Robin and the 7 Hoods Photos

[noahrp3]

Posted: 7/17/10 at 4:41pm

Photos are up from the run at the Old Globe. Looks like fun.



Robin and the & Hoods Photos Updated On: 7/17/10 at 04:41 PM

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 7/17/10 at 4:58pm

I know nothing of the show, but the pictures look nice. Is it really coming to Broadway?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/17/10 at 5:40pm

Eric Schneider's a hottie.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 9:16am

I hope they can find some way for Schnieder's character to take his shirt off.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 10:08am

Yeah. Those are some arms. Wow.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 10:09am

Looks like a fun show.

[Q]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 11:20am

I assume this is based on the Sinatra film?

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 11:32am

Yeah

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 3:33pm

But obviously, it has been expanded story-wise. This may work. The score is a bag of diamonds.

[Huey's Pop]

Posted: 7/18/10 at 10:33pm

I saw Robin and the 7 Hoods last night in San Diego.

Here's what worked -- the actors are all top-notch; the songs are killer; the staging is tight; the dancing is fantastic.

There's only one thing that didn't work -- the book has no "heart" or "emotion" -- unlike Mamma Mia, which weaves a good story between its songs, the book in this musical doesn't really work for me. It simply serves to get us from one song to the next, without really caring about the fate of the characters.

Bottom line: fix the book and the rest will work perfectly.

No fix book, sorry, no Broadway.

Just my opinion.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 12:37am

rmusic11322, cccording to the ad, it's a pre-Broadway run.

[dented146]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 2:31am

Hueys Pop pretty much summed it up. There is a problem for the book writer inherent in all the musicals using old songs. The transition from the dialogue to the song creates problems with mood and emotion. ( spoiler). Early in the second act with Robbo in jail, he and Marion are engaged in a conversation with a couple a of cute exchanges. Then she breaks out in the song All the Way. All the Way is a heart wrenching song. She performed it wondefully. It fit the musical but it didn't fit the cute catchy dialogue leading up to it. This type of thing drives me nuts. Momma Mia negotiated this problem by keeping everything light. Jersey Boys by placing the songs in a different context ( and by having a great book). But here placing very serious songs in what is primarily a light hearted story is much more difficult. I think Rupert Holmes did a credible job but still the book is the weak link.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 5:53am

Is there a song list for this? I would love to know which Cahn/Van Heusen songs were interpolated that were not in the original film.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 6:55am

I love the Old Globe!

(That's all.)

[Huey's Pop]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 12:33pm

I've been in theaters all over the world, and The Old Globe is at the top of my list.

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 4:41pm

Saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I didn't have as much problem with the book as some, but I agree a few of the songs didn't match the tone of the scene where they were placed.

A good strong cast, but Eric Schneider, while very good, seems a bit young to play this Frank Sinatra-esque part. Will Chase and Amy Spanger were the stand outs for me in large supporting roles. Also, I really enjoyed Adam Heller, in a fun role.

The choreography and direction are top notch.

All in all a really good time for me.

Here's the song list as of last night:

My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)
Come Dance with Me
You Can't Love 'Em All
Call Me Irresponsible
My Kind of Town (Chicago Is) (reprise)
What Makes It Happen
I Like to Lead When I Dance
I Like to Lead When I Dance (reprise)
Life is for Livin'
Walkin' Happy
More Than Likely
Same Old Song and Dance
Ain't That a Kick in the Head

(Love Is) The Tender Trap
All the Way
Come Fly with Me
Come on Strong
High Hopes
Love is a Bore
Come Blow Your Horn
All the Way (reprise)
Life is for Livin' (reprise)
Ring-a-Ding Ding

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 5:18pm

Looks like almost all of the music from the movie is gone

Mr Booze
Style
Don't Be A Do Badder
Bang Bang among others

Losing the first 2 mystifies me

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 5:41pm

I quite honestly haven't seen the movie, but I read elsewhere that they threw out the plot and started over.

As you can see, there are lots of terrific songs in the show currently. They could probably lose one or two to the benefit of the overall production.

[lstbutifulgrl2]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 9:57am

i heard they are re-working the first 20 minutes or so, but i'm not sure if that's still in rehearsal or not.

[madophelia]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 2:08pm

Mr Roxy - Looks like almost all of the music from the movie is gone

New article from the LA Times linked below. On page 2, there's a paragraph addressing your observation, but I'm sure they wanted to use more well-known songs to draw audiences. Besides, once they dropped the movie's storyline, those songs may not have fit.

I'm hoping the reviews on Friday are great and that this one has legs that will carry it to Broadway!



LA Times - July 25, 2010 Updated On: 7/25/10 at 02:08 PM

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:09pm

I saw the show yesterday and enjoyed it very much, despite the groan-inducing cheesy book and clunky opening. The Cahn-Vean Heusen jukebox score is fun but has too many ballads. The cast is superb but the sets and lighting are dark, ugly and uninspired.

I don't see the show making it to Broadway. Like almost every other jukebox musical, it feels "manufactured" and it has no big names. The show feels like another "Never Gonna Dance" flop in the making - another old-fashioned jukebox musical that the NY critics would love to hate. And for the record, I really enjoyed "Never Gonna Dance" but again, a show needs something "extra" to make it on Broadway.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 7/26/10 at 6:39pm

bb6,

Do you think it would have a better chance if it had bigger names, say if it reunited Harry Connick Jr and Kelli O'Hara in the Robbo and Marian roles?

Those tunes are right up his alley!

[madophelia]

Posted: 7/31/10 at 2:05pm

Found this one by Welton Jones. Sounds like the leads need to be replaced, which would probably be a good thing if they plan to transfer the show.
Review of Robin and the 7 Hoods

[dented146]

Posted: 7/31/10 at 3:27pm

I've said this before. Jersey Boys has set the bar very high for subsequent jukebox musicals. JB works because the book is terrific. Robin has far better music, far better choreography, and a cast of established performers. Yet the story and the pace does not immediately grab you. It needs work in that area. I don't think that any amount of star power would make the difference between this being a huge hit or just a nice try.

[madophelia]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 9:54am

Another fairly decent review from James Herbert of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

BTW I disgree about the reason the JB is so successful. It's the music, just like Mamma Mia. People adore it and can't get enough of it. The JB book IMO is only slightly more aubstantial than MM's frothy storyline.
San Diego Union Tribune Review