Becoming Nancy Previews/Performances Atlanta

[SouthernHope1]

i have to agree with folks who believe it's not ready for broadway....i saw it saturday night...so before opening but must assume that there weren't radical changes...and I admire greatly several of the performances and songs and the overall energy...but I didn't walk out of there thinking, "well this is broadway bound..." instead I thought "You Matter" is the anthem of this whole thing? I don't know...I found the ideas behind it trite. 

[ClumsyDude15]

Maybe I'm wrong but I've always felt like Broadway (or at least a New York run somewhere) is the general goal of shows that go out of town to put up their show and get feedback before a New York audience sees it. Of course, not every show needs to come to Broadway, but I have liked what I've heard and seen of this and would like to see it come somewhere I can see it - be that Broadway, off-Broadway, or a closer regional premiere. 

[hayleyann]

VotePeron said: "fashionguru_23 said: "To be honest, I am a big fan of Jessica Vosk. I really like and her body of work. One thing comes into mind, remember when she was casted in Wicked, and there were people that we saying that she was casted for her large presence on social media? I wonder if that is the case, without her in the cast, would this show be on everyone's radar as loud as it is?"

I’ve been a Vosk fan since way before her Wicked days, and it looks like she’s using social media to really push the idea that she is done with Elphaba, and doesn’t want to to be associated with that role forever, or even now, in hopes of getting new work.

That being said - no, I would not care about this show even a little if she wasn’t in it. Shame it’s DOA. Hope she finds a new project soon."

Uh....her current instagram profile photo is literally a picture of her as Elphaba.

[bwayrose7]

So, did we ever actually find any reviews that anyone can link to?

[BWAY Baby2]

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION REVIEW-------------------------------------------------Art has always held up a mirror to the good and the bad of the human condition. Many of the great musicals in the canon deal with hate, social turmoil, madness, mental illness, family dysfunction, mob violence, pain, despair. (For some fine examples, see Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Miranda.) But they do so with grace, irony, and respect — for the characters and the audience.

I have no doubt that Mitchell and his artistic team have noble intentions: Tell a gay love story that endures against all odds; describe a divided community that undergoes a moral transformation. But there are some fundamental problems here, matters of taste and sensitivity, that will have to be addressed if the show is to have a future beyond the Alliance. For now we can only wonder: What were they thinking?

THEATER REVIEW

“Becoming Nancy”

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 6. $25-$85. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-733-5000, alliancetheatre.org

Bottom line: Means well, runs amok.         --Wendell Brooks, AJC: As written by Elliot Davis (book), George Stiles(music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics), and directed and choreographed by Mitchell, "Becoming Nancy" is a tonally jarring work that cloaks disturbing stereotypes and offensive language in a hyper-energetic swell of song-and-dance numbers before ending with an anthem of self-love called "You Matter." [...] To be certain, "Becoming Nancy" is lavishly staged, peppered with likable songs, and distinguished by top-notch performances. Scenic designer David Rockwell creates a fabulous, fine-boned high-school gymnasium, sumptuously lit by Philip S. Rosenberg, and Amy Clark contributes costumes that are appropriate to the almost-'80s vibe. Despite the weirdness of the material, the cast soldiers on, and sometimes soars.

[JaglinSays]

Holy crap, that is a total pan.  How did that tripe get produced in the first place?

[MrsSallyAdams]

So, reading this review, is the plot of the show:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Boy gets cast as Nancy in Oliver, Boy falls for closeted jock, Boy gets assaulted by Neo-N*zi's?

 

[tombomb31]

I’ve seen this 5 times now, and have plans to see it at least 3 more times. It is easily in my top 5 of all time. The story has soooo much heart and the cast is beyond words. Zachary Sayle WILL win a Tony one day. I could go on and on but everyone who has the chance to see this phenomenal show, GO!!

[DaveyG]

A pan from Variety.

https://variety.com/2019/legit/reviews/becoming-nancy-review-musical-alliance-theater-1203345568/

[Keylargo17]

I went this weekend to a matinee - it was good but not great. First time at the Alliance - the theater is beautiful. The set/stage was really neat but the show itself had some microphone issues and felt a little incomplete. In my very unprofessional opinion, I felt like there was some definite star power on stage but the show was just wasn't quite it - I still enjoyed it. The theater was probably 2/3rds empty - I did expect to see more of a crowd but it was the matinee so maybe that is why? Still glad I went. 

[Robbie2]

What's happening in Atlanta...will stay in Atlanta!

[MrsSallyAdams]

I've been curious about this show so I read the book it was based on. Terry Ronald's novel creates an amusing protagonist but he's rather passive. His drama teacher and his love interest do most of the heavy lifting plot wise. It sounds like only a few on this board have seen the show but I'd be curious to hear how they shape the character arcs.

[mailhandler777]

I saw this last Sunday night. I loved it. Very The Prom like but better IMO.

[HugoP]

Went back tonight-- the show closes tomorrow.   Audience response was tumultuous, and I understand why:   even with the weaknesses (heavy-handedness, implausibility, similarity to other shows) this is a very very successful production, with great performances, inventive staging and a score that has a lot of wonderful moments.     I had seen one of the early previews and loved it, but committed to going back before it closed...Jerry Mitchell seemed to have tightened it up a lot, restaged (I think!) some of the weaker numbers and may have possibly removed a few things (no song list either time).      This cast is phenomenal and the production delivered one of my favorite experiences in a long, long while.     Hope it either has more life...or everyone involved goes onto something great.