THIS AIN'T NO DISCO thread

[haterobics]

mariel9 said: "First review, and it is not good.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/aint-no-disco-review-1129597"

Trask plays in the band? I had no idea.

[RippedMan]

Yeah. This is going nowhere. Catch it while you can.

[SDV]

Is anyone reading the reviews? They are BRUTAL. Yowza.

[scripps]

I found a silver lining! The Hollywood Reporter states, "... and Stockman entertainingly emphasizes the sleaziness of the coke-snorting Rubell."

[RippedMan]

Honestly it should be spun off for Stockman alone, but how all these eyes and ears watched this show and no one could figure out it was a hot mess is beyond me. 

[scripps]

Vulture gives high praise to Stockman, Kennedy, and Connolly but appears to believe Chad was a blonde, so make of that what you will.

[Sauja]

Wowza. I don't think I've ever seen a critic score this low on Show-Score. Not that horrific Cherry Orchard (44) or even Perfect Crime (47).

https://www.show-score.com/off-broadway-shows/this-ain-t-no-disco

[Miles2Go2]

Yep, wow. Some brutal reviews:

http://www.playbill.com/article/read-reviews-for-this-aint-no-disco-off-broadway

 

[Kad]

It's rare that something gets such unanimously negative reviews.

[macnyc]

After these reviews, I actually feel sorry for the creators. I saw the show twice, and it grew on me! I started to like the music the second time.

It baffles me that the show could go through at least two workshops that I know of, and no one pointed out the problems? Or, even worse, the creators chose not to address the problem? Rick Elice couldn't have come up with a better book?

 

[LizzieCurry]

When I saw this in previews, I couldn't help but think that THIS is what happens when you don't hear "no" or "maybe not" enough in the creative process.

[Kad]

Well, Tripp Cullman had been attached in all the workshops prior to the production, as well..

[macnyc]

I don't know enough about the creative process to even hazard a guess as to what went wrong.

I wonder why Cullman left the production.

We need another Ted Chapin to give this the "Everything Was Possible" treatment. Or, in the case of Disco, "Everything Was Impossible."

[VintageSnarker]

I wonder what feedback the creatives did get. I can't tell what parts of the show actually interested them. Did they just want to have a story about Steve Rubell and Andy Warhol and Studio 54? Because that would have been fun. I would have loved a show that was sleazier and more glamorous and more realistic. Do they actually care about Chad and Sammy and the earnest Glee version of searching for identity and chasing fame in spite of a myriad of personal issues? Well, that show seems kind of boring but strip away the other stuff and you could certainly create a story where you cared more about those two characters. Were they trying to make it RENT with the whole ensemble and the "let us in" thing? Was it about fame? There are good pieces in there. It's just that they didn't follow one direction long enough to start refining the parts that work into a cohesive whole.

It wasn't boring and aside from being a little too casual about some of the topics it picked up, I didn't find it offensive. The actors were fully committed. And it was entertaining. That's more than I can say for a lot of shows.

[newintown]

"It baffles me that the show could go through at least two workshops that I know of, and no one pointed out the problems? Or, even worse, the creators chose not to address the problem? Rick Elice couldn't have come up with a better book?"

This is far from unusual; the audiences at most workshops today consist primarily, it seems, of a blend of sycophants and hangers-on with no better insight than the creative team. And those who might know better perhaps withhold judgement in an attempt to avoid hurting feelings.

[RippedMan]

To me there's just such glaringly obvious things like "Sing for me" and then she does beat poetry...and then he tells her he's going to make her into a famous singer...like, none of that makes any sense. 

Is it the directors job to reconfigure the play or just direct what they are given?

[Kad]

When it's a new work, the director is typically very much involved in shaping it.

[KFC1991]

newintown said: ""It baffles me that the show could go through at least two workshops that I know of, and no one pointed out the problems? Or, even worse, the creators chose not to address the problem? Rick Elice couldn't have come up with a better book?"

This is far from unusual; the audiences at most workshops today consist primarily, it seems, of a blend of sycophants and hangers-on with no better insight than the creative team. And those who might know better perhaps withhold judgement in an attempt to avoid hurting feelings."

This reminded me of how Terrence McNally had the world premier of Master Class in the middle of nowhere Montana. He wanted to see how the work played in front of " normal folks" who weren't into the opera/NYC/theater scene. Not a bad way to get honest feedback.

 

[VintageSnarker]

newintown said: ""And those who might know better perhaps withhold judgement in an attempt to avoid hurting feelings."

Not that anyone should be forced to wade through the sometimes nasty comments on message boards and social media but it doesn't feel like audiences have a great way of providing feedback to creatives anymore. It's not like no one can see what the problems are. But regardless, there will always be enthusiastic people in the audience willing to start a standing ovation and what does that tell anyone?

[macnyc]

I just watched the video of Broadway in Bryant Park, and of all the acts, I think This Ain't No Disco came off the best. The number by Chilina Kennedy was okay, but the next number, by Will Connolly as Andy Warhol (you have to imagine the wig) was great. I really like that song. That was followed by a hilariously salacious rendition of I'm Having Fun by a shirtless Peter LaPrade and two (equally shirtless) hunky dancers. I'm kind of shocked they got the okay to perform that in public. It was a gas! I happen to like that song a lot!

The This Ain't No Disco portion starts around 38:26 of the video:

This Ain't No Disco in Bryant Park

[ethan231h]

I was thinking how this was gonna come across in BIBP but I thought it was pretty good!

[scripps]

I haven't been to a Broadway in Bryant Park in years, but I might've trekked out for this if I had known! I was already coming into work late via a creative excuse  

[ANewBrainn]

This show is not very good but it's not nearly as bad as the NY Times review. Theo Stockman is incredible and all his songs are great, I really loved the "Goodbye 54" number.  The story is awful.  Chad and Sammy are boring characters. Kennedy delivers great vocals but her character is lame.  The coat check couple does not fit anywhere into the equation and should have been cut.  But Stockman is basically worth the price of admission for a cheap ticket.

[scripps]

This popped up in my Facebook feed earlier tonight ...

Pull quotes! B-roll footage! Relive the magic!

... no thanks needed, enjoy.

 

[Miles2Go2]

scripps said: "This popped up in my Facebook feed earlier tonight ...

Pull quotes! B-roll footage! Relive the magic!

... no thanks needed, enjoy.

Wow, this looks worse than I could have ever imagined.