Was I the only one not that impressed with Bee?

[Cabchic]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:40am

I saw Spelling Bee and while i thought it was a pretty good show, I think I expected too much from it from everyone's raves about it. I wasn't crazy about the songs and I thought it was funny at times, but I definitely expected more. Maybe I need to see it again. Maybe I was in a bad frame of mind that night...lol.

[Glebb]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:46am

From what I've seen on TV, I've never really even wanted to see the show.

[liotte]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:55am

I thought the dialogue (mainly the word definitions and usage in a sentence) was hysterical, I only like 2 songs from the entire show.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:56am

I always feel like I'm the only person who wasn't totally floored by the show. Granted, I saw an early preview off-Broadway. I liked it, but by no means thought it was as good as the critics and everybody seem to think it is. I felt like it was trying too hard to emulate what Avenue Q had done so well, and found the score almost totally un-memorable. Though, it does have an extremely strong book. Sooner or later, I'm going to give it another chance, and check out the changes from the transfer.

Updated On: 8/23/05 at 08:56 AM

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:00am

I recently saw it this summer and while I found the book and songs heartwarming and touching, something about it was distant. If I were to do a review I'd have to say:
Book: Great
Score: Good/Forgettable
Characters: Great
Using that simple review, I'd say its not the greatest and best thing on Broadway but not the worst on Broadway.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:03am

Emcee, you took the words out of my mouth.

I thought it little more than an extended but very funny SNL sketch punctuated with unmemorable songs.

[mabel]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:14am

Yeah, I agree. I really liked it, but I was expecting to LOVE it. It's a show that I'd definitely go back to again sometime if I could win the lotto or do SRO, but it wasn't the knockout I was anticipating.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:21am

I saw it both off and on Broadway. And I liked it better off-Broadway. I thought a show that intimate lent itself to a smaller venue. I thought the show was cute, but nothing great.

Although, the last time I said that on the boards - I got my head bit off...

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:54am

i went it with an open mind and ended up hating it. the music is forgettable and the characters all got on my nerves. i *loved* the uses of the words in sentences though...hilarious! i thought the whole magic foot thing was so stupid...matt morrison and marc kudish both gave *much* better performances than dan fogler. i don't know what the big fuss what about...all he did was act like a retard and got a tony for it. (no i don't mean for this to be offensive in any way...just stating my opinion) the only musical i disliked more than spelling bee was Lennon. my attitude might change after i see In My Life...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 9:57am

Aww, I loved it, but then again, I'm nothing but a big old softie. I cried during "The I Love You Song".

[twogaab2]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 10:19am

IT IS A CHARM SHOW!!!! and by deffinition it is not going to knock your over the head. That being said, charm is something that young theater people don't relate to nowadays. However, the box office numbers show that the general public thinks quite differently.

Loved the show myself, a show of genuine heart, but this is all just my opinion, I may be wrong.

Updated On: 8/23/05 at 10:19 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 10:46am

I loved it from start to finish. While the score is not especially meaty, it served the book and the show superbly. The cast did a phenomenal job and the direction was wonderful. The show had brains and heart and made me laugh almost as much as Urinetown. I definitely thought Dan Fogler deserved the Tony. He had a meatier role than Kudisch (who was also hilarious and a standout in Chitty). Fogler's character was both funny and touching and far more clearly defined. Matt Morrison performed very well, but the character of Fabrizio was a stock romantic lead with not much motivation other than "but I love her!" Honestly, outside the good looks and pretty voice, there really isn't much to Fabrizio. McGrath and Sieber were quite funny and versatile in Spamalot, but neither performance was as distinctive as Fogler (though Borle's certainly was).

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 10:54am

I LOVED it... not as much as Piazza though... but then again, they were my two first Broadway shows... But, WithoutATrace, my mom said the same thing. She didn't think that Dan Fogler was even the best in the cast. We were trying to figure out why he was the only one nominated OF THE MALES IN THE SHOW, and I said it was probably because of Spamalot... but, even so, I really adored the rest of the cast... the Tonys should have a best ensemble award too, because goodness knows they deserve another.
Updated On: 8/23/05 at 10:54 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 10:56am

Dan wasn't the only one nominated from the cast, was he? I still haven't figured out why he WON, but I'm pretty sure Celia was nominated with him, as well.

[Holliwoodblonde]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 11:03am

I went into Bee expecting to love it and left feeling cheated almost. The defintions and such were great, but otherwise I felt it was somewhat repetitive and while it had heart, was missing something.

[mabel]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 11:36am

Yeah, Celia was nominated...I think I would have nominated JTF for Bee over Fogler though. But what do I know, I was certain Christian Borle had the award all locked up, and then he wasn't even nominated.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 11:37am

oh i just simply adored it. i thought every person gave such strong and energetic performances it was very refreshing... i don't know why dan actually won, because i personally wanted matt morrison, but it was strange to me that he was the one given a nomination rather than jesse tyler ferguson or jose llana (who i thought were both better than fogler)... the book is so hilarious, and yet at the same time, it has a way of making you care about these characters without even realizing you do. when i saw it, i actually yelled "noooo" when sarah saltzberg spelled her word wrong, and was then in tears for the woe is me reprise... the score, in my opinion, is so strong... it actually gives you a background to these characters. without the score, you wouldn't care nearly as much about these characters. and finn's melodies, so great.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 11:48am

Thank you for this thread. I saw the show on Friday night and was completely unimpressed. I found the show to be terribly overrated, the music completely forgettable and the actors trying too hard.

I will say that Celia Keenan Bolger and Jay Ferguson seemed to have some depth to them, as did the angelic-voiced Lisa Howard, but otherwise, everyone seemed plastic and one-dimentional.

I found Dan Fogler to be playing a one-joke role that got tiring as the evening went on. I wish Matt Morrison had won that Tony.

The book was funny, though I feel they gave away their best jokes on Tony night. As someone on this thread said, the word definitions and sentences were without a doubt the funniest part.

I'll go with Emcee on this one and say that it is trying waaay too hard to do what Avenue Q did effortlessly. Oh well...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 11:53am

I will say that Celia Keenan Bolger and Jay Ferguson seemed to have some depth to them, as did the angelic-voiced Lisa Howard, but otherwise, everyone seemed plastic and one-dimentional.

There is no cast member named "Jay Ferguson".
There's Jay Reiss, who plays VP Panch.
And then there's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Coneybear.
Which one are you referring to?

[Cabchic]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 12:09pm

That's kind of how I felt. I saw them at the Tony's and thought it was cute, but it seemed to be the same joke over and over. I did like it, just didn't love it. I wouldn't but the CD and wouldn't see it again unless I got cheap tickets and only then to see if I missed something the first time.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 12:14pm

While I do love the show, I agree with those questioning Folger's Tony win. I too thought both Jose and Jesse were better, and of course I thought Matt deserved to win...yes he is in love but I feel there's so much more depth...the singing he's required to do is way up there, and I think a lot goes into grabbing the audience and keeping them with you the whole time, I don't think it's that easy to do. Folger was certainly good, but the performance did seem slightly one-dimensional in comparison.

[idinarocksmysocks!510]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 2:33pm

I got the cd for my birthday because people told me it was good. I haven't listened to it very much but so far the songs are good. I'd love to see it!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 2:53pm

PS - If there was a Best Song Tony Award, I would give it to The I Love You Song. I loved Piazza, but I found that one song in Spelling Bee to be the most effective song of the season. I was definitely teary-eyed for that one.

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 4:43pm

I loved the entire show. Even when Jose Llana hit me in the face with sweets.
It is adorable. The whole cast are incredible. Especially, Mr Fogler.
(Magic Foot made me howl) Updated On: 8/23/05 at 04:43 PM

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 4:45pm

Mee too, loved it!