Am I the only one who didn;t like Laura (atleast not for the first act)?

[xOnMyOwnX]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 6:20pm

I saw Gypsy yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Patti was amazing, obviously, Boyd was amazing, and I really liked Leigh Ann Larkin's Dainty June. The one person wo bothered me throughout the entire first act was Laura Benanti. Her singing was beautiful but her acting was just ok. She overacted a lot. She did do amazing when she was "quiet acting" as I like to put it, or doing nothing yet portraying everything(like at the very end of the first act) but when she started speaking, that went down the drain.

Fortunately she picked up in act two. To give a short review of the leads, I'll say Patti was everything I expected, except for during Some People - I felt like she wasn't really trying. But after that she was Phenomenal. Boyd Gaines was probably my favorite performer. He was the only one who did consistently well throughout the entire show. Like i said before, the show really picked up during act two.
Updated On: 4/14/08 at 06:20 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 6:40pm

No, you are not.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 6:44pm

Please, be speciific on WHICH Laura and what show.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 6:48pm

Umm the OP very clearly stated that they saw Gypsy...

I haven't seen her on Broadway yet, but when I saw Gypsy at City Center it did seem to take her a bit to get in the swing of the show.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 7:25pm

I think Laura is extremely overrated.

There's some big love about her performance on this board, but I disagree.

[jv92]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 7:28pm

Yes, you and a few other bitter queens are about the only people that didn't like Benanti in this production. Not only was she phenomenal in the first act, but her transformation from Louise to Gypsy Rose Lee was so profound and so real, it literally brought tears to my eyes. The three central performances in this Gypsy (LuPone, Benanti and Gaines) are THE performances of the year.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 7:31pm

I'm a queen.... not sure if I'm bitter though.

Just because I dislike a popular performance, it makes me "bitter" ?

Benanti is a lovely performer but she was hyped up SO MUCH on this board. I kept reading about her here and then I saw it...

She was good but that's about it for me.

Patti, on the other hand, was absolutely AMAHHZING!!
Updated On: 4/14/08 at 07:31 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 7:37pm

I respectfully disagree. Laura Benanti gave one of the best performances of the season. Her "Lousie" is pure brilliance. Every moment - nothing wasted. There are many moments in the show where I would say she was stunning, but for me, her highlight and most unexpected moment was "Little Lamb."

[xOnMyOwnX]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 7:42pm

I'm a "bitter queen", huh? Well clearly freedom of expression should go on my list of "things not to do on BWW".

And CapnHook, while I didn't like her performance in the first act, Little Lamb was gorgeous, without a doubt. Laura sang beautifully throughout the whole show, it was just her acting that I found iffy

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 8:54pm

I didn't LOVE her either. I thought there were moments of pure genius throughout the show, but that she and the show lacked consistency. I daresay: I didn't think Patty was an epiphany either: slow to get started, had problems understanding all her lyrics but then about 1/2 through...she found Rose and was amazing.

And just for the record: I am neither bitter OR a queen...just someone with an opinion. I'm not right OR wrong. I just think.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 8:54pm

I wasn't overwhelmed by her performance at CC, but my thoughts were reversed. She blew me away in the first act, but her transition in the second didn't convince me. And I downright disliked her during the dressing room scene, I thought she overacted so much.

Edit: I'm seeing the show on Bway in less than a month, but I should mention that I've only seen it at CC so far.

Updated On: 4/14/08 at 08:54 PM

Posted: 4/14/08 at 9:02pm

just so you know, i charge a nickel for every thread that starts "am i the only one..."

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/14/08 at 11:29pm

-- "The three central performances in this Gypsy (LuPone, Benanti and Gaines) are THE performances of the year."
--

So true.

And I hope each of them is justly recognized with a Tony Award in June.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 6:13am

I agree...the highlight of the night will be if all three win.

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 7:40am

I think its the character. Louise is a pretty reserved, forgotten character until like the last 40 minutes. When I saw Gypsy I didn't like Laura but then I thought she was pretty awesome at the end.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 8:05am

What I thought was the most interesting part about Benanti's performance was that nobody saw it coming.

from LuPone, everyone expected the Motherload and she more-than delivered.

from Gaines, everyone expected a stellar performance, the kind that we've come to expect from this 4-time Tony winner, and he more-than delivered, as well.

Nobody expected Benanti to even show up, which was part 1 of her advantage when she actually did. I, for the record, have managed to see her in everything she's done recently - Into the Woods, Nine, Wedding Singer - and was never truly blown away. Talented, yes, but very take-or-leave-able.

Then came Gypsy.

In Act One, all Louise wants to do is be noticed, and Benanti makes that quite clear - the "overacting," if that's what you want to call it. I call it "trying to be seen." She even made the damn "Lamb" song interesting - for once, it actually seemed like it FIT in the show. And then she topped it all off with the remarkably subtle change in comfort levels as she became Gypsy. The "dressing room scene" is incredible.

What's working for the 3 of them, LuPone, Ganes, and Benanti, is the fact that they have terrific chemistry. Among other things.
Updated On: 4/15/08 at 08:05 AM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 9:43am

Yankeefan is right...it was the surprise factor for me, and the chemistry between the three stars. She is overhyped, perhaps, and I have not cared for her in the few shows I've seen her in (ITTW, Nine (hated her in that) and Wedding Singer.) I didnt "get her" until I saw her at CC, and she sang Little Lamb. No Louise has done so much with that song for me. The only Louise I've seen that I didnt care for was Christa Moore. I love the two film Louises, Cynthia Gibb was the best part of the tv version, and I liked Blanchard and even Gibson at Papermill.
Benanti, like LuPone and Gaines has grown into her role beautifully...she is sure of her choices. The only performer I feel has changed for the worse, imho, since CC is Larkin. Her take on June was wonderful but has become too over the top.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 9:50am

One thing I LOVED about Benanti's choices, however, was the relationship with Herbie. I love that she actually changes her feelings about him. She keeps herself pretty aloof even though it's obvious that he is trying to be a part of her life. It isn't until much later she accepts him and returns his affection.

THAT I thought was brilliant. (and touching)

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 1:51pm

Benanti is brilliant.

Gaines is wonderful.

Larkin is horrible.

LuPone is worse.

IMO

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 2:10pm

I agree, Yankeefan.

This production doesn't JUST have a mind-blowing star performance (which is where the hype originally came from), it has a perfect set of actors in the principal roles, giving ground-breaking performances in established roles and an undeniable chemistry between them.

It's theatrical bliss. I love it.

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 3:34pm

Glad it picked up!

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 8:03pm

I'm at the St James theatre right now waiting for the show to come on. Laura Benanti is out. The people sitting behind me are freaking out.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 8:05pm

Oh wow.... I was hoping she was feeling better.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 8:31pm

Guess I jynxed it.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 11:06pm

People don't give the same exact performance every single night. Maybe you just happened to see her on a bad night.