Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

#1Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

Finding Neverland took such a critical drubbing that when I saw it, I was pleasantly surprised,charmed and entertained.  With that in mind, I decided to see Gigi and make up my own mind in spite of the critic's misgivings. Pleasant songs right? How bad could it be?

The critics were kind. 

The opening number."Paris is Paris again."  What an insipid lyric. What was it Poughkeepsie last week? or perhaps Chagrin Falls Ohio but  now it's Paris again?

And everyone in Paris has their nose in the air and their ass stuck out? And this goes on interminably as I  stare and study the beautiful art nouveau  set by Derek MacClaine.  And I realize rule number 1 in musical theatre: the importance of an opening number.

Have we learned nothing from "Comedy Tonight" from Forum? Or" Hello" from Book of Mormon or "Opening Night" from the Producers or even "Oh what a beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma?

Then I realize, they had a good opening number. "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" cause they grow bigger every day. Isn't that the theme of the evening? But fearing pederesty and manful lust we now give that number to the Matronly  Aunts late in Act 1 making them seem like matronly lesbians.

And no one in this Paris has a personality. And I mean no one. Does director Eric Schaeffer not understand the Parisians?  All with faulty butts and noses?

Then we are introduced to the bland Honore La Chaille and the bland Gaston played respectively by Howard McGilland and Corey Cott. Thankfully, their buts arent out but their noses are in the air. They are about as French as  hot dogs.  Gaston in the film has done it all, seen it all been there done that kind of fellow.  A fellow of 35 or even 40. Here we have Corey Cott. He's bored at 25? Really?  Oh boy we are off to a rocky start. This is making less and less sense.

Then Gigi sings, I don't understand the Parisians. Either do I. Either does the director apparently.   Honore Lachalle seems like Mr. Rogers from Mr. Rogers neighborhood.

Nothing bordering on dramatic tension is in any of the scenes.

Back to studying the beautiful set and the nice costumes. Why does everyone seem like they are in a bad musical comedy?? The dialog is insipid; unfunny and undramatic. Everyone in the ensemble is schmacting. The leads are bland.

I saw it when I was five but where is Maurice Chevalier? Where is Hermione Gingold? Where is Jean Pierre Aumont? Where is Leslie Caron? Their charm and personalities all added an element of the European which is an element sadly missing from this misguided revival.

This is bad. Should I leave at intermission?

Act two opens with 1900 beach ware.  Things are livening up. Yes? "I never want to go home" is sung by Gigi and I wonder why I didn't lgo home at intermission.

Then Aunt Alicia reprises "Thank Heaven for Little girls" which didn't make sense the first time and yes "Paris is Paris again" is reprised. That's right... I am in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Not Paris

Then Gigi puts on a dress and suddenly she is a woman. And then she gets a mistress contract with Gaston who realizes he has been in love the whole time. Now Mamita and Aunt Alicia insist on a "Mistress" Contract.--kind of like a pre nup for a mistress or  a courtesan.    Aunt Alicia (another Parisian with her but out and nose in the air played by Dee Hoty) negotiates a strong mistress settlement.

But Gigi doesn't want to be a mistress. She doesn't want a mistress settlement.  She wants love and marriage and a baby carriage.  And no pre nup. Just like any romantic American Girl form Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

I don't understand the contract. I don't understand the Parisians. I don't understand the direction of this musical  and this Gigi production makes no sense whatsoever.

There was polite applause from the audience throughout.

I was appalled that the audience gave it a standing ovation when Vanessa Hudgins came out for her final bow.

This is not the actors' faults but a misguided misdirected misconceived miss rewritten miscast production. Not even the wonderful Victoria Clark fairs well.

I don't understand Parisians. i don't understand Broadway Audiences who have to stand up at medocrity.  I don't understand this Gigi. To quote a lyric,  did I mention "It's a bore" ?  Nice set.

#2Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

Many of Goldenboy's points are so valid, I stated them myself in the thread on GIGI REVIEWS. I agree with you, of course, so much so that I wish you had posted in the same thread so discussions could all live in one place about one show. 

#4Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

I wish I was in NYC right now.  I would love to see Zorba.

#6Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

"Festen" got a standing ovation. 

#8Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

Audiences are sheep.  I realized when I was a young theater-goer that anytime the dance chorus began to do high kicks [can-can], the audience would automatically applaud. Always. I'm not a dancer but it appeared to me that high kicks were not the most difficult thing that a dancer has to do. But it always got  a kind of Pavlovian applause. 

And a standing ovation was a wonderful thing - it only happened once in a great while and signified that the audience recognized that something exceptional had just happened.  Now it happens at the end of every performance. Boring.

#10Nominee for Worst Revival. Gigi. The importance of an opening number.

I've only lived during the time that standing ovations are obligatory. I usually just go with it whether or not I believe the show was very good (although I've sometimes done it with nothing but belief that the show I had just seen was wonderful).

As for applauding during a kick line or towards the end of the ensemble tap number, I just think it's a fun way of showing the dancers we appreciate them.