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#1

Transfer of Caroline, or Change

Does anyone know if Caroline, or Change is still planning to land on Broadway this spring? Does anyone have any new information?
#2

re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#3

re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"Do you know ChrisLovesShows?" "Yes. Why, yes he does!"
#4

re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

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

#5

re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
#6

re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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...
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#7

re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
#8

re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
#9

Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
#10

re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

Did Eric Grode like it or not? I hate these ambiguous reviews.
Review
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#11

re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change


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.


#12

re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

This audience member loved it, and the audience I was a part of also was extremely enthusiastic about it.
#14

re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none
#15

re: re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
#16

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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'?
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#17

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#18

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
#22

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Transfer of Caroline, or Change

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.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

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