Your thoughts on A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 10:20pm

Well, the show is over, now for my thoughts. On the plus side, the acting, singing and sets was very good. The woman who played Phoebe D'Ysquith, Catherine Walker, has a lovely soprano voice. She was a pleasure to listen to and watch. I really liked the songs and what they said and how they sounded. However... Unfortunately, the show left me sort of cold and unmoved emotionally. I feel bad saying negative things about shows that I see, but isn't it better to be truthful rather than just say "oh it was phenomenal! The best thing I ever saw!" A friend of mine described it as stylized. I didn't quite know what that meant, but now, I believe I understand what he meant. It was very catchy, English drawing room clever and punchy. I don't know if those are the right worlds to describe it. Now I love the English drawing rooms of Downton Abbey because we get to know who the characters are and why they are doing the things they are doing. This show was much more plot driven. Just sit back and watch the action. The dispatching of the relatives in the first act, to me was sort of boring and I found myself looking at the ceiling of the Walter Kerr and noticing the beautiful mural on the ceiling (probably one should not be noticing the decorations in the theater and having a few yawns in the first half). The second half was better, but I'm still not entirely sure who poisoned the last man standing in between the main character and his desire to be the next Earl. I think the show could have had a much more emotional punch had we really learned about who this main character was instead of watching slapstick silliness for much of the show. It was sort of like a melodrama for a lot of the show. I mean who were these people and why should I care about what happened to them? I believe he show wanted to be very clever and cute. And I guess it succeeded if those were its goals. It was a very "musical" type of musical (does that make sense?) whereas, FUN HOME, examined in depth, Allison and who she was at various ages. I guess maybe it's not good to judge each musical against Fun Home, but I believe he show would have had a much more lasting impact of we could have known a character or two in more depth. But then, how could we have seen the dispatching (killing of each of the 8 people between the main character and his goal of doing away with the 8 people so he could succeed as heir). Maybe there should have been 3 or 4 people between the main character and his goal versus 8. I don't know, was this based on a true story? Or based on a play, novel, short story or some other source material? I wanted to love this show, but I only liked it at best. But I realized that these are just my opinions, so why did you think if you saw it? I would also encourage you to see it for yourself and make your own opinions. I wish it had been more like a Downton Abbey with music, something more serious and interesting with some points to make versus something just silly and lighthearted that really said nothing. 

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 10:27pm

I going to have to look up what was the completion for the Tony Award in 2014. While the execution of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE was good, how did its story beat the other contenders?

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 10:38pm

I looked over the other nominees for best Musical and the only one I'm not familiar with was After Midnight. The other nominees were Aladdin and Beautiful Carole King Story 

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 10:47pm

It's funny, when I listen to some of the original songs on the cast recording, I like them. But watching them acted out on stage didn't move me very much. I wonder if it's possible to like individual songs of a cast recording but not like the actual show? 

[asmith0307]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 10:50pm

Braniff Forever said: "It's funny, when I listen to some of the original songs on the cast recording, I like them. But watching them acted out on stage didn't move me very much. I wonder if it's possible to like individual songs of a cast recording but not like the actual show? 

 

"

You seem to be figuring this out on your own, so I'm just going to let you do that... Remember, Google is your friend. 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 11:14pm

I never had any intention of seeing this show because I did not think that it would be my type of humor. I thought it would be similar to Spamalot/Monty Python/British humor that I never found funny.  But, a few months ago a friend asked me to go and I went. I found myself laughing so often and so genuinely throughout the show. I kept surprising myself every time I laughed because I had made up my mine that the show wasn't for me. The whole premise was funny, the acting was funny.....everything was a hoot. 

[willep]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 12:05am

"The second half was better, but I'm still not entirely sure who poisoned the last man standing in between the main character and his desire to be the next Earl." 

 

Well, the killer straight up breaks the fourth wall and tells you that they did it, so it must have been one of the times you were admiring the theatre's architecture :-P

 

I finally saw the show a couple weeks ago. Someone had recommended it to me, but I wasn't convinced I'd enjoy it. The songs I had heard before didn't really stick with me. But I ended up really loving the show. I thought it was very well written and performed and just an all around delight. Hoping to catch it again before it closes.

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 3:24am

boring as hell.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 4:53am

Sounds like you had already decided what it was supposed to be in advance and, when it wasn't that, you judged it based on your perceptions versus its reality?

 

I think a farce by nature doesn't necessarily require you to relate to the character only to be engaged in the absurdity of it all. So comparing it to a show like Fun Home that is entirely about character exploration and memory seems to have no basis. By that standard, Fun Home is an incredibly lousy farce.

[ebontoyan]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 5:28am

Overhyped and too high pitched. And I watched GG already having that impression from listening to the cast recording.  But hey it was a Tony winner lol

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 5:53am

It's adorable.  No, there isn't a Deeper meaning, it's just fun and silly.  Not everyone's cuppa tea, but I loved it.  Sent many people to it if all ages.  Most adored it.

 

Different strokes.

Updated On: 9/23/15 at 05:53 AM

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 5:57am

So was the real poisoner, the old lady servant or the man who appeared in top of the stage at the end? The other distant relative? 

 

 

 

Updated On: 9/23/15 at 05:57 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 6:02am

Oh, good Lord.  Do you know who the old woman was?

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 6:08am

No, who? 

[newintown]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:00am

I think someone wasn't paying very close attention...

[aj88]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:10am

SPOILER ALERT in case someone may not want to know:

 

The old lady was Miss Shingle, the lady with whom Monty spoke with at the beginning of the show. She was the one who told him that he is a D'Ysquith and set him off on his quest. It is revealed during the dinner scene that she is a servant of the D'Ysquith family and then at the very end of the show, Monty wonders who the killer really was and that is when she steps forward to take the blame in the audience's confidence.

 

Guess you must have been really done with the show by that point.

Updated On: 9/23/15 at 08:10 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:17am

I stopped reading a book halfway through once. The ending just wasn't that good.

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:51am

No, I saw her wink at the audience and realized she put the poison in the soup or wine or wherever she put it, but remember at the very end that sort of "slower" relative appeared on the top of the stage. Who was he? Did he put the poison in? I also wondered if the old lady servant was actually Monty's mother? 

Funny, how a show that I didn't care for has me thinking about it so much. 

[newintown]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:56am

SPOILERS.

 

"(I) remember at the very end that sort of "slower" relative appeared on the top of the stage. Who was he?"

 

He was another distant D'Ysquith, played by the same actor who played almost every other freakin' D'Ysquith.

 

"Did he put the poison in?"

 

No. He sings "I have poison in my pocket" to clue the audience in that he may continue Monty's habit of killing relatives who stand between him and the title (including Monty).

 

"I also wondered if the old lady servant was actually Monty's mother?"

 

No, she was his mother's nanny.

 

Personally, I found that all of this was utterly clear from one viewing, but then I have a habit of actually listening to lyrics and dialogue.

Updated On: 9/23/15 at 08:56 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 8:57am

I had no intention of seeing the show, but after I moved to New York a few weeks ago, it was one of the few shows I had not seen on Broadway, so I thought I would check it out. I am so glad that I did. The show was great! Everything from the design to the acting were just splendid. This was also my first Broadway show as a New Yorker!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 9:16am

It's competition for the Tony

 

Beautiful - A very good jukebox musical

 

After Midnight - Essentially a dance piece

 

Aladdin - A Disney theme park show on steroids

 

GG is a musical with a book, original score , great actors and real honest to God sets and not a blank wall which appears to be the new in thing on Broadway

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 9:25am

dramamama611 said: "It's adorable.  No, there isn't a Deeper meaning, it's just fun and silly.  Not everyone's cuppa tea, but I loved it...

 

I was going to write something but Dramamama already wrote my thoughts exactly... I personally don't know anyone who didn't enjoy it. I've seen it twice...

 

"

 

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 12:00pm

Did you even know anything about the show before going?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 12:13pm

All I knew of was the movie with Alec Guineas.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/23/15 at 12:27pm

Mr Roxy said: "not a blank wall which appears to be the new in thing on Broadway"

 

There is little evidence for this invented motif that is apparently sweeping Broadway lately...