What's It All About: Bacharach Reimagined at NYTW

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/31/13 at 6:02pm

I just wanted to post that $20 tickets are available to the new revue What's It All About: Bacharach Reimagined, at the New York Theater Workshop. These are for the Sunday night shows. I believe it's cash only and must be bought at the box office. I don't know if there's a limit, but I purchased four. My seats are in the first row, and there is also on-stage couch seating for $20. I peeked into the theater, and the whole interior is being redone for this show, with staircases leading up from the stage and ramps around the perimeter of the seating area. The action takes place all around the audience, the box office rep told me. For $20, I'm game to try this out!



Updated On: 11/20/13 at 06:02 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 7:40am

Just bumping this up because it started previews last night, and it would be great to hear some reactions! I have tickets for December.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 9:41am

I saw it last night and thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic musical arrangements, great talent, great work by Hoggett.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:56pm

Mixed feelings. Love the Bacharach songbook and appreciate most of the reimagined interpretations. Kyle Riabko is definitely talented. Was not a fan of the over direction. Some pieces worked well, as in "Message to Michael" while others fell flat and corny, as in "Walk On By." Sections seemed choreographed just for the hell of it and for me, distracted from the mood of the song as opposed to complementing it.

I found myself expecting more emotion which never arrived. Still glad I saw it. Will tee up my Elvis Costello "Painted From Memory" album to fill the void.

90 minutes / no intermission.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/27/13 at 6:21pm

Is this is like an American Idiot style show with a song-through score and no book scenes or is it a jukebox show? or just a revue?

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/28/13 at 1:15am

There is no dramatic plot so it's not a jukebox.
I would call it a revue with heavy-handed lighting and choreography/movement/staging.

The inner stage spins 360'during several of the numbers.
Take Dramamine before you go.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/28/13 at 1:19am

But I mean is it a la American Idiot where they tried to have a story with the songs? Or is just a bunch of songs?

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/28/13 at 1:23am

No story.

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 9:56pm

I saw this tonight with two friends. Two of us liked it and one really hated it. She felt they "ruined all the songs." (I must say that we are not in the target demographic, which I presume is thirtysomethings and younger.) I think part of the problem is that the originals were so well done, beautifully sung by the top pop artists of the day, and expertly arranged. You're not starting with a lump of clay.

Kyle Riabko slowed down the songs too much for my taste. Some of them were beautiful and wistful, but after so many numbers in a row sounding that way, monotony set in. I liked the more uptempo Message to Michael, though, and the movement worked well. (Similar to the choreographer's work in Once.) I think that overall, Riabko sacrificed melody for the sake of percussion. The vocal lines were too often chopped up.

On the plus side, Riabko is an engaging stage presence, and he has surrounded himself with super talented vocalists and multi-instrumentalists (seven cast members in all). And they are all easy on the eyes, which makes me sound a bit shallow, I guess. I know feeling have been mixed about this show, and I'm not surprised that my small group was similarly split. And yes, we were serenaded by the cast outside in the street, all playing ukuleles. My friend commented that that number was the only one of the evening that she liked!
Updated On: 12/1/13 at 09:56 PM