| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 05:32 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - Chazwaza 01:39 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| Annie Proulx would have had to agree. And Brown would have had to have the idea before the opera was commissioned in 2008. And although the opera wasn't well received, I know at least one person who loved it. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 09:55 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - AlanScott 05:32 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I watched an hour of it, viewable on line, and found the production exquisite, the casting spot on, the libretto wanting and the music insufferably inaccessible. I had no problem with these men singing. Yet the emotional impact of the story - to me decidedly large enough in scale to be operatic - was held hostage to the chilly, melody-free music. Proulx has famously said that she felt the (exquisite) Oscar-winning score by Gustavo Santaolalla was sentimental; moving in the opposite direction created an almost cerebral take that to me undermined the pathos. The film score, ironically is lean, spare, minimalist, hardly John Williams; yet it is infused with feeling. Brown might have written a haunting musical, and I find the idea compelling. "Parade" revealed a composer unaffraid to make people sing in any circumstance. "Brokeback" invites both daring and tradition, a star-crossed lovers tale with a tragic ending, more Puccini than Berg. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 10:03 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - Delvino 09:55 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| Okay, maybe Berg was wrong. Bartok? Glass? | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 01:22 am EDT 03/17/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - Delvino 10:03 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| With my limited musical knowledge, I'd say that Berg is a good comparison. Unquestionably Wuorinen's style generally and in Brokeback Mountain is much closer to Berg than to Bartok or Glass. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | lordofspeech 06:32 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - AlanScott 05:32 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I know at least one regular NY theatre audience member who told me he LOVED "Bridges." So, critics aren't the only word in town. Look at WICKED, which the critics took issue with. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:48 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - lordofspeech 06:32 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I know people who loved Bridges. I admired much of it while wishing some things had been treated a bit differently. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | ptownguy 07:05 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - AlanScott 06:48 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I agree. Saw it last night . I wish they had not devoted so much time on the family, neighbors, etc. When it was just Francesca and Robert on stage, it really soared and their singing was incredible. It might have worked better if they had used the movie scenario. Never read the book -- don't know if it was different. Looking forward to the release of the CD. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 07:16 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - ptownguy 07:05 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I think it's important to devote time to the family and neighbors, but many agree with you. Most of all I wish that I felt I really got to know who Robert is. It seemed to me that he's the person we're expected to feel most for at the end, yet he's sort of a cipher in the writing. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | ilw 12:34 am EDT 03/17/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - AlanScott 07:16 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I agree that Robert is a cipher, and this made it hard for me to get completely invested in the story. This problem is mentioned in David Barbour's review, which I think describes the strengths and weaknesses of the show very well. Unlike the book, the show is really Francesca's story, which was a good decision, since she is a more believable character than Robert. | |
| Link | David Barbour review of BRIDGES |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | ptownguy 08:30 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - AlanScott 07:16 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| I do think the family should be part of the story too. I just liked the way it was done in the film with the adult children discovering who their mother really was and what she gave up for them. The inevitable case of comparing one medium to another. Nonetheless, this show does deserve to be seen and I really hope it finds an audience. The audience certainly liked it last night. | |
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| re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 09:27 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Jason Robert Brown should have adapted BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN instead of BRIDGES... - ptownguy 08:30 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| The audience with whom I saw it during previews seemed to like it a lot, too. I heard several very positive comments during intermission and after the show. I think this is a show that could have a nice run if word of mouth can take hold. | |
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