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Post by foxie on Apr 17, 2015 5:35:58 GMT -5
Really Kathy I was looking forward to Finding Neverland I love Mathew Morrison u really didn't like it?
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Post by foxie on Apr 17, 2015 5:50:40 GMT -5
I just looked at the Finding Neverland review I didn't think the review was bad nothing like The King and I but ok
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 17, 2015 8:34:23 GMT -5
Really Kathy I was looking forward to Finding Neverland I love Mathew Morrison u really didn't like it? I like Matthew too, but I didn't like FINDING NEVERLAND. I didn't like the modern music in a period story. What had been a charming, thoughtful film was turned into a glitzy Las Vegas style production with special effects and stupid jokes. I was angry enough to leave at intermission, but one of my friends said the second act was better. The audience loved it. I felt as if it were more like a Disneyland ride than the charming story I had expected to see. I was very disappointed. |
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Post by foxie on Apr 17, 2015 8:47:47 GMT -5
Well I will go by your opinion and go see the King twice!
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Post by JH4HJ on Apr 17, 2015 11:27:34 GMT -5
Jo, Yes, of course. Different categories for straight plays and musicals. (I really should stay away for the keyboard that late at night.) Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~
Kathy, I don't know when you saw Finding Neverland. It just opened on Wed and there have been many, many changes along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it from tip to tale. Sweet story, tuneful (no, not "period piece") songs (though there are a couple of classic "throwbacks" tossed in). The young boys are well cast; the two leads are excellent, the other characters and ensemble work/play well together, and Kellsey Grammer's whole (seemingly natural) pompus personae* is perfect for this character. Yeah, there are a few unnecessarily silly bits but they were fleeting. The only quibble I would have is that there was not enough character development with the young, dying mother. I wish they'd beef up her role a bit to get the audience more involved and better explain her health issues. She's fine, she has a little cough, she's feeling a bit tired - ooops, she's dead. We don't really get a chance to "feel" for her or understand her feelings about "leaving" her boys who only recently lost their father. (The actress [Mary Poppins in The West End, I beleive] is excellent.)
Lots of "word play" and insider theater jokes in the script. Some work better than others. One (thoroughly uncalled for) "tip o' the hat" to an old, defunct TV series "brings down the house" regardless. IMHO an enjoyable show for adults and a wonderful introductory vehicle for young prospective theater fans without being based on cartoon characters, super heroes or wise-cracking animals. (The Peter Pan portion of this play is minimal.) As a former teacher, I'm all for anything that brings youngsters an enjoyment and appreciation for live theater (and forces them to shut off the gizmos for a little while).
Despite Kathy's reservations, I will recommend this show to anyone who has the opportunity to see it.
*Everyone graciously signs autographs, chats, takes multitudinous "selfies" at the stage door - EXCEPT Grammer, who snuck out the main entrance. My friend was waiting for autographs and I was standing at a distance watching it all. I saw Grammer, he was aware that I saw him, I didn't move toward him, just gave a little wave and a "thumbs up" and he was gone. (Sometimes I wonder if he "acts" at all, or just gets cast in appropriate roles. <snark>)
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suefb
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Post by suefb on Apr 17, 2015 11:46:02 GMT -5
(Sometimes I wonder if he "acts" at all, or just gets cast in appropriate roles. <snark>) Ha! That literally made me laugh out loud. It seems quite possible! |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 17, 2015 18:25:41 GMT -5
Most people in the audience loved FINDING NEVERLAND. I just didn't like the high tech loud glitz. I'm a teacher too, and I understand the need to foster an appreciation for theater in our students. If FINDING NEVERLAND does that, I'm glad. I loved WICKED and RENT, which both hit a chord (ha, ha) with younger audiences. However, I also feel that they are already exposed to many loud, high tech choices in entertainment. There needs to be a variety of styles for them to experience. When I taught vocal music, my 7th and 8th graders enjoyed attending the opera. They actually preferred the Italian operas to the modern productions with English lyrics.
The audience reaction at FINDING NEVERLAND indicated that they loved the show, so it will probably do very well. That's fine. It was just not "my cup of tea".
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jo
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Post by jo on Apr 17, 2015 19:48:13 GMT -5
Interesting discussion re musical theatre of the past and the contemporary trends. I grew up on Rodgers and Hammerstein and a little of Lerner and Lowe. Plus I had also become very attached to some of the British megamusicals ( Lloyd Webber, Boublil and Schonberg, et al). Sondheim was an acquired taste for me... But the common thread was that they had strong books as well as memorable musical scores. I usually call them "dramatic musicals" ( even for stuff like My Fair Lady). The list also includes Man of La Mancha, West Side Story, Chess and other stuff not written by the composers earlier mentioned. But I can appreciate that the younger generation may want to see these stories in the light of the new cultural trends they are used to, meaning themes, dialog, and ways of telling the story ( via technology-assisted staging). To me, KING AND I will always be the film version with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr -- they were the perfect cast of the characters and their chemistry was electric! I had seen a London staging with Elaine Paige ( can't remember who the male lead was) and it was a very disappointing experience - maybe I was too biased with my fixation on the movie version  I wonder if some of the criticisms against Finding Neverland were partly because the Broadway mavens heartily disliked Harvey Weinstein's strong-arm ways - LOL! It is not his way of getting a creative work to work that I object to, but I have never liked the way( according to gossip) that he tries to get awards for his films/movies. I am curious about Finding Neverland maybe because it is also a link to the movie PAN, in some ways. I am going to be reading the James Barrie novel on Peter Pan soon. Just wondering if any have read the original source material by Anna Leonowens about her travel memoirs on the King of Siam ( fictionalized by Margaret Landon in the novel Anna and the King of Siam)? I wonder who taught the King how to speak English? And shouldn't it be expected that the King would not be so versatile in the language ( not just the words but also the accent)? That is part of the charm of his characterization Jo |
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jo
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Post by jo on Apr 17, 2015 20:56:02 GMT -5
A little related to the discussions on musical theatre of the past and the present. This is why I have always preferred discussions on ATC, compared to BWW. You may want to follow the entire thread as there are valid and different views to what the Opening Post strongly espouses -- www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=2275939Jo |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 17, 2015 23:40:25 GMT -5
Jo,
I did read the Margaret Landon novel when I was a teenager. I don't remember very much about it, but the photos were very interesting to me at the time because of the cultural differences in clothing.
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suefb
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Post by suefb on Apr 18, 2015 5:35:31 GMT -5
(Sometimes I wonder if he "acts" at all, or just gets cast in appropriate roles. <snark>) Ha! That literally made me laugh out loud. It seems quite possible! By coincidence, after I posted this comment, I ran across a one-page piece on Grammer in the Vanity Fair I'd picked up because it ran that small Pan feature. He's endured quite a bit of tragedy in his life, in addition to the multiple marriages and various addictions. So I guess I'll "allow" him to skip the stage door scene if he chooses. Actors are all just people, after all - even Hugh. |
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Post by JH4HJ on Apr 18, 2015 10:42:41 GMT -5
Most people in the audience loved FINDING NEVERLAND. I just didn't like the high tech loud glitz. I'm a teacher too, and I understand the need to foster an appreciation for theater in our students. If FINDING NEVERLAND does that, I'm glad. I loved WICKED and RENT, which both hit a chord (ha, ha) with younger audiences. However, I also feel that they are already exposed to many loud, high tech choices in entertainment. There needs to be a variety of styles for them to experience. When I taught vocal music, my 7th and 8th graders enjoyed attending the opera. They actually preferred the Italian operas to the modern productions with English lyrics. The audience reaction at FINDING NEVERLAND indicated that they loved the show, so it will probably do very well. That's fine. It was just not "my cup of tea". I completely understand. If everyone everywhere liked exactly the same things, OH how boring life would be! |
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Post by JH4HJ on Apr 18, 2015 10:48:27 GMT -5
Ha! That literally made me laugh out loud. It seems quite possible! By coincidence, after I posted this comment, I ran across a one-page piece on Grammer in the Vanity Fair I'd picked up because it ran that small Pan feature. He's endured quite a bit of tragedy in his life, in addition to the multiple marriages and various addictions. So I guess I'll "allow" him to skip the stage door scene if he chooses. Actors are all just people, after all - even Hugh. I enjoy him as a performer; don't know much about him in Real Life. Matthew Morrison seemed to be the big "draw" at the Stage Door anyway. It was just me being snarky and in no way diminished my ability to enjoy him on stage - which is what he does. A good performance is all I expect from any actor. Aside: I noticed that James Barbour is in Phantom now. He has certainly had his share of "troubles" but I adore his voice and enjoy him on stage regardless. Talent is talent. |
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suefb
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Post by suefb on Apr 18, 2015 11:01:12 GMT -5
I didn't mean to sound critical of your remark, which really did make me laugh. Just relating the odd coincidence that I read this article about him right after sharing this funny joke. He does tend to play similar character types (well), and it was funny to imagine he's the same "person" in real life. Then I learned more about him and realized of course that there is more to him than meets the eye. Anyway. Actually, here is the article: www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/04/kelsey-grammer-sister-death-finding-neverland |
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 20, 2015 9:49:45 GMT -5
Being outside of her demographic following, I was not really familiar with Vanessa Hudgens, except for associating her name with Disney stuff like HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. After seeing her in GIGI, I think she should stick to Disney. I found her amateurish. High energy is not a substitute for talent on stage. What saved the evening for me were the score (of course) and the performances of the old pros, Victoria Clark (as Mamita), Dee Hoty as Gigi's great-aunt and Howard McGillin (the Phantom on B'way for many years) as Honore (the Maurice Chevalier role in the classic movie). The writers tried to make the story of a teen's training as a courtesan palatable for contemporary audiences by making Gaston (a too-juvenile Corey Cott, late of NEWSIES) closer in age to Gigi, thereby making him unbelievable as a well-known playboy/man-about-town. Basically a misfire IMHO.
LIVING ON LOVE is admittedly a slight farce with predictable jokes, but I found myself enjoying it more than I did GIGI. Opera singer Renee Fleming is the tempestuous, insecure diva married to an ego-bloated maestro (the fabulously funny Douglas Sills), both of whom decide to hire ghost writers for their respective memoirs. Each in their insecurities (Fleming fears aging, Sills is jealous of Leonard Bernstein) tries to engage his or her writer as a paramour, with predictable results. Jerry O'Connell has a funny shirtless scene, and Anna Chlumsky is a spunky would-be editor. Fleming sings a little, as do the couple's two male servants, all delightfully. A plus: the very cute Pomeranian from BULLETS OVER BROADWAY also appears in this play as Fleming's pet. Go, Trixie, go!
P.S.--The Gyllenhaal LITTLE SHOP tickets have been sold.
Ellen
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jo
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Post by jo on Apr 20, 2015 23:53:49 GMT -5
I thought the Broadway GIGI would not fly either.
How can you replace Leslie Caron ( with her gamin French charm), Louis Jordan ( with his wordly French charm), and Maurice Chevalier ( with his ageless French bonhomie and charm) with someone like Vanessa Hudgens et al?
Had Marion Cottilard been much younger, maybe she could have brought the character of GIGI to the Broadway stage. She was a great Edith Piaf but can also play coy beautifully.
The title song is beautiful!
Jo
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 23, 2015 21:48:20 GMT -5
Yes, that is a gorgeous song. My mother used to sing that around the house when I was a child. Such a wonderful memory.
Speaking of things French, on a whim I decided to try rushing AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. It is beautifully put together with evocative scenery, creative staging, that classic Gershwin score, beautiful performances and above all glorious choreography that makes the most of the ballet stars in some major roles. Plus, one of my faves, Max von Essen, is featured. Lovely evening.
Ellen
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Post by foxie on Apr 24, 2015 7:10:35 GMT -5
Hmm GiGi sounded so good!I love Corey Cott he was so fantastic in Newsies sort of thought he was sort of a young Hugh!!
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Post by JH4HJ on Apr 24, 2015 10:08:18 GMT -5
Speaking of things French, on a whim I decided to try rushing AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. It is beautifully put together with evocative scenery, creative staging, that classic Gershwin score, beautiful performances and above all glorious choreography that makes the most of the ballet stars in some major roles. Plus, one of my faces, Max von Essen, is featured. Lovely evening. [ Plus, one of my faves, Max von Essen - guessing you meant "faves" not "faces" here] I enjoyed this show enormously, but the one thing that didn't "jive" for me was the costumes for the final ballet. While the ballet itself was excellent, I didn't appreciate what I will describe as geometrically pattered bathing suits and pool-boy outfits. I "get" the reference to previous art designs seen on stage, just not why the bold primary colors and basic shapes were so very prominent on the dance corps for this number. They neither complimented the leads' attire nor suited the rest of the production IMHO. Curious - did it all blend well for you, or stick out like a sore thumb as it did for me? Minus that little quibble, I thought this was a wonderful show. Excellent performances, fabulous score, stunning dancing - thoroughly enjoyable adaptation (quite different from the movie). I hope to see them at The Tonys. BTW: loved your friend Max's big Radio City number. . . reminded me of someone I know. |
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 24, 2015 10:26:45 GMT -5
LOL, typos occur often when I'm creating a message on a phone late at night while riding a shaky bus home after a show. Thanks for pointing it out, Valerie; all fixed now. Wouldn't it be something if Hugh did a Radio City show, a la Peter Allen?
I managed to get the last rush seat at 6:30 p.m. They gave me first row balcony, left side, second seat in. Totally unobstructed and a great view to drink in the entire of range of movement on stage as well as appreciate the full scenic design.
I also thought the final ballet costumes and color choices were a bit jarring, more appropriate for a number featuring "By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea" rather than classic Gershwin jazz--but so it goes. Maybe a Picasso influence was to be inferred?
One other aspect annoyed me slightly--the Woody Allen-ing of the narrator, Adam. I could have done without the over-the-top physical gestures and stereotypical, exaggerated Brooklynese inflections, which I thought unnecessarily diminished the integrity of the character a little.
An observation: I was seated around a lot of what looked like college students. When Adam mentioned Oscar Levant--a reference to the real-life pianist, raconteur, close friend of Gershwin and interpreter of his music, and who was in the film of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS--I laughed. Around me, just stony silence, no indication of recognition. I guess younger people today have never heard of Levant.
Ellen
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Post by JH4HJ on Apr 24, 2015 11:39:10 GMT -5
I agree. The narrator was a bit over done. No idea why. I blame the director not the actor. It was unnecessary and did not contribute in any way to the show. I "got" it; I did not need to be hit over the head with it, but I got used to it and it did not detract from my enjoyment.
I think the geometric designs referred back to the earlier art show scene, but again were a bit more than was needed to make the point. The primary colors were *too* primary (a la comic book characters) and the beach/pool attire was incongruous with the rest of the show, but they most certainly made the two leads (in basic black with red accents, for the most part) stand out from the crowd. Ah well, a minor quibble. The dance itself was marvelous.
I also remember Oscar Levant, from the Amer in Paris film, and many others. He was an outrageous wit.
There were people of various ages seated near me but, like you, I was the only one who laughed at that line.
Here are just a few of his prolific bon mots:
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 24, 2015 13:54:22 GMT -5
Yes! The first quip you list is probably his most quoted. When I was a child, staying up late on Friday nights at my grandparents' place was a treat. They would watch Jack Paar's various primetime or late-night shows, on which Oscar Levant was a frequent guest.
Ellen
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Post by foxie on Apr 24, 2015 15:46:59 GMT -5
Well I was thinking of AIP next or on the town so AIP is worth it?
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 27, 2015 0:07:24 GMT -5
You can't go wrong with either show, Carol. But just a caveat: both are dance heavy and geared to lovers of ballet. There are times when a non-fan of ballet might feel a little fidgety.
My daughter gave me an early Mothers Day present: tickets to today's matinee of HAMILTON. The lyrics, rhymes and beats are clever and catchy. The entire show is really a tour-de-force for its creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays the title role. Leslie Odom, Jr., is a multi-dimensional Aaron Burr, and Jonathan Groff is hilarious as King George. Hugh recently put this show on his all-time top five. I don't know that I would go so far as to say that, but most of HAMILTON was certainly exhilarating with top-notch direction and performances. The choreography is just about perfect. Act I was amazing; Act II could use a little cutting. But it is a spectacular achievement for Miranda. My daughter, who is not exactly an avid theatergoer, was enthralled. It runs one more week Off-Broadway, retools for a couple of months, then opens on Broadway in the summer.
Samantha Barks, who attended the show the other evening with Hugh, Deb & Russell Crowe, must have liked it so much that a return visit was deemed imminent. She was there today with an older woman who I thought might be her mother. Also in the audience were composer-lyricist Mark Shaiman, B'way actress Linda Hart (she was the ex-Ms. Baltimore Crabs in the original production of Shaiman's HAIRSPRAY) and Rita Moreno. After the show I said to the erstwhile WEST SIDE STORY star, "You look beautiful, Ms. Moreno." (She did!) She smiled and said, "Thank you for not saying, 'Ms. Rivera.'" LOL! I told her I would never make that infamous mistake. She laughed.
Ellen
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Post by foxie on Apr 27, 2015 7:59:00 GMT -5
Thanks Ellen!Still dreaming of The King of I. New review in Press yesterday it was great except they said one flaw Ken Watabe who trys but doesn't cut it yet!
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