Heathers: The Musical Appreciation Thread - Page 2

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 11:16am

Once they announced their closing, people rushed to see it or see it again. That happens a lot when shows close. But before that, they couldn't give tickets away. And I'm not being mean, they actually couldn't.

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 11:18am

Heathers isn't going away. Even a tour would be an unsound investment- this one will make a killing in regionals and amateur, more than it would in a long engagement anywhere.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 12:26pm

Jordan I'm pretty sure they could give tickets away if they wanted too, the show struggled for the last month and half but was selling fine before that, not selling out at all but healthy. This show will have a huge life regional and it very much deserves it, the score is fantastic.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 12:41pm

Oh, that's right. You know more than I do about everything especially the amount of comps given out for particular shows.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 12:46pm

I'd be surprised if it lasted any longer in amateur or regional theatres than the flat musical of Saved did. (I may be wrong about Saved - perhaps it's still popular with regional groups, but I haven't heard about it for several years.)

Updated On: 8/4/14 at 12:46 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 1:00pm

I don't think Saved has seen a single production other than its initial run in NYC. It never even received a recording.

I think Heathers is in a far better position to have a regional life.

Updated On: 8/4/14 at 01:00 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 1:10pm

The writers and Gary Griffin tried to "fix" Saved at Kansas City Rep a few years after the NYC production.

The recording of Heathers probably will give it a leg up; I just didn't think it was any better than Saved (or a host of other second or third-tier silly Off-Broadway movie/genre rip-offs).

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 2:13pm

Heathers was also a much more popular movie, and the musical has credits from two notable composers of cult musicals. Saved had... A vaguely recognizable title.

[jbroadway4]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 3:47pm

I'm so sad to see this show go. It is my favorite musical. I hope it transfers (even though it's a long shot). Hopefully they will record it, like they did with "Shrek"!

[jawjuhh]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 6:04pm

Just wanted to share this cute video that the Heathers team made. I knew I wasn't the only one thinking about Avenue Q puppet sex during Dead Girl Walking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlWx5Q_5Q8c

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 6:43pm

I saw the show last night for the first time. The show was an absolute blast, likely helped by the riotous "rock concert" audience the cast was playing to. The stage door was the worst controlled I have ever seen, as more of the cast came out it became less "stage door" and more "mosh pit".

I did however get to chat with Andy Fickman at intermission, and Lawrence O'Keefe at the stage door, both gave the general vibe that the show is not transferring. To quote O'Keefe "We want to come back here, so we need to make a lot of noise on twitter"

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 6:56pm

"Hopefully they will record it, like they did with "Shrek"!"

They tend to do that when the show is still running, though, not after the fact or, in the case of Of Mice and Men and The Nance, I believe, tacking special shows after the official end of the run to tape it in front of non-paying audiences.

"the show struggled for the last month and half but was selling fine before that, not selling out at all but healthy."

With 50% off discount codes and a good chunk of student rush, sure, but not as many full priced tickets as they would have liked. Updated On: 8/4/14 at 06:56 PM

[jbroadway4]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 10:00pm

Is anyone there tonight? Please report back!

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 10:03pm

I've seen on Twitter that it's like a rock concert... So good to hear!

[BroadwayBryce]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 11:37pm

The applause as the show started was absolutely deafening! The cast was completely on fire and some of the cast, mainly Jessica keenan Wynn, really hammed it up for the last show and gave amazing performances. The stage door was absolutely crazy but the whole cast made sure to sign everyone's playbills and stayed for pictures and to talk.

[The Josh]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:10am

Saw tonight's show. It was my first introduction to Heathers, I knew nothing of the musical and have never seen the movie. That said, I thought it was a blast. The audience went wild after every number. Really an amazing night. I doubt it'll make it to Broadway, it probably wouldn't last long, but I think in a year or two, community theaters and colleges will be doing it all over.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:26am

It is not transferring, no way no how.
The audience, regardless of size, has always been very raucous.. At least the the few times I saw it. Always cheers when the lights went down, always screams when the iconic moments and lines came.. And Wynn is absolute perfection.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:32am

No real surprise that the closing performance was a rowdy lovefest, seemed pretty obvious that would be the case all along, no?!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 1:42am

Anyone having dinner at Blockheads or Mother. Burger tonight were treated to a constant flow of MANY people in Heathers tee shirts and full out Heathers costumes heading toward New World Stages as curtain time approached.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 2:49am

RIP Heathers.

There was a terrific show in there, unfortunately, it was the wrong one.

I think O'Keefe is one of the best composer/lyricists working today, and his "Legally Blonde" is a terrific piece of craftsmanship.

But "Heathers" the musical missed the point.

The opening number, "Beautiful", is GORGEOUS, and has nothing to do with the character of Veronica. She doesn't want to be beautiful. She wants to fit in, which she does, because she's smart, and the Heathers are beautiful and stupid. That opening number weakens her character. The opening number should have been way snarkier, and set the tone for what was to come.

The other big problem was the score vs. the book.

If you listen to the cast albums of "My Fair Lady," or "Gypsy," or "The Music Man," you can understand the plot without the book.

If you listen to "Heathers", the cast album, and you didn't see the show or know the film, you would have NO idea what's going on. The plot rests entirely in the book, and not in the songs. The songs are TERRIFIC, the lyrics are smart as hell, but they service nothing.

I think it was just overthought. Perhaps Veronica really wants to be "Beautiful," but that song just makes her a really generic heroine, and not the Veronica that Winona Rider put forth in the flick. The opening scene in the film, with the croquet mallets and her head sticking out of the grass, sets the tone for the whole movie. The opening of the musical sets the tone of "Carrie," a misfit who wants to fit in. Veronica is not a misfit, she's a smart girl who, rather inadvertently, uses the situation she is in to put herself in a better position.

I still adore the cast album. I think there is amazing craft there. I just think it misses the story.

[missthemountains]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 4:03pm

I have to disagree with you. I think Larry O'Keefe is actually a pretty mediocre composer and that HEATHERS definitely shines as his best work. I think that Beautiful, Meant To Be Yours, Seventeen and Dead Girl Walking are some of the best new musical numbers out there, in terms of new musicals.

I think the problem with HEATHERS is that it was largely a product of its time and really worked within the cultural frame of the 80's. I think the point of HEATHERS, the original film, was to make a really black comedy commenting on the vapid teen films being made at that time. Whereas the musical was certainly rooted in ditaticism, much like CARRIE, spelling out to the audience "Don't be mean to people, we're only seventeen once!" I also think humanizing JD to the extent that he was and making everyone live in the end (though I realize it is this way in the film too) were both big mistakes. Retrospectively, I also think Martha ended up being a really flat character, in spite of Kindergarten Boyfriend being a wonderful song.

That being said, I was able to enjoy the musical in a very different way - and I think many others did as well. I sincerely hope this becomes licensed, and that if and when it is, it doesn't follow the CARRIE route. It makes me sick to think productions are being staged out there without any acknowledgement of the original film or book.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 5:12pm

Ziggy, you and I respond to the opening number Beautiful in entirely different ways. I don't remember one reference to the word "beautiful" as meaning pretty, like the Heathers. Veronica is telling us that life can be beautiful, and we can be beautiful, if we treat each other better, which is is the overall theme of the show.
I thought the show had tonal problems and design catastrophes. But the opening didn't bug me at all.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 6:12pm

A side note, it appeared on Sunday night that there was an extra cast member on in the show. Matthew Schatz was announced as being on as Young Republican, but Cait Fairbanks appeared to be in, wearing Molly Hager's New Wave Party Girl costume.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 8:13pm

My friend was there last night and said they did see cameras filming the performance! It's probably for archival purposes, but, damn, would I love to get my hands on a copy of it.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 8/5/14 at 8:19pm

I heard that video of the curtain call will be posted for the public.