Thoughts on NANETTE- Page 2

[nmartin]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 7:40pm

I don't know if it is kosher to do this, but Donald Dunn has posted on ATC thanking people for the kind comments about his book, The Making of No, No, Nanette. It's an excellent post. If you've read that book, I know you love it. If you have not, get a copy now.

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:03pm

Loved it.

Highlights: Rosie and her vacuum, Beth and her blues.

People were actually whistling "Tea for Two" all the way to the subway.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:13pm

Highlight: Beth's delivery of the line "Then why have I been...singing the blues?"

[osage08]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:25pm

I saw this yesterday afternoon as well and loved it. I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wished that Rosie had more lines! To me, the highlight was the final tap dance number, it was hilarious. The entire show was just adorable though.

[alterego]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:30pm

Have you checked out Ruby Keeler's Happy Tap on bluegobo.com?

[jewishboy]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:41pm

I think my favorite line might be, "No decent woman has two hundred dollars!"

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:04pm

Here's the bluegobo Ruby Keeler link:

http://bluegobo.com/production.php?var=200015167

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:10pm

Except that the BlueGobo clip is missing about half of the dancers. One of the most stunning moments in Donald Saddler's original choreography is when dozens of dancers came racing from all directions of the house to join in the group tap.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:16pm

I saw this yesterday afternoon as well and loved it. I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wished that Rosie had more lines! To me, the highlight was the final tap dance number, it was hilarious. The entire show was just adorable though.

To me, the highlight was the woman sitting in front of us who was out cold before the overture was through.

NOT!

I loved everything ab out the show but one of the highlights was definitely the "Where Has My Hubby Gone Blues" (and pretty much anything Beth Leavel said). O'Donnell was also hilarious, and that vacuum was a character of its own. Charles Kimbrough was definitely weak in comparison to the rest of the cast, but I thought he was funny (minus the few issues with his lines).

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:32pm

Slight spoiler, in case anyone is seeing tomorrow's performance.

There used to be a line in the script after the vacuum cleaner explodes. When she sees Pauline surrounded by smoke, Sue had a line that was something like, "Pauline, i thought you had given up smoking." Not sure if I have the line worded correctly, but that was the general idea. Also, the vacuum cleaner used to return to cozy up lovingly to Pauline in "Take a Little One Step" until she banishes it to the wings. I wish they had kept that.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:34pm

Did you like the Encores! production, Smaxie?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:35pm

The book of The Making of No No Nanette is so absolutely accurate about the feeling in the audience when Ruby Keeler came onstage. They were so clever to keep her tap dancing held back until later in the show and I still remember the electric flash that ran through the house when she came out in what were clearly tap shoes.

It's interesting to see how utterly basic her tapping is by standards after we've had decades of Tommy Tune and Greggory Hines and Sutton Foster et al, but now that I think about it, she was the only real, visceral link I ever had with the 1930s. Seeing her live on stage (because I never saw Ginger Rogers dance) is the only authentic memory of tht golden age I have.

It's alsoi a shame, BTW that Bobby Van isn't preserved on that Tony tape. He was wonderful.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:40pm

>Did you like the Encores! production, Smaxie?<

Yes, for the most part.

[K8eeyore]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 10:44pm

Look, I hsve no idea how Charles Kimbrough did, 'cause I can't see the show, but I do take a little umbrage at the 'stunt casting' remark. The man started out on Broadway, doing the original companies of COMPANY and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, plus a number of other shows. He's not Scary Spice - he has some street cred. Maybe he was having a bad night.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 10:46pm

My roommate and our friend have seen Friday night, both shows on Saturday, and today. He's had a bad 4 performances if he's "just having an off..." from what they've said. "The weakest link in the production" has been uttered more than once in their discussions of it.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 12:15am

Quiet, please. There's a gentleman on stage.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 12:24am

Fascinating. Jack Gilford replaced, I believe Hiram Sherman (who, although the book doesn't mention it was very well-known for his musical work in the 30s. Then he got blacklisted and moved to England) and now, all these years later, Kimbrough is a replacement.

That role is haunted.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 12:58am

Charles Kimbrough is a sweetheart.

[alterego]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 3:00am

Smaxie I dragged the script out:

(After the vacuum explodes)

Sue: Pauline, I do wish you wouldn't smoke on the job. (exits)

Pauline: Yes, ma'am. It's one of those days.

Part of the Tony performance from NANETTE that is on bluegobo is missing. Bobby Van and Helen Gallagher I believe did the dance portion of You Can Dance With Any Girl At All.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:01am

Thanks, alterego, that's it. "I wish you wouldn't smoke on the job" is the gag line. At Encores, Rosie just said "It's one of those days" and Sue's line was cut. I was wondering why they would go to all of the trouble to have the vacuum explode, but cut the joke. Weird.

Yes, the "You Can Dance With Any Girl" Tony performance includes most of the number, with Van and Gallagher in very good form.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:23am

Look, I hsve no idea how Charles Kimbrough did, 'cause I can't see the show, but I do take a little umbrage at the 'stunt casting' remark. The man started out on Broadway, doing the original companies of COMPANY and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, plus a number of other shows. He's not Scary Spice - he has some street cred. Maybe he was having a bad night.

That's why I said it didn't seem to be stunt casting--he didn't have a big enough name to be stunt casting (as Rosie could have been considered if she hadn't been good) and his playbill credits emphasized a distinguished theater career.

I mean, I can understand the rhaspy singing if he was sick, but the flubbed lines and total lack of coordination don't account for that. The all around underwhelming performance (to the point of sticking out with all the talent around him) must have some other explanation.

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:03am

I definitely thought it was cute, and the cast did a great job with it (especially loved Beth Leavel and Rosie) but for me there was just something lacking that I can't put my finger on.

I definitely enjoyed it, but I would have no desire to see it again.

[chad2]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:21am

I loved it! I am not a classical musical lover and this was one of the best shows that I have seen in a long time. They had me in the palm of their hand, go see it tonight! It deserves to sell-out!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:38am

Problems that I think kept the lid on this Nanette: the performance style needs to heightened, which is something that Burt Shevelove must have brought to his original direction. You can hear some of the style of it in the dialogue bits on the Original Broadway Cast Recording, in the Finalettos. It's nonsense played like everything is a matter of life or death. Listen to Roger Rathburn's slightly stilted delivery of "That's a LIE! I mean that's NOT a lie!" or Ruby Keeler's melodramatic, "Why should you get an anonymous letter, or... overhear it in a powder room?" While it wasn't played straight at Encores, if the performance doesn't have a "can you believe this?" wink to it, it sits like lead.

Second thing is that while the orchestra technically played well and the orchestrations sounded as great as ever, I think the orchestra never went over the top to pure abandon. The playing was a bit reserved.

As I indicated above, I still enjoyed myself, but believe the show can make an even stronger impression when everything about it is set to 11.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 10:50am

If this were to transfer to Bway, they MUST put the orchestra in the pit and get a proper set, so that we could get the necessary slamming of doors and popping in and out, etc.