BULLETS closing Aug 24- Page 3

[newintown]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 8:30am

I liked Everyone Says I Love You OK, growl. Again, the use of songs that don't deal specifically with the situation or character at hand makes it feel like a movie with songs rather than a musical, if that makes sense (how I also feel about a much better movie, Pennies From Heaven).

In fact, all I can remember now (many years after seeing it last) is John Cusack doing "Yes, Yes" at Harry Winston and Goldie Hawn floating on a wire. I don't recall any of the other songs.

Updated On: 7/23/14 at 08:30 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 8:35am

I didn't hate the score as much as I thought I might, but yes, I do wonder what it could have been with an original.

I still am shaking my head over the use of "Yes, We have no Bananas".

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 9:04am

I remain surprised by the number of people who thought Braff would sell tickets. The target demographic for the show probably wasn't filled wtih SCRUBS fans, or GARDEN STATE afficianados. And whatever her strengths -- and she's a superb B'way treasure -- Mazzie wasn't ultimately an inspired choice for Helen. The role won Weist an Oscar, it's probably the single most known component of the film. So it called for special consideration, in my opinion. Someone who'd re-mint it and give some push at the box office. The idea that Allen's name alone would prove a factor didn't hold. The score issue can be debated forever, but having no one above the title in 2014 made it a hard(er) sell.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 9:07am

"I wanna see the Original HELLO DOLLY re-take the St. James. Put Channing on a "dollie" and wheel and dance her around. Please!"

Curtain..."Wave your little hand and whisper so long dearie." Hasn't the poor woman done this role enough? Granted we would all love to have the originals forever perform their signature roles they do deserve to stop. Carol Channing probably delivered Dolly Levi to more people than probably any other performer in any other show. Interested to see if there is such a record. I know there have been conversations about an actress being with Cats (forever) and also an actor in Phantom on Broadway.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 9:59am

In regards to the disdain for a non-original score: I am not one who automatically writes off a show for being a jukebox musical (I often find them creative and I love seeing how pieces of art can be adapted to become new pieces of art). “All Shook Up” is actually a favorite of mine that I think deserves a better rep - I think the songs work beautifully in telling the story (and feel specific to the characters), the arrangements of the songs are exciting and brilliant, and I find the show genuinely funny and heart-warming.

However, the lack of new music for “Bullets” is what made me not see it. I was originally very excited for the show and it was on my list of definites to see for this season – I like many in the cast and I enjoy most Woody Allen films I see (have not yet seen “Bullets,” however). When I heard that it wasn’t going to use new songs, I started to lose interest. Firstly, because, like Whizzer said, getting to hear a new score is always much more exciting to me than not.

Then, hearing the reasoning behind why “Bullets” wasn’t getting a new score made me pretty certain it would be one I would be skipping. Woody said he decided to use old standards because he doesn’t like the sound of “new music.” For me, musicals with a jukebox score only work if the story is inspired out of the music (or, occasionally, if someone is struck by how a certain group of songs happens to fit perfectly to a certain story). However, simply deciding he would use pre-existing songs just because he doesn’t like the sound of modern music seems lazy and like a decision that was made out of personal taste as opposed to what is best for the work. This was especially frustrating considering the fact that he could have had a new score written in the style of music he likes.

Hearing this reasoning (and knowing it wasn’t because he just thought these songs fit perfectly, but rather he was seeking out pre-existing songs to avoid using new material), I worried that the songs would feel very non-character specific and be a bit shoehorned in. When the show opened and one of the overwhelming reports was exactly this (and the many who said that if there had been a new score, it would have been a vast improvement), was the nail in the coffin for me.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 10:29am

I'll just be over here, biding my time for a Leonard Cohen jukebox musical.

I can wait.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 10:38am

Can it be a one-act in tandem with a Kate Bush jukebox musical?

[dreaming]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:00am

Bullets was originally supposed to have an original score by Marvin Hamlisch. There were some issues (not sure what kind-I do think Mr. Hamlisch's failing health was likely a factor) and then he passed away, sadly. I do wonder if part of the problem with an original score would be a rights issue with the Hamlisch estate? (I don't know what the state of the score Hamlisch had begun to write was, or what his rights were, etc.) I am in the camp that had fun. The more I think about it, though, the more I wonder whether it would have been better as a play (with some requisite background music-"Up the Lazy River" is kind of a necessary song to the plot and the dance club scenes would have needed some music, but as a comedy it would have worked well).

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:00am

"Can it be a one-act in tandem with a Kate Bush jukebox musical?"

That might work nicely. Can it start Tom Waits and Carolee Carmello and have a book by Annie Baker?

Updated On: 7/23/14 at 11:00 AM

[indytallguy]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:42am

A friend referred to it as a B+ show:

B+ casting
B+ acting
B+ music
B+ book

You get the idea.

I thought his description was a good one. There just weren't enough "A" components in this show to make it work for much of a run. I felt somewhat similar about Big Fish.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:44am

I had a fun time at BULLETS and lament its incipient closing. Hoping Nick Cordero lands more plum, juicy roles like Cheech. He well deserved his Theatre World award.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:46am

No doubt that Cordero's performance was the only stellar thing about the production.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 11:57am

"That might work nicely. Can it start Tom Waits and Carolee Carmello and have a book by Annie Baker?"

Perfect. Choreography by Steven Hoggett.

It'll close before the curtain call. And we can blame the audience.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:10pm

Wow, I don't think I've lived to see this MANY shows closing. Well it's prime real estate time anyway...

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:39pm

So, to make sure I have this right... we think that if it had an original score, a different cast, a different director, different choreography, a different book writer, a better marketing campaign, stronger word of mouth, and a better-known celebrity in the lead, they might not be closing now?

[newintown]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:45pm

In other words - if it had been good.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:07pm

One of the simplest things that could have been done to help this show would have been to put Braff and Pastore on the marquee. Woody Allen has gotten a good bit of bad press lately, and 90% of people probably have no idea who the hell Susan Stroman is, putting "the guy from Scrubs" and "the guy from The Sopranos" might have drawn in some of the tourist crowd.

Also a real score, and a much faster paced book would also have helped tremendously. If they killed Olive as the Act One finale it would have worked better.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:17pm

^ Kill Olive as the act one finale, and Bullets ends. Act 2 becomes Rocky's act 2. Would be a much better night at the theater.

Updated On: 7/23/14 at 01:17 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:20pm

If they were to have used an original score, who would've composed it? And what were the affects of not having an out-of-town tryout?

[dreaming]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:55pm

jacob-as I said above, they had an original score with Marvin Hamlisch at the beginning of this project. I don't know what happened (perhaps a combination of Hamlisch's failing health and some other factors) but the project didn't go forward that way.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:32pm

"So, to make sure I have this right... we think that if it had an original score, a different cast, a different director, different choreography, a different book writer, a better marketing campaign, stronger word of mouth, and a better-known celebrity in the lead, they might not be closing now?"

Toilet paper in the restrooms that didn't make you think you were wiping your butt with sandpaper might have also helped pull in more bus tours and seniors.

[binau]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 6:44pm

There was such hype for Helen, how Mazzie, Peters and LuPone were fighting over it etc. I listen to "They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me" and don't really see what they were fighting over, lol.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 7/24/14 at 1:58am

Ms. Stroman and Mr. Allen took a brilliant film and made it a generic mediocre musical. All Stroman musicals are beginning to look alike. It's a Big Fish, Producers,Bullets Stroman like Musical. They have hots dogs, pretzels, and big fish in their numbers.

Bullets didn't even end! They sing "Yes we have no bananas" and it ends? It doesn't get more pathetic or abrupt than that.

As for Roxy... I know how he feels. We who were weened on Cabaret and Fiddler on the Roof, and Funny Girl, Sweet Charity and Mame have to put up with mediocrities like Legally Blonde, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish and Once? It just doesn't compare to what it used to be like. We don't have Fosse or Bennet or Michael Kidd. We don't have Merman or Martin or Channing. I can understand his losing interest.

When Broadway musicals are good and they still sometimes are: Book of Mormon, Wicked come to mind but its not like it used to be. You have to sit through a lot of clinkers to find the pearls.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/24/14 at 2:08am

I think you misread Roxy. He's upset that Bullets didn't find an audience. He's giving up theater because the flops he loves aren't hits. Your mistake was trying to apply common sense to Roxy.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/24/14 at 2:13am

I didn't mind the score. And I found the show to be really quite entertaining. I haven't seen the film. I liked what they did with it, and it was pretty fun. I can see why it failed. It wasn't "perfect" at any one thing.