| VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | Major 11:38 am EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I just completed an 8-show week of shows. I'll share my thoughts on several. But I'm starting with the one I had the greatest hope for. I saw the original production of VIOLET at Playwrights Horizons. It was a beautiful experience on many levels. One of the reasons it holds a special place in my heart is that it was one of a handful of shows I saw with just my father. It was OUR show. He was a fickle man with great taste. When VIOLET was over he affirmed "That was terrific." So when Roundabout revived this I pounced on tickets and was eager to share it with my husband and step mother. The show is beautifully sung. And the music is a glorious as ever. But the staging is so thin and the production (if it can be called that) is so bare bones. It left me cold and made both my husband and step mother wonder what all the fuss was. By trimming dialogue and losing the intermission, a full rich evening is now an appetizer. Indeed, my step mother (and many others) thought there was more to come. Some memories can't be replicated. But the potential was there. This cast is capable of giving VIOLET the production it deserves. | |
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| now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | jero 08:31 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET - So Disappointing - Major 11:38 am EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I've never seen a professional production of Violet but the people I'm going with have seen both the original and encore productions. Usually I'm the one who gets to watch them respond for the first time to things I've already seen. and the controversy.. is sutton too suttony.. wuuhuu.. I'm in for the ride. I agree tho, some memories are best left alone... how to tell which ones should be is the gamble. now I'm rethinking hedwig | |
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| re: now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | Ann 08:41 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | now I'm extra excited to see this. - jero 08:31 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| When are you going? | |
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| re: now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | jero 09:49 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: now I'm extra excited to see this. - Ann 08:41 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| tues and wed before easter.... quick trip.. but it's sooo nice to be finished with our show early.... I have to get rocky tickets and I'm torn on the final show.... my mind is flipping....between something really dancy like after midnight, or trusting the new hedwig,, or going for mathilda because i 'should.' if/then doesn't sound it'll give me the jolt I need.. and gentleman's guide seems too hard core british-i love that but have to be in t he mood- it's a minus for mathilda...bullets over bwa-not a woody fan.... maybe I should check dance stuff.. any suggestions??? | |
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| re: now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | wmdmcree 09:55 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: now I'm extra excited to see this. - jero 09:49 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| You won't get the dancy fix you are looking for, but I wouldn't miss Lady Day at the Emerson Bar & Grill. | |
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| re: now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | Ann 09:51 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: now I'm extra excited to see this. - jero 09:49 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| I'm not the one to make Broadway recommendations - I'll just miss you - better hotel deals after Easter! | |
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| re: now I'm extra excited to see this. | |
| Posted by: | jero 05:32 pm EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: now I'm extra excited to see this. - Ann 09:51 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| i know, but we're off school... with no rehearsals..and the need to escape is greater than ever | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 01:10 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET - So Disappointing - Major 11:38 am EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I saw Violet at Playwrights Horizons twice. In it original staging there and then to celebrate the opening of the renovated theater. There was barely any scenery and the production relied on the talent of the actors and the imagination of the audience. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the Roundabout evening. But I don't understand why people have high expectations when going to shows in the first few previews. They are barely used to performing in front of an audience. They are still working on the staging. | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | Major 02:06 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - lowwriter 01:10 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| Maybe because I saw the original production in previews also. And I had limited time in NY and saw as late a performance as I could before having to return to Chicago. | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | aislestorm 12:48 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET - So Disappointing - Major 11:38 am EDT 03/31/14 |
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| That's so typical of Roundabout doing other people's productions on the cheap. Roundabout-ruining theatre for everyone! | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | MarjorieMae 03:24 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - aislestorm 12:48 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| How can you be so judgmental based on one person's opinion? | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 02:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - aislestorm 12:48 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| The original production was pretty bare bones, too. | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | gad90210 02:22 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - aislestorm 12:48 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| On the contrary, I have found recent Roundabout productions to be quite lavish: Drood, Picnic, Cabaret, etc. I liked the Violet staging. Yes, it was simple, but it worked. It was no worse than Once, which I found to be incredibly static. | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:15 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - gad90210 02:22 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| >> Once, which I found to be incredibly static. really? | |
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| re: VIOLET - So Disappointing | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 04:07 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - gad90210 02:22 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| The staging for Once was far from static. | |
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| I never saw the original | |
| Posted by: | Genealley 02:40 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET - So Disappointing - gad90210 02:22 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| but the Playwrights Horizon's new theatre opening celebration production of Violet was also pretty sparse for setting. But that production's staging was very creative and interesting. If the Roundabout show is based on the Encores! staging, it must be pretty static. | |
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| VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, | |
| Posted by: | blahblah14606 12:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET - So Disappointing - Major 11:38 am EDT 03/31/14 |
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| Someone needs to tell Sutton Foster she is no longer playing "Thoroughly Modern Millie" trying to conquer Manhattan. This production is so stripped of any reality or genuine feeling, Sutton was practically sleep walking through the performance with her well patented, practically trademarked "spunky" persona. It was almost as if the director was trying to hide every darker, tragic note of the story. Every song now sounds like a bonus track from "Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas" and not a single note of the text or the music rings true. I couldn't wait for this show to end. | |
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| Can't believe you referenced Emmet Otter! | |
| Posted by: | Shutterbug 09:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, - blahblah14606 12:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| That made my night. Still laughing. Thx. | |
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| re: VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, | |
| Posted by: | MarjorieMae 05:46 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, - blahblah14606 12:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| The story is about a woman on a journey (physically and spiritually) in order overcome her adversity and ends on a positive note. This is not something Foster is tinkering with. It's how it's supposed to be approached. Seems to me like you don't like Sutton Foster which invites the question, "If you don't like her, why were you seeing a Sutton Foster show?" | |
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| I absolutely love Sutton Foster... | |
| Posted by: | blahblah14606 11:51 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, - MarjorieMae 05:46 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| ...but she is sorely miscast here. She's done brilliant, Tony Award winning turns in musical comedy, but she just doesn't seem to excel in darker, more complex roles requiring grief and rage in the way Broadway actresses like Sherrie Rene Scott, Alice Ripley or Audra McDonald can -- just imagine what any one of them could do with "Violet". | |
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| I felt the opposite .... | |
| Posted by: | jdm 05:02 pm EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | I absolutely love Sutton Foster... - blahblah14606 11:51 am EDT 04/01/14 |
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| She was perfection. I agree with the critics after the Encores! concert that basically wrote "it was like it was written for her." Jim | |
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| I thought it was plenty dark... | |
| Posted by: | gad90210 12:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | VIOLET was beyond disappointing,,,, - blahblah14606 12:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| This was my first exposure to Violet, but I thought it was plenty dark. ************SPOILER ALERT******** We saw several times how the accident occurred, and we even get to see young Violet right afterward. It was very graphic. Beyond that, I felt adult Violet's hurt and humiliation when each person in turn saw her disability for the first time. ********END SPOILER********** Besides, I think Violet needs some spunk to get herself out of the situation she's in and move on with her life. I had a couple of problems with the storytelling, particularly at the end, but overall I enjoyed the show. And the singing was amazing. | |
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| re: Spoiler REQUEST | |
| Posted by: | Guillaume 01:47 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | I thought it was plenty dark... - gad90210 12:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| How do they handle the disfigurement in this production? Is there makeup etc. In the original production we imagined her scar. | |
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| re: Spoiler REQUEST | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 02:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Spoiler REQUEST - Guillaume 01:47 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| The scar is imagined in this production, as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's noted in the script - the creators don't want productions to apply some kind of prosthetic scar to the actress(es) playing Violet, they prefer that the audience members use their imaginations. | |
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| re: a spoiler alert inside the message? | |
| Posted by: | SQ 01:08 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | I thought it was plenty dark... - gad90210 12:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| NOT helpful. | |
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| re: a spoiler alert inside the message? | |
| Posted by: | writerkev 03:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: a spoiler alert inside the message? - SQ 01:08 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I thought that was pretty clear and large. Enough for me to close the window. What gets me are the people who write blithely along "blah, blah, blah (spoiler) blah, blah, blah..." and give you no opportunity not to see it | |
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| re: it didn't work for me | |
| Posted by: | SQ 06:05 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: a spoiler alert inside the message? - writerkev 03:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I don't know how else to say it. The common courtesy is to put spoiler aler in the Subject line. Then I wouldn't have opened the post at all which guarantees that I don't read it. | |
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| re: it didn't work for me | |
| Posted by: | writerkev 06:14 am EDT 04/01/14 |
| In reply to: | re: it didn't work for me - SQ 06:05 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| You don't know how else to say it? Why do you feel compelled to say anything again? I understood you perfectly. You offered your opinion, and I offered mine. Neither is correct. We disagree. | |
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| re: a spoiler alert inside the message? | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:13 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: a spoiler alert inside the message? - SQ 01:08 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| >> NOT helpful. what are you talking about? (s)he put SPOLIER ALERT in big letters ABOVE the spoiler. this clued me in that what was below contained a spoiler. how did this not work out for you? | |
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| re: it didn't | |
| Posted by: | SQ 02:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: a spoiler alert inside the message? - enoch10 01:13 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| Everything is there on my screen to see. The thing that most people do is put the spoiler alert in the subject. | |
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| re: it didn't | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:17 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: it didn't - SQ 02:00 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| the big block letters informing me there would be spoilers below seemed sufficient. | |
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| re: for you | |
| Posted by: | SQ 06:06 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: it didn't - enoch10 05:17 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| It wasn't for me. I read the whole thing. Again, the commom courtesy that I have seen is to put spoiler alert in the Subject line. | |
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| re: for you | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 09:17 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: for you - SQ 06:06 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| you continued to read anyway (in spite of the SPOILER ALERT BELOW in big block letters and the white space he provided by hitting return) but somehow he did something inappropriate? | |
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| Really? | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 01:10 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: a spoiler alert inside the message? - SQ 01:08 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| Since I'm not seeing it for a couple more weeks, I just stopped reading when I hit the words "SPOILER ALERT." | |
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| re: I thought it was plenty dark... | |
| Posted by: | larry13 12:34 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | I thought it was plenty dark... - gad90210 12:28 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| I just want to thank you for your extremely thoughtful and well marked "Spoiler Alert." | |
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| re: I thought it was plenty dark... | |
| Posted by: | gad90210 03:07 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I thought it was plenty dark... - larry13 12:34 pm EDT 03/31/14 |
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| Thank you for saying that. | |
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