Witches of Eastwick- Signature Theatre- Page 6

[itsahopi]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 4:08pm

Of course I agree about "Loose Ends."

It reminds me of when community theatres cut out the "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" reprise from THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Yes, it really does slow down the action...but it is such an important moment for Maria and Liesl that the audience needs to witness.

What if Rodger's and Hammerstein cut "This Nearly Was Mine" from SOUTH PACIFIC? It immediatly follows "You've Got to be Carefully Taught," the number that won them the Pulitzer Prize, and one could think it completely slows down the action. But sixty years later, can you imagine the show with out it?

The "Somewhere" ballet comes right in the middle of all the suspense in WEST SIDE STORY, four people hiding in anticipation for a giant sing "No One is Alone" in INTO THE WOODS, and while I have not seen WICKED, doesn't "For Good" happen during an extremely emotionally charged moment of the show?

I challenge you to all think of a musical you love and see if there is a "Loose Ends" in it. I guarantee there is.

Point being, just because it is a ballad and the plot is gaining speed, does not necessarily mean "Loose Ends" bores the audience. If anything, it gives them the much needed emotional layer this production is lacking.

[sievep]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 10:44pm

There is no real buzz about the show going to NYC after this. I spoke with one of the principal singers who said they had not been approached about a Broadway run. Who knows what that means.

I hope you all can come and see this production. I am biased because I see it every night, but in spite of it's faults, it has great moments, great singers, and some great effects, especially given the size of the space.

And seriously, listening to the girls sing "I Wish I May" and "Look at Me" at the end of the show is worth the price of admission.

[sievep]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 11:03am

only two more weeks . . .

[mirramar]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 1:17pm

I saw it on Sunday and felt the book was extremely weak. I would've liked it a lot more if it hadn't ended so neatly.

This is a show that has so much potential - it just needs a good rewrite!!!

[Minnely]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 2:17pm

mirramar...how else would it end? Doesn't the movie end just as neatly?? I have not seen it in awhile. I agree that they need some rewrites...but the ending didn't bother me. I liked how the girls went through a revelation.

Would love to hear more thoughts about the ending...

going back next week...can't wait

[sievep]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 2:23pm

"Look at Me" is a great ending.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 10:25pm

I like how it ends with "Look at Me." The woman were seduced by Darryl and then realize they have what they needed all along and did not need to have him to make them feel worthwhile. That is the point of the show and the song fits. It ends the journey (and the harmonies are amazing....).

[sievep]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 11:47pm

any more reviews? 8 performances left!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 4:54pm

It seems many of you are fans of Jacqui Piro Donovan from seeing Witches so I thought I'd share that she is going to be doing a cabaret at Signature on August 4 as part of their open house.

Further info is at http://www.sig-online.org/openhouse.htm.

Unfortunately, I will be out of town (damn work!) that day. I think Signature does this on purpose. I missed Emily Skinner at their last open house due to work travel....

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:43pm

Finally got to see the show on Thursday night and loved it - wish I'd booked more than one ticket now (Spoilers ahead for those interested in avoiding such things)

I quite liked the shortening of 'Eastwick Knows' as the show seems to start much quicker now, setting up the characters of Felicia and the townspeople as well as the three leads (courtesy of some music cut from London) who did some great work with the new vocal arrangements in 'Make him mine'. I do miss 'A Little Town' but the new number 'Darryl Van Horne' does the same job just as well. The resequencing of the seduction songs was a bit strange, but the new number 'My Wildest Dreams' was great (and included a bit of my favourite cut song 'Little Miracles'). I'm still not convinced that 'Something' still needs to be there in it's current form, I could hear the audience getting restless before the end. That all changed with 'Dirty Laundry' which got huge laughs and applause. 'I wish I may' is a lovely song (though have they reallocated the verses?) and though the 'wiring up' of the ladies at the end of Act One was more obvious than it had been before, the effect still worked for me, so who cares!

The new arrangement of 'Another night at Darryl's' with the three woman made more sense, and though I miss 'Loose Ends' as a song I think they were right to cut it. I always found it rather jarring that Sukie would sing a lovely four-minute ballad to the girl and then be out for her blood (albeit briefly) a couple of scenes later. It's a shame that they've cut 'The Glory of Me' as well, but I suppose that this new version doesn't really need another big showy number at that point (even though it was so much fun!) Darryl's final speech confused me a little and seemed to be overstating the point rather, but still worked and his exit over the audience was entertaining. 'Look at me' was great, and though I found the riffing and belting a little too 'American Idol' at one point, the actors really gave it their all. And I wouldn't say that the ending was neat considering that, although the women have a new understanding of themselves, they also have another problem coming...

Only one complaint - the orchestra sounded rather underpowered to me, despite playing with energy they could. Whether this was due to the reduction in numbers or the new orchestrations I couldn't tell, but they could do with being beefed up a bit.

But that's quite minor - overall I loved how the whole show had been made darker, especially the Clyde and Felicia storyline. You really get to understand why he finally took the action he did, and the fact that he beat her to death with a poker rather than smacking her with a frying pan (complete with comedy 'boing' noise) was a great addition. The business with the Little Girl was an interesting way of showing Darryl corruption of the town's innocence, if more than usually tastless at some points (here in the UK the media are obsessed by peadophilia and the implications of those scenes in the show made me feel rather uncomfortable. But everyone else was laughing, so that's probably just me).

Having followed the musical from previews in London to such a radically different production in the US, it's been fascinating to see how one show can take so much tinkering, alterations and to change so radically in tone and yet still be 'the same'. If this new version gets done anywhere else, I'd be there like shot...

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 9:17pm

Eastwickian- What did you think of the cast? How did they compare to their London counterparts?

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/11/07 at 11:35am

Difficult question as I loved all of the London casts (with the exception of Ian McShane) - in particular I didn't see how anyway one could improve on Joanna Riding's performance, but Christiane Noll was equally as fantastic. She played up the emotion more (as was true of the entire production) and even threw a tennis racket at me. Which was nice.

Marc Kudisch was Darryl van Horne, if that's not too much of a cliche. Earl Carpenter and especially Clarke Peters were great but it was still very much 'a performance', whereas Marc was utterly believable. Maybe that was due to the changes which made the whole show a lot darker and gave him room for more interesting acting choices (again, true of the entire production).

Emily Skinner and Jacquelyn Piro Donovan were also great in their respective roles, not better or worse than their London counterparts, just different (again, mostly down to the changes in the show, especially giving Alexandra more of a character). Vocally, all three women blended fairly well whilst retaining a bit of individuality and really threw themselves into their respective 'seduction songs'.

It sounds strange but hearing the jokes come out of American mouths with a more American sensibility and pacing seemed to make all the difference (to me, anyway) and I really hope that it has some kind of life outside this staging at Signature.

[sievep]

Posted: 7/12/07 at 10:37am

Well, in response to what Eastwickian, has asked . . .

Rumor around the theater is that in this, our closing week, investors are coming to check out the show for an impending move to Broadway. We had to make a ton of repairs to the set, buff the floor, and try to make it look prettier than it ever has.

Our physical production (set, etc) will hit the dumpster, but the piece itself may very well have a life after this Sunday.

PS. Those sitting in the front row got a surprise last night when Christiane had to jump offstage to grab the voodoo doll of Darryl out of the audience.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 3:40am

Fingers croseed then - best of luck to the cast, crew and orchestra for their final few performances!

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 6:16am

I saw the show last night sievep , and all of you have done an excellent job making things look good. The stage and set were beautiful. Great job.

This was the second time seeing Witches at Signature, and I can't tell you how much I loved it. It is an absolutely brillant work.

Forgive me if this not the best of reviews. Also, there are spoilers ahead.

I never saw the London production (or read the book for that matter), and can only base my comparisions on the film (which I am watching as I write this).

Christianne, Jacquelyn, and Emily are all amazing talents. They have taken these characters and made them their own (although I see a lot of Susan Sarandon's Jane in Christiane's Jane).

I love the changes to the character of Felicia. The portrayal in the movie is that of a pathetic woman losing her sanity, while the Felicia in the musical is a despicable b***h on wheels you can't wait to see offed.

The Darryl Van Horne portrayed in the musical by Marc Kudisch blows Jack Nicholson's DVH away (and Thomas Adrian Simpson's, who I saw last time. Thomas is however very good in the ensamble.). Nicholson's Van Horne is somewhat subtle until later in the story, while Kudisch's is absolutely bold and commanding from the start. He owns that stage from the minute he steps on it, to his exit near the end (which unfortunately suffered from a snafu from a unconnected cable last night. My heart jumped into my throat when that happened!). He makes everyone else's performance that much better. His confidence in that role is unwavering, and he knows he owns the audience.

His seduction scenes with the ladies are absolutely amazing. My favorite was his seduction of Jane, "Waiting For The Music to Begin". It was absolutely erotic!

I love how the story almost completely deviates from the movie in the second act. The stoyline between Felicia's daughter (not in the movie) and Alexandra's son (changed from a daughter in the movie) is genius. It sets up the final confromtation between the witches and DVH perfectly (not to mention giving us the number "Dance With The Devil").

The creative team of this show knew what to take from the movie (the witches flying,Felicia's and DVH's demise, at least to a point), and what not to attempt (the tennis game and the physical mainfestation of the ladies' fears, neither of which would have been practical).

You couldn't have asked for a better combination of cast, story and staging. It will only get better if it goes to Broadway. I only hope any Broadway production will keep the casting of the leads intact.

I am going to the final show on Sunday night, and I can't wait.

I just have one question. Is the ending of the musical supposed to indicate that the ladies are pregnant, as they were in the movie? That is what it led me to believe.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 9:55am

"I just have one question. Is the ending of the musical supposed to indicate that the ladies are pregnant, as they were in the movie? That is what it led me to believe. "

That's how I took it as well. I'm not sure it it's in the script as it's been used in a few of the amateur productions here in the UK as well, but they could also be taking their cue from the movie...

[JRybka]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 10:19am

I guess it could be taken as one woudl want for it to be. I am sure they did it in the movie in case they decided to sequel it. That would have been horrific!

I thought they were thinking of Daryl and had that inner burning desire that they unleashed when they met him. That is what I got from it.

But I can see your point.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 10:23am

lets hope the witches fly on and have a longer life

[sievep]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 12:36pm

hey feeling electric

I saw you at the show last night and i"m glad you enjoyed it

Yep the ending is supposed to insinuate the ladies are pregnant

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/13/07 at 7:47pm

Yes, I think it is meant to insinuate they are pregnant.

Feeling Electric- Thanks for the comparison to the movie. I have not seen it (like most newer movies that have since been adapted for the stage...).

I very much hope this show has a life after this production- especially if they keep the same leads!

Updated On: 7/14/07 at 07:47 PM

[itsahopi]

Posted: 7/14/07 at 6:48pm

Saw it again last week. REALLY hope it comes into New York.

Really can not believe how flawless Marc, Christianne, Jacquelyn and Emily are. usually when so many great talents gets together, the result can be disapointing. This is not the case. It would be a shame if Broadway was denied this production and a SHAME if a cast recording is not made.

[sievep]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 12:22am

Well, the show is closed and we can only hope that Witches lives on, either in regional companies or on Broadway.

The show was very well received tonight, and it was emotional in one way or another for everyone involved.

I hope those who saw the show continue to post comments and show support for the show, and those who didn't keep your fingers crossed for a Broadway run.

P.S. Backstage gossip revealed to those who PM me.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 5:41am

I just got home from the last performance. What can I say that has not already been said. The show was as amazing as ever. The entire cast worked on overdrive tonight. They left nothing back.

Christiane hit notes in Waiting for the Music to Begin that would put any Christine from Phantom to shame.

Jacquelyn was absolutely silly tonight. She was really having fun with Marc during Words Words Words.

Emily was absolutely radient, with something differt in her delivery of her many one liners.

All of them were absolutely getting into the flying tonight like never before. They seemed like children living a fantasy, completely carefree. I think they are really going to miss that (I know I would).

Marc was Marc. What more can I say. He was on his game every second on both shows I saw hin in. He is just an amazing actor. Ican't wait to see what he does next, be it a reprisal of Darryl Van Horne or mabye Mr. Hart in another movie musical.

I am very glad I had one more chance to meet and talk to everybody involved with this show at the closing party (including you sievep). I have never had that experience before, and it was a lot of fun.

I am going to miss everybody in this talented cast, and I am going to miss this show. It simply has to have a life beyond Signature, and I will hope for that every day.

Until then, I will have a lot of great memories.

P.S. As far as my previous query, there seems to be a tip-off to the pregnancy in the ladies' first confromtation with Darryl in the second act. When I saw the response of Sukie when Darryl brings up childern, that should have been a dead giveaway to me. I am suprised I didn't pick up on that before.

[broadwaybaby221]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 10:32am

I really wanted to be at the last show yesterday. However, I have some distance problems with that one. However, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Broadway run. With a few changes here and there it could be a more enjoyable show on Broadway.

[Kathleen4]

Posted: 7/16/07 at 11:08am

I just watched this great video of the Broadway director Kenny Leon! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

http://aspen.plumtv.com/videos/kenny_leon_mnn
Kenny Leon Video