What a waste of money and time...Wonderful Town 10/2

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 11:51pm

Just got in from tonights performance. I went in hoping I would love the show, but it just seemed to lack in every area. Brooke gave a ok, but very lackluster performance. In fact most of the performers except Edelman, lacked that special something. I found myself more interested in the backdrop than the characters during most scenes. If I hadn't had a visitor from out of town with me I would have left at intermission. The fact that Brooke got a standing ovation confirms my belief that people will stand for ANYTHING these days.
I am very happy that we had student rush and wouldnt suggest that anyone pay full price to see it.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 11:53pm

Brooke aside, because I haven't seen her, I really love Wonderful Town. I actually am surprised you didn't like the supporting cast. Anytime I've seen the show they've all given fantastic performances.

[johny0828]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:33am

i paid 26 bucks to see that show. if i paid more then that, id be pissed. but the good thing was i saw linda instead of donna, ad it was jennifer w's last performnace.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:41am

Were they $26 orch seats, or did you sit in the mezz?

[Qfan]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 1:12am

It was great in January but then again it didn't have brooke shields...::shudders with the fact of thinking what has this world come to::

[bythesword84]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 1:18am

The student rush seats are in the orchestra Millie.

Qfan, I saw it after January...twice with Donna and it was fantastic, and once with Linda and it was still good just not as good as it had been with Donna in it. I can't bring myself to seeing it now.

[B.B. Wolf]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 2:31am

I really liked Donna in this show. 'Course she's always great. Jennifer Westfeldt bored the crap out of me. She just didn't project any energy beyond the first row and it fell flat whenever she had to take focus. Edelmann has got a great voice but, again, I found his performance flat and unmoving. Other than Donna, I found the whole thing to be very underwhelming.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 7:09am

Ummm... Gregg Edelman was out last night. It was Matthew Shepard you saw.

[magruder]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 10:10am

A poster over at that other place had a very interesting opinion on Brooke Shields and new Eileen, Jennifer Hope Wills. I found it a detailed, thorough analysis and I'd be curious to read more feedback about Shields' take on the role. Anyway, check out the link below:
Talkin' Broadway - Wonderful Town

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 10:18am

I cannot imagine that Hope Wills' is anything more than lackluster and out of place. I've seen her in one thing, as Sandy at PMP and it was painful. I can't imagine why/how she landed this role. There are plenty of actresses better suited unless *they* were very deliberate in casting someone less than stellar and seasoned so as not to blow Shield's off the stage, which judging from various comments, would not be too difficult.

[magruder]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 10:24am

I can't vouch for Jennifer Hope Wills' Eileen, but I was glad and relieved to read, at least, that in the coloratura section at the end of "Conversation Piece," that Wills was singing the actual notes. I was terrified for her predecessor during that section and nearly snapped off the armrest.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 10:28am

Now that was funny.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 11:12am

My God. Give the two new ladies a damn break! They had like 2 weeks to practice for this. And they just started. Obviously, they will grow into their roles! Brooke sounds like she's going to be great, once she's more situated!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 11:15am

What a excuse. I don't care how long you have to rehearse when people are paying 100 dollars a seat you best be prepared.

[magruder]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 11:26am

I don't think anyone is saying that Brooke Shields or Jennifer Hope Wills are unprepared or that people are trying to come up with excuses for them. But actors who are put in to a show that is already running get far less rehearsal time as compared to when a production is opening from scratch. Musicals tend to rehearse anywhere from four to eight weeks before starting previews. By comparison, Shields and Wills probably got two weeks of rehearsal and one put-in rehearsal. It's just natural that they might take some time to really feel situated in their roles...regardless of what an audience is paying.

And meanwhile, by posting the Talking Broadway rather positive critique of their performance, I was just trying to point out that while you didn't enjoy what you saw, Renee, someone else did.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 11:40am

Oh give me a break. You're telling me if you were in a new show, you only had 2 weeks to rehearse the LEAD role. That you would be fully prepared? Everytime a new peformer starts in a role, they need to time to grow into it.

It's not my fault, you saw the show like 3 day's after she started, when you perfectly knew she was BRAND NEW in the role.

Anyway, you paid 26 dollars.. So don't complain.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 11:55am

hey you have your opinion I have mine. And by the way I had NO IDEA that BOTH actresses were brand new. I thought Brooke did fine. I think the entire show was bad. (music,direction etc) Updated On: 10/3/04 at 11:55 AM

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:00pm

Yeah, that Leonard Bernstein, what did he know about writing music.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:04pm

Amy!

Where have you been?? I've missed you!

[BwayLover]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:27pm

LOL Amy. So true.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:29pm

LOL @ Amy.

Personally, I think the score is good. It's more of a laidback simple Bernstein, and the lyrics are pretty good. The score isn't amazing. But it's obviously not bad.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:35pm

I LOVE the score. It has absolutely everything from Jazz to Swing to ballads- what more could you ask for? I also think the lyrics are great- funny and smart. I mean...It's Comden and Green, for heaven's sake! I'll admit I'm a big Donna Murphy fan, but I would have loved the show even without her.

Updated On: 10/3/04 at 12:35 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:37pm

I Agree. The score is really growing on me. Donna's "Swing" blows me away. And I'm crazy over her "One Hundred Easy Ways".

[BwayLover]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 12:40pm

Me too.

Funny enough, I first heard Louise Pitre, my other favorite, perform "100 easy ways" at her Joe's Pub gig over a year ago. It grabbed me then, as well, and I love both ladies interepetations.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/3/04 at 1:04pm

Again, i haven't seen this incarnation of WT, but there is no amount of rejearsal that is going to make the inept, adept. Time does not give you talent.