Posted: 3/10/22 at 9:53am
OMG I was on vacation last week so I totally missed the news about Joanna Gleason! Now I'm even more excited for tonight!
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:45am
VintageSnarker said: "joevitus said: "binau said: "The book of the show is a mess so you will never fully understand it in my opinion but it’s part of the charm."
Don't agree. I'm assuming you've read the script? It isn't great, but I don't think it's a mess, and it's very easy to follow. The big criticism of the show from those originally involved (including Angela Lansbury) was that what starts out as a scathing critique turned into a conventional uplift story. I think Lansbury said the audience expected a phenobarbital and wound up getting an aspirin."
I reread the wikipedia page. I don't know if I totally understand how the romance fits in but hopefully it'll make sense with everything else."
It doesn't make sense and that's a big reason why this show was unsuccessful.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 11:41am
binau said: "Apparently it's going to be recorded according to playbill. Unsure if that means soundboard or video..I assume it means video."
Video's fine by me (yeah, CD/sound files would be better). I just want to experience it.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 1:02pm
Seeing this tonight, very excited!
Do we think the cast would stage door? I haven’t stage doored since bway is back. Just wanna say Hi to Joanna since I’ve never seen her performance before.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 1:04pm
Stage dooring is not happening anywhere here for a while, at least. Plus I’d imagine the cast will have some sort of party afterwards.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 5:34pm
On Stars in the House, they mentioned some kind of gala/meet up after the show for the big value tickets that actually go towards supporting Mastervoices.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 6:20pm
They’ve got one small single camera set up in the back of the orchestra so any “recording” they eventually release will be audio, I’m guessing.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 6:50pm
In all my years of theatre going, I’ve never seen a line this long. You’d think Judy Garland was inside!
Posted: 3/10/22 at 8:41pm
Absolutely abysmal.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 9:57pm
Overall, I guess so enjoyed it? Sadly, Vanessa was just not right for this. Vocally, she was so timid and uncomfortable, it seemed. Stanley fared better but only in the second act. Again, she just seemed uncomfortable. Santino was the star of the show, for me. He was just perfect in every way.
I’m glad I saw this, though! Any chance to hear this score live and see this weird little show it something I’ll jump at.
Updated On: 3/10/22 at 09:57 PM
Posted: 3/10/22 at 9:58pm
I’m a bit rushed tonight so apologies if this post feels scatterbrained:
I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, and I’m so happy I got the chance to hear this score live, and to get a sense of the story for the 1st time.
But this was not very good at all. Uninspired casting aside from Fontana.
Now that I’ve seen the show, I really want to see a full production of it with a director who can really sustain the momentum, and absurd, quirky comedy. And actors who are genuinely funny. Even if the book has flaws, I think I would’ve really enjoyed this show in the hands of some true comic actors who made a meal of the humor, with help from a smart director and a full rehearsal period.
Vanessa Williams was particularly lackluster IMO.
The flow of the story felt very choppy and fragmented - not sure how much of that was Laurents’ book vs. the abridged concert book (I’m assuming it was abridged?). The show ran about 2:15 if you remove the 15 minute late start.
Still very glad to have seen it. Gorgeous music, and some rough nuggets of brilliance in the book.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:02pm
This was a rough night. Vanessa Williams had the charisma of a wet cardboard box and her thin vocals didn’t help.
Weird question, has this show ever been compared to The Music Man?
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:09pm
Just so confusing. Did they not do any sort of rehearsal for this? Was there no real director? Vanessa girl, what were you doing?? It's like she was reading the script for the first time out loud and she just learned the music this morning and was in a rehearsal room.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:17pm
And it’s SUCH a fun role that usually steals the show. It was clear that Vanessa had barely looked at the book scenes. The conductor made a mistake mentioning Victoria Clark in his speech before the show. All I could think about the whole time was that we needed HER up on that stage instead.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:19pm
I didn’t think it was that bad, but I don’t have anything to compare it to as this was my first time seeing this show. I knew the breakout songs, but only had a vague idea of what the show was. I can definitely see why it was a flop and is only produced in concert versions. The story is quite disjointed and dull. There’s some fun humor and social commentary, but it doesn’t really add up to anything.
As for the cast, I liked everyone fine, especially Stanley. I did wish Vanessa would belt out more at times, but I thought she was fun and looked great. Santino was also great as always. And Douglas Sills, hubba hubba. It definitely seemed under rehearsed, though
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:21pm
Glad I wasnt the only one that found Vanessa Williams underwhelming. Like technically she hit all the notes but nothing about her performance wowed me in the way I expected it to and I found myself missing Angela Lansbury's performance.
On the other hand I thought Elizabeth Stanley did quite well, especially in the second act, and Santino Fontana was quite perfectly cast. Eddie Cooper and Douglas Sills were quite adequate as well but just didn't get much to do.
I wish they included supertitles for the book scenes as well since those were the hardest parts to hear. There seemed to be a bit of sound balance issue, at least from the balcony seats, where the orchestra would often overpower the voices.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:27pm
Left early so will not comment on the second act…but I applaud anyone who is masochistic enough to sit for that second act.
The production started off with so many off notes from the orchestra. From the opening notes, it became clear that this was not a very rehearsed performance. The mic’ing (sp?) problem was immediately noticeable after Venessa’s first note and was not corrected. Her vocal problems continued throughout the, what seemed like, a completely unrehearsed book.
I was hoping hearing “There Won’t be Trumpets” might coax me into the second act, and my favorite Sondheim song, but it did not.
Just an incredibly unrehearsed and perhaps, poorly cast evening overall.
Updated On: 3/10/22 at 10:27 PM
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:27pm
Double post.
Updated On: 3/10/22 at 10:27 PM
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:29pm
To me it felt like Vanessa Williams didn't make a single acting choice. I thought Elizabeth Stanley & Santino Fontana were excellent. Their whole hotel room scene was wonderful - funny and touching. But wow... VW... I knew it wasn't going to be Donna Murphy, Patti LuPone, or Madeline Kahn but I wish she did SOMETHING with it. Such a waste of a kooky, fabulous role.
Updated On: 3/10/22 at 10:29 PM
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:30pm
It was very church basement.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:34pm
^ at NY premium prices.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:41pm
I don't really understand all the complaints of it feeling under-rehearsed. Of course it was, and we all knew it would be going in: it's a one-night concert, with Ted Sperling serving as both director and music director. The rise in quality of Encores! has tricked everyone into thinking that that's how a "concert version" should be performed. It felt a little more polished than some other MasterVoices concerts.
I loved Elizabeth Stanley, Santino Fontana, and the supporting cast. Hearing that score live is enough to make me swoon. Musically, it was glorious, save for Vanessa (whose voice has really deteriorated with time). Vanessa's performance was a reminder that it's weird that Mayor Cora has the most material in the show. In hindsight, Vanessa is miscast...she usually plays quiet elegance & seduction; this needs someone who can do brassy musical comedy.
Overall an enjoyable evening at The Cookie Jar!
Updated On: 3/10/22 at 10:41 PM
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:44pm
Since it was my first time at Carnegie Hall, I enjoyed the experience, regardless of the quality of the show, and it helped that it was only $15. Elizabeth Stanley made the biggest impression on me, with her "See What It Gets You" as the clear vocal highlight of the night. What a weird f***ing book, though.
Posted: 3/10/22 at 10:47pm
I am not surprised to see negative reviews here.
We must keep in mind that the show itself is incredibly imperfect. The book, most especially, for all its wit.
I don’t blame anyone for leaving after Act 1. I started falling asleep.
I agree that Fontana was marvelous, and perfectly cast.
I think Stanley was brilliant, especially in Act 2.
I wept during “See What It Gets You” and “With So Little To Be Sure Of.” Those performances alone were worth the price of a balcony seat. It was a steal.
The orchestra was inspired and often brilliant.
Vanessa exhibited diva star power - and I have always liked her - but she simply could not sing these songs, or land most of the comic punchlines either.
She delivered on the surface, but not in the details, where it counts with Sondheim and Laurents.
It was impossible not to think of Angela’s gobsmackingly brilliant performance on the cast recording, which should be talked about in the way some talk of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue.”
Does anyone know if Angela was there tonight? Considering her age, she still might not be venturing out.
She certainly would not have been threatened.
I rather wish Gleason had played the Mayoress instead and switched capacities with Vanessa.
Feb. 28 - Looped, Feb. 28 - Next to Normal, March 4 - Hair, March 11 - A Little Night Music, March 24 - Time Stands Still, April 6 - La Cage Aux Folles, April 10 - Anyone Can Whistle (City Center), April 10 - Looped, May 9 - Enron, May 15 - A Little Night Music, May 15 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Little Night Music, June 20 - A Little Night Music, June 23 - Red, June 23 - Sondheim on Sondheim, July 13 - A Little Night Music, July 18 - The Grand Manner (Lincoln Center)
