inception said: "The Chicago production has now extended until September 8. Tickets on Goldstar for $28. Is this worth seeing? Will be in Chicago for my first time ever, staying in the Loop area, & not renting a car because all the advice I get is not to. Is Theater Wit in a safe area to travel to via public transit?"
I know it's the middle of August, but you wouldn't believe it with the number of snowflakes piling up in this thread.
To all y'all complaining that you can't "like things" any more, you've had over a centuries' worth of musical theater entertainment created directly by and for you. Sorry that people outside of your experience are finally getting the chance to air their, deserved, grievances.
I also saw it in Chicago under the "Gotta Dance" moniker, and remember having a blast. It's absolutely not the most perfect, polished piece of musical theater writing, but it's such a joy and a fun harmless piece of wonderfully performed feel-good theater. The whole cast (the late Engel especially) elevate the piece to ecstatic heights. I'm thrilled it's preserved in some capacity, and hopefully it finds a good life in the regional theater/licensing market.
I do love the original film this is based on, and David Hyde Pierce, I suppose, is the Celebrity Theater Equivalent of Richard Jenkins (my vote would've been for Peter Friedman for this role, but I "get it" I guess). I do worry about that Kitt/Yorkey score. Nothing in their catalog makes me think this atmosphere of a show would be up their alley. I'm super excited to be surprised and proven wrong though!
Starting this thread since this new show begins previews at the Public tonight. I caught it at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago last fall and it surprised me in the most heartbreaking, beautiful way. I'm super excited to hear the response from New York audiences. And David Cale is just one of the best storytellers of the stage these days.
Chris Jones' review is entirely odd and frustrating in that he's trying to prescribe what he thinks the show should be rather than evaluating what it is. Don't let his words fool you. This is my favorite play showing in Chicago right now and I hope this production has a future life. To me it reads like a brilliant piece of political theater matched with an immersive party atmosphere. It's a blast. Check it out if you can.
Alice147 said: "DrowsyKaye said: "I saw this tour last year and it's truly a thrilling performance. Curious how much, if at all, they're going to deviate from the concert-feel of it all. I'm definitely gonna try and check it out."
Does it have a narrative arc? I'm intrigued by the description on Playbill: "theatrical concert experience"!"
Definitely doesn't have a coherent narrative arc to it, but maybe they
I saw this tour last year and it's truly a thrilling performance. Curious how much, if at all, they're going to deviate from the concert-feel of it all. I'm definitely gonna try and check it out.
In the strange Tootsie/Beetlejuice head-to-head that seems to pop up every now and then, it's interesting to see the two shows compliment each other; Beetlejuice is a beautiful show to look at with (in most eyes) an inert script/score, while Tootsie is being lauded for a hilarious book/score while the production design is a bit flat and ordinary.
All in all, an eclectic season for new musicals. Congrats to all who got their work out there!
So much critic hate these days, let's give it a rest y'all.
As someone who writes reviews on the side, obviously there's "some" kind of bias going in, we're only human, but I can assure you that the work is the work and anyone going into a show with a predetermined opinion of whether their review will be good or bad is not a good critic in the least.
As for Beetlejuice, everyone is entitled to say what they perceived of the show, and people saying they
Will Davis is easily one of the most exciting, original theatre directors working today, and his penchant to drastically reinterpret the classics (his production of PICNIC in Chicago was a revelation) makes me super excited to see how he's going to take on this piece.
What a brilliant season they've curated for this. Long live Off-Center.
lol this is literally what every movie has, and no one makes a big deal about those.
Also, a good content warning doesn't give away spoilers, it's just something helpful for people with PTSD, or who have issues with strobe lighting, or just maybe want to know about the content of a production.
People love making mountains out of molehills to try and make an argument about the "PC Police" or some nonsense like that.
When you get a President who encourages and normalizes this brand of behavior and hatred, this is what happens. No coincidence he was yelling Hitler and Trump's names concurrently.
The sooner this garbage monster is out of public office, the better.
I think the movie "Love & Mercy" is as good and interesting a dramatization of the story of the Beach Boys (or primarily, Brian Wilson) as we're gonna get.
I think a more avant-garde musical take on the Beach Boys catalogue would serve the material well (drastic reorchestrations, think Lazarus or Girl from the North Country). I think their catalogue deserves another theatrical chance.
Cromer loves Chicago. It's where he honed his craft as a director and the theatre community here is less competitive than that of NY. I for one am often tired of the thought that a production or a piece of theatre hasn't truly "made it" until it has touched New York. Some of the best theatre in the country is happening outside of NY, and some of our best theatermakers are building their careers all over the country. I hope the production will be great in it&#
