WAR PAINT Previews — Page 4

Yes, "Hope in a Jar" surprised me too...

Absolutely flabbergasted they cut "A Woman's Face" and "Hope in a Jar", which I have quoted many-a-time since seeing it in Chicago "War Paint" as a song was not exactly my favorite, so not saddened to see that's gone / revised, but I cannot believe they've reworked all of this to keep that horrible "Dinosaurs" song. BLAH!

uncageg said: "I always buy a magnet at shows. While purchasing mine tonight I noticed they are selling makeup compacts that have the same design as the one on the scrim. There were also makeup brushes."

This is brilliant. Really smart move. I know people who will buy a ton of these when they see the show.

My issue in Chicago was that the shows structure left the women no one to play off of. They steamroll the bland men in Act One, then clash with nondescript women from the chorus in Act Two. I was hoping the Revlon's or anybody else would get built up when the show transferred but it sounds like this was not the case.

I'm especially intrigued to hear the score, because I find their work grows on me with every exposure. When I saw (the admittedly flawed) "Far From Heaven" I swore there was only one memorable song. Yet the recording is a wonder, as problematic as the piece is a theater. After decades of attending new musicals without benefit of prior recording exposure, I have a fair ear -- I can warm to, say "Light in the Piazza" on a first hearing in the theater, but not everything I attend. I think these gentlemen write exquisite melody, albeit with unresolved, complex lines. I suspect this score makes demands on the audience. I welcome that opportunity.

Do MISS LUPONE AND EBERSOLE stage door?? Let me know thx...

They cut Hope in A Jar and War Paint? I quite liked both of them. Especially the title song. How is the new opening? I just hope these cuts really are for the best and not just so they can keep those too awful guy songs in.

Cutting War Paint sounds like a step in the right direction. To me, that whole sequence was seemed embarrassingly awkward in the Chicago production. But it sounds like the fundamental flaws are still there, which I sort of expected. For me, the she said/she said back-and-forth structure became predictable quite early and made the show tedious to watch, knowing that at the start of each scene, whichever woman you're watching, you'll get a repeat of the same subject from the other woman next, and repeat, and repeat, men, then back to the repetitive women scenes, and repeat, and repeat... Add that to the terribly-written male and extraneous-character roles and the mostly forgettable score (that still retains the two worst songs) and I fear this show will limp along after the core musical theatre-obsessed fans have attended in the first few weeks. I love LuPone and I think Ebersole is a very talented...person, but I'm not convinced the presence of the two of them will be sufficient to sell it. I'm not even sure rave reviews would keep it alive among a season with Great Comet, Evan Hansen, Come From Away and Groundhog Day. It'll get some Tony nods, with a possible win for Costumes, but it'll need to cling by its fingernails if it wants to run long enough to make it to the broadcast.

ljay889 said: "Descriptions like lack of a driving plot and difficult melodies are often used to describe Sondheim shows which eventually turn out to have cult followings. I wonder if this could be one of those shows? I can't wait to see it next week. It definitely doesn't sound like a show that will instantly please an average theatergoer, tourist, or teenager. "



My problem wasn't with things being memorable in a "humming them after the show" sense. Many of the songs seem to meander without any unifying theme or melody, and the entirety of the score blends together in my mind. They seemed like poorly constructed, generic songs. I'm honestly surprised to see so much praise for the lyrics as well...what I could understand (read: Ebersole's songs) seemed so trite and banal...there were groans in the mezzanine after certain lyrics and one liners...

In short, if they're going for camp, they sure are taking themselves quite seriously.

slow_the_rain said: "ljay889 said: "Descriptions like lack of a driving plot and difficult melodies are often used to describe Sondheim shows which eventually turn out to have cult followings. I wonder if this could be one of those shows? I can't wait to see it next week. It definitely doesn't sound like a show that will instantly please an average theatergoer, tourist, or teenager. "



My problem wasn't with things being memorable in a "humming them after the show" sense. Many of the songs seem to meander without any unifying theme or melody, and the entirety of the score blends together in my mind. They seemed like poorly constructed, generic songs. I'm honestly surprised to see so much praise for the lyrics as well...what I could understand (read: Ebersole's songs) seemed so trite and banal...there were groans in the mezzanine after certain lyrics and one liners...

In short, if they're going for camp, they sure are taking themselves quite seriously.





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I agree with this. For me this was not an instance of the songs being problematic because they weren't hummable at first blush - it was that I felt that they weren't well crafted. The entire evening felt so pedestrian to me - in script, direction, story line. I think its a great concept, but I think it needed a Tommy Tune at the helm to pull it into something worthy of its leading ladies.

I don't think they are going for camp... but the best camp never does.

This show isn't nearly entertaining enough to qualify as camp.

i think they should just bring up the curtain and the first thing you see is Patti and Christine standing center stage. The audience would go wild. I felt like the audience partly wasn't even paying attention to the opening number because they were anticipating the entrance of the leading ladies.

QueenAlice said: "This show isn't nearly entertaining enough to qualify as camp.

i think they should just bring up the curtain and the first thing you see is Patti and Christine standing center stage. The audience would go wild. I felt like the audience partly wasn't even paying attention to the opening number because they were anticipating the entrance of the leading ladies.



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In terms of the opening, that was exactly how it was in Chicago. The two of them were at separate vanities putting on makeup as the "curtain" rose, where they both sang "A Woman's Face" to setup the scene.