Topic: WHEN I'M SIXTY-TWO (Read 27303 times)

George · « **Reply #270 on:** December 08, 2009, 08:05:31 PM »

PAGE 10 IT'S-FREAKIN'-16°-FAHRENHEIT-IN-TUMWATER-RIGHT-NOW DANCE!!

16° Fahrenheit!!

George · « **Reply #271 on:** December 08, 2009, 08:07:40 PM »

And on that note (F-natural...naturally), I'm going home to what I hope to be my toasty warm house.

Until later!

vixmom · « **Reply #272 on:** December 08, 2009, 08:12:49 PM »

Keep Warm VIBES for the likes of George & TCB and The Toby Clan

Cillaliz · « **Reply #273 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:12:36 PM »

It's 12 degrees here - windchill is -9. It's going to get cold tomorrow.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #274 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:14:41 PM »

Good Evening!

I'm back from The World Famous Apollo Theater, and... Well...

I liked Dreamgirls. But I wish I had liked it more. It's a very good production, but I just felt it seemed a bit too by the numbers. The book of Dreamgirls has never been it's strongest point, and I don't think making "Listen" (from the movie of "Dreamgirls") into a "plot point" really worked. It was just a lot of (new) words. A lot.

Part of the core of Dreamgirls is the friction between "true talent" and "manufactured and manipulated fame", and I felt the overall slickness of the production muted the heart and soul of the show. Yes, the LED walls which serve as the "set" are quite impressive. In fact, I'd have to say it's one of the best uses of technology I've seen on a stage in a long time: the opening ten seconds of the show actually gave me goosebumps right off the bat. It's quite a simple "light show", but it packs a good "Wow!". However, I then found myself wondering just how and where the walls would be used next. The technology quickly became distracting especially with some of the more "choreographed" sequences - I could tell that the "click track" had kicked in. The same thing happened with the multiple quick-change costume sequences. I could sense that they were being set up; they did not come as a surprise to me.

During intermission, I found myself trying to be as enthusiastic as my friend, Jason, who offered me the ticket. And after the show, I'm guessing my very level-headed reaction to the show may have been a bit too evident too, but... Ah, well...

There were also a number of sound issues tonight too: some low-level feedback every now and then, and some very noticeable "his/her mic is not up" moments too. I also found the balance between the band and the singers to favor the band - which, in this show, is saying something. Alas, with the way the band is set up, it's all piped in. It's always a bit disheartening when you can't hear the trumpets acoustically. Anyway...

I'm glad I go the chance to see the show. Jason was given the tickets by a friend of his who wasn't able to use them tonight, and we ended up in the Orchestra, Fifth Row Center, On The Aisle. Great seats. Ideal seats. *The four seats next to us actually remained empty. I'm guessing there were premium seats that weren't sold. It is a good show. There are some great voices. There are some good moments.

And I'll stop rambling and reviewing now. But...

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #275 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:24:58 PM »

RANT AHEAD!

There was NO acknowledgment or bow for the band during the curtain call!?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!? Yes, for the most part, the band is offstage, but there are a couple of times where the "core band" is revealed on stage. The audience knows there are real people "back there".

And the cast is given quite a generous curtain call! Ensemble bow followed by individual bows. Then once the Bow Music stops, the leads take another set of individual bows. Then another group bow. -That's when I thought the would acknowledge the pit.... Well... The band started the playout music, the cast started waving goodbye and walking off-stage, and the house lights came up.

That oversight(?) actually ruined the whole evening for me. I'm actually still a little pissed about it. I did happen to run into the conductor after the show, and my only question to him was, "Where was the band bow?". He didn't know where it was either.

There is a LOT of Music in Dreamgirls. I'd have to say it rivals Sweeney Todd in the brevity and scarcity of "book only, dialogue only" scenes. The music is non-stop for the first 20 minutes of the show!!! The least the director and producers could have done is to provide a simple "Vanna" to the band!

END OF RANT. -If that was a rant?

OY!

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #276 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:28:49 PM »

Quote from: George on December 08, 2009, 08:05:31 PM

PAGE 10 IT'S-FREAKIN'-16°-FAHRENHEIT-IN-TUMWATER-RIGHT-NOW DANCE!!

16° Fahrenheit!!

and 18 degrees colder in Fargo

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #277 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:28:50 PM »

In other news...

Here are the details about the record-breaking fund-raising totals for this year's Gypsy of the Year courtesy of Playbill.com:

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig made a unique place for themselves in the history of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraising Dec. 8, when it was announced that they had raised $1,549,953 in the 21st annual Gypsy of the Year competition in six weeks of curtain appeals at their hit Broadway drama, A Steady Rain.

The figure is not only the most ever collected by a single show in the history of BC/EFA fundraisers, but totaled more than was raised in entire Broadway-wide Gypsy of the Year events in any of its first nine years. To a standing ovation, Jackman thanked "all [the people] we bullied, cajoled and slept with" to collect the money.

The Steady Rain bonanza boosted the 2009 Gypsy of the Year total to a record $4,630,695, far outdistancing the previous record of $3,927,000 set in pre-Recession 2007.

Chicago Wins Gypsy of the Year; Steady Rain Smashes Fundraising Record

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #278 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:29:12 PM »

Great news Vixmom... all the best

bk · « **Reply #279 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:30:05 PM »

Finished with my viewing, and dear reader Sam just stopped by and brought me a nice birthday balloon and some gummy candies - very sweet.

bk · « **Reply #280 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:33:02 PM »

I have no interest in any production of Dreamgirls where anyone on the creative team would think it was a good idea to add Listen to the show - it was awful in the movie and I have no doubt would be even worse in the show. And then I saw Mr. Longbottom's "staging" of Steppin' To The Bad Side and it was horrible, especially when compared to Mr. Bennett and Mr. Peters' original staging, which was one of the greatest musical numbers I've ever seen on the stage. Both can be viewed on YouTube.

DAW · « **Reply #281 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:33:13 PM »

DR JoseSPiano - thanks for the detailed theatre reportage!

DAW · « **Reply #282 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:34:01 PM »

Congratulations to Laura DR on her latest HHW posting milestone!!

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #283 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:35:23 PM »

Quote from: DAW on December 08, 2009, 09:33:13 PM

DR JoseSPiano - thanks for the detailed theatre reportage!

You're welcome, DR DAW. I just wish I was able to have been a bit more positive in my opinion.

bk · « **Reply #284 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:35:42 PM »

This has been one of the oddest birthdays I've ever had, and yet, oddly enough, I really liked it. Very few people called (my daughter being one of the few), but I got an amazing number of wishes on Facebook from really nice people who said really nice things, and seeing what they wrote made me think that I might have done and am doing something worthwhile in life. And that automatically makes it an aces birthday.

DAW · « **Reply #285 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:35:49 PM »

~~~STAY WARM VIBES~~~ to those DRs as needs 'em!!!!

DAW · « **Reply #286 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:37:58 PM »

Quote from: bk on December 08, 2009, 09:30:05 PM

gummy candies

For some reason I read "gummy candles," and I was wondering how, exactly, that would work!

DAW · « **Reply #287 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:40:07 PM »

Quote from: bk on December 08, 2009, 09:35:42 PM

made me think that I might have done and am doing something worthwhile in life.

No question about it!

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #288 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:48:40 PM »

Quote from: bk on December 08, 2009, 09:33:02 PM

I have no interest in any production of Dreamgirls where anyone on the creative team would think it was a good idea to add Listen to the show - it was awful in the movie and I have no doubt would be even worse in the show. And then I saw Mr. Longbottom's "staging" of Steppin' To The Bad Side and it was horrible, especially when compared to Mr. Bennett and Mr. Peters' original staging, which was one of the greatest musical numbers I've ever seen on the stage. Both can be viewed on YouTube.

I'm wondering if there's already a YouTube of the new "Listen" somewhere. It really is quite awful, imho. Of course, there were hoots and hollers from the audience, but I guess they were paying more attention to the vocal pyrotechnics going on, rather than the clumsy and forced lyrics. At least in the movie, "Listen" was a "pop song". In this new version of Dreamgirls, it's been re-fashioned as a duet where 1) Deena asks for forgiveness from Effie, 2) Effie tells Deena that she should have never hooked up with Curtis in the first place, 3) Effie tells Deena that she survived by listening to her inner-self, 4) Effie tells Deena that she sold out by not listening to her own inner-voice, 5) Effie tells Deena that she needs to leave Curtis ASAP, 6) Deena agrees with Effie, and 6) Effie and Deena reconcile with each other. Like I said earlier: a lot of words. A lot.

As for the staging... I've liked Shane Sparks' choreography on "So You Think You Can Dance?" and elsewhere, but I felt he relied too much on "step routines" throughout the show - at least when he had to choreograph the men's ensemble. However, I didn't find anything all that new and innovative in the staging, in general. The spirit of Michael Bennet seems to have supervised the production. Even the LED walls just seemed like an updated version of the original Periaktoi (towers).

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #289 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:54:22 PM »

OH!!!!!

There was also one truly LOL moment for me during the closing moments of the show...

As the Dreams begin to sing their penultimate number, "Hard to Say Goodbye", the walls part, and the band platform moves downstage. The core, "live" band is on the center platform, and flanking them on either side is the ensemble... Fake-playing instruments. The men are holding the horns. The women are holding violins. WHY?!?!? -Especially when the cool string "noodles" were cut.

*But maybe the producers thought that that moment would substitute for the band bow? $:-\$

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #290 on:** December 08, 2009, 09:59:40 PM »

DR JRand - To respond to your Facebook query: Yes, Bernadette still had hers.

DAW · « **Reply #291 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:01:55 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 08, 2009, 09:48:40 PM

a duet where 1) Deena asks for forgiveness from Effie, 2) Effie tells Deena that she should have never hooked up with Curtis in the first place, 3) Effie tells Deena that she survived by listening to her inner-self, 4) Effie tells Deena that she sold out by not listening to her own inner-voice, 5) Effie tells Deena that she needs to leave Curtis ASAP, 6) Deena agrees with Effie, and 6) Effie and Deena reconcile with each other.

Are you kidding me??

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #292 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:08:17 PM »

Quote from: DAW on December 08, 2009, 10:01:55 PM

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 08, 2009, 09:48:40 PM
a duet where 1) Deena asks for forgiveness from Effie, 2) Effie tells Deena that she should have never hooked up with Curtis in the first place, 3) Effie tells Deena that she survived by listening to her inner-self, 4) Effie tells Deena that she sold out by not listening to her own inner-voice, 5) Effie tells Deena that she needs to leave Curtis ASAP, 6) Deena agrees with Effie, and 6) Effie and Deena reconcile with each other.

Are you kidding me??

I wish I was. When I saw the placement of the song, I could tell it had been set up to be a joint 11:00 number. However, what I was not expecting was the amount of plot that put onto the song. I knew that a new lyric had been written, but I didn't realize it was going to serve as dialogue too. It would have worked so much better if had been more confrontational - "Listen.. No... Listen to me!", or if it had just been kept as a solo number. Or if it had just been not included at all. -I mean, it can't even be used as an audition song in its current state. Just too much information.

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #293 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:08:23 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 08, 2009, 09:24:58 PM

There was NO acknowledgment or bow for the band during the curtain call!?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!?

Susan Stroman found the solution to this problem for CONTACT

der Brucer

The part of the revival of WONDERFUL TOWN I most enjoyed was having the music-makers front and center.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #294 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:10:13 PM »

In other news...

I did happen to meet up with briefly with DR Julie before the Gypsy of the Year...

Thank You, DR Julie!!

*I had actually sort of decided to keep walking around the city for a bit since it was a nice sunny day, but a few minutes later, a gentleman came by asking if anyone wanted a (extra) ticket. So...

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #295 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:18:34 PM »

The absence of visable music-makers sure reduces the "intructional" opportunities for young kids in the audience.

der Brucer

Cillaliz · « **Reply #296 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:25:08 PM »

BK, Glad you liked your birthday and yes, you have done many wonderful things.

DAW · « **Reply #297 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:25:43 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 08, 2009, 10:10:13 PM

a gentleman came by asking if anyone wanted a (extra) ticket.

Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #298 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:27:53 PM »

Quote from: DAW on December 08, 2009, 10:25:43 PM

Quote from: JoseSPiano on December 08, 2009, 10:10:13 PM
a gentleman came by asking if anyone wanted a (extra) ticket.

Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?

Only between 41st and 52nd Streets.

Cillaliz · « **Reply #299 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:29:27 PM »

Time for this cowgirl to get some sleep...all of Iowa will be closed tomorrow...at least according to the weather channel, lol. I am going to sleep in. No one will be digging out as ling as the wind is howling.

News:

Author Topic: WHEN I'M SIXTY-TWO (Read 27303 times)

Cillaliz

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Cillaliz

DAW

Cillaliz