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"Found" at Atlantic Theatre Company - Preview Thread

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"Found" at Atlantic Theatre Company - Preview Thread

FloydJoe2 Profile Photo
FloydJoe2
#1"Found" at Atlantic Theatre Company - Preview Thread
Posted: 9/18/14 at 2:22pm

Anyone going tonight? I'll be there in the next couple of weeks. I'll be curious as to how this is.

After Eight
#2Found
Posted: 9/19/14 at 12:57am

The one thing of value to be taken away from this unfortunate musical is to buy a paper shredder and use it. The unseemly premise of the show is that a trio of "entrepreneurs" find and go through other people's trash to find discarded letters, notes etc. They then publish them in a magazine, and read them aloud before none-too-bright audiences. There's also the tired and predictable storyline about selling out, betraying one's friends, etc. A witless affair, with some really painful musical numbers.

I had to guffaw when the trio make high-minded statements about honesty and integrity, never once realizing the moral odium of their invading other people's privacy and exploiting their feelings for personal gain.





Updated On: 9/19/14 at 12:57 AM

themysteriousgrowl Profile Photo
themysteriousgrowl
#2Found
Posted: 9/19/14 at 7:54am


You can always be counted on to provide a first review that necessitates everyone still waiting for a first review.


CHURCH DOOR TOUCAN GAY MARKETING PUPPIES MUSICAL THEATER STAPLES PERIOD OIL BITCHY SNARK HOLES

dexter3
#3Found
Posted: 9/19/14 at 10:04am

I actually read that review first and I was like "oh, damn!" and then I saw it was After Eight, and now I'm just like, "oh, whatever." That cantankerous whiny snob doesn't like anything. Let's wait for the real reviews.

Updated On: 9/19/14 at 10:04 AM

gleek4114 Profile Photo
gleek4114
#4Found
Posted: 9/19/14 at 10:42am

Does this show have a rush policy?

neonlightsxo
#5Found
Posted: 9/19/14 at 10:43am

They do a free ticket lotto on TodayTix and they have $20 seats in the back at every performance. You might have missed them as they usually sell fast.

All of this information is available on their website.
http://atlantictheater.org/playevents/found/

mjohnson2 Profile Photo
mjohnson2
#6Lost
Posted: 9/23/14 at 11:11pm

What a dull and pretentious show. The characters are presented as intellectual and working for the greater good when in fact they are completely morally bankrupt. There were thankfully few musical numbers, but every single one of them was absolutely horrible and painful to sit through. I really found nothing whatsoever to like about this show and it's probably one of the worst things I've seen in 2014 so far.


Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.
Updated On: 9/23/14 at 11:11 PM

dave1606
#7Lost
Posted: 9/26/14 at 12:01am

I saw this tonight and fall somewhere in the middle ground. I found the first act to be widley entertaining, a bit of musical madlibs or sketches from SNL. There is a scene (Johnny Tremain play) at the end of act 1 that had my laughing harder than I have laughed in months.

That said, this show is WAY too long. In no version should it have been 2 and half hours. There is material for 90 minutes and no more.

The notes are what are interesting, not the half baked Merrily We Roll Along-esque storyline that takes up most of act 2. I'd almost prefer a Forbidden Broadway/Whose Line Is it Anyway 90 minute show of just that.

The music is peppy enough, though all blends together. I could not sing you a note of it.

Again, I LOVED the cast. One of my biggest draws was seeing Danny Pudi from Community (#sixseasnosandamovie!), and while his part is not large, he does get some big laughs. My favorite was Christina Anthony, who had some VERY funny line readings. Nick Blaemire was a solid leading man, and I enjoyed Barrett Wilbert Weed who reminded me of Aubrey Plaza.

I'm always happy to see a new piece of musical theater, but I hope there are some serious cuts before this show opens.

dtzumbrunnen Profile Photo
dtzumbrunnen
#8Lost
Posted: 9/28/14 at 12:25pm

Saw this last night and enjoyed about 80% of it. The first act is fast-paced and enjoyable - having been a fan of PostSecret for years, the concept behind Found was right up my alley.

The use of projections to support each of the "finds" was great. Each one is sung or spoken by an ensemble member (who are all strong) as an insight into what one of the leads is thinking/feeling during the scene. The first few minutes of this was confusing - as the leads have names that don't match up to what's on the found notes...but after about 5 minutes the names in the found notes become white noise and you see what they're being used for clearly.

The friend relationship at the core of the story is in good hands with Nick Blaemire, Barrett Weed, and Daniel Everidge. The Aubrey Plaza comparison for Barrett is 100% accurate. Daniel is turning a fine performance as well (showing huge range from his excellent performance as Josh in Falling). And Nick is incredible. You relate to him, you love him, you hate him, you forgive him. His Jason Mraz/Ed Sheeran-ish turn during the Pi Song is fantastic!

The second act is less of a win - it seems like it's been tightened up compared to a few of the previous reviews - but it still doesn't feel as compelling as the first act. As Nick's character Davy sells out to Hollywood, sees his dreams mangled and misrepresented, and ultimately returns to his friends that helped him find happiness in the first place the pace feels contrived and a little too perfect - but I did enjoy the linkage in the Nick/Denise storyline to that of the first found item.

Betsy Morgan does an admirable job with the Kate character. The character itself needs some more depth to stand up to Davy's character - it's hard to fully understand why he would fall for her.

If you're at all intrigued by the concept of the show, it's definitely worth seeing. If you've ever written a note to someone and crumpled it up and thrown it away, you should see this.

neonlightsxo
#9Lost
Posted: 9/29/14 at 9:32am

I really liked the show but it is about 30 minutes too long. The cuts that need to be made, to me, are obvious. They need to focus on the narrative and not on the extraneous songs that relate to the found notes. The Johnny Tremain and King Patrick bit come to mind.

macnyc Profile Photo
macnyc
#10Lost
Posted: 9/29/14 at 11:17am

I really enjoyed this show, and I went in with tempered expectations. I like to check out this type of small, quirky musical in hopes that it's something as blindingly brilliant as Fun Home. That doesn't happen too often, and the odds are that the show lets me down as much as Fly By Night did. Now that you know my taste (no cracks please!), you can interpret for yourself my comments about Found, which I would place as about halfway in the middle between those two shows.

Overall the show is well acted and expertly sung, the type of show that makes me shake my head in wonder at all the talent we have here in New York City. Standouts include the actors who play the four main characters, especially Nick Blaemire (if another movie about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is ever in the works, call Nick first for the role). Daniel Everidge revealed a tremendous voice, and I was happy to see him here after loving him in Falling two years ago. Barrett Wilbert Reed was also tremendous, and her song at the end of the show is beautiful and well sung. (I'm sorry she left Heathers before I got the chance to see it.)

The music I felt was excellent. I didn't actually leave the theater humming any of the tunes, but they struck me as original and expertly done as I was hearing them. I think there are two things standing in the way of "hummability" with this show. First is that the music is often set to the text from random notes, hastily scrawled. The composers weren't working with rhymes, well-considered lyrics, etc. I was amazed that the composers did as well as they did setting this stuff.

Another factor working against hummability is that none of the musical themes are repeated throughout, thus missing an opportunity to drum them into your consciousness.

As dtzumbrunnen says above, the found letters are spoken or sung by the ensemble as the text is projected onto the stage. It was a bit discombobulating at first, but you do get used to it. As the show progresses, it seems to become more seamless as you realize how well chosen each "find" is to elucidate what's going on. Plus, they are usually extremely funny.

I don't agree with the previous posters that the characters set themselves up as high-minded and working for the greater good. The main character, Davy, is represented as a sell-out who ditches his friends to potentially make a buck. The catalyst for the sell-out, Kate, is shown to be a pragmatic businessperson who does what she has to do to achieve her ends.

Lately I've been thinking that every show I see can benefit from losing 15 minutes of running time, and that's the case here. But please don't cut the Johnny Tremain scene. Even though it's a big tonal shift, it is hilarious.











Updated On: 9/29/14 at 11:17 AM

inception Profile Photo
inception
#11Lost
Posted: 9/29/14 at 3:21pm

Thanks for the review macnyc. I have a ticket to this during my trip in a couple weeks, but was worried that maybe I should see something else instead. I also am interested in seeing quirky little musicals, and your praise for the cast has helped me decide to stick with this.
Now I just have to get my Inspector Spacetime costume put together. Lost


...

WhizzerMarvin Profile Photo
WhizzerMarvin
#12Lost
Posted: 9/29/14 at 3:48pm

Saw this recently as well and have mixed feelings. Some of it is VERY funny; truly I haven't laughed harder in recent memory than at some of the notes presented here.

The problem is that all of the notes are extraneous to the plot and could mostly be cut or greatly shortened to speed things along. If ever a show cried out to be a 90-100 intermission-less affair, this is it. On the other hand, the best parts of the show are the notes, and I can see why the creators are hesitant to cut them because they're where the laughs are.

Perhaps the show would do better to cut the main plot and just present it more like a Love, Loss and What I Wore type thing than with some loose narration about the magazine and sing the notes in thematic clumps.

The main trio basically act out a boring version of Merrily in chronological order, and boy is the ending drawn out. The show should really end with the final song, "Stay Weird," rather than wrap all the stories up in nice little bows.

My favorite song was Betsy Morgan's letter song she sang on her first date with Blaemire. Once the play jumped to LA you always were ten steps ahead of the characters and became a chore to watch.

Did this play NYMF or the Fringe Festival? It really felt like that type of show- maybe the second draft, but no where near a finished product.


Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

Lavieboheme3090 Profile Photo
Lavieboheme3090
#13Lost
Posted: 9/30/14 at 12:43pm

How long is the show running?

Owen22
#14Lost
Posted: 9/30/14 at 12:49pm

Whizzer's review is exactly what I was afraid this show might be. Thanks, man, for saving me the money!

Melissa25 Profile Photo
Melissa25
#15Lost
Posted: 9/30/14 at 6:15pm

Unfortunately I cannot make this 7pm show tonight. PM me if you want the 2 tickets.

LightsOut90
#16Lost
Posted: 9/30/14 at 11:20pm

if anyone is interested, based on some conversations with the cast they are heavily attempting to cut it down and edit it, to the point that several cast members had STACKs of new pages in there hands.

Sauja Profile Photo
Sauja
#17Found
Posted: 10/2/14 at 1:12pm

Went last night and left at intermission. It wasn't terrible, but I just couldn't bring myself to care. It's exactly as Whizzer says--the notes themselves are the best part, and yet they're also entirely unnecessary. I understand why people responded so strongly to the readings of the original material. Taken out of context, those notes and lists can be hilarious or heartbreaking. Grafted onto a show about some whiny 20-somethings trying to figure out who they are, they're just decoration.

And listen, I believe we can still get a lot of mileage out of stories about the transition to adulthood, even when the characters aren't exceptionally likeable (see Girls), but there is just so much navel-gazing here as the writers retread very familiar territory adding nothing new to it.

I can't judge the show as a whole--the second act might bring it all together. But it just felt like a "life's too short" moment for me. At least if there was something for me to hate, I could have believed it was coming around to something. Instead, it was just so damn boring.