Gigi Previews- Page 5

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 10:17pm

Someone above said they updated the story? Is that true?

[Kad]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 10:31pm

It's a totally new book.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 3/28/15 at 11:48pm

The staging of "The Letter" into the beautiful transition to "Say a Prayer" is worth the entire evening. As someone else said Natasha Katz design is one of the most cohesive ones I've seen. The backlighting in the latter song framed Clark's heart felt rendition beautifully.

[James2]

Posted: 3/30/15 at 1:20pm

Has anyone heard anything new about whether Howard McGillin has been signing at the stage door after not doing so the first night?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/30/15 at 1:59pm

It's an adapted version to make the musical more accessible to a new generation, and it worked perfectly. I paid full price to see this and it was worth every penny.

[broadfan327]

Posted: 3/30/15 at 11:18pm

I saw it tonight, and I haven't been that bored by a musical in a long time. I agree with pretty much all of the criticisms I just read in the thread. I was not familiar with anything to do with Gigi before seeing it tonight.

Updated On: 3/31/15 at 11:18 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:01am

I saw it tonight also. Fairly traditional, pretty ordinary and to me, mostly boring...well maybe not boring but dull.

Yes. Victoria Clark was fabulous, Vanessa was adorable (though I am not sure why she was directed to use the accent she uses - which IMO gets worse as her character ages), Corey was fine but at least 10 years too young for the part...everyone else what what you would expect. My daughter saw this with me and she was confused about the plot in act 2.

I am sure this will appeal to some and not to others..it's that kind of show. Me..I am glad I went on a comp ticket.

(The orchestra did sound fabulous and there is a violinist that has to hit this super high note in the middle of act 2 that was noteworthy. I wouldn't want to sub in the pit for that note..I would be a nervous wreck..LOL)

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:22am

I'm shocked...
After Eight STILL hasn't condemned it yet.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 12:52am

I loved Vanessa's accent. It's extremely sophisticated and refined.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 7:11am

AfterEight wrote elsewhere on the board that he liked it.

[RW3]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 2:18pm

The cast will be performing tomorrow morning on Live with Kelly and Michael. Separately, Corey Cott kind of called out a bootlegger on Twitter.

[Judith84]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 4:40pm

Has anyone rushed this yet? Or know what seats they are offering for rush?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 4:47pm

They have a rush, but there is a long line and they don't sell the remaining tickets even if they're not sold out for the performance. Which wasn't a big deal to me, because the show was worth a full price ticket.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/31/15 at 4:49pm

The rush seats are orchestra seats on the sides. The view is obstructed(I have seen the show twice, once I paid full price, once with rush tickets), the full price tickets obviously were much better. But not saying anything new there.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 1:54am

I went this past Friday and got a rush ticket around 5:30/6pm, and it says on their website that they sell rush tickets starting three hours prior to performance. I was K22 in the orchestra, and could see everything except the extreme far right side of the staircase.

James - Howard signed the night I saw the show.

[skeetshooter]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 4:57am

Come Tony season it may be Vicki Clark walking down that staircase for the final star bow. Her singing and acting carry the show from a supporting role. She and Hoty are exquisite in "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"; terrific take on that song because they have given it charm.

Cott is magnificent as Gaston. McGillin has obvious talent but I wish he would loosen up and provide his performance of Honore with levels of nuance, heart, charm. Regret has got to lead to his last confrontation with Gaston and Gigi at Maxim's to spur them to a better life, or what's the point of all his back and forth with Mamita. It's there to be drawn from the book but it's not quite coming through yet. He could play the "I remember it well" number as though he is testing Mamita to see if she remembers, play around with it, a bon vivant doesn't have to play johnny one note all the time, and can even have an existential, serious moment or two, discovering, then discarding the moment.

Strong part is the vocals. Hudgens miscast as Gigi but the audience thought her fine. Missing inocence, vulnerability, grace. Hasn't the operatic quality in her voice or acting chops that others in the show possess, more a common pop belter. (I found myself wondering if they picked her because Cott is not very tall and she is short. Obviously not, she is some Disney name, but the pairing made that cross my mind. Cott can play against an actress taller than himself easily; he is that good, no one will care.)

Weakest part of the show is the first 20 minutes which are dull and boring. Don't have the orchestra just playing music before the curtain, open the curtain immediately to some evening charming street or SUBTLE park scene in silhouette, something. Clean up and quicken all that snoreworthy dialogue at the beginning. Mamita and Honore need to move around (not just sit) and beef up their first scene so we get more hint what's gone/going on with them.

But after dull start, the show does come alive, led by Vicki Clark, the others entwining in her charismatic mistique, her je ne sais quoi, which, interestingly, captures the essence of the French soul.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 2:45pm

I'm a huge fan of An American in Paris and Gigi both (as movies). I was disappointed by An American in Paris because the new plot they laid on top of the show has a deflating effect. What was fizzy and fun is now saddled with a WWII storyline that doesn't really work. Still, there's beautiful dancing throughout, and the show isn't without its charms.

 

Then last night I saw Gigi, hoping it would be the 1950s movie musical that really held up. Nope! Good Lord, what a mess they've made. They took the already watered down version of Gigi in the movie and then cleaned it up further to the extent that they don't actually seem to have a plot in the entire first act. By the time things actually start to happen in the second act, it's just coming out of nowhere that they're talking about contracts to be mistresses.

 

Add in that Vanessa Hudgens is wildly miscast and can't pull off whatever accent she's trying to do OR the little girl antics she's stuck pulling for the first act and a half. She fares moderately better as the grown up Gigi, but even then she still doesn't have the right kind of voice for the part. I don't think she's without talent, but her talents and those needed for the role seem to not have any crossover. I know that some here are in love with Corey Cott's performance, and I understand--he has a lovely voice and performs well. But he's wildly wrong for the part, coming across very young and not at all like a man who plays at relationships and toys with women. His youth gives him no arc to play.

 

I thought there were about four great minutes of choreography (the "Gossip" number fared best), and Clark & McGillin's two duets soared. Beyond that, it just failed again and again. Worst of all was the bizarrely re-appropriated "Thank Heaven for Little Girls." If you think the song is too creepy, then cut it. Don't divvy it up to be performed by two women for whom the lyrics barely make any sense. "These women might have a fondness and nostalgia for young girls," the creators seemed to think. "Just give them the song! Who cares about the rest of the lyrics. People will only pay attention to the title anyway, right?" Wrong.

 

What a chore to sit through. I'm tempted to say it would be better if you're not at all familiar with Gigi, but then I wonder what you think the plot of the show is for the first hour and a half.

[RW3]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 4:31pm

As far as TV performances, I think Gigi is killing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noGV5VGQUmw

 

Updated On: 4/1/15 at 04:31 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:44pm

Vanessa was fantastic here! Her giggling got annoying and she sounded too popish in some of her belting though. But, still very strong 

[seahag2]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:52pm

Just watched Vanessa's performance on Live with Kelly and Michael. Perhaps it was just a bad performance but I wasn't impressed with Vanessa. Seemed very shouty and the wrong style for this particular show. The costumes were lovely though.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:58pm

^eh, I agree not a fan such a boring number and the staging so elementary, yawn...I just don't get Vanessa.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 12:13am

Was she lip syncing or are my speakers just messed up? It didn't sound very natural, IMO but I haven't seen the show. Either way, I thought it was a pretty bland performance.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 10:07am

oh please, it was absolutely live.

[evic]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 10:16am

Haven't seen the show yet, but Vanessa is gorgeous, talented and full of charisma on those TV clips.  Cott is pretty easy on the eyes too.  Wish her and the show well.  She looks like she is having a great time.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 11:07am

It was a live vocal to a recorded orchestra track.  If you still have any doubts, listen at 3:55 when she drops down to sing to the sunbather, or at 4:02-4:06 as she runs around with stage business.  There are imperfections to her vocal that come with singing live and performing the staging.  

TV studios are generally dry and dead sounding, so a live vocal is given ambience by the TV show's sound department, who are usually learning on the spot to achieve a decent mix between the live vocal and the recorded orchestra track.  It's never going to sound quite like the sound mixing that happens in the theatre, as the sound department at a theatre is mixing the show every night and knows it inside and out.

Not all Broadway show TV performances have live vocals.  Macy's always has prerecorded vocals.   The Tony Awards sometimes has a mix of live principal vocals but pre-recorded ensemble vocals.  But the morning and late night talk shows generally feature live singing.  Both the GMA and Live with Kelly Gigi appearances were entirely live vocals.  

Updated On: 4/2/15 at 11:07 AM