WONDERLAND to Close on Broadway; Plays Final Show May 15- Page 5

[ABB2357]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 3:07pm

Seconded. So brilliant it is currently on my desktop.

[TheatreFan4]

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

LOL. Thanks guys. :)

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 3:14pm

I'm still laughing about it!

[twinbelters]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 3:14pm

But Never Jam Today! Of course! It was on the tip of my tongue. I have the window card, and it just slipped my mind. 8 performances at the Longacre and out.

Awesome art from David Byrd (Follies, Godspell).

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 3:14pm

So glad to stand corrected re: Drowsy. It always really bothered me that I thought it flopped since I loved it so much.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 3:34pm

I own the windowcard too...that artwork is incredible!!

[philly03]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 10:14pm

"What I am thinking now is how Sony feels about bringing Wildhorn on as a contracted artist during his biggest flop. Are they betting on Bonnie and Clyde? "

I hope you're kidding... Frank Wildhorn has sold millions of records around the world ("The Count of Monte Cristo" went platinum!). The concept album did fairly well of this one, not to mention Frank wrote pop hits back in the day.

Frank has his own division at Sony Masterworks in conjunction with Soul Bear records. He has another label with Global Vision Records (with partner Jeremy Roberts, the two that produced Wonderland's concept as well as concepts to DRACULA, the musical and Jekyll & HYDE Resurrection). Frank worked for Atlantic Records once upon a time ago, who gave him his own division as well. He's a record producer, composer and lyricist!

This album will sell... Non-theatre people love his music, and if you don't have a Frank Wildhorn favourite you've probably never bothered to listen to him because you let people on here get in your way.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/12/11 at 12:25am

Just back from the show--- surreal experience tonight-

(Did anyone go, and stay for the talkback?)

The little girl that Carly Rose/"Chloe" took on the stage was my lil girl- (who couldnt understand why people were clapping-- it was for Carly)

Anyone--- really got a true sense of how horrible it is for everyone involved when a show posts a closing notice--- especially so quickly)

Apparantely, their advance for the summer months was very good, but they couldnt hold on due to the amount of money they were currently losing on a weekly basis.

Very sad--- theatre looked to be packed tonight, and cast gave their all !!

[Anakela]

Posted: 5/12/11 at 1:12am

(Did anyone go, and stay for the talkback?)

I was there for the talkback- always enjoy Karen Mason and Kate Shindle when they're interviewed separately, absolutely adored them doing the talkback together.

They covered *everything* - off the top of my head: how long they've been with the show, what makes a good song, researching your character, costumes, other shows they've done, tours, etc. in between accepting some general gushing about their awesomeness too. Oh, and speaking of Carly, they measured things in Carly years- ie, Karen's been in this business 3x longer than Carly's been alive, Kate has been in it about as long as Carly's been alive, etc. Hilarious.

They were so into it that I'm pretty sure we were all just kicked out at the end, in a polite way of course, but... you know how talkbacks usually have an "ok we have time for one last question" type wrap-up warning? Didn't happen, pretty much just ok, that's it, good night. Didn't clock it or anything but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a good 30 minutes.

Missed the Wildhorn talkback last night, but will be there again for Janet and Darren's tomorrow night. (oh, ps: the White Knight calling Alice "mi corazon" during One Knight tonight? *love*)

And I totally wondered if that was your daughter! I was all there aren't that many small children who have seen this show almost as much as I have...

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 5/12/11 at 1:12am

The Bernadette Peters revival of Annie Get Your Gun is the last show to have had a lengthy run at the Marquis so I say move the Kennedy Center production of Follies there because she's clearly good juju.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/12/11 at 1:21am

<< And I totally wondered if that was your daughter! I was all there aren't that many small children who have seen this show almost as much as I have... >>

LOL !!! Yep, tonight was her 10th, and she was invited backstage to meet Carly---she was in awe !!! A moment she will never forget !!!

[Anakela]

Posted: 5/13/11 at 11:06am

The Dacal/Ritchie talkback, for those who are interested... so much of this is quotable, some hilarious, some bittersweet, but my favorite part right now is Darren saying that he really misses "Love Begins." Me. too.
WONDERLAND talkback with Janet Dacal and Darren Ritchie

[Anakela]

Posted: 5/13/11 at 1:10pm

And, playbill.com backstage at WONDERLAND photo spread by Jose Llana and Heather Parcells. Two favorites:





68 more photos at the link...
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Wonderland With Jose Llana and Heather Parcells

[Master of the House]

Posted: 5/13/11 at 1:11pm

I saw this show when it was in previews and was very disappointed. I said then I would be surprised if it made it to the 4th of July. Obviously I was being very generous. There were several people seated near me who did not come back for the second act. I actually really enjoyed the score and the female vocals were especially good. But the book for this show was horrid. The attempts at humor were lame and trite. The show did not seem to flow well. I still have no idea why they included the scene with Lewis Carroll. The male lead(Ritchie)was fine, but I feel was outshone by Decal, Shindle, and Sonenclar. But overall it is no wonder this show did not receive any Tony nominations.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/14/11 at 7:13am

Dreadful piece of musical theatre.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 5/14/11 at 9:10am

Still better than "Spiderman...", and I heard "Women on the Verge" wasnt exactly a masterpiece either.

Just sayin'

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 7:51am

I went to Saturday's matinee and gotta say, there were a LOT of empty seats in the orchestra. Everyone near me all got their tickets either via comp or TKTS since they were speaking about it so loudly. Gotta love those Midwestern tourists in their tacky Mickey Mouse shirts...

Many many things wrong with this show. I enjoyed the opening number that Chloe & Alice sing together. They make you believe this show was going to have heart. Then the cheesy "Down the Rabbit Hole" sequence happens. They spent all their money on the gaudy costumes, they could only afford an LCD screen in the background? Was it leftover from "The Woman In White" or something?

This book is WRETCHED. It reminded me of the same people who sold "A Shark's Tale" to all the "Finding Nemo" kids. And in the 2nd Act when The Mad Hatter turns out to be Alice's negative thoughts manifested? So lame.... We get it, she wants to be a children's author like Lewis Carrol. We don't need to see Lewis Carrol sing to her in Michael Bolton falsetto to get that.

Just...ew.
Updated On: 5/15/11 at 07:51 AM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 10:45am

I'm going to see it today, I've been wanting to see it since it opened but I never got around to it cause I thought it was going to be open a lot longer then this. Updated On: 5/15/11 at 10:45 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 11:02am

and I heard "Women on the Verge" wasnt exactly a masterpiece either.

You certainly didn't hear it from me. I thought Women on the Verge was brilliant. My favorite show of the season.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 4:11pm

^ Agreed Mister Matt. I think Women On The Verge is wonderful.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 4:49pm

Still think this show is closing way to early. I def. think should have fixed ALOT of this with the score and some lyrics...but honestly, I find the score for this show FAR more memorable and fun then other shows on Broadway....("Lion King" comes to mind) just my opinion really

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 6:28pm

"Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" was far superior to "Wonderland," which I saw last night. It was just a freakin' hot mess. Just as bad if not worse than "Tarzan."

Someone mentioned earlier whether Wildhorn's investors were from River City? Well, there are bad shoutouts to "The Music Man," "Gypsy," "Evita," "South Pacific" and the score sounded at times like inferior versions of "Bare: A Pop Opera" and "Wicked."

It's a shame because there are really talented people onstage working hard on this show but the material was way beneath them and their gifts.

Wish I saw the show this afternoon when Darren Ritchie proposed to his GF. That would've made the experience more entertaining!
Updated On: 5/15/11 at 06:28 PM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 7:04pm

I saw the show today, I enjoyed it but I didn't think it was anything special or that it was as bad as some people made it out to be. Kate Shindle was fantastic as the mad hatter and I loved her voice and costumes. I also enjoyed a lot of the songs but I did think some of the story was very poorly written.

It was sad to see the cast crying during the curtain call but the marriage proposal was a really nice way to take a sad moment and turn it into something positive.

I also think the show is closing too early, I think it would have picked up in the summer months but that's how it goes sometimes.

btw it was way better then spider-man version 1.0
Updated On: 5/15/11 at 07:04 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 7:10pm

WRONG. WONDERLAND was the worst show of the season. Worse than RAIN and worse than SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. It's so close to being a consensus opinion that the statement edges on being classified as a "fact." WONDERLAND was the worst show of the season.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/15/11 at 7:16pm

I dont know, Capn. I saw it twice and and while it certainly wasn't "good" it was nowhere near as Godawful as BABY IT'S YOU.

And anyone care to tell me how Darren proposed to Janet onstage today if she wasn't in the show?