[The] [ Official] [TOS] [Review] [Thread]- Page 3

[Chance]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:23am

Isherwood is HILLARIOUS. They MUST MUST MUST use the "catnip for show queens" in all the ads and outside the theatre.

[sweeneynut]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:40am

Pocketsquared Fanadu, was that directed towards me? (Errr...I totally sang "Let's cut to the chase my name is Stew" or whatever the lyric is after reading that) Spread the [tos] love...Hunter kissed you? Damn, I'd buy your cheek off eBay I think I was totally in the same frenzy you are after the first preview. I can only imagine that it was equally hardcore today, just with more classy formalwear. (broadwayworld, where's meh fancy pics?) I didn't make it to opening, but I proudly wore my Rice Kripsie Treat shirt all day and only listened to [tos].

"So the decision's made and we're on our way,
and we may lose or maybe we might
Be nine people's favorite thing
(Nine people's favorite)
When we open tonight!"

This is for you, Fanadu:

Onya Nees
and
Dusty Tchotskes

Much love to the cast for the mostly wonderful reviews.

Updated On: 7/18/08 at 12:40 AM

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:45am

Heart heart heart you.

Hooda Thunkit

Lacey Undies

[sweeneynut]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:59am

Let's take this to the love thread, since it doesn't really belong here, as much as I love it.

Sincerely,
Anna Phalaxis

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:59am

Opening Night was incredible!

I'm so thrilled to see the much deserved, wonderful reviews!

[logan0215]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:09am

Official [tosser] here after tonight

I hadn't seen it off-Broadway but got hooked on the TOS Show and got my tickets for tonight. I was afraid the hype would kill it for me, and I do have to say that a first viewing at opening may not have been an ideal choice with the obnoxious people next to me clapping through almost the entire show (sorry, I get that people love love the show and so do I now, but I could barely get any of the spoken dialoge), I did fall in love with the show, though.

I didn't expect so many poignant emotional moments! When I read the track list and saw "Die Vampire, Die" I wasn't expecting to get choked up!

It was truly, and most definitely, a cramazing night at the theater.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:25am

John Simon is an unambiguous pan:

A familiar problem at birthdays is what to give the celebrant who has everything. The problem with reviewing [title of show], a vest-pocket and sweaty-collar musical, is what to say about a show that has nothing.

[title of show] went from off-off-Broadway to off- Broadway to Broadway (now at the Lyceum Theatre) in an unchecked progression -- proving that if you have a feel for the lowest common denominator, you can scale unmerited heights.

Whether you can maintain yourself there remains -- as demonstrated by the recent fiasco of Passing Strange -- a moot point.

Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, who upon dubious credentials fancy themselves book-and-song writers, decide to write a musical about two self-proclaimed gay men trying to write a musical. They enlist the help of "all our friends" (two, actually): the equally unappealing Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff (everyone here uses real names on stage). Together they proceed to the parturition of 90 minutes' worth of unremitting torture for anyone with a shred of good taste, discernment and normal eardrums...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aULI5cO6HQiU&refer=muse

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:29am

And so is Clive Barnes: he gives the show 1/2 out of 4 Stars (the title of his review is "THIS BROADWAY MUSICAL REALLY [EXPLETIVE]):

ORIGINALITY isn't what it used to be. Take "[title of show]," a Broadway musical - 95 minutes long, top ticket price $111.50 - about people writing about people writing a Broadway musical.

These [people] - who doubtless love [people] - must be the luckiest [people] in the [world]...

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07182008/entertainment/theater/this_broadway_musical_really__expletive__120374.htm

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:32am

The Newark Star-Ledger is Very Positive:

...Casually profane chit-chat may turn off a few viewers, while the characters' showbiz-centric obsessions will escape others. Actually, part of the story involves the writers' worry over how their stage-struck content may prove to be too insider for popular consumption.

But as they declare in this endearing show's penultimate song, "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing." Count me among the former group. Insider or otherwise, expect a sharp, entertaining look at the agonies and ecstasies of making theater today.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2008/07/a_musical_with_songs_and_words.html

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:33am

I love how Simon quotes the "swee-at-er" lyric from "Two Nobodies in New York" for his example of the show's bad lyrics (in his opinion, of course). If you're going to quote a bad lyric, at least don't quote the one that is supposed to be bad and sound awkward.

[Chance]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:34am

meh someone clearly pissed in JohN Simon's cornflakes, so it doesn't matter

[spiritx33]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 1:50am

I agree, Chance. His review is ridiculous and immature. Which person involved with [tos] pissed him off?

[Boq101]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 3:29am

His review is so terribly written, no one is going to take it seriously.

[pattilupuppy]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 3:48am

Opening night was such a moving experience

I was so glad to be there :)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:33am

Does it not occur to any of you that some people just may have not liked the show?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:52am

You're obviously too young to know the evil that is a John Simon review.

"Unremitting torture" --John Simon

That's as kind as it gets. They should put that in the ads.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:55am

He actually called it "unremitting torture"? Must have missed that.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:50am

I think the Simon review is SO hysterically twirly over-the-top negative that it actually works in [tos]'s favor. A Simon review that bad is a badge of honor - like his original review of FOLLIES.

As a self-proclaimed gay man who also liked it when Heidi took off her top, I don't understand how any self-proclaimed heterosexual male can find Heidi "unappealing".

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:53am

From another site...Which one of you bitches is GordonMcN? Me like-a You!

First of all, I intentionally did not read any of the previous posts about TOS until this morning, as I did not want to know anything about what I was going to see.

Having read them now, the "controversy" is all quite clear.

[TOS] is clearly a great work of art, if you're interested enough in theater to even know ATC exists, then you know it's a great work of art.

What people are really complaining about is:
1) These guys actually got away with it. In other words they are jealous that they didn't think of it first. It's a great gimmick, we all know it.

2) "It's not up to Broadway standards"

Gordo would like to talk about "Broadway Standards" for a minute. Out of all of last season's shows, maybe two of them were actually up to "Broadway Standards", meaning they utilized all of the mediums that go into a production and still managed to entertain and be somewhat original.

I can assure you that Gordo does not find "Jersey Boys" or "Spring Awakening" to be up to "Broadway Standards".

While it amuses me to see the long line of women at the Eugene O'Neill box office ten minutes after the show is over purchasing on-stage seats so that they may see their first faux-rock concert again, it doth not a good show make. On more then one occasion, Gordo has considered handing out hardcore porn (on VHS) to said women and saving them $46.

Nobody complained when Mummenshantz was on broadway, and that show was three people and some felt.

3) It humiliates and mocks people who fell for some of the worst crap Broadway has churned out. Most likely this is a great source of irritability among those who dislike [TOS]. What's wrong with saying that "BKLYN: The Musical" was a steaming pile of crap? It was. If you fell for it then you were a targeted demographic. We're all targeted demographics at one time or another (Gordo paid $90 to see Annie Lennox once!) It's ok!

4) Uh-Oh, Late 1970's D.I.Y. culture is finally being written into musicals. Next thing you know the early 90's will be here and we will have to deal with faux-mosh pits and crowd-surfing! Actors will be told to mumble their lyrics, and wardrobe will not be able to buy enough yards of plaid flannel fast enough!! Mayhem will ensue! Did you hear about "Girl, Interrupted: The Musical"? Idina is going to play the Angelina part! Could you die?

5) Gordo hates to go all Jackie Mason, but methinks that after paying $100, people are just pissed because there were not enough "Gentiles doing backflips."

Gordo says DIE VAMPIRE DIE, 'k?

Updated On: 7/18/08 at 08:53 AM

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:58am

'tis nice to see John Simon's homophobia has not mellowed over the years. What exactly is a "self-proclaimed gay man?"

I've never understood how such a homophobic man has made a career of reviewing Broadway shows. Isn't that like like sending Rex Reed to review a Jenna Jameson film festival?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:35am

Updated On: 7/18/08 at 09:35 AM

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:35am

I thought the Gordon post was a joke/parody?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:50am

I love the split of the reviews...I have never respected Simon or Barnes at all, both nasty reviewers. I understand if they dont like a show, but the bitchiness is overwhelming sometimes. Simon is a closet queen of the Roy Cohn variety....he's someone I'd expect to pull a "larry craig".

Very happy about the raves for the book and it seems Susan can forget about her career as a corporate whore.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:40am

Gordo aint jokin'!

And I want to lick him/her all over.

[Patash]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 4:12pm

My favorite from the Clive Barnes one:

"So why the half-star rating instead of zero? Well, the cast and director have obviously worked hard to get the show where it has gotten. And, as performers, they're all engaging revue-style personalities.

But [d.h. lawrence] or [james joyce] this is not. It's not even [e.e. cummings]."

But a friend and former student who is "pretty significant" in Broadway theatre emailed me about seeing it. My favorite line of his, "My ticket was comped and I feel I was overcharged".
Updated On: 7/19/08 at 04:12 PM