If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Disaster is so audaciously and outrageously awful that it has instantly become the camp event of the season, if not the past few seasons. I'm flabbergasted by what I saw on stage at the Nederlander tonight and truly have no clue who would dare invest in a Broadway transfer of this material. The construction of the book (devoid of any wit, parody or satire of the disaster films they were trying to skewer) is so terribly inept and inert that I couldn't help but crack up at every misstep.
And make no mistake, I laughed harder tonight than I have in a long while, but always at and never with the show. Faith Prince has managed to find herself in a production number more embarrassing than getting kicked down the stage in Busy Night at Lorraine's. It took her 25 years, but by god, she found it. Seth Rudetsky, always so full of vim and vigor during his Chatterbox interviews, was stiff and wooden; maybe he got some acting tips from Bruce Willis over at Misery.
There are no original songs, and worse than that barely any of them are sung in their entirety. We get snippets or maybe a verse and a chorus before an abrupt ending, leaving the audience wondering if it's time to applaud. Rachel York sings I Will Survive for all of 45 seconds. The book isn't good, so why not let these talented performers at least sing the damn numbers for us?
The production is cheap as hell, and in fairness they attempt to revel in the cheapness. That tactic might work well at New World Stages (or lower still, The Acorn where this truly belongs), but not on Broadway at Broadway prices.
I wish the actors all godspeed finding new jobs (and firing their agents).
It's fitting that Disaster is playing at the Nederlander, where it can join company of Raggedy Ann, Wind in the Willows, One Night Stand and Heathen!
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
With an almost empty front mezzanine and taking into account this was a first preview i attempted to get last minute rush tickets: don't bother. The box office staff were incredibly rude and dismissive that i almost want to write a letter to the producers that supposedly "limit" the box office to selling 30 rush seats maximum. However, it sounds like they have bigger problems to address? I'm glad that i didn't throw away $30.00....
This was one of my favorite off-Broadway shows when I saw it at the St Luke's Theater, so I'm very surprised to read different feedback about the Broadway version. Seth Rudetsky and Mary Testa, along with the rest of the hard-working cast had me laughing along and loving every minute of it. Loved the 70s songs and all the disasters that happened - the ship sinking, the shark attack, the bee attack, etc etc. It was a hilarious super-campy show. Has anyone seen both the off-Broadway and the Broadway version, who can compare the two?