The Robber Bridegroom (Previews)

[jbm2]

previews started tonight? Anyone catch it?

[PianoMann]

You're a week too early, previews begin Feb. 18.

 

I did have a short moment of panic thinking I had forgotten about my Access 10 tickets.

[jbm2]

You are right.

Clearly I'm excited for this one :)

[PianoMann]

Me too! I'll be there next Friday night. I'm looking forward to seeing Pasquale on stage again!

 

[mamaleh]

And how.  Glad I was able to grab some Access10 seats.  (The original post had me slightly panicked about date, too.)

[Mr Roxy]

Missed out on Access 10. I did however see the original with ,I believe, Patti L & Barry Bostick. Correct me if I am wrong here.

[doodlenyc]

It actually played twice on Broadway, in 1976 with Patti LuPone as Rosamund and Kevin Kline as Lockhart. He replaced Raul Julia who did the workshop. It closed and reopened in 1977 with Bostwick and Rhonda Coullet as Rosamund (so different from LuPone, but I love her on the recording.)

It was nominated for two Tony awards in 1976, Best Book and Supp. Actress for LuPone. In 1977 it was only nominated for Best Actor, which Bostwick won.

Even stranger, it was nominated for a bunch of Drama Desks both years, each production getting a Best Musical nomination.

[Mr Roxy]

I was half right. I did it from memory and though it was Bostwick. Sorry for the error.

[doodlenyc]

You're welcome.

[GavestonPS]

While you are correcting our memories, in which production did the male lead play part of the run with a broken arm? In my mind's eye, it was Kevin Kline, but I could well be wrong about things that happened 40 years ago!

[doodlenyc]

I wasn't sure, but a quick search revealed it was Bostwick.

[shanphelia]

I'm seeing it the first night of previews and already have tickets for several more performances. Really looking forward to the combination of the music & getting to see Steve Pasquale perform live again!

[Jshan05]

SO excited to hear people's thoughts on this one...it's at the top of my list!

[DramaTeach]

http://www.theatermania.com/video/steven-pasquale-and-the-cast-of-the-robber-bridegr_945.html 

 

Just watched this and got very excited.

[GavestonPS]

doodlenyc said: "I wasn't sure, but a quick search revealed it was Bostwick.

 

"

Thank you. Frankly, I didn't think the info could be searched quickly.

[jbm2]

Any discount codes out there? 

If I can't get Hottix?

[Melissa25]

For $79 seats use code 
RBTMAN1

[ClydeBarrow]

Starts tonight. For real this time.

[MarsBars]

Please post reviews.  Always been curious about this one.

Will be especially interested to hear if either Ahna O'Reilly or Leslie Kritzer perform the nude scenes for their characters that have been extensively discussed here from previous productions of the show.

[WhizzerMarvin]

I was there tonight and thought it was just OK, although most complaints I had were with the material itself and not this production, which despite being a little too Hipsters R Us featured some winning performances and nice directorial touches. 

 

The Robber Bridegroom has been one of those cast recordings that no matter how many times I've tried to give it a listen the score has never hooked me. I thought maybe seeing it performed live in the context of the story would help, and it did a little, but the songs aren't exactly plot-driven, and how could they be when there's hardly any plot to speak of. 

 

The direction was non-stop whimsy, which was often clever, but the piece never reveals itself to have a deeper level of heart, so after a while the neat ideas felt more like covering up the deficiencies of the pieces rather than enhancements. To reference [tos], it was a little doughnuts for dinner. You keep thinking, why does this remind me so much of Bloody, Bloody and Peter and the Starcatcher? Then you check the Playbill and see Alex Timbers directed and it all makes sense. 

 

There are five or six musicians who all play their instruments on stage and sometimes take part in the action. 

 

I think the draw here will be the performances, and everyone pulls their weight. I'm shocked Bostwick won for leading actor because is very much an ensemble affair and despite being the title character Jamie Lockhart doesn't feel like much of a showcase role. Pasquale sounds (and looks) great, but he doesn't have the meat to bite into that he had with Bridges or even Wild Party. I wasn't familiar with Ahna O'Reilly, but she made a nice impression as Rosamund. Kritzer is playing Salome to the back of Carnegie Hall, but she's getting the laughs so I guess keep it up. My personal favorites were Greg Hildreth as Goat and Andrew Durand as Little Harp. 

 

It's pleasant enough and if you approach the production like you would Encores I think you'll have a good time.  

[RippedMan]

Hm. Was going to rush tomorrow, but this doesn't make me jump out of my seat. Like you, I don't really care so much for the music. 

[mamaleh]

I was at the first preview, too, which was also my first exposure to the musical.  I had previously heard maybe one or two of the more upbeat numbers from the show; that was about it.  I was thoroughly charmed by the Southern gothic fairy tale atmosphere and the fun performances, especially those of Steven Pasquale, Andrew Durand, Greg Hildreth and the hilarious Leslie Kritzer, who practically swallows the Pels whole--which I didn't mind a bit.  I was surprised that it wasn't more Jamie-centric; it truly is an ensemble piece.  I found the direction whimsical, witty and clever, even if the ending does seem farfetched and abrupt.  Very polished for a first preview; it was tight as a drum.  I do wish, however, that a song list had been included in the playbill.

[SLSigafoos]

I don't post much on this board, but was compelled to write a review of my experience last night, since people are asking what those of us who have already seen it thought.

I went into this show totally unspoiled; I only knew it was bluegrass-tinged and knew nothing about the overall story line. First let me say that the show opens with the musicians and actors coming down the floor aisles playing instruments. I enjoyed that it put the audience right into the show and made the mood in the room feel instantly upbeat. Second, you could tell from the opening notes that the cast members were thoroughly enjoying themselves. It's probably safe to say I felt like the cast was addressing the audience in way, throughout the entire show, that made you feel like you were in on their secrets and part of their jokes. I didn't expect to laugh from the beginning to end of the performance, but I personally found it to be very funny. It was interesting seeing Steve Pasquale star in a show that lets him show off more of his comedic side even though yes, it definitely had a darker, gothic element at times. Pasquale has done brooding and big vocal numbers very well in the past, but here he didn't have to hit any huge notes and was still very effective onstage. I'm surprised that the Robber himself, however, is the big marketed character for this show when Salome (the stepmother) really gets the bulk of the material to work with. Leslie Kritzer was hilarious even if there were a few seconds where the campy element of her character felt a bit over the top. Is too much laughter ever a bad thing? I'll have Salome's trademarked "Byyyyeee" in my head for days. Lance Roberts was also very good and played off of her brilliantly. Given the size of the theatre, it's always a treat to see actors of this caliber up close and personal. I thought the set was well designed and the stage props used cleverly and effectively. But again, more than anything, I felt like you could tell the cast had a great time. That in itself helps me, as an audience member, also have a great time. I don't think this is a 90-minute performance with any jaw-dropping or show-stopping numbers, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys comedic theatre. 

[ClydeBarrow]

Just to double-check, the show is only 90 mins?

[SLSigafoos]

Yes, 90 mins, no intermission. I would say that it worked just right in terms of length, though I wouldn't have protested two 45-min acts with a 10-min or so intermission.