Transfer of Caroline, or Change

[gherbert]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 5:34pm

Does anyone know if Caroline, or Change is still planning to land on Broadway this spring? Does anyone have any new information?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 6:06pm

A good question.

Whether it moves or not, I do find myself believing the album will be recorded. Kushner is reaching his highest profile in years, post the HBO "Angels" and Tesori is now officially on the "A" list of Composers to Watch. And with all the rarified pieces from Playwrights Horizon put on CD, this seems more likely to find an audience.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 6:08pm

The woman in front of me asked the guy at the box office at the Public yesterday and he was non-committal. It is sold out every night this week.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 6:09pm

The show seems to have the 2nd strongest backing provided by the NY Times this season (the first that show about the Superwoman, revived on B'way). That is the single biggest consideration -- another rave. Don't we all think it's inevitable?

Does anyone else think CAROLLINE might win the Pulitzer prize? I think in this lean year, there's a chance. It's about Big Themes, and it's by the reigning intellectual in the NY theater.

Updated On: 1/7/04 at 06:09 PM

[tpdc]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 7:15pm

But Brantley didn't rave about it the first time. Though the Times does plug Kushner regularly and CAROLINE as well, if they stick to their usual policy of just rerunning the original review when it transfers or let Brantley review it again, I can't see the Times notice as anything but harmful to the show.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 7:37pm

You're right.

But the show will probably be tweaked a bit if it moves, and inevitably there will be one of those "in a larger house, it's even more...(fill in the blank)" reviews. I think if the move is in the spring, and it gets even a Pulitzer nomination, Brantley will want to be seen as one of the shaping influences. Not to put too much emphasis on him/the Times...

[tpdc]

Posted: 1/7/04 at 9:45pm

Can a tiger change his spots? What serious musical has Brantley ever given a good review? I think his polite "mixed negative" review of CAROLINE was an attempt on his part to not seem so hard on new serious musicals. The fear that Brantley will not give it a good review is probably the biggest reason there hasn't been a confirmation of transfer plans. I don't think CAROLINE can run on Broadway without it. And even if it got a nice review from him, it (sadly) would not make a dime there.

[StarUsher]

Posted: 1/8/04 at 12:11pm

Ever since Radiant Baby no one at the Public counts their chickens before they're hatched hence the box office person being very non commital. So far there hasn't been anything officially about a cast recording or a transfer but it does keep selling out and the audience loves it. I wish the reviews wouldn't influence decision making the way they do.

[logan30]

Posted: 1/8/04 at 1:01pm

Rumor has it they they have the money and they have the theatre and the only thing holding up an official announcement is the contract negotiations with the performers, creative team and the Public. Once everyone has signed the dotted line an announcement will be made.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/8/04 at 4:12pm

Did Eric Grode like it or not? I hate these ambiguous reviews.
Review

[MusicMan]

Posted: 1/8/04 at 5:09pm

Sorry but audiences do not LOVE it. They sit in benumbed silence through most of the evening and give it tepid applause at curtain. The general feeling is (and I quote), "What the f...?" which is an appropriate response for the Emperor's New Clothes. Just because it's serious doesn't make it good.
As far as Brantley goes, he bent over backwards to be kind to the show and even went so far as to make absurd statements like, "It's too good to be good," whatever that means. Of course, after the Frank Rich piece, he now passes off Rich's hilariously pretentious blather as his own. It's just another example of the increasingly lackluster arts coverage in the Times. Give me the Wall Street Journal any day.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/8/04 at 5:15pm

This audience member loved it, and the audience I was a part of also was extremely enthusiastic about it.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 9:51am

The NYTimes has just reported that Caroline, Or Change will open in the O'Neill in April.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 10:00am

The audience I was in loved it, too. MusicMan makes up many, many maxims that masquerade his myopic misrepresentations that many of us recognize as untrue because of our first-hand experiences. They are merely manifestations of his own miserable mind-set.

[StarUsher]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 11:47am

Maybe not every audience member or audience as a whole but working there at least 3 nights a week it has gotten some of the most positive responses I've seen for a show and I've been there 4 years.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 11:52am

And, of course, The Wall Street Journal is the harbinger of theatrical taste.

Weren't they the ones that called Maury Yeston's score for NINE 'tuneless'?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 12:22pm

I can't bear Brantley. Everyone here can scream at me, but I still maintain "...down on your knees, a superwoman walks among us..." about poor Murphy, just playing a dated-and-only-okay role well enough, is the gushing queen low point in dramatic criticism. And when he hates something, he's Addison deWitt minus de wit, coming off like he's stamping his foot in defiance as he types his review. Whatever one thinks of Rich, he was generally less capricious, a man who gave credence to other tastes/POVs, and frankly ... for lack of a better word ... just smarter. Maybe that's just in hindsight, compared to Ben.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 12:34pm

I don't have quite the same animosity towards Mr. Brantley as you, Auggie, but I understand it. I enjoy reading his reviews, but I find myself usually at odds with his taste (notable exception: B. Peters in GYPSY).

Frank Rich, on the other hand, was a master at his craft, with excellent taste (in my opinion) and a wonderful sense of humor.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 12:52pm

You guys! What about my aliteration???

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 12:58pm

Namo, trust me, I was wowed bigtime with your M-stringing, the wit escalating appreciably with every word. I actually read it 3 times.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 1:09pm

Namo,

Nothing and no one can compare to you!

I bow to your greatness!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 1:35pm

PS: To those sending me private messages of outrage: I apologize for referring to Mr. Brantley as being ... excessively loud of voice ... or royal. I'm not being homophobic, just descriptive. What can I say, there's a full moon, the Witches of Wicked are laughing at themselves, and me, I'm in a Hillary kinda mood, unable to stop myself from blabbing non-PC.

[WSS2]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 2:13pm

I know several folks who have seen it and have a "respectful" opinion of it...no where near the "raves" it seems to be generating from the Times and other outlets.

Maybe we have a new emperor in town.

I think a transfer would not work at all.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 2:32pm

Auggie--you're not gay? ='(

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/9/04 at 3:58pm

"Auggie, you're not gay?"

Don't ask, don't (yawn)... Still, there's no denyin' the dreaded "internalized homophobia..."

Updated On: 1/9/04 at 03:58 PM