Send SOS to Mamma Mia & a wonderful Wicked!

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 6:52am

Hi all,

Yesterday I saw the matinee of "Mamma Mia", followed by the evening performance of "Wicked" courtesy of the Flea market. I am sad to say "Mamma Mia" was finally showing its age and is in desperate need of repair. Most of the performers were walking through their roles and you could just tell they were bored. Being this was my first visit since it transferred theatres, I was very excited to see it again, but immediately was saddened to see the empty house by curtain time. I was disappointed to see the stage no longer lights and the lift of the pier is gone. The set was scaled down to fit the smaller stage and it looked odd to me who's seen it many times at the Winter Garden. It was a shame to see this show like that. I could have looked past those trivial things but the cast who was walking through this was hard to watch. My wife who never saw the show was bored and wanted to leave at intermission. The finale is still fun but I miss the elevator lifting up the 3 girls during it. I was grateful to win the tickets to see this but sad to say I will not be returning. By the way, we had the understudies for Donna and Harry. They were pretty good. The seats were Orchestra, Row L, 101 and 102.

Now on to the evening show of "Wicked". The show looked and felt fresh. We had a nearly packed house with a very energetic audience. No one looked tired and no one phoned it in. I was very impressed with the level of energy from the cast and the audience. Mary Testa is definitely my favorite "Madame Morrible" and Tom McGowan sounded very much like Joel Grey as the "Wizard". I really didn't want it to end last night. We had no understudies and everyone was on and really into it. This cast is one of the best I've seen and made for a terrific show. I also understood the show completely this time and attribute that to the amazing cast. I was bored when I saw PJ Benjamin as the "Wizard". I hope to return again with this cast and gained a new appreciation for the show. The seats were Orchestra, Row U, seats 18 and 20.

Thank you BCEFA Flea Market for a day of theatre and escape to a Greek Island, and then the land of Oz.



Updated On: 9/29/14 at 06:52 AM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 6:55am

Won't the producers close Mamma Mia! already? It's not even that good of a show to begin with!

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 7:04am

I wish they would Jeffrey. I found myself thinking they should free up this theatre for something better.

[Wickedmonkey332]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 8:33am

I actually disagree with your assessment of Mamma Mia. I saw it last Saturday for the first time ever and was impressed by the energy level of the cast. For a show running for that long, I would have expected very little excitement onstage but most of the cast (esp. Lauren Cohn and some of the ensemble) looked genuinely happy to be onstage. I did not notice the changes in the set, obviously, as I had never seen it at the Winter Garden. I really enjoyed it and found it to be just as fun as I had hoped! (especially for a $32 rush ticket)

Updated On: 9/29/14 at 08:33 AM

[Broadwaygirl202]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 8:55am

I agree Wickedmonkey, I definitely love this show, although it isn't a deep, thought-provoking show. This show is geared towards tourists and those people who see the national tours in their hometowns. I have seen the show 4 times (twice on tour, once at the Winter Garden, and this past July at the Broadhurst). I thought overall the cast was great (especially Lauren Cohn, and she is my favorite Rosie by far), and yes the finale was different and many of the seats were empty but I think that's because there are so many new shows that people want to see, that the grosses will suffer for this show. It doesn't matter really since they have been running so long It definitely helps that they have rush tickets as well. I have paid full price for the tour the two times I saw it and paid full price seeing it at the Winter Garden. Some people, including myself, have special memories for certain shows, regardless if they are the best shows out there or not. It is one of my favorite shows out there, but I like those kinds of shows, and whether anyone else does or not, I don't care. I am not going to tell someone to not a like or to like a show just because I do. People will have different opinions on every show. I personally don't see how some shows are still running (e.g. Once, Rock of Ages). Although I have seen neither of those shows, it seems Once is kind of tapering off. The thing about theater is that what it all comes down to is that everyone likes different things. Some shows may not be for everyone.

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 11:00am

I do agree about Lauren Cohn. She was amazing and never let the energy down. She also looked liked she was having a blast, especially during "Take a Chance on me".

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 11:04am

"Won't the producers close Mamma Mia! already?"

It's pulling in around $650K a week, after reducing its weekly operating costs by moving to a smaller theater, so... no.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 1:24pm

I actually saw Mamma Mia for the first time in March and have been back 3 times since (all within this month too, in September) and I can't get enough of it. The house, to my surprise, was packed each time I've been and it was during the week, too. I noticed most of their audience is definitely tourists from other countries, but they all seem to have fun.

I've seen it with a Donna understudy, a Tanya understudy, a Bill understudy, and a Sam understudy and found all times to be equally enjoyable. I don't feel like any of this cast is phoning it in, especially Judy, Felicia & Lauren. They're always so energetic and look like they genuinely enjoy being in this show and being on that stage. It's crazy to me that Judy McLane has been with this show for 10 years (2 as Donna) because to me she still seems like she's having the best time.

I didn't get to see the show at the Winter Garden but thought the set was just fine :)

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 2:00pm

Happy to hear it was busy when you went Hairspray. It's possible the cast is more into it when it's busier.

On a side note, this is one of the things I enjoy most about this board. Being able to hear about other experiences, positive and negative. I enjoy hearing others opinions and takes.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 4:15pm

Re: MAMMA MIA.
Personally, I find that Judy McLane, Felicia Finley, Lauren Cohen, Neil Starkenberg, Victor Wallace and Mark Dancewicz are all fantastic.
As far as the set goes, what you are seeing at the Broadhurst is the design used for the second national tour, but with the original finale truss design and, if I recall, the moon (the second national used a moon projection and the light trusses only had the horizontal bar and not the side bars.). While I do not mind the slightly smaller taverna walls or the foreshortened, shallow stage, I do think the production design loses a certain level of polish when the cobble stones in the deck do not light up and the jetty doesn't elevate during the final. "I Have A Dream."
Not having the walls move off stage is not critical - the Broadway production was one of the few stagings where that happened, neither is having the Dynamos enter on an elevator for the finale even if it did look cool.
I will say that not having the jetty rise during "Name of the Game" is actually an improvement - it made for neck hurting sight lines sitting in front of it and an ugly site from the mezzanine since years of confetti had lodged underneath and had never been cleaned.

[evic]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 5:36pm

Is the choreography as horrible as it was 13 years ago?-That flipper number and the dream number have to be the worst I have ever seen...and that includes Cats!

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 6:47pm

I thought that was the set from the tour. Thanks for clarifying.

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 6:49pm

And yes, that horrible flipper number is still in the show. My least favorite scene/song.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 7:06pm

I believe it is technically a newly built set, but it is the design used for the second national tour, modified. By the time the second national tour closed, they had also eliminated the automation in the deck and had changed the structure of the ladders on the taverna walls so that they could be moved by costumed stage hands.

The "version 2.5" tour, or version 3 - as I call it - which played short engagements for about a year featured the even smaller bus and truck designed designed for tiny venues and the Australian outback... That is the one with the boxy / small taverna walls and is the current version out on the road in North America as a non-union tour, will be seen in the cruise line production and, sadly, has become the scenic design used for the flag ship London production after their last theatre move. Just be glad that they did not do that HERE. NYC got lucky.

[Marway44]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 7:41pm

Indeed NYC did get lucky with the set then. I should appreciate it for what it is.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 7:44pm

I hope MAMMA MIA stays in that theater forever so I'll never be subjected to having to sit in those torturously uncomfortable seats again.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 9/29/14 at 7:46pm

Is there any other show to see on a Monday evening?