like an operetta, and songs blend into the dialogue. I don't think I'd necessarily listen to this on a cast recording.

I hope this does well with the critics, and I am really glad it made it to Broadway. I think I need to see it again just to take it all in again.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 5:03pm

And we have a new TV spot. Looks pretty good!

 

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/chita-rivera-is-back-for-revenge-in-spell-binding-new-visit-tv-spot-video-347320

[victorg]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 6:26pm

i LOVE Donna-but, if Chita isnt performing the day i go--i want a refund!!

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 8:46pm

"And we have a new TV spot. Looks pretty good!
 
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/chita-rivera-is-back-for-revenge-in-spell-binding-new-visit-tv-spot-video-347320"

 Wow! Love that.  

I really liked this show!

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 9:22pm

Stunning~Luv that!

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/21/15 at 9:37pm

Such a disturbing and unique entry onto Broadway.  I think mesmerizing just about nails it. I saw Chita in Kiss of the Spider Woman two decades ago, and when I saw she would be doing this show on Broadway, I knew I had to see it.  A very different type of show.  Very provocative and thought-provoking.  Loved it too.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 6:21am

 A brilliant production in every way.

Kander and Ebb's best score since Spider Woman. To leave us with a final score of such power and poignancy is a fitting cap for this legendary team.

Doyle's direction is superb. There are so many little moments that just hit you like a hammer. The juxtaposition of John Riddle and Michelle Veintimiia dressed in white sitting on the coffin, the moment when his family (SPOILER) decides not to raise their hands, the gortesque and ugly charade the eunuchs do during their testimony, I could go on and on.

And commanding everything like a master puppeteer is Chita. Imperious and absolutely magnetic. Her pas de deux with Veintimilla is one of the most haunting and beautiful scenes this season. I don't know if she'll beat Cheno, but this performance is one that you'll be happy to say you saw.

The set and lighting are also worthy of being mentioned. Claustrophobic and yet expansive simultaneously. Tattered and forgotten, a visual metaphor for both the town and all the characters.

I have to say god bless K&E. They have always chosen dark and cynical material. Their "unique worldview", as Auggie put it so well, reaches its apex here.

Like all their best showstoppers the up-tempos (Yellow Shoes, I Would Never Leave You) are laced with a pitch black underbelly. "Yellow Shoes" tears the facade of decency away to expose the ugly truth of human nature.

It is a stunning moment in a stunning show.

The rest of the cast was excellent. Daniely especially as the town's flawed conscience.

 

Does this show have commercial prospects? Maybe.

I think Kad got it right when he said this will be a misunderstood piece that people will forever try to "fix".

That's a shame in a way because the show doesn't need "fixing". It's perfect right now.

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:21am

Wonderful review, Taz! It really seems like the buzz is coming around for this show. I am hopeful for respectful reviews tomorrow.