Warning: Tricks the Devil Taught Me- Page 6

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:06pm

Stephen Sondheim's retired, I'm not asking for magic, just competency.

[jds2001]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:32pm

So back to the actual topic of this thread rather than the endless name-calling.....

I saw this last night, and sat through the entire thing (though most of the people around me did not - a very full row became quite empty). After reading this thread, I'll admit to having been morbidly curious.

I think that they've responded to the "incoherent plot" complaint by including a Playbill insert that tells the time and place of each scene, which makes it slightly better, but by no means a masterful work of art. I thought the second act was better than the first (which seemed as though it'd never end), but it's still....incomplete.

In the end, I'd rank it as not a "Free Man of Color" bad (where I literally dozed off several times), but certainly in the bottom quartile of things that I've seen.

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 11:53pm

UPDATE: A few days ago we heard from one of the cast members requesting all of our information on Tony Georges and Tricks The Devil Taught Me. Through our attorneys we shared that information.

I believe this show is about to lose a major talent. This individual was also an investor in this show. Part of the collapse of this show is about Tony Georges and his business ethics, the other part is about the quality of the show, the writing, the cast, they story, etc. On BOTH counts this show has failed.

I appreciate the many emails I have received as a result of participating in the forum. I am not trying to change the past, I am trying to protect the present. I admit I have not done a very good job at that endeavor. I am learning.

Tony Georges and Tricks The Devil Taught Me deserves a closer look by everyone. I', glad the cast is now doing that.

We all need to protect each other. I'm sorry if that sounds naive or immature - I am young, but unlike Tony Georges I am honest and I am only interested in fairness.

I want to thank those that have been willing to understand and apologize to those that somehow believe I am homophobic or dishonest. I left Odessa so I could live an open and honest life. LA has been generous. I wish everyone was.

This show will close b e f o r e it opens.
Updated On: 8/5/11 at 11:53 PM

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 12:04am

It should be noted that someone who works for Playbill is also an investor in this show. I hope to release that information soon.

The internet has been bombarded with cast and crew posting glowing comments supporting Tony Georges and/or this weak show. It is a very different matter when someone in the media is compromised.

Playbill is the only media outlet that has been promoting this show. I think we know why - and that should give everyone pause.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 12:44am

You mean the objective journalistic integrity of the free program that's given out at Broadway shows has been compromised? Egads!!!! Pause has been given me.

[tourboi]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 6:15pm

For what it's worth, and I'm not sure this has been posted....

Here's an old BWW interview with Georges I just found: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BroadwayWorld_Investigates_What_Happened_in_Odessa_Texas_20050722_page2

Now, not having been there, I don't know what the real story is. But to ME it reads to the same conclusion the BWW writer had, that this was a young producer who bit off way more than he could chew.

It happens.

Of course. Robbie could be right too. Who knows. I think the important thing though, as has been said, is that Robbie needs to rethink this website and the tone with which he posts about this. Because it COULD come back to bite him as libelous.

The whole affair is just so out there.

[tourboi]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 6:38pm

Also there can't be TOO much bad blood between Hensley and Georges since Henseley did the reading of TRICKS...


Shuler Hensley, Mary Testa, Jill Paice, Mary Stout Take Part in Aug. 23 Tricks the Devil Taught Me Reading

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 7:25pm

Hello Tourboi,

The article written 6 years ago questioned the whole idea of letting a 21 year old produce shows. Many believe that was a mistake. But, Tony's age doesn't excuse the way he treated people and his complete lack of accountability.

I have posted on my website the news articles from the Odessa America Newspaper and several members of this board have confirmed what happened (a few were actually there). Perhaps Tony Georges deserves some consideration because of his age, but the facts are still troubling.

Tony Georges received an estimated $1.4 million for his production company Ector Theatricals. His father, an attorney, was in charge of filing all the necessary paperwork with the State Of Texas and the IRS - he never did. Tony promised a "full accounting" for the money, but he never provided that. I don't believe there is any excuse for that, it is either very lazy or suspicious.

Tony Georges was arrested several times. With the help of others in Midland-Odessa we made FOIA requests and found that he hadn't filed any tax returns, not only for Ector Theatricals, but all five of his companies he formed in the last 6 years. Again, that is either very lazy or suspicious.

His current play, Tricks The Devil Taught Me never registered with the State of New York - Investor Protection Division. He has claimed that he had a "waiver" from filing and no such waiver exists in New York law. Lazy or suspicious?

The last 5 years of Tony's life are a mystery. He hasn't had a job or projects. He doesn't have any internet presence. Even obtaining a recent picture is difficult. Lazy or suspicious?

Now, we have a show at the Minetta that is literally imploding. Cast members (one in particular) are growing very concerned. The owners of the the Minetta, Orpheium Live and Sun Life Assurance are asking questions. We are sharing our information with them.

Just last Wednesday Tony Georges was soliciting money. This is while the NY Attorney General's office is investigating Circa 1440 and Idle Mind, Tony's Companies. There have been several complaints filed.

I had a relationship with Tony and I saw what happened to my friends and my family. It happened to us. We are now watching it happen again. That's the concern. I cannot do anything to change the past or what happened to me, but I can speak up when it is repeating.

People need to ask questions and get some assurances from Tony Georges. Oddly, he has stayed in hiding.

The important question is whether or not he has changed his ways, or perhaps grown up. I believe his track-record says otherwise, but he has always had the chance to speak up and provide an accounting and even apologize for his past behavior.

He remains in hiding and introduces a show called "Tricks The Devil Taught Me." It really makes it hard to be sympathetic.

It is unfortunate that he was able to persuade a small group of people - his cast and crew, to ignore the facts and join this show. Maybe they seek opportunity more than truth and that is understandable, but sooner or later this mess has to be cleaned up. Tony should have done that a long time ago. He never came clean in Odessa by providing any explanation or accounting AND he never apologized.

For me, at least - that is unforgivable. It also makes me wonder why he hasn't done that.

I'm somewhat relived and encouraged that many people in the New York Theatre community have taken this matter seriously and begun to focus a bright spotlight on Tony Georges and his show.

Nothing on my website or in my comments is "libelous." I was contacted by an attorney that was "considering" representing Tony Georges because he "didn't like my website." I gave them three opportunities to challenge anything on the website and the never did. I also invited any litigation because everyone has to come out of hiding and make full disclosure - they very thing Tony has always had a problem with.

I'm young, but I do not use that as an excuse. I believe I play fair and I am incredibly careful about verifying all the information we have gathered. It's all true. We are cooperating with several government agencies and only seeking the truth.

Tony took advantage of me and many others. For the last 6 years I have only seen the very same behavior. That's the warning. If Tony is not like his history suggests, then only he can change that. That's HIS responsibility.

[BroadwayTalent]

Posted: 8/5/11 at 10:23pm

I think I understand what Robbie is trying to do - he is warning us. As an Agent that's what I have done regarding Tony Georges, not just his reputation but his writing and his shows. I went to the reading. After that tedious event I thought (and continue to believe) that this Tricks play is not worth production. n I encouraged my clients to just stay away. Today, I think that was good advice.

Our business requires all of us to speak up and provide assurances. That's the thing about Tony Georges that really irritates me. Why hasn't he stepped up and stopped this? Why isn't he simply taking responsibility and providing some assurances regarding this show? None of that is difficult.

Tony is hiding. He doesn't want any attention. It's too late.

As far as I know Mary Testa is about to quit and she should. Only Tony can prevent that. But, he won't. He will just let everybody get hurt. Then he'll say "don't worry, this is good news." He did this in Odessa when I tried to do business with him. I learned the lesson. I would never sign a contract with this man - ever.

That's why this show needs to close. Now, before it gets worse.

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/9/11 at 1:52pm

Another painful review from MusicalsAreTrivial.com:

"Loves Mary Testa." But, the show is "dreck."

It's here:

I Love Mary Testa

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 8/9/11 at 5:19pm

I have to say that while Tony Georges may be a schmuck... The show really isn't all that bad.

I saw it with three friends on Saturday and really enjoyed it. Yes they have a timeline in the playbill... but it really isn't all that hard to figure it out. Most of the acting is lackluster, but the script for the most part kept us on the edge of our seat and I overheard the men behind me saying how the thought the writing was outstanding.

I admit I was afraid after reading this thread and thought "My God What Have I Bought Tickets To?" but it real was a wonderful afternoon at the theatre. No one left at intermission AND the show was only 2:30 with the intermission. Even my mom enjoyed the show which is amazing.

If you're interested in the show for the show itself... my advice is go see it. If you HATE Tony Georges then DON'T... but let's stop mixing the two together. The audience had a great time at the show and if anyone can enjoy August: Osage County then they should be able to enjoy this.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/9/11 at 6:52pm

I do not understand your comparision to August:Osage County at all. A:OC is an outstanding piece of theater -- are you claiming that THIS is outstanding? Or are you saying that A:OC is pretty weak so we can stomach this?

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/9/11 at 9:18pm

I'm glad Mr. BareNakedLady posted a brief review of Tricks The Devil Taught Me. At the same time MusicalsAreTrivial.com said the show was "dreck."

Dreck means Sh*t.

8 out of 11 reviews of this show have not only dismissed it, they have issued warnings.

I don't know if Mr. BareNakedLady is affiliated with this show, but we have only seen endorsements from people working on the show. Oddly, the show that BareNakedLady saw and he reported as being 2:30 was reported as others as being "more than 3 hours."

The real problem with this show is the the still-in-hiding writer-director-producer Tony Georges.

As time passes one has to wonder why he keeps hiding. I know.
The truth about Tony Georges

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 2:46am

Don't know what to tell you, robbie... the show only ran 2:30 on Saturday with the intermission and I , in no way am affiliated with the production. I merely gave my honest opinion and observation from attending saturday's matinee.

Perhaps there is too much hate in your heart so that you only believe the negative... if this is true then I am deeply sorry for you.

Everyone with me enjoyed the scenic and lighting designs as well as the script. The costume design wasn't great nor was some of the acting, but the plot twists were enough to keep the entire audience on the edge of their seats. In fact, several times there were audible gasps accompanying the plot twists.

The show is an accurate portrayal of the dysfunctional family at its most dysfunctional. It is earthy, gritty and has a lot of heart.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 7:55am

It seems that as of today, the show still has all its original actors, and the theater has yet to implode - of course, we haven't seen the reviews
Opening night for Tricks the Devil Taught Me

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 1:08pm

I thought the show was going to C L O S E before it opens!?!

And I, for one, never see anything without the reviews found at MusicalsAreTrival.com.

That's actually a lie. I've never heard of MusicalsAreTrival.com.
Updated On: 8/18/11 at 01:08 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 3:43pm

Curiouser and curiouser.

Haunted, enduring.

[tourboi]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 9:17pm

First te stars were going to bail. They havent.

Then the government was going to shut it down. They haven't.

Then it was going to close before opening. It opened.

I get Robbie. He feels wronged and has eery right to be upset. But so far nothing seems to be falling quite in line.

Further... How is georges hiding? I wouldn't call putting your name all over an Off Broadway show hiding.

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 11:06pm

I have tried to be as upfront and complete as I possibly could regarding Tony Georges, his criminal background and this terrible show. I recently took down my website about Tony because two guys paid me a visit. I was threatened - physically. I made this a police matter and I will put the website back up on Monday.

The Reviews are coming in and like it has already been expressed on this website, Tricks The Devil Taught Me is a piece of crap:

From Bloomberg:

"All the good gruesome, dark stuff came out in the final minutes and, as far as I could tell, it bore no connection to what came before.

“Tricks the Devil Taught Me” refers to Mephistopheles’ inclination to turn the tables on people just when everything seems to going right. Since nothing ever goes right for any of these characters, the title is as puzzling as everything else here.

The show was given "no stars."

The link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-19/church-gossips-nasty-secrets-turn-tricks-into-cliches-review.html

-------------------

From TheatreMania:

"Rather than shocking or sending chills, this climax produces uncomfortable, and unexpected, laughs, in part because Georges has laced the work with a level of comedy and tangential plotting that undercuts the work's dramatic center."

The Link: http://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/news/08-2011/tricks-the-devil-taught-me_39787.html

---------------------------

And, from Talkin' Broadway:

"This wrap-up of every conflict is so absurdly overblown and melodramatic that despite not containing a single joke, it left the audience howling at the performance I attended. The tone is so unlike anything else in the play, you feel it must be a mistake; but it’s so rooted in the narrative, you know at the same time that it can’t be.

Because Georges directed the play himself, this must be the intended effect. But a separate director may have questioned whether its staging and delivery (both mid-Texas wide) properly expressed the work's themes, or violated them at their most vulnerable moment. Until that point, the play is passable but unmemorable; once the comedy cascade starts, the show becomes unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

That brings us to the third and final significance of this month. August is not inherently unpleasant, but it can be hot, wet, sweaty, and unpredictable, and by the end of it you can't wait for it to be over. Georges may have planned one tribute, whether comic or genuine, to August, but these are ultimately the qualities that apply most readily to Tricks the Devil Taught Me."

The Link: http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ob/8_18_11.html

---------------------------

I believed the NY Attorney General's Office would have shut this down because of securities violations by now. I know they have gathered a lot of information. But, the quality of this show is closing it quickly. Only 1,500 tickets have been sold for ALL available shows. This gig is almost over.

Tony Georges will NEVER do this again.

Tonight, I am wondering who has gotten paid and who is about to get screwed - I've been there.

Tricks The Devil Taught Me and supporting Tony Georges was a MISTAKE.

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 11:34pm

Variety had the same impression:

"How does this happen? Writer-director Tony Georges' stab at Southern Gothic, "Tricks the Devil Taught Me," is one of those mysteriously well-funded, doomed contradictions that show up in expensive Off Broadway rental houses a few times each season, practically radiating unearned confidence. It's hard not to feel sorry for everybody involved -- especially hardworking actors including Beth Grant and the inimitable Mary Testa -- in this badly misguided play set generally in the South, probably the part of the South that Foghorn Leghorn is from. (The play's website claims "the fiery confines of West Texas.")

At the perf reviewed, a quiet argument broke out a few rows back during intermission. "Let's go," demanded one woman. "No," said her friend. "If we leave now, we'll never know what's going on."

The Link: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945854

---------------------

From BackStage.com:

"Tricks the Devil Taught Me," Tony Georges' convoluted melodrama that's frying like an overcooked steak at the Minetta Lane Theatre."

and "The playwright is his own director—generally a bad sign—and he does get some pulse-pounding action going when Betty and Don have their final confrontation, but too much of the script consists of this pair screaming at each other. Thus the staging becomes repetitive."

The Link: http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-off-broadway/ny-review-tricks-the-devil-taught-me-1005322032.story

-------------------------------

BusinessWeek:

"There’s no stage curtain at the Minetta Lane Theatre. What hits you before you’ve even taken your seat is a vision of hell, West Texas style.

It’s quite an eye-popping frame for playwright Tony Georges. If only his people didn’t babble so much inside this fine set."

"All the good gruesome, dark stuff came out in the final minutes and, as far as I could tell, it bore no connection to what came before."

The Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-18/church-gossips-nasty-secrets-turn-tricks-into-cliches-review.html

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 11:38pm

tl!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/18/11 at 11:38pm

dr!

[Robbie]

Posted: 8/19/11 at 12:18am

ttdtm is doa.

Thankfully.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 8/19/11 at 12:32am

Seriously. Just drop it, Robbie. You've blown your oh-so-noble "I just want to warn everyone about this awful man" cover out of the water with your last several posts. You can't claim they are about anything at all but gloating over bad reviews.
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 12:32 AM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:03am

Springtime for Hitler in Germany?