just back from Lennon...

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 1:04am

Just a few quick thing about this show before I go to sleep:

1) I was expecting a fairly good, but not great show. I was disappointed. The show's pastiche is not a traditional commercial one, but the story line is predictable and unemotional.

2) Julia Murney gave the shows only fully-realized truthful performance...the other performers didn't quite give it all the time (Chad and the girl who plays Yoko had a few truthful moments, but the rest of the cast were phoning it in already) -- the cast in general used acting tricks that we have all seen before, and that kept us from connecting or from them being truthful.

3) Chad -- his voice is insanely amazing, and I am in love. He is doing everything he can with this show.

4) This show reminds me a LOT of Brooklyn -- it's a kick ass concert with a story attached. Not a great or memorably told story -- but it has pretty good music, and some great singers, and the occasional acting gem.

5) The choreography is horrid -- the worst I have seen in YEARS.

6) I was rarely emotionally invested in the show, but often got chills from some great vocals. That is what I can say overall -- not a good show, but not a dud either. I honestly think it is this years Brooklyn -- it will have a following, and Chad is a real find in this show, but it will probably get trashed unless some serious re-thinking happens.

7) I WANT this show to be great, and think the story has possibilities -- I hope the creative team will apply their interesting pastiche to the actual story line, and not just the way it is told -- do something new -- don't rely on tired tricks.

[justme2]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 1:06am

I don't even remember any choreography, so it couldn't have been that good in SF, either!!

Thanks for the review and thoughts on the show! I was impressed by Chad's work in that show as well.

[Shawk]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 2:18am

The choreography was pretty goofy in SF, lots of group numbers with people acting like planes and leaping around and whatnot.

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 3:10am

I'm so glad that Julia is coming out unscathed. She's my girl!

[NY212]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 3:47am

Julie Danao.
She is a star. Watch her.

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 4:00am

I wish I could go see more shows. I'm seeing PIAZZA on my next trip up, but I'm definitely dropping by the LENNON stage door to say hello to Julia Murney.

I will watch out for Julie Danao. This should be a great cast recording to own. Such great voices!

[stage_door76]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 4:08am

interesting review, thanks

i look forward to seeing it now, so that i can make my own conclusions

i do enjoy julia murney's voice - so interesting. she was brilliant in lippa's wild party

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 4:38am

I haven't heard any other voice like hers. So unique. She sounds a bit like a younger Carolee Carmello, if that makes any sense.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 4:43am

I like her voice WAY more than Carolee's. Julia can belt so well, but at the same time it is more controlled than, say, Idina Menzel. She can also emote so well in a song.

Akiva

[ken8631]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 7:37am

I thought it wsa good, but not great. Great cast, though! Terrence in high heels?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 8:54am

How is Will Chase?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 9:48am

Julia is my lover (I wish...). I'm glad she's getting great feedback, seeing that she is the only reason I'm going to see this.

[LuvBroadwayHugs]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 12:42pm

I had comp tickets and went last night. The show was decent up until John met Yoko (I suppose one could say that art imitates life). I fell asleep during act 2 for a brief moment and woke up to see a chick dressed as Elton John.. I think "Lennon" was just generally a bad idea.( I had an investor sitting in front of me and he seemed pretty stressed out. Especially during intermission when nearly the whole row behind me left.) I was impressed by the cast though. Will Chase was excellent, Wanna Be A Foster! He really had the John Lennon persona down, I think the most out of everyone. And he's hot Would I recomend the show? I don't think so...

[mominator]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 12:47pm

Oh dear this is sad. I was hoping for this one to be good.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 7:41pm

Will was very good in the show, but he's already seeming to be phoning in his performance (maybe that is the fault of the super-fast pacing of the show -- sort of a "if we go fast, they won't know it's bad" sort of philosophy of directing).

I wanted Will (who also sang like the star that he is) to connect with the audience on a more than "aren't I good" sort of way...and I missed that in this show from him.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 9:17pm

I saw the show last Friday (when they decided to wait 20 mins before curtain to open the doors) and I was expecting a good show...not great but decent. I had actually bought the tickets because I think Julia Murney is amazing (seeing Chess was one of the best theatrical experiences of my life). The show had it's moments (a few) but overall I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again.

[suzycat]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 11:24pm

touchmeinthemorning - unemotional?? did you see the same show that I saw this afternoon? by the end, I and everyone around me had tears streaming down their face.

I thought the show was excellent and extremely moving.

[itstheM]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 11:31pm

I also found it very emotional and powerful. When John dies and they read it "over the radio" I could see the water building up in his eyes and it just got to me. Also, I think I'm the only person who thought Julia Murney was not as strong as everyone else. She didn't sing as powerfully and I expected better because of what everyone here says. But don't get me wrong she's still great!

[Toon]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 11:37pm

the story line is predictable

Had to laugh at this. Because yeah. We all know the story. Did you think it would have a different ending?
Updated On: 7/13/05 at 11:37 PM

[alli2]

Posted: 7/13/05 at 11:40pm

the story was predictable

Yeah I needed to LAUGH OUT LOUD that one. WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? I'm sorry, but when you say that.. it's like.. the idiot who ruined the show for you.. WAS YOURSELF.

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 7/14/05 at 12:12am

i find it a little hard to grasp that anyone can call history, a person's life, "predictable".

*i* was even offended about the acting critique. all tricks? no truth? maybe you saw a different cast than i did.

and oh, dear god, PLEASE don't compare it to Brooklyn. Lennon is far from a hodgepodge of cheap costumes, emotionless characters, and nails-on-a-chalkboard screaming competitions.

[thisdude]

Posted: 7/14/05 at 4:55am

I'm sorry...but yall had me in tears by the end of this! Let me clarify that they were tears of laughter! Unfortunately I saw Lennon several times in San Francisco. It was terrible. Torture. Ridiculous. Disapointing. Choreography was worse than The Wiggles or any other show aimed at pleasing pre-schoolers. The lighting was blinding and over-dramatic. I felt sorry for the poor actors who had to forcibly spit out the poorly concieved and written script. Like this: "It was during the war, the Nineteen Forties, and all that. His father was a merchant seaman, if you can imagine." What does that mean?
The show tried so hard to be something it wasn't (edgey, clever, unique, moving) and ended up like a Vegas show or Up With People. The only thing good about the show was the actors and the somewhat the music. The songs were often arranged poorly. People complained and left early all the time when it was in SF. Sad. This show needed to be totally reworked and rewritten, and from what I hear, it hardly got a face lift. Do they still do the cheesy power-point presentation in the background? I hope not. Just talking about this show is bringing up bad memories and I am actually starting to feel ill. It makes me angry that a good show like Mambo Kings got dusted and a crappy show like Lennon is still on stage! What is wrong with the world?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/14/05 at 9:50am

How can someone say a performer was "good" and then in the very next breath say he "was phoning in his performance"? Where's the logic?

[Toon]

Posted: 7/14/05 at 1:52pm

How can someone say a performer was "good" and then in the very next breath say he "was phoning in his performance"? Where's the logic?

You are talking about the same person that criticized the show for the storyline being predictable. I don't think you are going to find logic there.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 7/15/05 at 3:04am

A couple quick clarifications to all:

A good performer can EASILY phone in a performance...it means they crafted the performance well, but executed it poorly. Actors know what I mean by this...it means a lot of thought went into beats, physicality, etc...but there was nothing there to back it up.

And as far as the predictability of the show goes...I guess you forgot to read futher down -- the show is predictable NOT IN THE STORY LINE itself, but in the WAY it was told -- i.e. ballads after his death, inspirational song before intermission, etc. I was hoping for something new, and this show just delivered more of the same -- which for me is a sign that the creative team is not fighting for the show, and giving into producers who want to use the tired old formula again and again. I, for one, wanted a better show.

With that said, I know there are shills who don't want this show to get bad reviews, and I HOPE the Post is right that the show is going through an overhaul...perhaps that will spring it back into life. I want this show to kick ass, and right now, it just doesn't.