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Author Topic: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see  (Read 27017 times)

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #110 on: December 22, 2016, 08:05:25 PM »
I love reading plays, but rarely ever get to the theatre (even with NYC being not incredibly far away, but that's a rough solo trip and I get intimidated I guess), so it's frustrating to me as well with how hard it is for these things to be seen. Like I get it, I assume there are business deals in place to protect performances, but I really don't get why more successful plays and musicals don't get a single recording and distribution. Like a closed set thing or whatever. It protects Broadway, which is why it doesn't happen, but still. I've yet to see Book Of Mormon, and will never get to experience that with the original cast aside from the soundtrack, which blows, and I don't even like musicals too much.

Every time I got to the theater there are plenty of advertisements for Fathom Events screenings of operas or ballets (and other old movies or specials or whatever); I wish that they would expand to actual plays.

DarkeningHumour

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #111 on: February 07, 2017, 06:42:06 AM »
Is it not a thing in the US to film plays and musicals for DVD releases?
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jdc

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #112 on: February 12, 2017, 08:07:56 AM »
I don't think there really that much of a market for them in the theatrical format.  Les Mis can do a huge london production with full symphony that they release or an actual film, but not likely would do well just to film the stage production now.  Hamilton probably would be then, it has years to run in NY and soon to be London and tours before they would want to do it.

Miss Saigon had a film of the stage production done, but who knew?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6162808/

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DarkeningHumour

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #113 on: February 12, 2017, 09:55:07 AM »
That just sounds like an unecessary loss of artistic memory.
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cinemareigns

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #114 on: February 13, 2017, 09:54:15 AM »
Let The Right One In  at the Alley Theatre in Houston in a couple weeks.

Sandy

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #115 on: February 13, 2017, 11:40:10 PM »
Let The Right One In  at the Alley Theatre in Houston in a couple weeks.

I didn't realize this was a play.

Sandy

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #116 on: February 13, 2017, 11:54:27 PM »
Just go back from a high school production of Our Town. It has some of my favorite quotes in it.


Now there are some things we all know, but we don't take'm out and look at'm very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain't houses and it ain't names, and it ain't earth, and it ain't even the stars… everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you'd be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being.

Let's really look at one another! ...It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another. I didn't realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed... Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?

Sandy

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #117 on: March 21, 2017, 04:34:17 PM »
I'm sending the kids on April 1st to Wicked, but I'll be heading here instead.

  I <3 NY!


Sandy

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #118 on: April 20, 2017, 01:59:02 AM »
Book of Mormon



I laugh and cringe the whole way through; laughing when the audience is laughing and even when they’re not, because the inside jokes abound. Once in a while, I glance around me at the faces, as they sit in surprised stupor, and then laugh some more. It’s a complete giggle fest. For all its lampooning, it never feels mean spirited. In fact, there is an abundance of affection and good will towards these young, idealistic missionaries. Calling out the naivete, yet at the same time appreciating the sincerity, is a wonderful mix. I can’t help but see the benefits of this attitude towards oneself too. When owning the flaws, don’t forget to recognize the qualities too. And as the play so well illustrates, it’s better to laugh about it all, than to cry.

“Turn It Off” is the best song of the night (and the show is full of great songs) and the best song of all the musicals I see this week. It captures a real cultural mien which is almost impossible to express and does so with sharp accuracy, but instead of allowing the pain to get too far, it tap dances its way into good feelings. What a stroke of genius.


Groundhog Day



Two-word intimidation when it comes to adapting the film -- Bill Murray! I was skeptical whether the story would work without him and even more so if it could be made into a musical. Same songs over and over again? Is there any musicality in weather reporting? Does anything even rhyme with Punxsutawney?! 

I shouldn't have been concerned. This is Broadway after all. By the time this show got here, it had been work shopped to death and had a trial run at the Old Vic in London. So even if it didn't turn out great, it would still be pretty great. Outcome? It's great, really great. :)

About 7 minutes into the play, I forget all about Bill Murray. No disrespect, Mr. Murray! You know I love ya. It's just that Karl makes the part his own and becomes the lifeblood of the show. Technically, this show is like traversing a land mine! I heard that Andy Karl hurt himself last week during the last of the previews and had to finish the show using a cane. It doesn't surprise me in the least, because he is everywhere all at the same time, maneuvering around set pieces and moving stage parts. He came back to perform opening night and is trading off with his understudy, so he can heal. I'm sure his understudy is capable, but I really do believe Karl is the reason this show shines.

The other really shiny aspect is that Tim Minchin wrote the music and lyrics. He is the one who did the same for Matilda the Musical, with such skill and heart and here he pulls off a difficult range of songs, from arrogance, to debauchery, to suicide, to metamorphosis. Nicely done! The movie moves me. The play moves me to tears.


Come From Away



Canadians are the best! You done did good, Gander, Newfoundland! Talk about tears. Can a cast of 12, with a folk rock band at their side, represent a whole town and the nearly 7,000 airline passengers who were diverted there on the morning of September 11th? The answer is yes and they do it with grace and respect and needed humor.

This is a quieter, smaller production in the middle of Manhattan, but it's what theatre is made for -- to tell stories, and this one is a doozy. Small town doubles in size over night, with culture and language barriers to be bridged and fears and anger to be soothed and humanity to be celebrated. I found this show to be charming and cathartic.


Amelie



Yeah, my skepticism reared its ugly head again, pre-curtain time. When am I going to learn my lesson? This is such a sweet musical. It's quirky and full of heart, capturing much of what the film did. Yet they are different mediums, so they each bring something the other can't. And that's okay. Having the shy girl's inner feelings sung, is musicals at their best. Having a shy girl melt into a puddle, is cinema at its best. I want both versions.

Not having $2000 dollars to shell out for Hamilton, getting to see Phillipa Soo on stage here is a pretty great consolation!


The Price



Gosh, I don't know what to say about this except to say, what a coup! Here I was, minding my own business, walking down 42nd street and I look up and right above me is a small marquee with Ruffalo, DeVito, Shalhoub and Hecht written on it. What? When? It turns out to be an Arthur Miller play. A parlor drama. I'm good with those! And yet, it could have been them reading laundry lists and I'd so be there! I run into the box office and buy up the three remaining seats and can't believe my luck that there is a box seat in the mix. I keep that one for myself!

It's a slow burn, taking its time, but when the interaction is between these consummate actors, I soak up all the dialogue and wish for more. Miller is great with psychological studies and the actors take the material, escalate the drama, send the emotions through the roof and I'm floored by the pain conveyed. When the dust settles, I see each one clearly and know why they are the way they are and see myself a little clearer too. It's good theatre.

Bondo

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Re: Theatre - The last play you saw, or are about to see
« Reply #119 on: December 23, 2017, 12:00:12 AM »
I suppose as a season ticket holder to the theatre I should probably be posting here.

Phantom

Just got home from this. Second time seeing it on stage. TBH I still find the film more engaging. I don't remember if I had this concern with the prior live staging or the film, but I definitely found that whenever more than two people were singing it just turned into a huge mess. Maybe part of this comes from the operatic aspect versus conventional musical theatre, but thinking of other big tunes that have a bunch of side melodies blending into one, One Day More and Non-Stop (from Les Mis and Hamilton respectively) just seem way more accomplished than something like Prima Donna. Phantom is more at home with purer showstoppers and the first act'd 90 minutes just flies by because it pretty much is just jumping from one hit to another. The shorter second act has a couple interesting things but feels somewhat anticlimactic here, absent the proximity of film to allow that deeper level of emotional acting.

I will say, the actual staging here was pretty impressive, using rotation of kind of a donut-shaped set to accomplish segway and travel. One particular touch I really appreciated is that when the stage is actually functioning as the opera house stage, it has the footlights circling the front. I hadn't noticed them cycling until one scene where the perspective shifts about 30 degrees so that the performance was facing to the right on stage right and stage left was the side/back stage, and thus the stage left footlights were tucked down while the stage right footlights were up.

This season I also saw Aladdin, which was a delight and properly expands the film with friends of Aladdin and Jasmine respectively to add some fun group song and dance, pulling a bit from Bollywood. I was less taken with Waitress. I imagine my concerns would retroactively hit at the film, which I enjoyed at the time. The relationship dynamics are a bit problematic. I sold my tickets to Finding Neverland because *shrugs while making noncommittal noise*. Still up this season is the play The Humans, School of Rock, Something Rotten, Jersey Boys, Chicago and the Phantom sequel Love Never Dies. In October (next season) I get Hamilton!