rOcKS @ 'Legally Blonde'- Page 2

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:04am

No way in hell is Bill T. Jones going to win for Spring Awakening. In fact, I don't think he'll even get nominated.

Is that why Bill T. Jones received a Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Choreography this past week?

Choreography nominations will go to Mitchell for Legally Blonde, Ashford for Curtains, Graciela Daniele and Carol Leavy Joyce for Pirate Queen, and Matthew Bourne for Mary Poppins.

Don't expect the Nominating Committee to be doing any favors to PIRATE QUEEN -- the most panned musical of the season (tied with jukebox nightmare THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN') -- or Disney's latest attempt at turning Broadway into a theme park.

SPRING AWAKENING received across the board raves, and its innovative choreography has every shot at a nomination ahead of those two shows, and could very easily take the win over Mitchell's so-so choreography for LEGALLY BLONDE and Ashford's sub par choreography for CURTAINS.

Bill T. Jones' choreography may not be your traditional Broadway musical choreography, but that's what makes it stand out. It's like nothing Broadway has ever seen before. And from where I'm standing, I don't see any other show presenting through-the-roof traditional Broadway choreography this season that beats out the groundbreaking choreography seen in SPRING AWAKENING.

Updated On: 4/8/07 at 08:04 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:24am

Is that why Bill T. Jones received a Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Choreography this past week?

He received a Lortel nomination because Spring Awakening was off-Broadway last year, and not many of the shows had standout choreography. Pirate Queen, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, and Curtains were not off-Broadway, so they weren't competing for a Lortel nomination. Also, the types of choreography in these 4 shows is going to appeal more to the out of town voters for touring appeal. It think you are giving artistic license too much credit here.

Also, you are VERY wrong about Mitchell's choreography. It's very well done and much of it is very difficult. As for Pirate Queen, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get a nomination for choreography, but I think it will get one anyway. Leaving the theatre, the dancing stands out in your mind. That part of the show got pretty decent reviews. Just because the show wasn't reviewed well as a whole doesn't mean it can't get a specific nomination (e.g. Woman in White for Best Original Score las year).

[HumATune]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:03am

DirectorKeith, wow. You walked out while the show was going on? That’s incredibly audacious. At least have the decency to wait until intermission next time. I can’t believe anyone who is a true theatre fan (and who may be a director) would walk out while the performance was happening.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:04am

Also, the types of choreography in these 4 shows is going to appeal more to the out of town voters for touring appeal. It think you are giving artistic license too much credit here.

The road voters don't give a heck about who they award Best Choreography to. All they care about is Best Musical. It's the only award that means a thing to them.

Best Play? Meaningless.

Best Leading Actress? Meaningless.

All the road voters want is to be able to plaster "TONY AWARD WINNER - BEST MUSICAL!" across the banner on their theatre and throughout their advertising in order for the town folk to open their wallets and dish out the cash.

Updated On: 4/8/07 at 09:04 AM

[directorKeith]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:12am

Stay for the whole thing? Out of respect for the actors?

This is not a college production. This is a professional level full-priced show. If an actor can't sing in tune with good diction, and good phrasing in the first 35 minutes, it won't get better by the end.

I have never understood the mentality of some that just because a production has been mounted means its automatically worthy of high praise. I have been to concerts that were so poorly performed (by some of NY's finest orchestra's) and yet still received a lenghty applause. The players on stage were professional in their reception of the applause, but had that "holy crap did that suck" look to them.

In 35+ years of going to live events this is only the second one I've ever walked out on. It is not disrespectful to the actors. They are the ones who are being disrespectful to their audience. I can forgive a few technical production problems. I can understand a couple of people on stage simply having a bad night and it's not that hard to tell the difference between a bad night and fundamental problems. And most shows have some book problems to one degree or other. WIth Legally Blonde - even discounting the technical problems - these problems coumpounded themselves without getting better. I'm not reviewing it for publication or yes I would have stayed. i went because I love musical theater, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie (and before someone goes off on a "ohh, he just didn't like it because it wasn't exactly like the movie" all I can say is no, this was light entertainment and the transition from screen to stage is going to require changes. It's really not a big deal). To just pay for a ticket and accept whatever is presented just doesn't make sense.

Maybe this isn't the forum for debate, just snaps? OK fine. I did like the dog.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:47am

Did you at least get a refund?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:48am

I would at least stay for the first act. If you HAVE to walk out, do it during intermission.

[jg4892]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 11:36am

The actors were being disrespctful to the audience? You've got to be kidding me.

[biggest CHENO fan]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 12:41pm

REdiculous....

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 2:01pm

does anyone know the stagedoor address for fanmail purposes? All i can find is the theater address.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 2:09pm

I'm still trying to figure out how SPRING AWAKENING's choreography is "groundbreaking..."

Posted: 4/8/07 at 2:21pm

Munk, I don't think anyone's ever seizured on stage before.

Does that count as ground-breaking?

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 3:24pm

directorKeith, who are talking about when you say "when an actor has bad diction and can't sing in tune"...I'm curious.

[JumpJumpJumpSoHigh]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 6:40pm

You're saying the ACTORS were disrespectful to the audience? The actors are getting paid to do a job, and you in turn are paying to see the final product. Whether or not you like what they're doing is entirely up to you, but you really can't seriously accuse a group of actors of being "disrespectful" for doing exactly what they're paid to do.

On the other hand, the rest of the audience has paid anywhere from $40-100 to sit in their seats and be entertained by what's happening on stage. And personally, I think it's disrespectful for OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS to disrupt that entertainment by walking out in the MIDDLE OF A PERFORMANCE. Audiences who come late bother me enough, but sometimes that can't be helped. Leaving early is voluntary, and doing so in the middle of a scene is just plain rude.

But hey, WiCkEDrOcKS, great review! :)

~JJJ

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 7:02pm

wicked i agree with you so much in your review. i was pretty blown away and had very high expectations. i need to write one myself at some point. I do know it was an honor meeting Jerry Mitchell during intermission.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:15pm

DirectorKeith, it appears that this is your first day on the Message Board. You are starting out with quite a negative bang! Hmmmmmmm.

Updated On: 4/8/07 at 09:15 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:30pm

I'm with munk...

Thanks a bunch for the comments about the review!

And I also want to say that I sat in Row J of the Mezzanine and the seats were great...I walked around during intermission and stuff and you can basically see the stage from any point in the theater...so for future reference, the Orchestra is probably your best bet but the Mezzanine isn't bad at all and the Balcony (while high up) is probably not too bad either...I payed $85 for my seat I saw everything.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:58pm

OH! OH! I also want to say how much I absolutely LOVED the way the show ended. The end of the second act was the best part of the show...

*SPOILER*
I thought Elle proposing to Emmett worked SO well and was actually really adorable and sweet.
*END SPOILER*

Come to think of it, it's interesting because I enjoyed most every major plot change Hach made to the show more than the scenes taken directly from the film.

But, reflecting on it, the first scenes of the first act moved way to fast for me to develop any sentiment for Elle when Warner dumps her. Yeah sure a lot of singing...whatever. There should have been a scene with Elle TALKING about how she expected Warner to propose. I dunno; just what I think...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 11:03pm

It was a great step in the "female empowerment" direction of the show, but the whole "where are they now" thing was poorly executed. My $0.02.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 6:17pm

Bumping to see if anyone has the CD sampler and would be willing to send me a few songs...PM me! =)