#26
Posted: 11/27/10 at 11:36pm
De'Adre Aziza went on as Pepa?
very interesting....
very interesting....
sherie Rene scott out of women on the verge 11/26 — Page 2
#27
Posted: 11/28/10 at 12:08am
shrekster: It's Haley Carlucci. i saw her last summer go on in Kat Nejat's track when Kat went on as Anita, she was great!
#28
Posted: 11/28/10 at 3:42am
I saw De'Adra Aziza as Pepa yesterday afternoon. I am a HUGE Sherie Rene Scott fan and was sad to see that she was absent, but I must say that Ms. Aziza did a phenomenal job with the role! I was not disappointed in the least.
#29
Posted: 11/28/10 at 1:48pm
Anyone know if Sherie was back last night, or if she's in for the matinee today?
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#30
Posted: 11/28/10 at 1:50pm
I saw De'Adra last night and Wow she was amazing. The whole show was like a master class in musical theater. Those performers were not going to let weak direction and material get in the way of being a truly great ensemble and giving it their all.
#31
Posted: 11/28/10 at 1:50pm
She wasn't there last night
"I've never encountered such religiously, you know, loyal fans as Broadway musical theater fans. It's amazing."
--Allison Janney
#32
Posted: 11/28/10 at 9:18pm
I caught Aziza this afternoon. I loved her performance. She was sensational. Completely different from Sherie. A totally different performance. But it really works. Her Pepa isn't played in the Carmen Maura mold as Sherie's is, but both interpretations are completely valid. Her vocals were sultry and fierce. Her acting was warmer and less dry than Sherie's. I still love Sherie's Pepa, but I am thrilled I caught Aziza. It didn't feel like an understudy performance, she was good enough to be playing the role full time.
Vivian Nixon was fine as Paulina, though a bit young. Aziza is better in the role.
Show was strong. In my opinion, it keeps getting better and better.
Vivian Nixon was fine as Paulina, though a bit young. Aziza is better in the role.
Show was strong. In my opinion, it keeps getting better and better.
#33
Posted: 12/2/10 at 9:06am
de'Adre was still on as of yesterday afternoon. She is much better in the role than Sherie; as LJAY noted, she is taking this Pepa a step further than the Carmen Maura formula. Her Pepa is much more well-defined, and it definitely didn't feel like an understudy performance. It's too bad that she wasn't offered the role of Pepa from day one.
Vivian Nixon is awful. She cannot act, and her singing voice is tiny and flat. She should stick to dancing.
The show still has its highs and lows. Benanti is extraordinary. Lupone and Stokes Mitchell are woefully underused. Burstein's songs are awful. The second act is endless and dreadful. In Aziza's hands, though, Pepa's songs FINALLY come to life.
Vivian Nixon is awful. She cannot act, and her singing voice is tiny and flat. She should stick to dancing.
The show still has its highs and lows. Benanti is extraordinary. Lupone and Stokes Mitchell are woefully underused. Burstein's songs are awful. The second act is endless and dreadful. In Aziza's hands, though, Pepa's songs FINALLY come to life.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#34
Posted: 12/2/10 at 9:20am
I'm finally seeing this tonight and I was nervous I wouldn't get to see Sherie but now, having read all of the positive comments about Aziza, I don't really think it would bother me that much to see her. Does anyone know if Sherie will be back this evening?
How have the audiences been of late? Crowded? Responsive?
How have the audiences been of late? Crowded? Responsive?
#35
Posted: 12/2/10 at 9:29am
Having seen both Sherie and de'Adre, I can say that you definitely shouldn't worry if de'Adre is still on. In my humble opinion, she is better suited to the role than Sherie (and this is coming from a diehard Sherie fan).
The audience yesterday afternoon was a typical Wednesday matinee crowd: lots of talking, unwrapping candy, hearing aid feedback, etc. They were very quiet and unresponsive throughout the show, although de'Adre and Patti both got big hands at the curtain call.
The audience yesterday afternoon was a typical Wednesday matinee crowd: lots of talking, unwrapping candy, hearing aid feedback, etc. They were very quiet and unresponsive throughout the show, although de'Adre and Patti both got big hands at the curtain call.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#36
Posted: 12/2/10 at 9:37am
I saw the show on a Saturday night not that long ago, and the mostly older audience was dead. The response, even to Benanti's number, was tepid.
#37
Posted: 12/2/10 at 9:44am
on Friday at de'Adre's first performance, the audience was equivalent to a funeral hall, except after "Model Behavior" and "Invisible."
Couldn't really see the mezz or balcony, but the orchestra was definitely not full.
Couldn't really see the mezz or balcony, but the orchestra was definitely not full.
-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."
#38
Posted: 12/2/10 at 10:10am
Whole rows in the mezzanine were empty yesterday afternoon.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#39
Posted: 12/2/10 at 12:34pm
Damn. Sherie must be really sick. I want to see Aziza again soooooo badly.
#40
Posted: 12/2/10 at 12:40pm
de'Adre was on last night for Sherie and was outstanding. I was so impressed by her acting and singing. You could not tell at all that she was an understudy. I liked her a lot more than Sherie, to be honest.
Last night was her seventh time going on for Sherie (in a row). I wonder when Sherie will return to the production...
Oh, and the audience was DEAD last night...even for Laura's song and "Invisible." Sad.
Last night was her seventh time going on for Sherie (in a row). I wonder when Sherie will return to the production...
Oh, and the audience was DEAD last night...even for Laura's song and "Invisible." Sad.
#41
Posted: 12/2/10 at 12:44pm
I wonder when Sherie will return to the production...
Wow, I wonder too.
WAT, what do you think of the show now? I know you saw that infamous first preview.
Wow, I wonder too.
WAT, what do you think of the show now? I know you saw that infamous first preview.
#42
Posted: 12/2/10 at 1:43pm
It has significantly improved. I strongly disliked it at the first preview, and now, it's kind of harmless fun (and I liked much more of the score hearing it again).
Still, "The Microphone" is horrendous and I do feel bad for Brian Stokes Mitchell...he is absolutely wasted in this role.
Laura Benanti is outstanding, as is Patti LuPone...and Justin Guarini isn't half bad either. Danny Burstein's character is a bit annoying...but he's camping it up.
Given the lack of ticket sales (and lack of enthusiasm from audiences), I do think this will close in January, when its limited engagement ends, but it did not really deserve those HORRIBLE pans it got, and I do hope it is recorded.
The book and score to SPIDERMAN is *much worse* than VERGE.
Still, "The Microphone" is horrendous and I do feel bad for Brian Stokes Mitchell...he is absolutely wasted in this role.
Laura Benanti is outstanding, as is Patti LuPone...and Justin Guarini isn't half bad either. Danny Burstein's character is a bit annoying...but he's camping it up.
Given the lack of ticket sales (and lack of enthusiasm from audiences), I do think this will close in January, when its limited engagement ends, but it did not really deserve those HORRIBLE pans it got, and I do hope it is recorded.
The book and score to SPIDERMAN is *much worse* than VERGE.
#43
Posted: 12/2/10 at 2:01pm
Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I hate dead audiences. They can totally hinder the entire experience.
I hope I get an energetic crowd tonight, but I won't hold my breath. To me, there is nothing worse than an empty or lifeless audience. Even if a show sucks, a responsive audience can make it that much more enjoyable.
And, out of sheer curiosity, I just checked Telecharge to see how well tonight's show is selling. The first seats that came up were Orchestra Row E on the aisle. Then, Row G in the center Orchestra. Yeesh.
I hope I get an energetic crowd tonight, but I won't hold my breath. To me, there is nothing worse than an empty or lifeless audience. Even if a show sucks, a responsive audience can make it that much more enjoyable.
And, out of sheer curiosity, I just checked Telecharge to see how well tonight's show is selling. The first seats that came up were Orchestra Row E on the aisle. Then, Row G in the center Orchestra. Yeesh.
Updated On: 12/2/10 at 02:01 PM
#44
Posted: 12/2/10 at 2:11pm
I went with my friend last night, who purchased student rush tickets. We were D 101-102 in the orchestra.
This is not selling at all...
I hope your audience is enthusiastic tonight!
This is not selling at all...
I hope your audience is enthusiastic tonight!
#45
Posted: 12/2/10 at 2:51pm
I still don't understand why BSM chose this role for his return to Broadway after eight years (and also the first musical role he's created since Coalhouse in RAGTIME). He is so wasted and he doesn't even have a decent song. I get that they probably wanted a Broadway "name" for the role, but it's a total misuse of his considerable talents.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#46
Posted: 12/2/10 at 6:07pm
Just got an offer to see the show tomorrow night and was told in black and white Patti LuPone will not be in this performance but Laura Benanti will be doing the role.....hmmmmmmm interesting
#47
Posted: 12/2/10 at 6:08pm
I saw the matinee (the only performance) on Sunday and the audience was indeed dead. "Model Behavior" and "Invisible" got sustained applause, but overall the response was beyond tepid. In all honesty, it was one of the least enthusiastic reactions by an audience I've seen on Broadway - there were even a bunch of walkouts at intermission. I got student rush and was toward the rear of the orchestra on the right, not a bad seat at all.
The entire cast seemed a bit low energy, but Aziza was very good (bringing a bit more warmth than Sherie does from what I can tell) and Benanti was fantastic. LuPone sold "Invisible" well, which was nice since she could have phoned it in given the non-response the show was getting.
All in all, it's a gigantic mess but definitely worth checking out. I guarantee you'll never see the likes of it again, which makes it especially sad that no cast recording is planned.
The entire cast seemed a bit low energy, but Aziza was very good (bringing a bit more warmth than Sherie does from what I can tell) and Benanti was fantastic. LuPone sold "Invisible" well, which was nice since she could have phoned it in given the non-response the show was getting.
All in all, it's a gigantic mess but definitely worth checking out. I guarantee you'll never see the likes of it again, which makes it especially sad that no cast recording is planned.
#48
Posted: 12/2/10 at 6:22pm
Pammy, I don't know if you're joking or not (sarcasm is hard to read on these boards unless it's pretty blatant). Patti will be out tomorrow, but Alma Cuervo is going on.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#49
Posted: 12/2/10 at 6:42pm
And Rachel Bay Jones will be on at the matinee, I believe.
#50
Posted: 12/2/10 at 6:59pm
^ Which matinee? The December 11th matinee?
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
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