jv92 sees 'A Little Night Music'

[jv92]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 1:38am

Yes, I had to start another thread. The other one was getting a bit too long for me. Anyway...

Isn't it rich, indeed. Catherine Zeta-Jones truly is a "Broadway Baby" and Angela Lansbury is looking at Tony Number Six. But that isn't all the good news. Leigh Ann Larkin is a sexy and sublime Petra, Ramona Mallory is a marvelous Anne and Alexander Hanson and Aaron Lazar are fine leading men.
Ms. Zeta-Jones was a little shaky at the start, singing a bit too loudly during "Hi-Ho! The Glamorous Life" and dancing rather clunkily. However, by the scene in Desiree's Digs, she was spot on. She was a warm, sensious, sensational Desiree. Of course, the memory of Glynis Johns will never be erased, but Zeta-Jones gives it her best and her best is marvelous. She truly got "Send in the Clowns" (And did Steve's little spoken "Quick!" thing- wonderful!) and gave a marvelous rendering of the classic song.
What to say about Angela Lansbury? What isn't there to say about Angela Lansbury? She's superb. Every line reading was sublime and I finally liked "Liasons" thanks to her. Brava!
Leigh Ann Larkin's accent worked for me. Her "Miller's Son" was excellent. Brava to her!
Ramona Mallory has a soprano as crystaline clear as her mother's. I'll admit, I like her mother's "Soon" a little bit better, but who can top perfection? She giggled a lot, yes, but she was quite good acting-wise.
Hanson and Lazar are excellent as well. Will the erase the memory of Cariou and Guittard? No. But they interpret their respective roles in their own fasion, which is okay and splendid by me.
Trevor Nunn's directorial interpretation worked for me. Yes, I liked the picnic-style dinner they had in Act II. As in Oklahoma! some seasons ago, some dialouge scenes play too long, but I expected that from a self-indulgent director like Nunn. Would I have liked Hal Prince's version or a dream version by Bart Sher better? Of course! But Nunn did a good job overall.
Now onto the not-so-great: Costumes and sets were blah. The staging moved, but the sets could have been brighter, the costumes could have been more exquisite and that damned lighting could have been a helluva lot brighter. The Liebesleder people were characterless, which upset me. I couldn't tell one from the other and having them act as servants in Act II was a mistake.
Erin Davie. Loved her in Applause. LOVED her in Grey Gardens. Didn't love her in this. I merely thought she was alright. She was too weepy and took "Every Day a Little Death" much too slowly. But she got some of Charlotte's big laughs ("Happy Birthday to me!", "Dear Miss Armfeldt, do tell us more tales from your remote youth.") Hunter Ryan Herdlicka was a messy Henrik. His tenor was lacking something. He was too pouty and puppy dog-ish. He wimpered too much. Oh well.
And one misses a large orchestra too, but for the most part, I liked the reduction, although I did miss the French Horn in "It Would Have Been Wonderful."
Will this Night Music erase the memory of the original? No. But it's a good production of an elegat and enchanting musical by Messrs. Sondheim and Wheeler (and Bergman). Zeta-Jones and Lansbury are worth the price of admission alone, plus a few other treats.
I did stagedoor this one. I rushed out of the theatre after the curtain call and it was already mobbed but I managed to get Catherine Zeta-Jones to sign my poster and compliment her on her beautiful "Send in the Clowns" to which she warmly responded "Thank You." I left after that. Nobody else seemed to be coming out. I would have liked to have seen Leigh Ann Larkin and Angela Lansbury, but oh well.
Kudos to most! And goodnight to all!

[once a month]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 8:47am

Happy you enjoyed this revival as much as I! What a fufilling theatrical experience. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 9:55am

What time did the show get out? Have they worked on the act 1 pacing?

[jv92]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 12:41pm

Yes, Act I FLEW by for me. As in all of Nunn's shows that I've seen, Act II sort of dragged on. I was on the street by eleven o'clock. That seems to be ten minutes earlier than the first preview reports I read.

[singer73192]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 12:46pm

Thanks for the review. I basically have the exact same feelings! This was my first time seeing the show, so I loved it, but I can see where this production needs some slight improvement. Wednesday night was out at around 11:10, so it's good to hear that it has quickened a bit.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 1:04pm

I am so glad to hear they improved the pacing! At the first preview act 1 definitely dragged. This is good news.
Updated On: 11/28/09 at 01:04 PM

[fflagg]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:03pm

I am looking forward to the show but NOT to the sight and sound of a small orchestra. This is a Bway musical and should sound like one not elevator music.

Mr. Sondheim: you're a rich, old man. Whip out your checkbook and pay for more musicians not for rent boys.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:07pm

"Hi, Ho! The Glamorous Life"

Is this a BEP remix of the Fergie song?

Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed it!

Still can't believe there is no table for the dinner scene and the staging for the act one finale is the cast walking in a circle.

P

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:17pm

"As in all of Nunn's shows that I've seen, Act II sort of dragged on."

In all of Nunn's shows that I've seen, the entire evening dragged. That unspeakable production of ROCK AND ROLL that went on for three godforsaken hours, for example. Is A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC usually such a prolonged show?

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:25pm

P, I too couldn't imagine the dinner scene without a table and the end of Weekend being marched in a circle. But both actually worked for me. Nunn clearly turned the dinner into an outdoor picnic, there is no need for a table. And the end of Weekend isn't as simple as the cast just walking in a circle. What they do works and is far more interesting than having them line up passing the invitation around.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:36pm

Hmm... if I end up seeing this revival it will be thanks to you ljay. I am still holding out hope but it gets harder with each passing moment the more I hear...

... we must remember that the "Weeekend" scene in the original had 2 cars on stage and the big reveal of the Armfeldt Family Manse through the trees at the very end, quite elaborate. Of course, this production is not the original, but that act one finale was quite a coup de theatre for its time. The NYCO production directed by Ellis and Stroman is the one with them just lining up and passing the invitation around. I fear comparing this revival to even THAT production will not be beneficial to me in enjoying it...

P

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 4:45pm

I definitely understand why you're hesitant to see it, but I felt the 3 leads were worth the price of admission alone. If you can look past some of Nunn's choices, there is much to enjoy here.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 8:30pm

I'd say this was better than Nunn's last big musical transfer, Oklahoma!. I spent most of the second act of Oklahoma! thinking of places where they could have sang instead of talked. Maybe that was a fault of Messrs. R&H, but I'd like to blame it on Nunn instead.
The biggest mistakes I would say in this production, was the rather dreary beginning (up until the "Night Waltz"- the Overture "Remember?" is what I'm talking about), the characterless Liebesleider people, Davie's choices (could be a fault of Nunn's too), the production design and the orchestra. I thought for the most part it was paced very nicely though. Zeta-Jones, however, is spectacular. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I liked her. She absolutely has some Glynis Johns-esque characteristics. Unless Barbara Cook walks away with Best Actress for Sondheim on Sondheim, this Tony is her's. And I liked Christiane Noll in Ragtime, don't get me wrong.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 8:37pm

Ahh, I love what this production does with the opening "La La La's." So eerie and beautiful. And it sounds lovely with Henrik playing the cello under them.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 8:41pm

Yes, Act I FLEW by for me. As in all of Nunn's shows that I've seen, Act II sort of dragged on. I was on the street by eleven o'clock.

Interesting, as act 2 was the act that flew by for me. Act 1 dragged on.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/28/09 at 8:44pm

"Mr. Sondheim: you're a rich, old man. Whip out your checkbook and pay for more musicians not for rent boys."

And weed.

"Interesting, as act 2 was the act that flew by for me. Act 1 dragged on."

Which surprised me. I was sitting there before the show dreading Act I, but I haven't had an Act I fly by the way this one did since the LuPone Gypsy.

[binau]

Posted: 11/29/09 at 4:34am

"Mr. Sondheim: you're a rich, old man. Whip out your checkbook and pay for more musicians not for rent boys.
"

I keep hearing random rumours about Sondheim's 'sex-life' etc..him being with a 30 year old or whatever.

But is any of this actually TRUE? If you don't want to derail the topic please someone PM me! This is hilariously ridiculous :P, I want to hear the 'gossip'.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/29/09 at 8:12am

I attended Night Music Friday night. There were many things to love about the show -- particularly the women's performances, and the staging, but I still left leaving the theater a little less than satisfied. And I can't quite put my finger on why....but:

The shining performance for me was Leigh Anne Larken as Petra. She was so full of life and character. She simply lit up the stage with her presence. I didn't enjoy her at all in Gypsy (or the show itself for that matter) but she made a fan out of me here. I found her to be the most complete at this early time.

Angela Lansbury was indeed lovely in every way, but brought nothing to the role that was unexpected or new.

I also enjoyed Zeta-Jones. I was impressed with the presence she had on stage, and found her performance to be rich, full of integrity and one full of confidence. I thought vocally, she suited Desiree wonderfully with her smokey voice. I loved the stillness of Send in the Clowns as well.

Updated On: 11/29/09 at 08:12 AM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/29/09 at 8:39am

Thanks for starting this new thread. It would have been awful if we missed YOUR review because we all know your opinion is so much more important and carries so much more weight than anyone else.

By the way, your review was "getting a bit too long for ME!"

You really could have just said, "I agree with most of what everyone else said. Kudos to most! And goodnight to all!"

[beaemma]

Posted: 11/30/09 at 9:55pm

Interesting--I was at the same performance and can't disagree with most of your comments, but had a very different reaction to Miss Lansbury. Like they say, that's what makes horse races. I saw the original production several times, the first road company, and a couple of local productions; and never saw anyone do what she did in Act II. In Act I, the Madame Armfelt part is made up of all those little scenes, each with a big laugh, except for the "Liasons" scene. Angela scored beautifully in all of them. In Act II, she did a touching and perceptive job of conveying the confusion and physical decline of the character. She went believably from the "expert" giving pronouncements to an unhappy, uncertain woman asking a child about the importance of love--a subject she has never before even mentioned. After that, she seemed genuinely more weak and ill than in Act I. I've always liked the character of Madame Armfelt, but the final events involving her always seemed somewhat abrupt and arbitrary to me until I saw Miss Lansbury's artful character development the other night.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/30/09 at 10:08pm

YES! Angela was brilliant in act 2. I did notice she seemed weaker in act 2, and it really worked.

Her scene about the Croatian lover with the wooden ring was extremely powerful and heartbreaking.

She really was stunning. And that was the first preview. I can't wait to see her again.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/30/09 at 10:14pm

I'm so glad you liked it. Maybe I'll go now.

[BrianS]

Posted: 12/1/09 at 12:18am

"You really could have just said, "I agree with most of what everyone else said. Kudos to most! And goodnight to all!"

Actually, new thread or not, I always welcome a well thought out, critical, but fair review. Thanks for writing it. I can't wait to see the show.

Sadly, the only time I think anyone will hear this show anymore with a full orchestra and the original orchestrations is at symphony performances. Unfortunately, while the singing is usually fantastic, the acting and interpretation always seems to suffer at those.

[Shakeshafte]

Posted: 12/1/09 at 1:09am

Thank you for such a thoughtful review, I'm still not keen on the idea of seeing Catherine Zeta Jones play Desiree, but after reading your comments, I think I'll go and see for myself. Not enthused about the size of such a small orchestra for this show, but well, I guess I should go and see it.

[noradesmond]

Posted: 12/1/09 at 10:42am

Glad to hear Zeta Jones is doing well. I'm curious about Lansbury's performance. Can you be more specific about her approach to the role physically and vocally? Thanks.

Sorry - this is already answered. Updated On: 12/1/09 at 10:42 AM