Thoughts on Shows (March 6-9, 2008): SOUTH PACIFIC

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:03am

Hey everyone
I don't post a whole lot on here anymore, only on occasion, but just felt this might be a nice time, being in New York and all. =)Haven't been to the city since November, which was quite a wait for me, considering there are so many shows now! But yea, I finally got back here yesterday, and will be around till late Sunday evening.
So anyways, I'll try and quit all my rambling. To the point- I saw the revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE last night at Studio 54! My parents and I had seats in Orchestra Row K on the Left, and they were the three at the very end of the row. It was kind of funny, we sat in the same exact seats but on the Right side for THE APPLE TREE and 110 IN THE SHADE last year. =) Anyways, the sightlines weren't that bad- and save for the "manly" dog during the bit where George was drawing the dogs and a few other instances of people in front of me blocking my view, I could see everything fine.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS, by the way, haha.
All in all, this was a beautiful show. I think that is the best way to describe it. Like, I was expecting to enjoy it and yadda yadda yadda, but I really was not expecting to be so intrigued as I was. Um, at least from what I heard about the show, I had expected it to be more complicated, and more hard to follow, but I was suprised that on the most part I picked up on everything easily. And maybe listening to the music beforehand can help enhance one's understanding of the show, but I felt I got along fine without any prior knowledge, save for the song "Sunday". Anyways, I can't exactly say the same for my dad, who was sadly bored, and even fell asleep during the second act- my mom on the other hand loved this show, and is making plans to go see the original painting where its held in Chicago, I believe, haha. But yea, and also, a lot of people say they actually prefer the 2nd Act to the 1st, but I much preferred the 1st act- I thought there was a lot more story and character development. A lot of songs in the 1st Act all kind of 'blended' together you might say, so I don't remember too many specifics. "Everybody Loves Louis" was a highlight though, as well as "We Do Not Belong Together", which was my favorite part of the 1st Act. Jenna really really touched me during this part, just with her nearly crying and her sorrowful facial expressions. Err, I just hated George for turning away Dot like that, he really seems so mean!! Made me mad, haha. Anyways, the end of the first act was wonderful how they formed the painting, I loved how George was constantly adjusting little bits of it up until the end of the number. Oh by the way, I loved how Jenna patted her make-up and such along with the music in "Color and Light", so cute =) But yeah, I just liked how in the 1st Act you got to meet all these characters in the painting, and hear and see their stories. The whole thing really is an interesting concept, I was expecting the show to be about George Seurat's life or something, but was really fascinated about his relationships with all the assorted characters of his artwork. So yeah, although a few small parts were a little muddled ("Gossip" and "The Day Off"), I absolutely loved the 1st Act. I was a litle "eh" about a good part of the 2nd Act, or pretty much, a good part of the time spent in the museum. I just thought "Chromolume #7" and "Putting It Together" just went on a little too long for me, and though its pretty and has a nice message, was also a little bored by "Children and Art" as well. I really enjoyed "It's Hot Up Here", I thought it was a really creative look at the characters of the painting, and quite humorous. And now, I just wanted to mention my favorite part of the entire show, and what I really think is one of the reasons people should go to theatre- pretty much the last ten minutes of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, or more or less, "Move On" and "Sunday (Finale)". I was floored. I don't even know what it was about it, but these moments were just so gorgeous. Jenna and Daniel, especially Jenna though, were just so moving, and had such wonderful chemistry during "Move On". And when the company all joins them on the stage, and Dot helps George read the red book...it looked and sounded glorious. And the final line about a blank canvas and the infinite possibilites could not have been anymore perfect. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy, but the last 10 minutes of the show are really what has stuck with me the most! Anyways, I'm going to try and finish this up soon. Pretty much, the whole ensemble cast was great- no noticable weak links or flaws, and they all served their roles well. Not to sound like a broken record and really everyone else on this board, but Daniel and Jenna were awesome, pretty much. I thought Daniel was great, conveyed the character very well, has a very nice voice, and really has a good range vocally and in terms of character. My mom especially loved him, she couldn't shut up about him afterwards! My personal favorite was Jenna Russell, though. She doesn't have the strongest voice really- well scratch that, actually. She really hits some great money notes that sound amazing (like in "Move On"), it's just sometimes she can get kind of gaspy and raspy,pardon the terms, when she's singly quickly or in a normal voice. I honestly didn't mind though, I thought it suited the character just fine, just really enjoyed hearing her strong, clear voice when I had the chance! Her acting was incredible, though. As I said earlier, "We Do Not Belong Together" almost made me get teary-eyed, she really had me in hand from the moment she got onstage until the very end. Her Marie was pretty good, I don't think its the greatest character written really. But yeah, Jenna as Dot is really cool, and I can see both her and Daniel at least getting nominated for Tonys this year. Oh, and before I finish this review, just wanted to say a MAJOR KUDOS to whoever did those projections- the whole concept was spectacular, I was very spectical about them beforehand, but they were really one of my favorite aspects of the whole show. How they made the curtain the tree, the dogs on the canvases, how he erased that one tree, the whole hall of the museum bit. My only complaint was the part where all the people are rushing in and out of the museum bit felt a little theme-parkish, but otherwise, those projections were perfect. Loved the transistions from black and white to color and to all white at the end. Really, I would recommend this show to people just to see the projections and technical design. And there's a really good show in there, too =)
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Anyways, next up tonight is SOUTH PACIFIC! Then GYPSY tomorrow night, and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF on Sunday. And I'm still working on the matinee for tomorrow, aiming for some 39 STEPS.
=D
Well thanks for listening, and if you have any questions, let me know.
Sorry for so much rambling- just the weird way I get my thoughts out on shows and stuff.
Have a great day, everyone, I'll report back later!

-Dirty_Rotten_Guy

Updated On: 3/8/08 at 10:03 AM

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:06am

Sounds like you had a great time! Looking so forward to seeing this.

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:35am

i was there too last night.

first off- i dont know why everyone complains about the rear mezz seats at studio 54. im a bit of seat whore, but i was pretty comfortable. we were dead center of row LL- far back but the sightlines were pretty much perfect.

i didnt love this show as much as i thought i would. disappointed. but its still a wonderful production.

i respectfully disagree with the above poster- the first act, i found, was dull. painfully dull. alot of that has to do with Daniel Evans who i just found particularly unappealing and hard to understand. He has a beautiful voice- so clear and powerful- but I just found his songs and moments confusing or boring. THANK GOD FOR JENNA RUSSEL whose punctuation and comic timing are IMPECCABLE. She was hysterical and endearing from start to finish. I just adored her in every scene (though her voice seemed a bit weak at times, but she still sounded lovely)

So while Jenna was way better and perfect in Act I (her Marie was perfectly acted but wasnt as powerful of a presence, not her fault, just what the role calls for ) I REALLY got into the show in Act 2. The story was weaker but the songs- Putting it Together, Its Hot Up Here, Move On, that stunning finale- really moved me and the production really shined.

Aside from the lead actor, my complaints lie with the material itself not with the production. I just didnt love Sondheim's score as much as I thought I would and the book wanders.
But this production still seems flawless. The light projections are simply remarkable- gimmicky in retrospect but brilliant and fascinating to watch in the moment. When they nail a scene, they really nail it- both "Sunday"s gave me the chills. The sets are beautiful, the direction is tight.

The ensemble is great but no one stands out except Anne Nathan's Nurse and her various other ensemble characters. I was kinda surprised how tiny a role Gemingiani has- given how great he was in Les Mis and Sweeney I expected to hear him really sing. No dice. At times I thought the orchestra overwhelmed the cast- it just felt really loud and coming from their side box it was distracting.

great production of an uneven show. and jenna russell deserves some major accolades come tony time

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:37am

Ole, you really should have done some research about this show before you saw the revival. It seems you went in blind, which is not a good idea for SUNDAY.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:18am

I was there last night as well! We should've gotten a group rate!

I actually was somewhat disappointed overall with the production and some of the cast. I felt the projections were too much, I would've rather had the first act finale have more of an impact. The pacing was odd for me in the first act as well, and got much better in the second act.

I liked both leads, but didnt adore either. I felt Jenna is a good actress, but I found her difficult to hear/understand and her voice was not very strong. Daniel is also a good actor and he is a strong singer, but there was too little warmth there. George is a confounding character to everyone around him, but as an audience we need to see his humanity, even while he is being somewhat cruel to Dot.

The differences in their singing made "We Do Not Belong Together" and "Move On", two beautiful songs, not very strong for me.

I think it's the direction that I had the most trouble with. Most reviewers of the original loved the first act and didnt care for the second...and in this production it's the first act that has flaws, but it aint Sondheim or Lapine's or the actor's fault...I think it was the projections and pacing...it was all so distracting (and ultimately chilly.) It also took away from one of the greatest moments of theater for me, the end of the first act...in the original, we got glimpses of what might happen when George creates "Sunday..." but it was mind blowing to me, at the time...every time I saw it, from the tony telecast (I cried) to each time I saw the original run. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of music and it was just not as well sung as I'd hoped. I got more "chill" factor from the reprise in the second act...perhaps that was the intent, I'm not sure. I did have the feeling that it was about the walls and not the characters.

I SO wanted to love this, and it's still a wonderful musical so I wouldnt tell anyone it's not worth seeing, it just paled to the original (and I didnt want to have to say that...truly...it makes me sound like an old fart!)

I DID love Mary Beth Piel.

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:32am

i was somewhat familiar with it before i saw it- i knew the subject matter, ive seen clips here and there, but no i didnt know the score well at all. however, if the show was created such that you need to know the score before you see it...

i completely forgot about mary beth piel. she was quite good, though again, her song, Beautiful, was painfully boring. not this productions fault, or hers.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:36am

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had problems with this revival. The orgy of praise it has inspired is just bewildering.

[jrb]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:41am

I guess I'll jump in with a bit of a review, as well. I saw this a couple of weeks ago.

Sunday's an interesting beast. With a slender, gorgeously wrought first act and a thick-legged, ponderous, prententious second (imho), Sunday poses a lot of problems for a director and cast.
It's like a seesaw with Calista Flockhart on one end and Bruce Vilanch on the other (no offense to either party...I like them both) - it just doesn't function that well.

I've had long debates about this with my partner who loves the show in its entirety and claims that the second act is necessary to the whole. Interestingly enough, this debate seems emblematic of discussions a lot of people end up having - many folks are split.

I do have to admit that the team at Studio 54 / London gave me the most believable second act I've seen. The gentle transition from past to "present" (read: slightly-less-past) and the wonderful character development made the second act tolerable.

Ultimately, to give this show a fair review (especially in its revival state) I have to forget that the second act exists. After all, when something is revived I don't think that it is completely fair to review it based on its fundamental components - those that make the show, the show - ie: music, script, etc.

So, the sets/lighting are amazing. The effects are stunning. Now, this alone would not function to create a good show, but thankfully, in the case of 54, the cast rises to meet these effects, creating a really superb ensemble piece.

The leads are wonderful! They both deserve Tony Noms. Both Evans and Russel managed to pull the roles away from Peters and Patinkin to create their own - and thank Christ. It could have been bad.

Interestingly enough, despite my hating the second act, Russel and Evans seemed their strongest there. They really seemed to live as these two individuals. Wonderful work!

Now to the music - to me, a major let down. While the Menier Chocolate Factory may be small, Studio 54 is not - at least not to the same extent.
The orchestrations seemed thin, and watery. The part of the French Horn was replaced by a Saxophone. To top it all off, the entire pit was located on the right side of the stage, creating a sense of lopsidedness.
I know that some folks will disagree completely - as did many papers - but I just did not think that the orchestra matched the level of the on-stage work.

Sooo, to sum it all up? Go see this because the effects and performances are glorious. I think Russel and Evans should be recognized by the Tony crew, but should they win? - I'm still out on that. I tend to think that Evans should get one. The difference between his act 1 and 2 choices are quite stunning. Russel was damn good, but I think there are better performances out there at the moment. If it were another year, she'd be a shoe in.
The second act is never going to be all that good...but you can't blame the current cast for that.
Does Sunday deserve the Tony for best revival? - again, I'm not so sure. South Pacific is a solid, expansive, and well-acted revival with some pretty inovative things going on. I tend to lean toward that for Revival - though Sunday is some stiff competition. It will be interesting to see what people think once both are on the table, officially.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:45am

Smart review jrb...tho I disagree with alot of it, I agree (and forgot to mention) the thin orchestrations.

[Ole Chum]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 2:18pm

see, i found the orchestrations thin and not as loud/powerful as id like- but the sound system was such that it didnt sound like it surrounded me/the theater. it felt like it was all coming straight from my right and when it got loud i just couldnt hear the actors. it was just so unbalanced.

i also have to disagree about evans. his second act was OK, but i could NOT understand him most of the time in the first and when he was behind the screen/painting...he was just not enough of a presence. one could NOT figure out what dot could have possibly seen in him which was the major weakness of the first act.

[jrb]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 3:06pm

Well, it seems that we all agree that the production was flawed. I think it will garner some praise due to its projections and I think some will be blinded into thinking that this makes the production "top notch", when it was only "solid".

I do have to say that the projections irritated me in the second act. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll be vague but the number of identical projections go a little redundant to me.

That's all I've got at the moment.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 3:10pm

I thought the main problem was the total lack of anything even remotely resembling chemistry between the leads, and the way that none of the other cast members did anything to make their characters into people. They all faded into a blur of costumes.

I remember Robert Westenberg as the Soldier in Act One in the original production. He was very funny and oddly sad when he left his counterpart alone. The guy in the current revival comes off like a reject from American Idol in comparison.

Updated On: 3/7/08 at 03:10 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 3:32pm

I hated it. Boring and pretentious. The show itself, that is.


Cast worked very hard, did well. Designs were incredible.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 9:25am

Wow, thank you everyone for all of your thoughts! I guess I seem to be quite the loner in the orgy of praise for SUNDAY, but that's all good =)

So anyways, last night I had the oppertunity to see SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center, or even more specificially, the Vivan Beaumont Theatre. My parents and I sat in Row D (which is the 2nd Row) on the farthest left you could get, haha. I think these seats were pretty good- I mean we got them only about a month ago, and they were about as good as we could find. I'm sure many of the seats towards the center either sell out really fast, or go to a good many Lincoln Center subscibers and such. But yea, the seats were fine, but particularly in the beginning scene on Emile's terrace and "Happy Talk" we saw lots of backs, haha. I think its nice, though, that Lincoln Center shows are directed really to all sides of the stage, so you never really feel like you're missing out (this was the way it was for LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA which we also sat far to the side at).
But the show itself- very enjoyable. The quality of this production was outstanding, and you could really tell that the creative team spared no expense in the making. The costumes were lovely, all very nicely done and suitable to the time period. The costumes on Ms. O'Hara were particularly gorgeous, but she can't help being particularly gorgeous herself either, haha. The set pieces were amazing as well- I mean, a war aircraft, all those buckets of fuel or whatever, the telegrahs and such in the office, the shower stalls, and that HUGE stage for the Thanksgiving Follies? Everything looked spectacular, with lots of attention to detail. My only "quim" could be the backdrop of the sky- at least in the "Bloody Mary" and "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" scene, it just seemed such a harsh, strong blue. I don't know, I think a lighter hue would've looked a little more realistic. But it was lovely how they switched the colors of the sky in later scenes with sunsets and nighttime and so on. Oh, and I just wish the beach had a little more shrubbery besides the one palm tree that's all, haha. No big deal, though. But yeah, I've got to say some beautiful silhouettes were formed with the palm on the beach against the sky, and the lighting in general for the show was very beautifully done.
I think the pace of the show was fine, and I didn't really mind the 3 hours (with a 15 minute intermission included). I don't think there's much they could really cut, and I don't think they really should- it's a classic, I for one wouldn't tamper with it much, haha. I will admit a few scenes dragged a bit- most notably, though, "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" and "This Nearly Was Mine". I was zoning out a bit during those songs, especially since I couldn't understand a word of "This Nearly Was Mine" save for the last like 30 seconds of the song. I think the best numbers were the ensemble numbers- I really loved "There Is Nothing Like a Dame", the male ensemble was fantastic as the Seabees. "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "Wonderful Guy" both were a tiny bit flat for me, but Kelli O'Hara and the female ensemble both sounded glorious, so they made those 2 numbers some of my favorites. I don't know what it was, though, those 2 songs still didn't have that punch for some reason. "Happy Talk" was okay, but also was kind of flat for me- just not as enchanting and warm as I remembered it from the movie. "Honey Bun" was really a stand-out number, though- Kelli O'Hara was just as cute as a button here in her sailor garb, I loved it!
Onto the cast. Really, this is one of the strongest ensembles I've seen, both male and female. They all held their own, all had their own unique personalities, and really didn't just all blend in and seem the same. In their numbers they all sounded fantastic, and danced their butts off. So kudos to them. Loretta Sayre as Bloody Mary did a fine job- loved the "stingy bastard" bit, haha. She was funny, certainly not how I've always remembered Bloody Mary, but she was still fine. Again, "Happy Talk" find of fell flat for me, but the scene afterwards between her, Liat and Cable was well done. Uh, Matthew Morrison as Lt. Cable was you know, pretty good. I think he was a little weak in the beginning, but got stronger as it went on and more into his character. He has a great voice, but I had trouble hearing it during "Younger than Springtime". I don't know, he wasn't anything special, not in any way bad, though. Danny Burnstein was brilliant as Luther- really a highlight of the show for me. He was inredibly hilarious, had such a great prescense, and had so much energy when he was onstage. Hearing his rendition of "Bali Ha'i" was hysterical. Um, Paulo Szot (who played Emile) had a spectacular voice. It is very obvious he has done quite a bit of opera, and it pays off. He has a booming bass voice, and hits some very powerful notes at the end of "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine". His acting, though, left quite a bit to be desired. Or not quite a bit, I don't know- you can tell, though, he's really in this production mainly for his vocal skills. He just didn't build much of a character, and I honestly didn't feel for him or anything, he almost was just saying his lines. I don't know, great voice though. A
And now, onto the star of the evening, Kelli O'Hara. There is a reason she is my favorite theatre actress of our time, and really, that I have had the privilege of seeing. Most everything about her is perfect, in my eyes. She really glows up there, and just exudes this energy and charisma like no other. Not to mention her gorgeous figure- even with wet hair all suddy with soap or an over-sized sailor's outfit, she always looked marvelous. Great body! But seriously, from the moment she opens her mouth she has me. Her voice just soars, and she sings everything with such ease, and hits all kinds of notes, and goes up and down the musical scales with ease. And though at times I had a hard time hearing her (mainly because of that extremely loud orchestra which drowned her out), she hit some lovely money notes, especially in "Wonderful Guy" and "Honey Bun". Her acting was also fantastic, and even when not speaking, you can always tell how she's feeling thru her lovely facial expressions. Just watching her in general- doing a little jig, dancing around with a towel on her head, or simply just running along the beach or walking across the stage- she just has such a prescense, I can't get over it. Kelli O'Hara has this real classic star quality, and you honestly can't keep your eyes off of her when she's onstage. This is yet another top-notch performance from Ms. O'Hara, and I sincerely hope she is at least recognized with a Tony nomination this season. She is well worth the trip to Lincoln Center!
Alright, so finally onto my problem with the show, one that I really hope is adjusted during previews. The sound. Maybe it was just bad acoustics sitting on the far left side of the stage or something, but I had a lot of trouble hearing, as did my parents. The main problem was how the orchestra drowned out not just a few certain actors, but pretty much everyone up there at some point in time (some more than others, though). Even at one point I had trouble hearing the female ensemble with such a loud orchestra. Yes, I love the full orchestrations and full sound, but when it takes away from the performers onstage, something needs to be changed. Either the orchestra mad softer, or the actor's microphones louder. Or do they even have microphones, I'm not sure. But really, the sound crew or whoever just needs to balance out the sound between the orchestra and the actors, which I'm sure should not be a huge problem. Yeah, that was really the only thing that dampered my trip to SOUTH PACIFIC.
In conclusion, great production, and I'd love to see more classic shows be revived like this with such scope and talent!
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Anyways, between SOUTH PACIFIC and SUNDAY, I'd have to say I suprisingly enjoyd SUNDAY more, oddly enough. Yeah. It's a tough call, though.

Well yea- so tonight I see GYPSY, which I am very excited about! And yesterday my mom and I scored 2 tickets for IN THE HEIGHTS in 4th row of the orchestra for the matinee this afternoon, which I am also quite stoked about. And before I am attacked, BroadwayWorlders, yes, I have plans to see AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY this summer, no worries. =)

Have a good day!

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 9:41am

Oh yeah, I just wanted to mention that SOUTH PACIFIC had real fantasic merchandise, for those interested! They had some sweaters, like 5 or 6 different shirts, and you know, mugs, keychains, etc. My dad got a really cool red Bali Ha'i t-shirt, and I got my girlfriend a real nice babydoll shirt that says "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" with a shampoo bottle and bubbles and stuff. Kind of funny, considering its from me, haha.
As for SUNDAY, they had quite a bit of merchandise, too, with some tshirts saying "Art Isn't Easy" and one with lots of colors mentioning the whole "Balance, Light, etc." bit. And of course, logo tees and the works.

Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention these in my reviews. I thought they were cool =)

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 9:54am

DRG We saw SP on Wednesday afternoon (5th) and it was just perfect. We had no issues with the sound and were sitting dead centre of the LOGE in row A. These were fantastic seats and there were no sound balance problems. It is also wonderful to watch the pit open up during the overture revealing the massive orchestra..... very exciting.

I have to disagree about THIS NEARLY WAS MINE which was one of the highlights of the show for me. Probably the best performance of this song I have ever heard.

Easily the fastest 3 hours I have every enjoyed at the theatre.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 11:26am

"my mom on the other hand loved this show, and is making plans to go see the original painting where its held in Chicago, I believe"

You might want to let her know that it's currently at the Met... so if you have time in between shows then go see it!