Transport Group's Revival of Hello Again

[Zimmy]

Posted: 3/4/11 at 9:58pm

Anyone see it?

How is it? Performaces? Changes from original?

Seating? How is it? Where is best?

I'm thinking of seeing it next week when I'm in the City and just wanting some additional info. Any would be appreciated.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/4/11 at 10:19pm

It doesn't open till tommorrow.
I hope it's good, one of my fav scores.

[Zimmy]

Posted: 3/4/11 at 10:26pm

Their website says March 4 opening. Playbill.com says that as well. Can anyone confirm or deny?

[binau]

Posted: 3/4/11 at 10:28pm

You can buy tickets for March 5 onwards

https://transportgroup.secure.force.com/ticket#details_a0OA0000002WRjFMAW

[Zimmy]

Posted: 3/5/11 at 10:53pm

Anyone see this yet?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/11 at 11:49pm

I saw it tonight and enjoyed it. It's given one of those bare bones environmental stagings in the round in a non traditional theatre space that, for my tastes inherently creates a lot of problems ( no matter where you sit you are often far from the actors and the lighting is minimal and murky) and I think the director missed alot of moments that I seem to remember really dazzling in the original (I also remember the original staging being a lot funnier) but the pluses are that the cast is uniformly good and the piece is very well served musically.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 10:57am

Did the Transport Group lose their normal space at the Connelly in the East Village or something? Their next show is being staged in a gym.

I'm all for unusual theatre environments, but not every show needs special treatment.

[matty159]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 12:21pm

I saw it last night and absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed what they did with the environmental staging and thought the cast was fantastic. I have always loved the music and this was the first time I had seen it performed.

I HIGHLY recommend it and really hope I get to see it again before it closes. For me, it is one of the best performances I have seen in recent memory.

[Zimmy]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 2:37pm

Thanks M.B. and Matty! - I appreciate the info.

Any clue on the number of seats? Best seats in the house? and the Preferred seating?

Thoughts? Thanks again.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 3:33pm

Less than a hundred seats- try to sit in the middle-

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:07pm

Just out of curiosity, where is it that makes it environmental?

Everyone kept saying Cummings' SEE ROCK CITY was environmental. But it wasn't. Just a theater with nothing in it. I'm a little over the Transport Group's environmental scheme. After a while, it gets old. They did so many beautiful traditional stagings for years - it'd be nice to return to one of those.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:13pm

Yeah, as much as I enjoyed See Rock City, I'm still not sure how beach chairs and towels signified a road trip environment. And I don't get how a SoHo loft is site-specific for a musical that has at least six different settings. I mean, if it was really site-specific, the Whore/Soldier scene would be played at the Chelsea Piers. I understand how and why it worked for The Boys in the Band, but they're kinda stretching it as of late.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:16pm

Exactly! I spent the first ten minutes of SEE ROCK CITY getting annoyed. Just have the damn chairs already out and let us sit. Don't make me work for the show. And don't make me sit in a beach chair for two hours.

Cummings' did such a beautiful job with CROSSING BROOKLYN, et al. So many rich, fully-staged productions. It'd be more interesting to give themselves one site-specific production a year and became known for how wonderful they are than five semi-decent productions a year.

I'll still see it. LaChiusa's brilliant.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:20pm

I agree. The Transport Group has done many fine revivals and productions of new work--FIRST LADY SUITE, THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, and ALL THE WAY HOME, just to name a few--that it saddens me that their yoking their reputation to this gimmicky stuff. They don't need it. It's kind-of ridiculous that they took the success of one show that actually works site-specific as a mandate to do it for every future production. I'll see HELLO AGAIN because I love the score and have never heard it performed live, but I'm still scratching my head as to how it qualifies as site-specific.

And I LOVED the score for SEE ROCK CITY, but my posterior did not enjoy two hours on a beach chair!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:23pm

Exactly! I'm not sure what's going on with them. I used to think they were one of the finest companies in New York, but I'm quickly losing faith and interest.

Maybe they're following Sondheim's 'Gotta Get a Gimmick' lyrics a little too far.

And yeah. This is definitely NOT site-specific. However, renting a massive hotel suite and turning it into the performance space would've at least been an active choice. This is basically -- Hi. Rent a big empty room and call it creative.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:25pm

Right? PS 122 did Tennessee Williams' Green Eyes at a honeymoon suite in the Hudson Hotel recently--because that's where it's supposed to take place. (Granted, the play takes place in New Orleans, but still) It worked great because it coalesced with the text. This is just getting ridiculous.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:27pm

Exactly. I saw 'Green Eyes' and enjoyed it.

When they kept talking about this production, I assumed it was at a hotel of sorts. But just some random SoHo loft? What's the point? I'd rather sit in a bucket-seated theater with a great view for the price of the ticket, thankyouverymuch.

And sight-lines are not Cummings' forte...

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:28pm

Any discounts on this? Are they ever on TDF or TKTS?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:29pm

I think they've been on TDF but never at TKTS.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:33pm

It's on TDF right now. Tickets are only $48 (reserved seating) and $40 (general seating) to begin with...probably a little low to bother dropping tickets at the booth.

[matty159]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:57pm

In regards to how it is environmental, the seating is cabaret style with the action going on all around you (and on top of the tables). Actually, not only is it cabaret style seating, it has a very Cabaret vibe to it too with the lighting and such. It really worked.

And the chairs were comfortable.

[matty159]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 4:58pm

Oh...and I got my tickets from TDF. A great deal at $21.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 5:02pm

Okay, yeah, but it's NOT a cabaret and it still doesn't sing with the theme of the show. So it's not site-specific.

FELA! was environmental too. Are we gonna call that site-specific?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 5:21pm

Thanks for the info, I have been following TDF and didn't see it and it's not there now.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/6/11 at 5:26pm

Where does the Tansport Group say this is a "site-specific" production? All I see on the website is that it "will be staged non-traditionally in a raw space in SoHo."