Yoshimi and the Pink Robots Still Happening

[Kad]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 12:05pm

Des McAnuff directs, but no mention of Aaron Sorkin as the book writer. It's playing at La Jolla in the winter.
Music of The Flaming Lips to Ignite Des McAnuff Musical Yoshimi and the Pink Robots

[twinbelters]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 12:15pm

YAYYYYY!!!

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 1:16pm

The very definition of tempered high hopes.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 1:22pm

I hope to God there isn't scaffolding or a "Toto Cam."

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 1:38pm

According to the LA times, Sorkin is not involved.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 1:51pm

^Yeah, I think that was information from last year's rumors.

[jpbran]

Posted: 3/15/12 at 1:53pm

"The very definition of tempered high hopes."

Precisely.

[helloiamgarrett]

Posted: 11/26/12 at 3:49am

So, has anyone on here seen this production? If so, I'd like to hear thoughts.

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 11/27/12 at 2:36pm

Going to be in San Diego in a few days and am hoping to catch it. Has anyone seen it?

Updated On: 11/30/12 at 02:36 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/27/12 at 4:05pm

The online review I saw yesterday was a rave




Talkin' Broadway Review by Bill Eadie Updated On: 11/27/12 at 04:05 PM

[Idiot]

Posted: 11/27/12 at 4:33pm

Seeing it 12/14. Wouldn't call that review a rave, but definitely positive.

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 11/28/12 at 11:06am

I'm seeing it on the 8th and I'm quite excited. The LA Times review was mixed, but I hear that audiences Re enjoying it. Apparently, the book is pretty week so it's a shame they didn't have Sorkin on board. Perhaps, they will get him if the show moves on after La Jolla. In any case, The Flaming Lips always put on a spectacular stage show and I know that Wayne was involved in this so I am expecting at it to be visually stunning at the least.

[Brywal88]

Posted: 11/29/12 at 10:09am

I was really curious about a song list and I managed to find this http://lajollaplayhouse.org/yoshimi-kbyg in case anyone else is interested

[Kad]

Posted: 11/29/12 at 2:44pm

I'm glad "Do You Realize??" is the finale.

[darquegk]

Posted: 11/29/12 at 3:12pm

This show seems to be well-handled. The band seems fairly involved and supportive, it's being taken in interesting directions, the pedigree is pretty solid.

People rag on the existence of jukebox musicals all the time, but the well-structured plot-based book musical took years to become the dominant form over plots with song slots, where bits could be shuffled without any real harm. They're not such a bad thing, really, at least when they aren't utter ****. I don't think Yoshimi is going to be utter ****.

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 11/29/12 at 5:24pm

Yes, Do You Realize is my favorite lips song ever! Perfect choice to close the show.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/29/12 at 7:22pm

There's an interview about the project with Des McAnuff. I wouldn't call it a jukebox musical, though I suppose a case could be made for it being one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4GhqjzqjGc

[emg_sound]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 12:21am

I saw this while it was in previews, and had exceedingly high expectations (As I was expecting a collision of two maximalistic aesthetics [Des's and Wayne's]). The analogy I'll give is I was expecting the second coming of Christ, and all I got was an obscure 14th century saint. As far as reviews, I agree almost entirely with Bob Verini's rather eviscerating review in Variety.

Rather than giving a line by line complaint list, I'll give a couple bullet points...

1: If you go in expecting a remarkably three dimensional Flaming Lips show, you'll likely be disappointed with how much of the show feels trapped within the proscenium arch. So much of the show feels remarkably pulled back and surprisingly understated.

2: My constant line is the narrative is a lifetime movie of the week about a girl with a rare form of lymphoma. Yes there are some explosions of fantasy around that (and that is where the show succeeds the most), but there are nowhere near enough of them, and you're left with swaths of banal scenes where the staging blandly illustrates the lyrics.

I will admit that the last quarter of the show is more successful and emotional (If you know the lyrics, it won't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happens in that part of the show [starting at Feeling Yourself Disintegrate onwards]), but by that point I was well past the point of no return for not liking the show.
Bob Verini's review in Variety

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 12:26am

So it's trying to be American Idiot? Which....didn't do so well...

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 12:40pm

Wow, that's a shame that it doesn't employ the 3-D tricks that you get in a Lips show. I guessim thankful to know this as I will try to lower my expectations a bit...

Still, ugh...

But, I'm still excited to see it :)

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 3:08pm

I have low expectations for this show but I'm such a big Flaming Lips fans that if it ever gets to Broadway, I'll be first in line for tickets.

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 3:28pm

That's kind of how I felt as well!!

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 3:33pm

The Flaming Lips' live shows are pretty theatrical in themselves. You'd think they'd incorporate some of that into the stage show.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 3:36pm

I can't help but wonder if another director isn't better suited to something like this.

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/30/12 at 3:43pm

I've come to the point where I don't think Des McAnuff is suited to direct anything.