Dreamgirls at the Apollo- Page 2

[Insider2]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 12:21pm

I was there last night. The show is spectacular. But the theatre was half-empty. There were empty seats all around me. Are people afraid to go up to 125th Street or something? If so, that's a shame, because they are missing out on one of the best things playing in New York right now.

Posted: 11/11/09 at 1:36pm

WOW! Thats sad... I can't believe people aren't clamoring to see this.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 2:32pm

Has this been up at TKTS? The broadwaybox discount isn't great, and I'm in NY this weekend. I'm trying to decide if I can get a better discount for Friday or Saturday by just waiting.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 3:52pm

I was at opening night last Friday and I loved the show. But, I also noticed that even on opening night there were several open seats. It made me sad. But, nevertheless, the actors gave a dynamite performance. But, I don't think Chester Gregory was the stand out for me either. He was good, but he was trying too hard at times.

[misto625]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 4:01pm

Does anyone know if there are any discounts besides BroadwayBox and whether they have rush tickets?

[tking001]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 4:15pm

I just called them to ask about rush tickets and
They told me they have student rush tickets
$10 each
1 per ID
Any Student
I asked where they were she said they were Orc. seats
I then said Are they partial view she was like it's whatever's left but not partial view there's good.
I don' get how they can say it's whatevers left and that they r good seats

Have anyone done rush for this? How early would I need to get their?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 11/11/09 at 4:27pm

Why do
You
Need to
Talk like
This
?

It is
very
distracting
.

Posted: 11/11/09 at 4:29pm

I know Longbottom has spoken a fair bit about paying hommage to the original Bennett staging--can someone who has seen the original (or the slightly different original tour) and this production comment on if anything was kept or if he means more in spirit? I know Shane Sparks (I think) has completely re-choreographed it, though of course most of the original was choreographed not by Bennett but by Michael Peters

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:09am

though of course most of the original was choreographed not by Bennett but by Michael Peters

Eric :who told you that? I'm curious...

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:46am

I saw this earlier in the week, and although I think there are some really strong moments, I didn't come out of the theater raving like some of the above posters.

Eric- I'm not old enough to have seen the original, but from the clips I've seen and what I gathered from Mandelbaum's A Chorus Line and the other Musical of Michael Bennett I believe Longbottom did make many nods to Bennet's staging. For example a spotlight goes to Effie's face during I Am Changing and then when it comes back out again she has changed costumes.

I didn't really like Sparks' new choreography. "Steppin' To the Bad Side" felt very anachronistic to me.

The cast is a VERY mixed bag. Moya Angela can really sing Effie, but as some others have noted her acting is a little weak, especially in the first act. In fact, up until "Heavy" everyone is pretty weak in the acting department except Chester and actor playing Marty. Maybe with time she'll settle more into the role.

Syesha Mercado is hit or miss as Deena. She has almost no lower register, and therefore the title song and the verses of "One Night Only" are almost inaudible. She didn't seem to have a character at all until the fight scenes with Effie at the end of act one. She didn't completely convince me that she was Magazine cover girl in act two either, but "Listen" came off well and kind of redeemed her.

Adrienne Warren was the best actress of three and she gave "Ain't No Party" and the subsequent scenes her all. Still, she had some trouble finding the humor in the dressing room where she talks about being a woman now.

I agree with the people saying Chester steals the show. He clearly has created the most layered character and is making definite acting choices for Jimmy. His dancing and singing is spot on, and (spoiler, I guess) his fall from fame/"The Rap" was affecting.

The actors playing Curtis and CC barely registered with me the whole evening.

At the end of the day this isn't a terrible revival, it just isn't that perfectly executed either.

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 12:27pm

just FYI. Friday was not opening night. It was just the first preview, and it wasn't even on sale on ticketmaster - it was a Harlem community night. Opening night is later in the month. After opening, reviews come out.

Posted: 11/12/09 at 7:05pm

"though of course most of the original was choreographed not by Bennett but by Michael Peters

Eric :who told you that? I'm curious..."

Much of Ken Mandelbaum's awesome book on Bennett did, among other places :P But that book (Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett) goes into at length about why Peters was chosen, how much was basically all his work (a fact I don't think Bennett tried to hide but one that may have been lost in the press who just see Bennett's name and assume he choreographed all), etc etc.

Whizzer, I think Shane is a talented choreographer but I was worried when I saw his interview and he mentioned how he'd be incorporating modern styles of R&B dance, etc... Speaking of Steppin' to the Bad Side, did they keep any of the infamous staging of the wall of people moving records up, or whatever, from the original? Glad to see that iconic I Am Changing moment is still there.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 10:52pm

is there any rumblings yet as to if this will be recorded?

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:19pm

I was there tonight, and Yikes.

I'm not a Longbottom fan, but I thought his directorial work was terrific, and his choreo was great as well. "Stepping to the Bad Side" is probably Michael Bennett's best work, it's freaking hard to top, but Longbottom did a good job with it.

His casting? Not so much. The MEN were terrific. The women were dreadful.

It's freaking DREAMGIRLS. Cast women that can ACT. "Dreamgirls" has always been a show that the music carries.

The book scenes, in this production, were EXCRUCIATING. None of those women could act their way out of a paper bag. "Heavy" should play like gangbusters. It didn't. Nor did "And I'm Telling You" or "Ain't No Party." Updated On: 11/12/09 at 11:19 PM

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:34pm

So why was it weird? just cuz the women were all weak? And Longbottom's directing was perfect except how he directed the actual female actors? LOL confused...

How much choreography did Longbottom do? I thought Shane Sparks did the majority??

[bjh2114]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:40pm

Adrienne Warren was the best actress of three and she gave "Ain't No Party" and the subsequent scenes her all.

I just got back, and I could not disagree with this more. I thought she was TERRIBLE. The crowds will love her, but her Lorrell was too harsh from the get go. She didn't start of girlish and grow into a strong woman. She scream sang all of her high notes, sounding like Tina Turner most of the time. Her only scenes that hit were the ones where she carbon copied Anika from the movie. She had too much attitude the entire time. It was as if she was trying to play Effie.

Other than her and the guy who played Curtis (and some individual directorial choices that weren't huge issues), I thought the show was fantastic.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 11/12/09 at 11:53pm

The thing that I loved about this "Dreamgirls" was the set. Longbottom took Robin Wagner's sensational, revolutionary set, and turned it on its ear. And it totally worked.

But the cast (female) stank. The men were terrific.
Updated On: 11/12/09 at 11:53 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 12:07am

My friend was at the 1st preview last Friday and really enjoyed it. His only problem was also the female actors. He said they weren't really bad but they weren't great.

Got my mail today and found that he had sent me my NY Theatre package. Inside was the Playbill from the show and a really cool Dreamgirls keychain. It is a metal disc that looks like a record with Dreamgirls "engraved" across it on both sides.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 12:11am

I wouldn't say the women stank. I thought they were very hit or miss. I hated Lorrell the entire time, but thought Deena and Effie were ON when they were on and passable when they weren't. They sang the crap out of Listen, new terrible lyrics and all. On the other hand, I did not find the men so fantastic. I thought Chester was great as Jimmy, and C.C. was fine, but Curtis was god awful. He was so bad I couldn't even stand it. And while the projections worked for many scenes in the show, they felt very out of place in others (Stepping To The Bad Side).
Updated On: 11/13/09 at 12:11 AM

[arch_animal90]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 12:31am

How is Syesha? Is she in it?

Posted: 11/13/09 at 9:33am

Sounds like everyone is in agreement that the guy who plays Curtis isn't good- thats too bad.

Posted: 11/13/09 at 10:03am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_DREAMGIRLS_at_the_Apollo_Theater_20091113

And what is up with James Thunder Early's wig?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 10:14am

Honestly his wig was the best one in the show... the other wigs were all terrible.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 11:26am

Eric- They do not keep any the original choreography for "Steppin' to the Bad Side." I wonder what the number looks like from the orchestra, because it's staged like an Esther Williams number from one of her old MGM films. The men laid on the floor in a circle and kicked or passed their suitcases around. (The suitcases had a neon green outline that garrishly glowed in the dark.)

bjh2114- I guess I agree with you about Adrienne not being able to find any of Lorrell's girlish qualities. Like I said that book scene in the dressing room where she tells Deena she's having sex was painfully unfunny. I guess I was just more impressed with "Ain't No Party" because compared to the other two she actually seemed to have some dramatic acting instincts.

Do worry that she is shouting too much, and in time she may lose her voice.

The night before Dreamgirls I saw the Bernadette concert and the night after I saw the superb Orphans' Home Cycle Pt 1. When I put this revival in context with other theater it really begins to pale in comparison.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 11/13/09 at 1:33pm

I'm still really excited about seeing this, despite the reviews becoming more mixed. I think these roles are difficult to step into, particularly Effie. Both Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson have given people SUCH high expectations of anybody playing the role that Effie's shoes are so difficult to fill.

P.S. If person tells you that ANYBODY's version of "And I Am Telling You" is better than Jennifer Holliday's, that person is not your friend. :)