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FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews

ClydeBarrow Profile Photo
ClydeBarrow
#1FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/6/15 at 4:17pm

Anyone else going tonight? I'm very excited for some Mary Testa, Rachel Bay Jones and Caissie Levy.


"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

LarryD2
#2FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/6/15 at 4:57pm

I am seeing it on Saturday night. The cast is pretty flawless.

ClydeBarrow Profile Photo
ClydeBarrow
#3FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/7/15 at 11:03am

Went to the first performance last night and the show is in really good shape. All of the actresses are at the top of their game and really embody each of the characters they play. There was only one slight mishap with one of the mics in the first scene but it was remedied quickly and you could still hear the singing since it's such a small space. I have very mixed feelings on the show because it's not completely my cup of tea. It's also very long. Last night's performance started at 7pm and was out at 9:45pm. 

 

I'm guessing if you're familiar with FIRST LADY SUITE you know what to expect but I didn't. Basically the evening is split up into four different pieces, each focusing on a president (Nixon, Carter/Ford, Reagan, Bush) and his daughter(s). I enjoyed all of the pieces but definitely some more than others. The Bush piece is by far the most emotional of them and unexpectedly makes you look differently at George HW Bush. The Carter/Ford piece is very surreal and goes too over the top for my liking. The Reagan piece is extremely entertaining but has the least amount of singing. The Nixon piece is kind of forgettable by the end. 

 

The actresses I went in for were definitely the stars of the night. Caissie Levy killed it for me. Rachel Bay Jones had probably my favorite song of the evening ("Daughters of Presidents"FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews as Rosalynn Carter and then delivered some heart-wrenching moments as Laura Bush. Mary Testa doesn't arrive until the last piece as Barbara Bush but I really enjoyed her performance. She was given the chance to show of her comedic chops but then delivered a dramatic side I'd never seen on stage before. I also very much enjoyed Betsy Morgan's performance having only seen her before in FOUND where I thought she was rather underwhelming. But truly everyone in the cast is great.

 

The set design is very minimal. For some reason they left the sand on the floor from GROUNDED and covered it with some clear plexiglass which at time was supposed to mimic water. It just didn't work for me and I found it to be rather lazy. Each piece had its own furniture but other than that there wasn't much to look at. And once again I hate these shows with seating on three sides because if you're not looking at the show straight on you get easily distracted by the audience across from you. One guy in particular was seated in the front row and gave the most overly exaggerated expressions which were very distracting. 

 

I think there is a lot to enjoy in this show but it certainly won't be for everyone. Obviously if you're a fan of LaChiusa then you'll love his music. History buffs might glean a bit more than I did because I'm not overly familiar with all of these presidencies and their spawn. 


"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

Sally Durant Plummer Profile Photo
Sally Durant Plummer
#4FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/7/15 at 4:26pm

I'm going tonight. Sounds very much like First Lady Suite - the surreal aspect, one more dramatic scene, ect. I think it'll be interesting if the scores are in the same vein. First Lady Suite has some gorgeous stuff in it and I hope over the 20 years since that piece he has learned to cut some of the more repetitive and less engaging scenes. I'm very excited for the cast and can't wait for the cast recording. And Mary Testa is one of my favorite actresses, so I can't imagine her being anything but stunning.


"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir

EricMontreal22 Profile Photo
EricMontreal22
#5FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/7/15 at 5:24pm

Clyde, I appreciated your detailed review!  I take it you're not a big LaChiusa fan?

As a huge fan, I am with Sally in that one thing that most interests me about this is how the material will reflect (or not) First Lady Suite--aside from the subject matter, obviously.

RippedMan Profile Photo
RippedMan
#6FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/7/15 at 11:05pm

I'm stoked to see this. I love a small scale musical. Hopefully going this week. Was it pretty packed?

ClydeBarrow Profile Photo
ClydeBarrow
#7FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/7/15 at 11:55pm

Eric, I wouldn't say I'm not a LaChiusa fan. I just don't think I've seen enough of his work to say one way or another. I'm a Lippa WILD PARTY fan. 

 

The house wasn't totally full last night which surprised me since it was the free preview. There were also a lot of empty seats after intermission. 


"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

Sally Durant Plummer Profile Photo
Sally Durant Plummer
#8FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 12:48pm

I was at the second preview last night. I found it breathtaking.
 

It's as if Michael John wrote First Daughter Suite as a response to all he has learned since writing First Lady Suite. The show still has surreal aspects, but they are refined and used to exciting effect, except for one scene that is a dream and therefore goes way over the top.

 

"Happy Pat" is a nuanced look at the Nixon family on Tricia's wedding day - which may or may not be on this day to overshadow the brewing Watergate scandal. It looks at the relationship between sisters, mothers and daughters, and how to survive. Barbara Walsh is gorgeously subtle as Pat Nixon, who is haunted by a berating Hannah Nixon . This section is almost sung-though with beautiful, swirling music. However, by the end of the show, this section is the most forgettable, simply because all the power lies in its soft-spokeness.

 

"Amy Carter's Fabulous Dream Adventure" finds the Ford and Carter mother-daughters trapped in Amy Carter's crazy dream on the presidential yacht. Alison Fraiser is hysterical as a drunk yet caring Betty Ford and Betsy Morgan is appropriately wicked as Susan Ford. As the group goes along with Amy, danger strikes in Iran, where they have wound up as a manipulation by Susan. Throughout the section, Amy longs for fun and adventure, and the contrast between fun Betty Ford and the seemingly "boring" Rosalynn Carter. This section focus on "normality" and being content. It is also the most outrageous, with some bouncy and jazzy songs for the group and little Amy. Mrs. Carter gets a wonderful ballad to Amy about what its like to be in the public eye. The biggest problem is length (it is about 40 minutes now and could use 7-10 minutes of trimming) and tone (some dark things happen very suddenly and that seems very out of place with the tone and the resurrection scene was verging on camp).

 

"Patti By the Pool" shows Nancy Reagan attempting to convince her daughter Patti, whose first book has just been published, to come to family Thanksgiving after not speaking to her for six months. The foul mouthed Patti has some funny one-liners and a song that verges on rap in a section. Isabel Santiago is hilarious as the maid and one wishes she had more to do, although her song is wonderful. This was probably my least favorite section, but it is still very good. There is more dialogue in this scene and it really allows the "class" of Nancy Reagan and the barbed jabs by Patti to land. The end is funny, even if it is unbelievable, and Santiago's song is the perfect closer.

 

The best section has to be "In the Deep Bosom of Oceans Buried" starring the incomparable Mary Testa (and it really is all hers). Barbara Bush refuses to help her "mediocre" son in his re-election campaign and Laura attempts to get her to reconsider. However, Barbara is spending the day with Robin (a fabulous Theresa McCarthy), her first daughter who died of Leukemia 50 years prior. This section features swirling introspective ballads of longing and letting go, as well as the feeling of a lost child. The complicated relationship of Laura and Barbara is explored to moving effect, and Robin's stunted growth in her mother's mind serve as the emotional core of the piece, and it is from that which Testa gives such a beautiful performance, at times funny and at others heart-wrenching.

 

The show opens with a homage to First Lady Suite - "Do you know what I wished for?" that transforms into a completely different song and lyric. The ladies close the show with a very short closing song focusing on Barbara (maybe it should close with a more open ended song) but the Testa piece was so powerful it felt earned. The show is in very good shape and the entire cast is wonderful. The mixing could be a little better, as sometimes I couldn't understand the actresses, in particular Alison Fraiser as Betty Carter. I could understand the frustration with the plexiglass over the "Grounded" sand, but it worked for me. I really loved this show and look forward to revisiting it later.

 

I talked to many actresses after and they said there were a lot of changes in last night's performance. Mary Testa said she was "sick as a dog", but you couldn't tell onstage. I was able to talk to Michael John before the show and he was very kind and even signed my Wild Party vocal selections. The entire show is wonderful, but it is not for everyone. I almost thought I was sitting next to After Eight, but he left at intermission. However, for those who go in for something gorgeous and moving (and intimate), this is the show for you. I wish all the best for the cast and show. It truly is something special.


"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir

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little_sally
#9FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 1:01pm

Thanks, Sally, for such a well-written, detailed review!


A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

Susanswerphone Profile Photo
Susanswerphone
#10FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 5:20pm

little_sally said: "Thanks, Sally, for such a well-written, detailed review!

Yes indeed! Made me want to see the show sooner rather than later. So glad to have found it on TDF after your review. Looking forward to it!

"

 

AaronBurrSir
#11FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:13pm

I was also there last night (October 7th, second preview), and I wasn't as impressed as previous commenters.

The show is in four parts. Part One was less than compelling. Another show about first world/white girl problems: my wedding cake is ruined, blah blah blah. And why is one character speaking in thees and thous? Part Two I found mostly distasteful. It was absurd and we surely found moments of humor. In fact, if anyone was in the audience, we were the ones in the front row who exclaimed "OH MY GOD!" when you-know-what happened. However, we wanted to leave when they began dressing up as "dangerous Iranians". Pretty white girls doing their version of "terrorists"....hardly amusing. When we returned from intermission, I noticed that many of the seats across from us (thrust setup/3 sides) were empty. We walked out 5 minutes into Part 3, when Caissie Levy's character began singing about getting a "big black man" to her mother's chagrin. Yes, we up and left DURING the song.
 

Let me also say that I am a performer and see a lot of theatre. Though I'm not familiar with First Lady Suite, I am a fan of some of the performers and came to see a new musical. The women were all clearly very talented. But the material, we just couldn't stomach. Why this play/why now, Public? It wasn't clever, it wasn't saying anything new, it wasn't really a deeper understanding of history. Funnily enough, the last show i saw at the Public was Hamilton in April. I didn't have expectations for this because I knew nothing, but talk about very different experiences!

Sally Durant Plummer Profile Photo
Sally Durant Plummer
#12FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:50pm

When you sit on the sides, it is very easy to see the audience on the other side. I sat int he first row on the right side of theater. I could see most of the nuances in characters, but my experience was diminished by the audience on the other side, a couple of whom (in the front row) were making ghastly faces - they seemed to want the audience to pay attention to them rather than what was occurring onstage. So be mindful of that when buying tickets. 


"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir

ClydeBarrow Profile Photo
ClydeBarrow
#13FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 6:58pm

You really aren't too bright, AaronBurrSir. You're also very rude to leave abruptly because of something that offended you when that was the actual point. Being a performer yourself you should be able to understand these things but I'm doubting you're that mature. Thanks for joining "today" to espouse this nonsense.


 


AaronBurrSir said: "And why is one character speaking in thees and thous?" 


 


It was because Nixon's mother was a Quaker so she would have spoken like that. I don't expect you to be educated enough to understand that along with everything else going over your head.


"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

AaronBurrSir
#14FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 7:31pm

Okay, thank you kind ClydeBarrow. It must be that I'm rude, immature, uneducated, nonsensical and everything went over my head. You know me so well.

It's absolutely my prerogative to exit a show because I find it distasteful/uncritical. We didn't make a scene, we left unobtrusively. Am I obligated to just love every show I see? Am I obligated to sit there and lap up the problematic racial implications?

"You're also very rude to leave abruptly because of something that offended you"? Don't make me laugh.

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 07:31 PM

Ado Annie D'Ysquith Profile Photo
Ado Annie D'Ysquith
#15FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/8/15 at 9:26pm

I'd hoped to see this for the great cast and cool concept, but planning time got away from me so I purchased Annie Get Your Gun tix instead. From what I'm reading here though, it seems that yet another LaChuisa show is generating very polarized reception!


http://puccinischronicles.wordpress.com

wonderfulwizard11 Profile Photo
wonderfulwizard11
#16FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/9/15 at 10:52pm

The only LaChiusa show I know well is The Wild Party (which I have never seen, though I adore the recording), so I knew virtually nothing going into the show tonight other than the basic premise and the fabulous cast. Fortunately, the material this cast is working with more than lived up to their considerable talent. It's nearly entirely sung-through, and though the tone of each piece verges pretty wildly, each is in its own way a moving look at the toll that comes from having to simultaneously live in the public eye and in the often toxic world of politics.

As the individual segments go, I enjoyed Amy Carter's the most- it's very, very funny, largely due to the hysterical work of Alison Fraser as Betty Ford. Everyone in this segment is wonderful, and Rachel Bay Jones has the best song of the evening as Rosalynn Carter. As far as the treatment of the "Iranian" characters, while it could border on the offensive, it's very clearly occurring in the dream of a young girl in the late 70s- it's not exactly a place for nuanced character, and it made perfect sense. In a way, I actually found it quite sad- that this otherwise ordinary girl was having a dream about something so terrible by virtue of her father's position. The Barbara Bush segment is also lovely- the writing for me was a little too flowery for me, but Mary Testa absolutely sells every single second she has. She is very funny, as anyone could expect, but her performance has a considerable amount of quiet, sad dignity and makes the entire piece work beautifully.

 

As for the other two segments, I found the Nixon one lovely, though it's the most restrained of the four. The only one to fall somewhat flat was the Reagan segment- Levy and Fraser do great work as, respectively, Patti Davis and Nancy Reagan, but the whole piece took a while to get going and the ending was lackluster. The actress playing their maid was very good, but I found her song unnecessary. Still, it's a fascinating, entertaining show and a worthwhile evening. I can't wait to take a listen to First Lady Suite to see how it compares.


I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

JBroadway Profile Photo
JBroadway
#17FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/10/15 at 12:00am

 

Saw this tonight. I absolutely agree that the 4th segment was far-and-away the best of the 4, and generally redeeming for the show as a whole. The other 3 segments are not as good. The first one I found rather boring. the second one was pretty good, but I too was a bit uncomfortable with the racism in it. I enjoyed the 3rd one a lot more. Caissey Levy and Alison Fraser were excellent, and played the tension in their relationship very well. As I said, the 4th one was beautiful and heartbreaking. 

 

The music is interesting, and often beautiful. I'd probably listen to the cast-album of they make one, but only select songs.

 

The performances are excellent. Alison Fraser, Caissey Levy, Mary Testa and Rachel Bay Jones were the biggest stand-outs for me. 

 

I wasn't a fan of Rachel Bay Jones' over-the-top performance on Pippin, but she blew me away in this. her performance was subtle, nuanced, and heartbreaking (though she sounded like she was having trouble with some of the high notes). Also, I don't know how old she it, but she read as too old for her role in Pippin. I was happy to see her play older roles in this. 

Buddy Plummer2
#18FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/10/15 at 12:48am

Was lucky enough to see this the first night, from front row center. Now I'll admit, I'm not a big LaChuisa fan. I'd seen Queen of the Mist and listened to bits of Wild Party and Giant, but overall, this piece impressed me the most out of the others I've been familiar with.

To echo previous posters: yes, the Bush section was the best, and imo was the piece that really convinced me of Lachuisa's style. I also happened to deeply enjoy the Carter/ Ford section (though I think the belly dancing section in the middle can be trimmed a bit). It was weird and shocking, but given that it's from the perspective of a girl realizing the power within her, it works.

I agree that the other two weren't nearly as strong, though each had incredibly admirable qualities. Absolutely loved Allison Fraser/ Cassie Levy, though the end of this scene honestly had me more confused than anything in the dream sequence.

But on the whole, given that it was a first preview of (what very well may be) the only successful sequel a musical's ever had, it works. 

iluvtheatertrash
#19FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/11/15 at 11:04pm

LaChiusa is my favorite composer, so I went in tonight with high expectations. They were met. 

While the first two pieces are uneven, there's some very promising moments (and performances) in each. The second act, however, really soars. I loved how different the Reagan piece was from all the others. And Caissie Levy's giving her finest performance to date. 

But the fourth piece, as others have mentioned, is just extraordinary. Mary Testa is, as always, a revelation. I never thought I'd weep for the Bush family, but Testa and LaChiusa made it happen.

A magnificent evening of theater...


"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman

After Eight
#20FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/15/15 at 12:22am

I'd say it's a little late in the day to take aim at such easy and timeworn targets as Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and Nancy Reagan,  especially if you have nothing fresh or interesting to say. Unfortunately, the creator of this piece has done it nonetheless. The result is an airless, flatfooted affair.  The first piece is a bore; the second, fatuous and jejune; the third, trite and inert; and the fourth, bilious, lugubrious, and noisome.

 

Meanwhile, the turgid score roils and recedes like a muddy river in a rainstorm, striving to hit as many wrong notes as possible --- and, alas, succeeding only too well. The lyrics are at times embarrassingly bad: "You pick, you choose/You win or lose." Huh? And people here were complaining about the lyrics to Allegiance?

 

There's a dreary, pretentious "art-song" at the end of the show that ruminates on the ocean, life, what not. Nothing like ending a show with a state-of-the-art-house soporific!

 

The performers are expert, and do a great deal to help matters.

 

For those who don't know the name of Amy Carter's cat, the show hammers it home  for us several times: Misty Malarky Ying Yang.

 

The cat's name pretty much sums up the show.

Updated On: 10/15/15 at 12:22 AM

haterobics Profile Photo
haterobics
#21FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/15/15 at 12:45am

After Eight said: "For those who don't know the name of Amy Carter's cat, the show hammers it home for us several times: Misty Malarky Ying Yang."

 

Wow. One of the cat's names describes most of your reviews. Weird coincidence...

 

 

 

Addison D. Profile Photo
Addison D.
#22FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/15/15 at 1:15pm

Lovely music, some smart, funny, touching lyrics and--across the board--wonderful performances.  

What, though, is the point of this show?  What is the coherent message?  What deeper truth--about Mothers & Daughters, Childhood, Motherhood, life in the wings of the White House--is explored, illuminated, amplified or even raised in any thoughtful, consistent way?  

The song about 'daughters of Presidents & Kings...Gods & Demigods' seemed to me like a good starting place, but it is lost in the middle of the show, and none of what comes before or after reflects or touches on the issues in any way that coheres into a big idea.  Similarly, Isabel Santiago's song is a beautiful--and beautifully sung--parable/lament about parenthood, but the intelligence and insight found in those songs does not--in my opinion--carry over to the very unsatisfying narratives of the 4 scenes.  

As others have said--the Bush family scene was the most successful. Mary Testa is magnificent and she gets strong support from Theresa McCarthy and Rachel Bay Jones.  I was particularly gratified to see Barbara Bush's (in)famous reference to her "Beautiful Mind" play such an important role in this scene.  The late--and so lamented--David Rakoff would be thrilled. 


You think, what do you want? You think, make a decision...

Kad Profile Photo
Kad
#23FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/18/15 at 12:18am

I found this a frustrating evening of theatre, only partially worthwhile. The two most successful segments comprise the second act, while the first act is compromised of two segments so wildly different it's shocking they are in the same show.

Of the four, the Amy Carter segment is the least successful; an absurdist dream. It seemed to strive to be Durang-esque (how else can a scene set in the dream of a child that involves a constantly drunk and dancing Betty Ford and comically prim Rosalynn Carter being shot by Susan Ford disguised as an Iranian revolutionary be?) but LaChiusa is unable to commit to that absurdism, which results in a scene that is lengthy and inconsistent. Though it did contain my favorite solo of the evening, delivered beautifully by Rachel Bay Jones. But, to quote the show, it "was funny, but not ha-ha funny." 

The Pat Nixon segment I found tediously drawn out, while the Reagan segment was repetitious and capped with absurdity that doesn't gel with the tone of that scene (LaChiusa should shy away from absurdism).

The Bush segment is the only one I found wholly worthwhile, anchored by a fantastic performance by Testa. It was the only segment of the four I felt had a strong, clear dramatic arc and offered any insight to the women it was depicting.

 

 


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

haterobics Profile Photo
haterobics
#24FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/18/15 at 11:28pm

ClydeBarrow said: "The set design is very minimal. For some reason they left the sand on the floor from GROUNDED and covered it with some clear plexiglass which at time was supposed to mimic water."

 

It was actually screen/mesh material under the panels. Although it did look like the sand from the last show...

 

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perfectlymarvelous
#25FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE Previews
Posted: 10/18/15 at 11:56pm

I saw the show tonight and found it mixed. I'm a huge fan of LaChiusa and have seen a lot of his other work, but I am entirely unfamiliar with First Lady Suite. I really loved pieces of it; as others have said, the part that gelled the most was the last section with the Bush family. I was with the Amy Carter/Susan Ford section up until the last few minutes when it veered kind of ungracefully into the truly absurd, even for a dream. The Nixon section was a little overly long, and I wasn't really impressed with Barbara Walsh. I think the Reagan piece needs refining and the ending is a little jarring, but I really loved the work both Alison Fraser and Caissie Levy are doing in that scene. 

I'm curious to hear more from those who are familiar with First Lady Suite about what that show was like, especially tonally. Is it as varied as this? 

One of my favorite things about LaChiusa is that he always chooses unique material as fodder for musicals, and this certainly qualifies. Even if his work isn't always 100% successful, it's always interesting and never safe or standard.