DEH in LA

[RaisedOnMusicals]

An absolute rave review of the National Tour production now at the Ahmanson from the LA Times.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/theater/reviews/la-et-cm-dear-evan-hansen-review-20181021-story.html

[rosscoe(au)]

Hoping to catch it Thursday , but not sure if I can stomach the $285.00 price tag 

[Goggles]

Try the lotto.... I won last Thurs and got 3rd row center. It seemed like there were a lot of lotto winner that night.

[ggersten]

Those LA reviews make it sound like the show has improved - ok the actors have improved from the way I perceived them - since Denver.  

[Popular]

I have tickets for next month and trying the lotto in the meantime. I already know of two people who have won!

[Wicked Fanatic]

I was shocked when I won the online lottery for tonight's (10/23/18) show.  So excited to finally be seeing DEH  

[conealpetterson]

The Los Angeles Times is not the toughest critic.  They seem to love most shows.  I mean, they gave "Amelie" a great review.  I am going to the show tonight and am excited to see firsthand how this cast is.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

conealpetterson said: "The Los Angeles Times is not the toughest critic. They seem to love most shows. I mean, they gave "Amelie" a great review. I am going tothe show tonight and am excited to see firsthand how this cast is."

First, I hope you enjoy the show tonight.

Second, the LA Times is not a critic. It's a newspaper. The author of the DEH review is Charles McNulty, who's very well respected. And just for the record, he did not like either HOH or Pretty Woman, two of his most recent reviews before his rave of DEH.

Third, McNulty did review Amelie and he did like it. 

 

[bk]

McNulty is respected?  Must have missed that part and certainly he's not respected by me.  He likes pretentious shows, or shows that have the kiss of approval from NY.  That's who he's been from day one.  LA hasn't had a decent theatre critic since before Dan Sullivan, really.

[conealpetterson]

I saw the show last night with the full cast and really enjoyed it.  I loved Ben Levi Ross as Evan.  His singing was excellent - he hit the falsetto notes and had a strong belt - and he blew me away with his "Words Fail."  He has his own take on Evan's mannerisms and posture, but I didn't find it distracting.  The challenge with the role of Evan is to make him sympathetic in the mist of the mess he creates and he did that for me.  I felt like giving him a big hug at the end of the show.  Aaron Lazar and Christine Noll did what they could with their roles as the Murphys.  I don't feel like those roles really let any actor shine.  Jessica Phillips got stronger as Heidi Hansen as the show went on.  Her version of "So Big, So Small" was beautiful and had me sobbing (but that song always makes me sob).  The one weak link in the cast for me was Maggie McKenna as Zoe.  Her chest voice was strong, but when she went into head voice, it was very thin and weak.  I also felt her acting was a little flat.  To me, Zoe is a girl with a hard shell and Evan breaks through that shell.  I understand that every actress has a different take on the role, but Maggie played her the same for most of the show and didn't have much of an emotional arch..  

It didn't say in the program (or I just couldn't find it) what performances Stephen Christopher Anthony will be on for, but I would assume the weekend matinees.  He was on for the matinee last Saturday when a friend saw it.  I would love to see him in the role, but it looks like the production is close to being sold out and those tickets that are available are a heck of a lot more expensive than my season tickets were.

[Wicked Fanatic]

It didn't say in the program (or I just couldn't find it) what performances Stephen Christopher Anthony will be on for, but I would assume the weekend matinees.  He was on for the matinee last Saturday when a friend saw it.  I would love to see him in the role, but it looks like the production is close to being sold out and those tickets that are available are a heck of a lot more expensive than my season tickets were.

Yes it did. It's on the cast page P4:

Stephen Christopher Anthony plays the Wednesday matinee, Thursday matinee (there a few during the run), the Saturday matinee and the Sunday evening performance.

I saw the same performance as you thanks to a lottery win and I'd concur with all your thoughts.

Your comments about the adult actors were exactly how I felt.  Jessica Phillips really did get better in Act 2 especially since she wasn't in it for most of Act 1.  She was fantastic when she sang, "So Big, So Small".

What did you thank of the Broadway Cares Equity For Aids debacle when they tried to auction off Evan's cast and they got one bid of $500 and they had to take it as too many of the audience started getting up from their seats to exit.  I noticed that most of the people on the way out didn't give anything to those that were holding the buckets.  Oh well, they did get $5 from me, but I didn't get or care to get whatever they said you could have. 

[conealpetterson]

Wicked Fanatic, thank you so much for telling me where to find the info about when Stephen performs.  I looked and looked and couldn't find it, but my eyes aren't what they used to be.  I have tickets for the last show in LA on a Sunday evening, so I am excited I get to see him.

The BCEFA cast auction debacle was a little embarrassing.  I was in the front of the mezzanine, so I couldn't completely tell what was going on with the bids.  They kind of lost momentum when they couldn't see the audience and even tell if anyone was bidding. Hopefully, they will coordinate with the house staff on future nights.  I think they might do better with a Friday or Saturday night crowd.  I was at Something Rotten last year on a Friday night and they asked for a $5,000 bid to see Adam Pascal sing "One Song Glory."  They got it pretty easily, though that is a little more exciting than having a cast.  They got a whole $10 from me because my daughter and her friend wanted buttons.  

[ScottInLA]

Wicked Fanatic said: Stephen Christopher Anthony plays the Wednesday matinee, Thursday matinee (there a few during the run), the Saturday matinee and the Sunday evening performance.

I had missed that in the program as well.  Then again, I saw last night's show (Wed. evening), and he was on, so something else must have happened.

That's interesting to hear about the auction you had for the cast.  They didn't try that at the show I saw--they just said that the cast from that night would go for a donation of $1000, and previous nights' casts could be had for $500.  

[Fosse76]

RaisedOnMusicals said: "Second, the LA Times is not a critic. It's a newspaper. The author of the DEH review is Charles McNulty, who's very well respected."

For reviews, opinions, and even news, it is absolutely acceptable to informally cite the publication or news organization as the source, and not the individual author. You're simply being argumentative.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Fosse76 said: "RaisedOnMusicals said: "Second, the LA Times is not a critic. It's a newspaper. The author of the DEH review is Charles McNulty, who's very well respected."

For reviews, opinions, and even news, it is absolutely acceptable to informally cite the publication or news organization as the source, and not the individual author.You're simply being argumentative."

Not in the context in which it was used. I was being accurate; not argumentative.  You could certainly refer to “the LA Times’ review” appropriately, but you can’t say it’s “not the toughest critic”. 

[WestCoast331]

Was there tonight— Stephen Christopher Anthony was on, and he was absolutely fantastic (saw Trensch in NYC in the spring for comparison, who was stellar in different ways). Anthony’s vocals were top-notch, didn’t quite reach the emotion of Trensch’s Words Fail. Show is in excellent shape, plays really well at the Ahmanson. So glad it didn’t go to the Pantages, which works plenty fine for bigger shows but would’ve swallowed DEH whole.

The show continues to unravel more and more each time I see it. And Good For You —> So Big, So Small remains the most devastating 20 minutes...

[TellZ]

I saw DEH for the first time ever this week at the Ahmanson. Anthony was on as Evan and he was fantastic. Blown away by Phillips and Noll. I have some questions though -

- During big choral numbers like "You Will Be Found" it sounds like a hell of a lot more than 8 people are singing. Do the understudies provide pit vocals as well at each performance? Is there a sweetening track? Or is that sound really coming from 8 people?

- Why is Ross only doing 5 shows a week? Anthony is more splitting the role than alternating with this schedule. Seems unusual.

[Tag]

- During big choral numbers like "You Will Be Found" it sounds like a hell of a lot more than 8 people are singing. Do the understudies provide pit vocals as well at each performance? Is there a sweetening track? Or is that sound really coming from 8 people?

It's the pre-recorded Virtual Community Voices.

[DAME]

bk said: "McNulty is respected? Must have missed that part and certainly he's not respected by me. He likes pretentious shows, or shows that have the kiss of approval from NY. That's who he's been from day one. LA hasn't had a decent theatre critic since before Dan Sullivan, really."

LA  doesn’t have decent theater.  Except for the tours  ( my opinion of course).  And yes,  he is very respected .  You might not like him.  But he is very respected .

[LesWickedly]

TellZ said: "

- Why is Ross only doing 5 shows a week? Anthony is more splitting the role than alternating with this schedule. Seems unusual."

He does 6 a week, I just believe he missed one of his regularly scheduled performances this week. Stephen is fantastic! 

[rosscoe(au)]

Hoping to win the lottery for either Tuesday night or one of Wednesday performances, I can’t justify the price other wise 

[bk]

DAME said: "bk said: "McNulty is respected? Must have missed that part and certainly he's not respected by me. He likes pretentious shows, or shows that have the kiss of approval from NY. That's who he's been from day one. LA hasn't had a decent theatre critic since before Dan Sullivan, really."

LA doesn’t have decent theater. Except for the tours ( my opinion of course). And yes, he is very respected . You might not like him. But he is very respected ."

a) LA has plenty of good theater.  Do you live here?  

b) Respected by whom?  I have never met anyone who respects him - save for the actors and producers to whom he gives a good review, but they'd love ANYONE who gave them a good review.

[DAME]

bk said: "DAME said: "bk said: "McNulty is respected? Must have missed that part and certainly he's not respected by me. He likes pretentious shows, or shows that have the kiss of approval from NY. That's who he's been from day one. LA hasn't had a decent theatre critic since before Dan Sullivan, really."

LA doesn’t have decent theater. Except for the tours ( my opinion of course). And yes, he is very respected . You might not like him. But he is very respected ."

a) LA has plenty of good theater. Do you live here?

b) Respected by whom? I have never met anyone who respects him - save for the actors and producers to whom he gives a good review, but they'd love ANYONE who gave them a good review."

a)  I have lived in Los Angeles for over 30 years.  And I will stand by my opinion.

b)  His is very respected by his peers.  Read his social media and you will see all the wonderful writers he interacts with.  But what is more important is that I enjoy his writing.  I feel like his reviews take me to whatever he is reviewing with him.  

[nealb1]

Saw the show last week and really enjoyed seeing it again - saw it in May of last year in NYC.  

[GavestonPS]

I too finally got to see DEH after all the hype and, surprisingly, was not in the least disappointed. I didn't see Ben Platt, but I've listened to the album often enough and Ben Levi Ross is the better singer. The rest of the cast were fine.

We were the guests of a friend who has 6th row center tix. She tix as a gift for us in Row 15 or so. Then, as she so often does, she left at intermission and gave us her tix for Act 2.

It was certainly nice to sit close for the Act with all the emotional ballads, but in general the show looked better--i.e., the projections were less distracting--from Row 15. It was somewhat distracting to be so close and to have my eye drawn by social media projections that moved at a distance from the actors during key moments.