SUNDAY... Post Your Thoughts & Opinions- Page 7

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 3:15am

Caught the Sunday matinee. I really really liked it, but didn't love it. Act I seemed to drag a little (the terribly slow tempos didn't help much) and Jessica Molaskey was either miscast or just not very good. Seeing the revival I would have NEVER guessed that anyone could get nominated for that role, she didn't really land the laughs, and her scene with Russell (a scene that Ivey and Peters handled beautifully in the filmed performance) did not manage to achieve much.
The overall production is phenomenal though. Jenna Russell is pretty great as Dot, but it is her Marie that completely got to me. Her voice does sound a lot like Peters but I think that's just her voice, not that she is trying to copy anyone. Although while her vocals are a bit stronger than Peters', I don't think she nails the role the way Peters did--not to say Russell wasn't brilliant in her own right. She also has great chemistry with Evans. He made the show for me, his Seurat was so intense, and his Act II George was perfection. He certainly surpassed Patinkin.
Mary Beth Piel was really good in Act II, I adored her Blair.
The rest of the cast was good.
I did miss a lot of Lapine's brilliant staging of Act I (Dot's dress, the little encounter between George and Dot where she takes the back of her dress and it becomes her pregnant belly, etc), but God those projections were simply fascinating and I can't see the show being done any other way, they are that good. If Act I drags, Act II is perfect--not to mention funny, haunting, heart-breaking, and satisfying in every way. There were few dry eyes in my section when the lights came on at the end, I couldn't stop myself from crying when all the characters bow to George at the end, it's one of the most beautiful moments I have witnessed watching a show.

[cdt2118]

Posted: 2/12/08 at 10:56pm

After seeing SUNDAY, it is clear that this production will take home the Tony!
Try and see the show before it sells out! Once it opens on Feb 21st to rave reviews, there will hardly be any tickets!!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 11:42am

If SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE is going to work at all, you need to have really interesting and exciting people in the cast. And this revival simply does not have them. Daniel Evans plays Georges Seurat like a particularly strident schoolmaster from the Harry Potter films, brisk and efficient with Teddibly Precise Enunciation. I kept expecting him to take ten points from Dot. He plays George in Act Two like a bizarrely over-eager chipmunk, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and gender neutral. Jenna Russell seems to have been directed to play Dot like one of the maids in MARY POPPINS: cutesy British ooo-er guv energy and not even the barest whisper of anything even remotely resembling the slightest possible whiff of sexuality. Her pregnancy in Act One had me waiting for the appearance of Three Wise Men. The rest of the cast, unforgivably in a supposedly major revival, fade into a blur of costumes, with only Michael Cumpsty standing out for the really first-rate Jim Broadbent impression he uses to walk through Act One.

All of this is terribly disappointing, especially to one who saw the original production which featured the sublime Bernadette Peters and such splendid actors as Dana Ivey, Nancy Opel, Charles Kimbrough, and Barbara Bryne. Even Danielle Ferland made an impression as the little girl. No one but no one in this production comes within several hundred miles of approaching the original cast. This is appalling but it must be said: I never ever thought I would compare anyone unfavorably with Mandy Patinkin.

And to make matters even worse: the orchestra for this revival has been reduced to a mere 5 musicians. What should be gorgeous is now merely tinny. And the vocals are no help, generally flat and uninspired. For my money there are few things as beautiful in this world as the great Act One closer "Sunday," but it simply didn't come together here. The singing was muddy, the lyrics were too often unintelligible, and what should have been a tear-inducing marvel was a flat bit of academic arrangement and fancy digital projections.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 12:36pm

Roscoe, I couldn't agree with you more! I found this Sunday to be so incredibly dull, lackluster, devoid of passion, and just not interesting. The cast was very weak; the ensemble blended in with the woodwork ... I agree with what you said about the original cast, including Danielle ...they were all memorable. In this revival ... just the opposite ... all forgettable. I did not like the use of projections at all, the music craves a larger orchestra, and all in all, was extremely disappointed with this revival.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 12:50pm

Unfortunately, I have to agree with WestVillage and Roscoe...

Dull and lackluster were the precise words I used after seeing the show last night. I LOVE THIS PIECE, but was disappointed with this production.

As much as I admired the projections (the opening is breathtaking), they tended to upstage the play after awhile.

The fact that the "painting" never integrates with the cast like the original did, creates a distance between the characters and the audience. You never get a sense of truly being "in the painting".

The painting just doesn't come together at the end of Act I as it should.

It ultimately left me cold. Usually, I'm sobbing the whole way through. Not this time...

The slow tempos didn't help either--it added close to 15 minutes to the show!

It just lacked the charm and magic of the original.

Yet, I'm still thrilled that most people on this board are being moved by this show! It is a true masterpiece.

Updated On: 2/13/08 at 12:50 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 11:19pm

Hi All-

I just got back from NYC. I saw the 2 pm matinee of SUNDAY IN THE PARK with GEORGE and I met Mr. Ed Morsthead at the stage door today

As promised... I will post my 10/10 Report on Sunday in the Park with Greorge on Monday (2/18 . I am cooking something different for SITPWG..something I have not done with my 10/10 Reports.. Like the production's projections- My report will be different than the usual- for this one.

If you love Scenic Design- you'll be happy with my Report for SITPWG.


J*



Updated On: 2/16/08 at 11:19 PM

[hl2588]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 11:28pm

i found 'sunday' to be incredibly underwhelming and the fault goes to the MD. one of the most powerful end of acts in my opinion was outshadowed by 'its hot in here' vocals and that just isnt right.

beautiful though - teared up at the first prjection. and jenna russell is amazing. but blah orchestrations and ensemble vocals.

Posted: 2/17/08 at 9:41am

i wrote this for my blog, so please excuse any obviousness in it (i was writing it for people who werent familiar with the show already)

....


I went to see Sunday In The Park With George last night.

when i got home i began to post here:

[quote="n69n"]
OH MY GOSH ITS THE MOST GORGEOUS THING IVE EVER SEEN!!

i am so in love with it on so many levels and for so many reasons, & i am so excited because i know i am gonna love it more the more i think about it!!!!
[/quote]

but then i deleted it because i wanted to take the time to really tell you about how wonderful this show is.

Sunday In The Park With George has many levels to it.

on the surface, it is about George Seuraut and his painting SUNDAY IN THE PARK.

on the next level, it is about the drama in people's lives & what brings them together in a certain moment, relative to each other. in this case,what brings these people in the painting together, why are they standing in this configuration? what is their relationship to one another?

wouldnt there be the same questions if moments of our lives were frozen in time like that painting? so in that sense, isnt evey moment of EVERYONE'S LIFE like that? look around on the subway car or in the grocery store or the doctor's office...or a messageboard...what has brought you & that particular cast of characters together in that moment? if you think about it & freeze it, every moment is a work of art., with infinite individual dramas behind it.

then on a deeper level, it is about the frustration & loneliness of being a creative person...*AND* the pain & frustration of loving a creative person.
not to say my work is in any way comparable to Seuraut, but i *really* identified with the "the thing you do that makes people love you is the very same thing that takes all of your time so you cant be with the people who love you". creative work (at least my kind) is neccessarily a solitary thing; you need other people for the inspiration but you can only do the actual work alone. in the process of creating this thing that expresses your love for the world, you push the world away even more.

that aspect had me crying like a baby right there in the theater...because i'd always thought that was just me & my own ****ed-upedness, i had never realized that thats a part of art itself.

what i always think about is how we are really given so little time in this world, and how important it is to leave something beautiful behind. that is really my only goal. & working towards that is the only thing that makes me happy.

i havent even mentioned the music. i dont even know how to talk about it yet, i cant seperate it from the drama. except to say that its the aural equivelant of pointellism, the technique Seuraut used. his paintings were all tiny dots of red, yellow & blue...its the eyes perception that blends the dots together into other colors and shapes and forms. this is what Sondheim does with the music in this show; its all just a dot here and there & suddenly you realize you are hearing a whole orchestra coming together.
it is genius & i am gonna be taking it apart and putting it together in my mind for the rest of my life.

& the creative direction of the show!!!! that is what will *BLOW PEOPLE AWAY*!!!!

when the audience comes into the theater, the stage is a wood floor, with white walls wrapping around & a single curtain draped in the center.
as the show progresses, the whole set *BECOMES* Seuraut's sketchbook. using projections, the walls & cutain are animated. we see pencil lines scribble across the walls; the walls become landscape, the curtain becomes a tree. through the first act, as the drama goes on, we watch the set go from blank, to pencil sketch, to full color painting. it is breathaking. and when the finished painting, with all the characters in place is revealed as the orchestra swells, the bottom fell out of my stomach and i blubbered like a baby. i have never seen anything so gorgeous and brilliant.

in that sense, the show is put together like his paintings...we just see all these little moments, all these little details...until it all pulls back and we see the full scope of the piece.

& you realize that the show, like life, is a puzzle, with every part *WANTING* to be in place, & slowly moving towards it whether we know it or not.

if you have the chance to see this revival production of Sunday In The Park With George, please dont miss it!!

it is a gift to humanity.

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:53pm

another thing i'm thinking about:

the numbers THE DAY OFF and FINISHING THE HAT...

when i draw something, i have to act it out, & feel the balance & pose to be true to the nature of a thing. & i need to see things from that perspective. this is how it is whether i am drawing a person, a dog...or even a hat.

i had never heard it articulated before as it is in SUNDAY, i had never even thought to put it into words myself, its just one of those "thats how it is" instinctive things. & hearing another creative person's take on it made me feel so excited & inspired.

but also sad, in that way when you realize you are talking about something for the first time in your life & its the first time you've ever found someone who knows what you are talking about.
Updated On: 2/17/08 at 01:53 PM

[artscallion]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:21pm

Thank you for that review, Norn. Being an artist myself, I can relate to so much of what you say. I really can't wait to see this in April. I may die from the anticipation.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:31pm

WOW! I am not sure I saw the same show as Roscoe, WestVillage and TomMonster. I saw a perfect piece of art.

This show is one of my favorites, and this revival was just amazing. At first I was worried about the animation, the idea sounded stupid, but from the first "brushstroke" across the set I was hooked. I believe that what I was seeing was the Georges' minds at work, rather than the result of the work. That is why the ensemble "blends together", they don't matter. NOTHING matters except the work that is currently being done (exemplified so brilliantly in "Finishing the Hat").

I also have to mention how wonderful it was to see Act II really succeed. I am so used to hearing people complain about the second act of this show, and instead I walked out of the theatre surrounded by people crying their eyes out BECAUSE of the beauty of it.

I do agree that it would be nice to hear this show with a full orchestra, but we have to face that the days of full orchestras on Broadway have almost come to an end, and that something must be done, but we shouldn't fault Roundabout who, despite this, gave us, the lovers of theatre, a perfect show about just how important art is.

Posted: 2/17/08 at 3:16pm

im listening to the cast recording now for the first time.

CHILDREN AND ART almost sounds like a Joanna Newsom song!

just listening is making me cry again.

i want to be a good person and i want to be a good artist.
neither one is as easy as it sounds.
Updated On: 2/17/08 at 03:16 PM

[TomMonster]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 3:53pm

Just to be clear, I did not hate the show. In fact, I love this show. I also loved the opening "brush stroke" and much of the use of projections.

My issues are with the pacing of the scenes (which have been tightened since I saw it last) and some problems with the painting only being on the outside of the action and not interspersed with the actors as it was in the original.

I also think the second act works beautifully in this production.

I still think it is pure genius and as Norn said a "gift to humanity!"

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 4:10pm

I saw it yesterday afternoon and thought they did a beautiful job. I had seen the original and thought, like many, that the second act was somewhat of a letdown after the finale of Act One. Seeing yesterday's performance, I found myself deeply involved with Act Two and have revised my opinion of the whole show as an entity. It's definitely a "thinking man's" musical and a haunting one. By and large, I preferred the performances to the original.

[violet72]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 4:36pm

wow n69n I really think you hit the nail on the head with your review...it has been a week since I have seen it and I am still listening to the cast recording obesessively...I can't wait to see it again

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 7:03pm

I saw this yesterday afternoon, and thought it was absolutely marvelous and breathtaking.

I absolutely adored and loved every second of this brilliant revival.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. I can't wait to see it again.

Posted: 2/18/08 at 8:11am

other things im thinking about:

the whole show is almost an expansion on the idea in GIANTS IN THE SKY...pulling back to see the full scope & in doing so, losing the details...

when you see the full view, you lose sight of the specifics, like "your roof, your house & your mother at the door"...& when you zoom back in, after having that perspective, you are changed, & nothing is ever the same.

George in the second act *knows* there is something "wrong" with him, and that he *needs* to "zoom" back in to the specifics, the world of PEOPLE and not just IDEAS..."Connect, George! CONNECT!"

(Bobby in COMPANY could also be telling himself this)

...


and the act of "zooming out" isnt just a visual thing, its whatever moves us out into the world...ambition, love, money, career, curiosity... whatever it is that takes us away from home and out into the greater world. and nothing looks the same (or *is* the same) after that.


...


when Marie sings, "he should be happy, but Mama, he's blue"
that rips me in two.

i had never thought about things from my family's perspective... it must be so painful for them to know that i'm always gonna be alone and theres nothing they can do to help me. i mean, its sad enough for me but parents want to see their children happy and settled into some kind of family structure of their own before they pass on.

so this show made me realize i am a failure on a more fundamental level than i even knew existed. i've always judged myself by my work and what i feel ive acheived in those terms...& totally ignored my place in the world of people.

"connect, norn! CONNECT!"

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 5:39pm

Note: It's good that I always save the HTML formulas in my computer...as a precaution...I am kinda organize! though I re-edited some parts...


FOR THOSE WHO MISSED IT...



E30

Sunday in the Park with George
Musical Revival
Studio 54
2/16 2 pm matinee
2 hours and 40 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tix Price : $ 22.50 + $5.00 processing fee =$27.25

INTRO:


white...a blank page or canvas..the challenge...bring order to the whole.....




Thing(s) I LIKE about the musical

************WARNING : CONTAINS SPOILIERS!**************

1. Scenic Design: This is probably the first thing I noticed about the revival. The stage is just marvelous. It's basically a white room with hard wood floor.. Its clean design... there's a movable hard wood floor (like a conveyor belt that moves side to side)


2. The Projections- design by Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network-just brilliant. It was a treat for me to see this marvelous revival using the latest technology to bring SITPWG again on Broadway.

- the beginning when George came out of the stage- he said... a white..a blank canvas... and there's a sketch of pencil being drawn to the white walls.. its just fantastic..


-the projection of the dog was brilliant. George put a blank canvas on the floor and an image of a dog was drawn on it...the dog run of..he later captured it again by placing it on it the dog's track.


- Act 2 : the "modern" 1984 ..Isle of the Seine with buildings and park lights.. as the day progressed from day to dusk.. the street lights was turned on..and if you look closer the windows in the tall buildings was lit too.

- My favorite part is the end of ACT 1- when the stage transformed into an Art Gallery- the wall expanded backwards giving the illusion that the painting was at the end of an art gallery.. and that's not only that... there was a spectators looking at the painting as times moves on.. their costumes changed into Modern Times. I was literally sitting at the edge of my sit... I was soo amazed of what I just saw!

-another one was George's multiple projections in the song "Putting It Together" while was talking to the patrons ..one George will appear and take his place. then He will go to another guest and talk to them..another George will appear and take his place...his multiple projections are almost "real people". The part where he pours a wine to himself (his projection) holding a glass was brilliant and everyone in the audience was just laughing and of course amazed.

(same thing with the 2nd soilder in ACT 1)

Note: I can fill up the whole thread on how much I love the projections... I was soo happy that finally someone used their imagination & creativity. I just saw a musical in Boston (not mentioning it) and the scenic design was not so imaginative meaning sets came from up and side of the stage... to form a room. Norn who happened to see this show at 8 pm pm'ed me that he told me that.."the first thing I said was how much I appreciated a show that treated me as an adult." I knew EXACTLY what he meant...I felt like some shows are LITERALLY SPOON FEEDING me the design..."Oh.. its a study room! Oh.. It's a bar! This musical's scenic design and its use of projections really CHALLENGE MY IMAGINATION! I mean..not the same old thing..Give me something new..something innovative..something I never saw before... INSPIRE ME by what I see onstage!

3. Lighting Design by Ken Billington:

- The "Finishing the Hat Song" George was standing on the back of the painting while he is finishing the hat.. the light was shining on him, so you can see him at the back of the painting, though you can still see what he is drawing.


-somehow the lighting was in perfect synch when the actors froze or stay still..

4. The Costumes : I dont have the picture but in ACT 1 .. the park scene where the whole wall is almost green....lush green.. The characters are all wearing costumes in peach, beige, purple, brown (for men) with red flowers on their bottonier, even that little girl in white dress with a ribbon. It blended perfectedly with the surrounding.

- Dot's brown costume when she was pregnant was a contrast to all what they are wearing...soo beatiful onstage and it really shows Dot's emotions specially in "We Do Not Belong Together"

5. The Music & Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim- Sunday is probably my least favorite bec. It was kinda monotonous, but also I have never seen a production onstage...I just listened to the OBCR... until I saw the finish product.. the music blend perfectly with everything.

6. The Book by James Lapine.

7. The Orcherstra- I was suprised to see that there were only 5 ( I think so?) members of the orcherstra located on only 1 box seat at Studio 54. The other one on Stage Left was empty. Though it did not bother me a bit, even though others will think its not a full-orchestra. I was soo impressed on how "in-synch" they are too the actions onstage, lighting projections....it was amazing!

8. Daniel Evans- aside from being cute... I really like his potrayal of George..sorry to say...I saw the VHS tape of SITPWG with Bernadette & Mandy and I cannot stand Mandy's falsetto voice.. I really like Daniel Evans.... I thought his George was charming even though George in Act 1 is selfish... I think that's why I love this revival is probably bec. of him.

9. Jenna Russell- she is really the standout in this revival.. I was very sympathetic with her Dot in Act specially in the "We Dont Not Belong Together" number. Her old Marie in ACT 2 is very funny. She has a beautiful, sweet voice yet strong. How she holds the last note on Geeeeeeooooooorgeeeeee! was just heaven to hear.

10. Direction of Sam Buntrock- I thought I was seeing a masterpiece being performed in a stage when I saw this... everything just falls perfectly together... the lighting... the scenery... the music... the book...the two lead actors... the orchestra... and the ensemble...all in perfect harmony....I thought I was just not seeing a musical but something great....its like a painting...you more you look at the gallery..the more you think about it...and that's all bec. of the direction, who put all these things together in that canvas known as Studio 54's stage.

NOTE : This musical got a perfect score for me.

Thing(s) I DID NOT LIKE about the Musical

N O N E.

I love (not like) everything about this revival. I was soo fortunate to see a truly remarkable artwork in my lifetime.


In Summary

Some people may wonder as to why I travel 8 hours or may think that I am over eager just to see a Broadway show...My answer is I do it bec. I LOVE Broadway shows. The 1980's George in Act 2 said.....Balance....Light and he asked..."Dot, I cannot read this word? " she replied to him.."Harmony" and he continued.....So much love in his words... forever with his colors... how George looks... he can look forever... what does he see? ...his eyes so dark and shiny... so careful... so exact...

My Broadway experience starts by the time I boarded that bus... its like...



and never ends when I arrived home...now...I can say...it probbably ends after I write about it, post it and the joy of sharing it...and then its finally complete.




White. A blank page of canvas. His favorite. So many possibilities...


Score : 10/0- I LIKE IT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED





Studio 54









The Playbill










Stage Door Photos


with Jessica Molaskey


David Turner













Updated On: 2/18/08 at 05:39 PM

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 2/18/08 at 6:10pm

Thanks jaystarr. A wonderful review as always!

Posted: 2/18/08 at 9:08pm

thank you for sharing, j*!

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 10:55am

I'm in the minority of people who don't understand all the praise this production is getting.
I only have a few seconds to post but I hated Evans performance. I thought he made George completely unlikeable...in both acts. Pretentious.
My biggest complaint was the 5 piece orchestra. I thought it sounded awful.
And this is no fault of the production but Studio 54 has to have the most uncomfortable seats on Broadway.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 11:11am

I thought the orchestra sounded splendid. The only uncomfortable seats at 54 are in the rear mezz.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 11:40am

I thought they sounded really tinny and ineffectual, along with the terribly muddy vocal performances. Why couldn't they have boosted the orchestra a bit for Broadway? When a revival of a third rate bit of fluff like 110 IN THE SHADE gets a bigger orchestra than the first Broadway revival of a Sondheim show, there's some very bad thinking going on somehwere.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 2:19pm

Goerge has always been unlikeable. To me at least. I haven't seen the revival yet, but I listen to the cast recording all the time, and I think Evan's George was a lot less pretentious sounding than Mandy's was. I think it can be easy to go overboard with the character and overact the shiz out of it, but I felt like he really stripped down the character(s) to their essentials, so I can imagine that he does the same acting wise, and I appreciate it.

Anyway, don't know if this has already been posted because I'm too lazy to go through the pages, but on the roundabout website, Sunday is listed as having performances through to June 1, 2008. Yay.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 2:25pm

They extended again? That's GREAT news! But wasn't there something about how Jenna couldn't go past April or something? Did that change or is Jenna just not extending with it?