The Lightning Thief previews thread- Page 2

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/21/19 at 10:31am

Anyone go last night? Whizzer?

[ian_mcqueen]

Posted: 9/21/19 at 10:52am

I was there last night! A ton of energy in the house, and you could see how much fun everyone was having making their Broadway debut (sans Chris, who was all-in on the fun anyway!)

Pretty unchanged, if at all, from the tour, so it does feel a little “small scale” for Broadway, but I’m interested to see how it plays as they find their audience. Fan interaction on social media has been top notch, as expected!!

Mixing needs a little bit of work: it was a little overpowered by the bass—some of the quick one-liners got a little lost here and there. A few technical snafus, but all as to be expected on a first preview.

Eager to see what others are thinking, but as a lifelong fan of the books, it was a blast to revisit this show!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/21/19 at 11:44am

Did you see it at the Beacon? The sound was horrible that it was very difficult to understand anything. Is it better than that?

[ian_mcqueen]

Posted: 9/21/19 at 12:30pm

Definitely better than at the Beacon—once they get the band leveled out, everything should be solid; it’s not big enough of a space for the sound to get lost like some of the tour spots

[Sarah329]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 2:46pm

I’m not sure where to put this, but has anyone tried lottery yet? I know it’s reallllly early to ask this lol

[inception]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 3:23pm

I guess lottery would be cheaper, but it's on Goldstar for $69

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 3:30pm

To say that this was awful would be an understatement. I have seen some REALLY bad community theatre that was better than this. Everything from the acting and vocals to the dirt cheap set design just SCREAM amateur. The amount of scenery chewing going on by everyone in the small cast was shocking. The score is loud and monotonous beyond belief. This was honestly a painful chore to sit through.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 3:49pm

I may be seeing it this week. I have listened to some of the music and seen video clips. Not familiar at all with the books but this has, for some reason, caught my interest. 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 3:52pm

Where has Whizzer been? He hasn't posted a Preview review since Moulin Rouge. I always looked forward to his first reports on the shows

[inception]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 4:12pm

Maybe he doesn't go see crap?

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 5:43pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "Where has Whizzer been? He hasn't posted a Preview review since Moulin Rouge. I always looked forward to his first reports on the shows"

That’s not true at all. He posted a review of Scotland, PA.

[Pose2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 5:46pm

He also reviewed Slave Play. Maybe do a bit more research next time. 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 5:56pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "Where has Whizzer been? He hasn't posted a Preview review since Moulin Rouge. I always looked forward to his first reports on the shows"

After his Moulin Rouge! review on 7/9, he didn't post until this past week, on 9/16, so I can see why you thought he hasn't been around. You must have missed the 3 recent reviews: Height of the Storm, Slave Play, and Scotland, PA. Those 2 months without him did make it feel a little empty here, considering what we've gotten instead of his thoughtful comments is nastiness and unnecessary snark from other low-mentality members.

Updated On: 9/22/19 at 05:56 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 6:09pm

inception said: "I guess lottery would be cheaper, but it's on Goldstar for $69"

 

Not sure where the seats are located, but at TKTS they've had tickets as cheap as $58.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 6:28pm

 CT2NYC said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "Where has Whizzer been? He hasn't posted a Preview review since Moulin Rouge. I always looked forward to his first reports on the shows"

After hisMoulin Rouge!review on 7/9, he didn't post until this past week, on 9/16, so I can see why you thought he hasn't been around. You must have missed the 3 recent reviews:Height of the Storm, Slave Play,andScotland, PA.Those 2 months without him did make it feel a little empty here, considering what we've gotten instead of his thoughtful commentsis nastiness and unnecessary snark from other low-mentality members."

I searched using the search engine’s Posted By function. Maybe it doesn’t do replies?

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 6:42pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "CT2NYC said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "Where has Whizzer been? He hasn't posted a Preview review since Moulin Rouge. I always looked forward to his first reports on the shows"

After hisMoulin Rouge!review on 7/9, he didn't post until this past week, on 9/16, so I can see why you thought he hasn't been around. You must have missed the 3 recent reviews:Height of the Storm, Slave Play,andScotland, PA.Those 2 months without him did make it feel a little empty here, considering what we've gotten instead of his thoughtful commentsis nastiness and unnecessary snark from other low-mentality members."

I searched using the search engine’s Posted By function. Maybe it doesn’t do replies?"

Here's a link to his profile. If you scroll down, you can see his most recent posts:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/newcsd.cfm?ID=16590

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 8:52pm

Didn't Whizzer say he has been dealing with some health issues?

[imissthemusic2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 9:43pm

Any rush reports yet? 

[Tjlovesmusicals]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 9:47pm

Went through tdf tonight and got really nice orchestra seats for anyone interested

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 9:48pm

JBroadway said: "How much do we want to bet that they will throw in at leastone Hadestown reference for the Broadway production?"

There isn’t one. So. 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 3:33pm

uncageg said: "Didn't Whizzer say he has been dealing with some health issues?"

If he is, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he's doing better

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 3:49pm

I saw this Sunday night. I had TDF seats that were in Row B orchestra on the Aisle which were great!

Chris McCarrell was out which I thought was a bit surprising since they had only done a few shows. 

I thought Sam Leicht was good in his absence. 

If you thought Be More Chill was too slick this is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It's a scrappy little show which sometimes works in its favor. I kinda start rooting for it in spite of itself and the story that doesn't make much sense. 

The music is all kinda generic angsty rock that I probably would have been listening to during my Blink 182/Fall Out Boy phase in high school.  I liked a few songs including "Good Kid" and "Dead on Arrival."

The design is cheap and ugly. No way around that. Definitely feels like a touring show. 

The audience was pretty into it including the girl next to me who knew the choreography and lyrics to every song.

To be honest I probably should have disliked it more than I did as it does have a lot of things wrong but it is harmless enough. I think if I were still in college it would have been a show I was very into.  It is high energy and doesn't overstay it's welcome though I do feel it could be one act instead of 2:10 with intermission. 

 

 

 

[Jakeevan942]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 8:14pm

I was at the first preview last Friday. fourth row of the side mezz on Tdf, moved down to the first row of the side mezz at intermission. 

I went in not expecting much, given that the piece is an expansion of a 65-minute Theatreworks van tour piece, designed to be done in elementary school cafetoriums across the country. I think it would have worked better as a 90 minute 1-act; the actually run time of the show is only about 1:55 plus intermission. The music is catchy, and the simplicity of the staging works, but the whole show/staging/choreography feels like a lot of the stuff that theatreworks does, where the average ticket cost is $12.

It's worth noting that this had among the cheapest upstart cost of a Broadway musical is recent memory. The tour trucks pulled up to the Longacre last Monday to load the show in. At the same time, the cast starting brush-up rehearsals at TW Studios Chelsea, which Theatreworks owns. Cast moved into the theater on Wednesday afternoon, ran the show Thursday, and first preview Friday. It is just a three truck tour, with no noticeable enhancement for Broadway other than one additional guitar player, so the running cost is bottom of the barrel.

I think it may play out it's run-Just after they open, we hit Columbus Day, then Jersey teacher's convention weekend, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and the holidays. I think it might have a chance of playing out it's sixteen weeks-there were quite a number of people there is show-logo shirts first night: the piece definitely has a following, and, unlike Be More Chill, by billing a limited run, they are enticing people to buy tickets now. If it flops, they'll close January and put the rights out into the world; if it miraculously is making tons of money, they could close at the Longacre and reopen at another similar sized venue in the span of 6 days-I think the physical production would fit nicely in one of the 499s at New World Stages

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/24/19 at 6:53am

Hey uncageg, I fortunately am not dealing with any health issues. I’ve been traveling a lot, but am back in New York at least through the winter and am catching up on the fall offerings. I saw both Lightning Thief and Freestyle Love Supreme (at 10pm!) last night, so I’m making progress.

As for the Lightning Thief- oy to the vey. I mean, can no one write a frickin song anymore? This is truly a soul-crushing production with absolutely zero redeeming factors. The score is beyond dreck and the book, while not incoherent, has no momentum and meanders around a narrative that produces little in stakes or agency for our “characters” such as they are.

The sets, costumes and wigs (go back to Party City!) are not only cheap but ugly as sin. You MAYBE can forgive this stuff at a NYMF or Fringe show, but certainly not on a Broadway stage. The cast doubling, tripling, quadrupling- the likes of which has not been seems since Baby, It’s You- comes off as not a creative choice, but an excuse to not hire more actors.

And speaking of the actors...

Look, if you know me, or have read my reviews here, you know I like actors. Crappy shows are usually the fault of bad scripts, scores and direction, but here the actors must share in the blame. The performances are not good.

If a show is going to be this bad it could at least do the audience a favor and be campy bad. If you’re going to be a disaster flop, aim for Carrie and not Amazing Grace, but Lightning Thief can’t even throw the audience a single bone.

Normally I would tell someone to see any show and make up their own mind, but not here. Seeing this garbage is a waste of anyone’s money, and more importantly time. It could also be hazardous to one’s healthy (god knows how many brain cells I lost last night) and certainly it is not good for the spirit to see what is attempting to pass as musical theater these days.

Luckily I received instant healing at Freestyle Love Supreme. If I hadn’t booked this doubleheader last night, who knows how long it would have taken to recover from my stupor at the Longacre.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/24/19 at 8:57am

yeah, Whizzer's back!! Always appreciate your reviews!!