Home For The Holidays on Broadway- Page 3

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 10:45pm

My friends and I went on TDF and our seats were in the orchestra. There were still plenty of empty seats down there too; didn't see how full the mezz was, but either they were opposed to clapping (quite possible) or there were 10 people up there.

[raddersons]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 10:53pm

WhizzerMarvin, your post is the best publicity the show could ask for. I almost want to buy a ticket just to see how big a train wreck it is.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 10:59pm

Ha, well it is a trainwreck, but a dull, lifeless one. Even the cast is so bored they were practically falling asleep on stage!

Look, as attested in my earlier posts I was excited to see this show. I always knew it was going to be bad, but hopefully good bad. Campy bad. Campy good. Not this kind of awful.

I thought it might be overly earnest, which can often lead to camp, but it was too devoid of any spark or passion to even be that.

Mainly it was just stupifying.

[BroadwayBeebe]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:02pm

Any thoughts on The Bachelorette?
This sounds so bad that I too hope I can get in to see it. It’ll take comps to do that though

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:10pm

The Bachelorette was my favorite part because was camp in its purest form- that is unintentionally so. Her "holiday-themed narration" was laugh inducing, but her part was very small and didn't allow her to bail out enough water from this sinking ship.

The show was almost completely devoid of patter. I don't think the reality stars or the YouTube "sensations" (LOL) ever spoke a word outside of their singing. They were never allowed to share any Christmas memories or traditions they might have. They didn't get to sing any playful songs like Santa Baby or Baby, It's Cold Outside. They should have been interacting with each other and having fun. Not standing there like frickin' bumps on a log.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:13pm

BroadwayBeebe said: "Any thoughts on The Bachelorette?
This sounds so bad that I too hope I can get in to see it. It’ll take comps to do that though"

This bachelorette called the first preview a “soft opening” on her Instagram story...

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:51am

Maybe they aren't officially opening? Are there any understudies or anything? Is there any design at all?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 8:30am

The sets were stolen from a high school show choir winter concert and the lighting was beyond amateur hour. It would have looked less cheap if they had just performed with the band on an empty stage. The goal was to spend as little money as possible in order to turn a quick buck.

The runtime was only about 90 minutes, with no intermission. There wasn’t a song list in the Playbill, so part of the torture was having no idea if it was almost over or if we had another hour to endure. 

 

[kennin]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 7:37pm

We saw it this afternoon and TOTALLY agree. So bad! Candace and Josh both had great voices but minimal presence. Bianca was the biggest wreck of all. It was like she had some laced candy cane backstage before the show. Every phrase had to end in a riff and I was shocked with how many times that she hit a wrong note. If an elf died every time she hit a wrong note, the North Pole population would be minimal. She messed up her bow at the end. We laughed at Danny’s comment about the “voices of a generation.” It is funny because my partner made a Brigadoon comment as well as we exited the theater. Kaitlyn messed up one of her six lines and also us all to “have a great night” at 2:20 PM. The theater was so empty. I look forward to seeing the numbers.

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 8:05pm

I was there today, in the mostly empty mezzanine. Candice was wonderful, and I also enjoyed the band. I thought the husband and wife YouTube sensations were better than Josh and Bianca. I do wonder if this can hang on for six weeks. When you can see the Radio City Christmas show for the same price, who would pay for this?

Updated On: 11/19/17 at 08:05 PM

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 9:27pm

holy **** how did this possibly book a broadway house, was Jordan that desperate for the rent?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 9:34pm

LightsOut90 said: "holy **** how did this possibly book a broadway house, was Jordan that desperate for the rent?"

What is "desperate" about getting 6 weeks of income from a theater that would otherwise be dark?

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 9:52pm

Hahaha Whizzer, spot on review! I saw the show today in the half empty orchestra (comped ticket, no way would I pay for this) and it was awful. I have never heard of any of these people (except Danny Aiello, and let me just say, Danny Aiello!? WTF!? Why...?)

I think I understood maybe five words in total that Bianca sang.

Candice and the YouTube couple sounded great, but the rest was blah. So many songs also had very odd arrangements in that the audience clearly thought songs would be over and started to clap, but then the singers would start another line. It was very awkward. And yeah, "Have a good night!" at 2:20pm... 

I spent half the show watching the percussionist in the back having a great time rocking out on his bells and triangle.

The show does have an official opening night this Tuesday the 21st.

Updated On: 11/19/17 at 09:52 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 10:04pm

The arrangements were both bizarre and dreadful. The three reality stars never really got to harmonize together, nor were they often allowed to sing a solo without being interrupted 2/3 of the way through by another cast member. This often led to some painful staging (e.g. Candice singing Joy to the World as a solo with the rest of the cast standing downstage of her, step-touching and blankly bopping along until they joined her on verse twelve.)

 

 

[moira8]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 10:42am

LOL! Now I am looking forward to seeing this train wreck tonight! 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 12:33pm

Had a few friends see this over the weekend(comps). Basically said it's the type of holiday show a high school puts up in a week and no way would they pay even $20 to see this. Hopefully no one is paying too much too see this trainwreck.

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 12:45pm

I saw this on TDF and thought "What?"  It looks like a train wreck on paper and what is Danny Aiello doing there?  SMH.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 5:07pm

The Show clips that BWW just posted are very funny. The show looks TERRIBLE. Oh well. It still brought joy to me as I watched it

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 5:17pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/VIDEO-Theyll-Be-Home-for-Christmas-Watch-Highlights-from-HOME-FOR-THE-HOLIDAYS-on-Broadway-20171120

This looks so dreadfully average, cheap, and boring. 

[raddersons]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 5:37pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/VIDEO-Theyll-Be-Home-for-Christmas-Watch-Highlights-from-HOME-FOR-THE-HOLIDAYS-on-Broadway-20171120

This looks so dreadfully average, cheap, and boring."

How dare they disrespect Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath The Tree" like that. I feel attacked.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 6:34pm

Home for the Holidays is one of the most inept shows I have EVER seen on a Broadway stage. It was an embarrassment not only for the performers, but also for the audiences members stuck watching this cringe-fest. To their credit, many fled throughout the last half hour of this 90 minute debacle. 

Ooohhh...I'm listening...



The three reality show winners had ZERO charisma, ZERO chemistry with each other, and two out of the three of them also couldn't sing, which is pretty rough for a concert. 

Yet given the casting, somehow still expected.



Bianca Ryan committed a hate crime against the English language by refusing to only sing vowels; she made up for this by also refusing to resist any run until the melody was completely obscured. She thought she was Mariah. She so, so badly wanted to be Mariah. But we can't always get what we want. 

I can honestly say I have never wanted Mariah, much less anyone else to BE Mariah.  When I Mariah, it's by accident and doesn't last long.



Josh Kaufman was stiff as a board and showed as much personality range as Lurch. 

And somehow, Lurch STILL managed to be funny and interesting.  He's definitely hotter than Josh Kaufman, that's fur shur.



Candice Glover can definitely sing, but it was like she was in the recording booth rather than in front of a live audience with whom she could interact. 

Well, one out of...everything...is still better than nothing!



No one is credited with direction nor do I think anyone directed this mess. Songs ended and the singers walked off stage. No transitions. 

Concert for the Twitterverse.  You add transitions and the fidget spinners start coming out.



Song choice was also not a strong suit. No we do not need to hear all 14 verses of The First Noel riffed to high heaven. (Have you ever noticed that each verse of Christmas carol seems to get Jesus-ier and Jesus-ier? It wouldn't surprise me if there was some fundie/mega church money behind this thing.) 

To be fair, you can't win American Factor X Idol without riffing at least half the song.  It takes 14 verses before you get enough melody to know what they're supposed to be singing.



I did have several uncontrollable fits of laughter, especially when Danny Aiello claimed- with a straight face- that these were some of the greatest voices of a generation! 


It's Johnny Cammareri!  To be fair, it doesn't sound like he specified *which* generation, so in a sense, it could still be true.  They might sound better than the first generation.  Of mankind.  Not like the sci-fi Adam & Eve Biblical folks (I bet they could sing their FACES off), but like the ones whose great-grandkids figured out fire and barbecue and bone-weapons and loincloths.




There's a sign out side that says start a new holiday tradition- well let me tell you, if the comatose audience tonight was any indication, this will be one very short lived tradition.

But it would tour like GANGBUSTERS.  Celtic Woman needs to watch her back.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 6:44pm

^now that has to be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on these boards

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 6:58pm

Holy crap, Mister Matt. I'm dying.

The Celtic Woman at the end is too much.

I bow and scrape to your genius.

[@z5]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 7:03pm

How have people gotten comps to this? That’s the only way I’d see it. Anyone have an extra since they apparently aren’t selling any tickets ?

[JennH]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 7:13pm

@z5 said: "How have people gotten comps to this? That’s the only way I’d see it. Anyone have an extra since they apparently aren’t selling any tickets ?"

I'll just ask ask the same again, since I haven't found one yet. Hearing that's it's that bad is sad though.

Updated On: 11/20/17 at 07:13 PM