The Visit Previews — Page 4

I agree that dance is not necessary for the show. But is has traditionally been her strength over her vocals and her acting. So without any strong suit, I found her to be posing a lot and delivering her lines face out without much texture. I adore her and she imbues an incredible energy. But I am trying to be constructive through the hype of those who are throwing roses at her feet for the performance. And I did not find anything salient about her work. Just the fact of her being. Which are not the same thing.

And for my money - SPOILER - she look 100 times more beautiful at the end of the show than she does under the wig, hat, and make up for the majority of the show.

I guess I am just saying that in the end she could have been better served and so could the audience.

RE: Facebook

Are people leaving comments on a page specifically for this play, or are there other worthy FB pages on which people regularly post about theater? Any links would be appreciated. Thanks!

Well as much as I hemmed and hawed at Whizzer's less-than-glowing review of Finding Neverland, I'm happy to hear that he enjoyed The Visit.

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I know it's been posted but the changes they have made to the artwork are great!

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I saw it last night and was disappointed to find it very much the shrug that critics initially charged it as. The thing that could have sent it over the top is a great score and it's really one of Kander and Ebb's weakest (the fact that it bore a distracting semblance to the music from CHARLIE'S ANGELS Season 2, Episode 12 "Angels In The Wings"--Guest star: Shani Wallis--didn't help matters). Kander came up with some fine melodies but Ebb's lyrics barely rose above serviceable.

Good direction from Doyle (although I would have cut those distracting young lovers), terrific cast, Chita in excellent form, and a stunning--maybe too stunning--set. I wasn't as taken by Rees as the rest of the posters. He's on his way, but last night he seemed blinky and disconnected from whoever he was acting with.

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*SPOILERS*



I think Rees appearing disconnected is somewhat of a character choice, as he does have a line about being "the only party involved." And remember that the entire town turns against him, including his final ally, the Schoolmaster.

I totally understand the score not being easily enjoyable on the first listen. It doesn't scream Kander and Ebb until the powerful Yellow Shoes. But similar to many Sondheim shows, repeated listenings may be needed for enjoyment.

Updated On: 3/28/15 at 09:12 PM

Looking forward to your full thoughts, Mama!

Saw the show tonight and really loved it.
I rushed at 6pm and got D11, 4th row, all the way to the left. I missed everything that happened on top of the second tier, but other than that, i surprisingly saw everything!

Chita is unbelievable. Such grace and poise. I really enjoyed the style of the show, and it felt really well constructed and put together. The ending was a little too-strange for me, with it's staging. That Doyle style worked flawlessly IMO throughout the show, but at the end it just got weird.

The smile on Chita's face during the curtain call was remarkable. For being 82, and doing a 100 minute show where she is on stage for 95% of it, she was beaming ear to ear.

I think this will definitely be a Big Alison vs. Chita Rivera race at the Tony's!

Chita enters from upstage left under the bridge. She then crosses under the bridge to center stage, before turning down. She does this entrance and exit a lot.

What is it about Chita's performance that makers her a front runner? Granted, I haven't seen it yet on Broadway, but did see it at WTF and a milion moons ago at Goodman. Chita is playing the role with every inch of herself. To me, her performance wasn't someone playing Claire, she had taken the script and music and reinvented her self as Claire for 100 minutes. She's playing the drama, but not getting bogged down by it. She's working wth a character that has a lot of beauty, but just as much ugly and bitterness.

Sentment for Chita will surely be on the minds of nominators, but her nomination will come from her doing an outstanding job in a show that's just good. It's not outstanding or a perfect show, but it's good. Chita is amazing. I'd feel the same way about her performance if she was 60 and said she planned on retiring in 25 years; it's not just because we're unsure how much we'll see of her in the future.

I saw the show this afternoon and absolutely loved it. I think I'll definitely have to see it again in order to fully evaluate it just because I was so wrapped up in it that I lost my critical theater brain, which is rare and so enjoyable. I thought Doyle's direction was astounding, and I hope this will finally silence the naysayers who think he's a one-trick pony. It's an incredibly strong concept and the actors work together seamlessly (which is amazing for a 3rd preview). It felt almost more like a play with music to me than anything else...the songs seemed to organically arise from the book scenes and I honestly can't separate the two things in my mind.

They're definitely going to have an uphill climb as far as selling the show. It's quite strange and dark and it's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but the strangeness of it is what makes it fascinating. Not that I wish Chita ill, but I'm very curious to see what Donna McKechnie's take on the role will be and I hope she gets to go on at some point.