Anyone going to the first preview of PROMISES, PROMISES tonight?- Page 3

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 2:35pm

Bk, the original overture wasn't staged?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 3:06pm

bk, unfortunately it seems like so many people just talk through traditional overtures.

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 3:36pm

So how tall is this stage, really? Would row B, Orchestra Right be super uncomfortable?

[bk]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 4:18pm

"Bk, the original overture wasn't staged?"

Of course not. It was played by the orchestra - gloriously. I used to stand inside the Shubert lobby on matinee days just to hear it.

I didn't hear anyone talking through the South Pacific overture, funnily. No, they sat and reveled in that glorious music. And I don't think anyone talks through the Gypsy overture. And I don't think Mr. Laurents added any staging to it. Overtures are incredible when they're good - and I miss them. And I don't need to see staging during them because, I don't know, I have a brain and understand the function of an overture. In the case of the Promises overture, at the end of it, rather than it ending, the curtain rises on the final bars to reveal C. C. Baxter at his desk. Alone.

[omcook]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 5:13pm

"-Cheno was alright. This was my first time seeing her live, and I was underwhelmed. It may be the role itself. Her singing was good though it tended to go country a lot. "

If you've listened to the original soundtrack, O'Hara tends to be a bit country at times, too.

I'm seeing the show on April 24 for the last preview, so hopefully the things you guys weren't thrilled with will have been fixed. Honestly, though it would probably take a lot to really disappoint me :) haha

[pli1018]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 5:15pm

^That's exactly what I was wishing for during the entire duration of the overture. It's one of my favorites and the action behind the scrim was pretty distracting. The orchestra sounded GREAT though!

Miss Polansky is played by Megan Sikora, Miss Wong is Mayumi Migel and Miss Della Hoya is Cameron Adams.

Regarding "Turkey Lurkey Time": I would definitely have enjoyed it a bit more had the original choreography been incorporated, but that's not to say the show doesn't have other issues.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 5:16pm

I totally missed O'Hara's voice at times last night. Nothing beats that raspy tone, which totally worked for these songs.

[omcook]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 5:26pm

O'Hara and Cheno definitely have very different voices. I'm interested to see Cheno in this role, because it just doesn't seem like a typical role for her.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 6:21pm

Who are Miss Polansky Miss Wong Migel and Miss Della Hoya in the story line. As in what they do.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 6:23pm

they are the three featured dancers/vocal soloist in Turkey Lurkey Time.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 7:10pm

I don't think the Bennet staging of TURKEY... was ever considered for this production. Maybe someone knows the actual facts but Bennet did not have as much control over his shows as Jerome Robbins. FOLLIES, COMPANY and other Bennet shows are done with diffrernt staging all the time.
Though Ashford has his moments as a choreographer, I have never seen any clues that he is the next Michael Bennet and to stick a number of that quality in someone else's show would have been a big mistake. That said, I always knew that the number would be a bone of contention, with purists and non purists as well.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 7:30pm

Who are Miss Polansky Miss Wong Migel and Miss Della Hoya in the story line. As in what they do.

In the original Broadway production, they weren't roles in the actual musical -- the only time you see those names attached to those 3 female dancers/ensemble members is during their introduction that leads them into "Turkey Lurkey Time". Only Miss Della Hoya's name is referenced earlier during Miss Olson's scene/exchange with Fran.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 4:49am

"I didn't hear anyone talking through the South Pacific overture, funnily. No, they sat and reveled in that glorious music. And I don't think anyone talks through the Gypsy overture. And I don't think Mr. Laurents added any staging to it. Overtures are incredible when they're good - and I miss them. And I don't need to see staging during them because, I don't know, I have a brain and understand the function of an overture. In the case of the Promises overture, at the end of it, rather than it ending, the curtain rises on the final bars to reveal C. C. Baxter at his desk. Alone."

Laurents did add some staging to the overture in the 1989 production. Can't remember if there was any staging in the last production as I only saw it at City Center, which was quite enough for me.

And as we know, people did used to talk sometimes during overtures. Hell, people even talked during the overture to Gypsy at the last performance of the original Broadway production.

I am with you generally about the silliness of adding staging to the classic overtures.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 9:31am

There's really no reason do "Turkey Lurkey" without Bennett's icoinic choreography.

I mean, it's not like it's a good song. It's one of the stupidest songs ever written for Broadway. It may even be the stupidest song ever written.

But in Bennett's thrillingly manic depiction of an office party that turns into a 1960's Bacchanal, it becomes something wonderful. Even in the teenage version in Camp, the fun is still there.

Without Bennett's choreography, it's like doing Sweet Charity with a Charity who can't dance, or West Side Story with an....

Anyway.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 9:34am

Woohoo, Megan Sikora! Love her.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:09am

Well, Laurents didn't techinically "stage" the overture for the LuPone revival of Gypsy, but he certainly did use lighting/curtain tricks to grab the attention of the audience. So it wasn't just the orchestra playing it without anything else going on. Personally, I can't imagine talking through and missing a great overture.

[omcook]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:14am

I think talking through an overture is just rude. Plus, the Promises overture is wonderful; I'd hate to miss out on it!

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:26am

If they were going to add Bacharach songs, they should have added "Are You There (With Another Girl)?" At least it serves the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px1uAOSZz9g

Sounds like they were interested in adding hits rather than thinking about what's best for the show.

I'm sure if they used the Bennett choreography for Turkey Lurkey, it would have to be licensed, and his estate paid a royalty. Who's to say they didn't ask and were rejected?

Although Jerry Mitchell MORE than "borrowed" from Bennett for his rendition in Camp. And that worked very well.

[omcook]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 10:45am

^^
I completely agree! From what people are saying, "I Say a Little Prayer" didn't really fit. I love that song, but they should trust the musical enough not to just oddly throw in a song simply because people know it.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 11:37am

With regard to Arthur Laurents staging the overture to GYPSY for the 1989 production starring Tyne Daly, he did indeed stage it for the first preview(and undoubtedly other previews) by having stage hands moving scenery behind a scrim, so the audience would "get it" that this was to be a show business musical. However, by the time that GYPSY opened, the staging was wisely gone from the overture(I saw the Tyne Daly GYPSY several times).

Also, I saw the LuPone GYPSY and remember no lighting or curtain
"tricks" during the overture. Obviously that overture speaks for itself as one of the very great overtures of the musical theatre, far surpassing the PROMISES, PROMISES overture.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 11:39am

The LuPone revival revealed the orchestra on stage for the entire overture. The lighting changed color for each song change during the overture.

[LindaTNo1]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 12:43pm

I would NOT rate the first preview either positively or negatively. Remember it IS the FIRST preview and the definition of preview is what? Right. An advance showing BEFORE its public opening, an advanced idea and/or impression of what may be to come. Anything in a Preview mode can change, be altered, adjusted, etc. BEFORE OPENING night. Simply an idea of what might come ahead. Preview audiences are similar to Pilot season audiences in that the producers/director get a first hand indication of what the audience likes/dislikes and how the storyline tracks and other elements. Of course there will be some tweaking and alignments needed to build up for the OPENING night of a show. Promises, Promises is going to be just fine.

Broadway theatergoers have their preferences. Some like Musicals over Plays and vise versa. Some like certain theaters over other theaters ie. architecture, seating, stage size, etc.

Promises, Promises will be a fine show with first rate actors. A FIRST preview is really not enough to base an opinion on. I would want to wait until it gets into the run of the show and see it at various times, early, midpoint, later, to give a reliable opinion based on multiple times seeing the show. I am happy to see my fave, Sean Hayes, back in action on stage. Welcome back, Sean!

[leefowler]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:29pm

Why do people act like they're the only ones in the world who understand what a preview is, and then feel they have to explain it to the rest of us over and over?

There's nothing wrong with expressing a viewpoint about a show in progress.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:34pm

Amen. Why show up in a thread that discusses a new production only to shake your finger at everyone for ... discussing the production. That's why these damned boards were created. And I've been at this one almost since its inception. We are all here for one main reason: To talk about shows. Weigh in. Debate. Argue. Express strong ideas. Whenever we want. And none of this is a new phenom. People have discussed previews and out of town tryouts since the dawn of NY theater. It's preposterous to think these threads should be opinion-free until the opening. Or why the hell post, why the hell read?

Updated On: 3/29/10 at 01:34 PM

[perfectliar]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:50pm

[Begin rant]

It may be before it's public "opening" but it's still a public performance. People are paying full price to see it, so of course they are going to judge what they got for their money.

And nowadays most previews aren't cheaper than performances after opening night; so if you're going to charge full price, you better put up a good enough product to make people feel like they got their money's worth.

Not to mention the fact that tourists most likely have no idea what shows are in previews or open or whatever. If you go to the TKTS booth, there's no special consideration for shows in previews; everything is on the same level. People can be buying tickets to a show's first few previews without even realizing it, and they're getting a lackluster production because people are "still growing into their roles" or "still working out kinks."

I'm sick of people making excuses and even more sick of people bashing others for reviewing previews as if it were a private production in the director's living room. Get over it.

[End rant]