| "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | Ann 11:24 pm EST 01/17/15 |
|
| |
| I'm going to address this just as a report on a regional production - I have no idea if Broadway audiences will go for this (mostly the story). Changes have been made to the book, and I think it works as much as it can, though I don't know that these Parisian customs are very compelling in this day and age. I saw the movie maybe once as a child, and always had a great affection for Leslie Caron. I wasn't sure I'd get to see a production of this show at all, having missed a local presentation 1998, and I certainly didn't expect to see such an elaborate and well done production. A real treat to hear the Lerner and Loewe score. To have Howard McGillin, Victoria Clark and Dee Hoty on stage together is a great blessing, and they are all wonderful here. And CMU grad Corey Cott is really great as Gaston. He reminds me of Max von Essen - and he and Hudgens seems about the same age (I think in real life, she's actually older) and that makes it less creepy, though I don't know how old either are supposed to be when she "comes of age." I suppose Hudgens is enough of a star for this cast to go forward (I've read her credits, but only saw her in the first HS Musical, which I've forgotten due to old age). And she's fine - she is childish and almost goofy before Gigi matures (which seems to happen overnight) and she can sing well. I don't think she has an Audrey Hepburn or Leslie Caron kind of special quality, though, but others may feel differently. The woman sitting next to me said at intermission, "Isn't she adorable?" The set, costumes, ensemble, choreography are all top notch. I like the set more than dramedy seems to - it is a very large and involved structure of a staircase and what seems to be the base of the Eiffel Tower. Additions are made to depict other scenes, and the Maxim's scenes are incorporated particularly well. I'm very happy to have seen this at the Kennedy Center, however it does in the future. Running time about 2:40, including intermission. | |
| reply to this message | | |
| it can't be Eiffel tower | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 10:46 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - Ann 11:24 pm EST 01/17/15 |
|
| |
| Since that is in the background moving back and forth--must have been on a floating island at one point. I think it represents a public space maybe like a shopping arcade. So you didn't get tired of looking at it? The maxim use was clever. | |
| reply to this message | | |
| re: it can't be Eiffel tower | |
| Posted by: | Ann 12:52 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | it can't be Eiffel tower - dramedy 10:46 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| Just describing it. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 09:34 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - Ann 11:24 pm EST 01/17/15 |
|
| |
| I'll be frank. I loved Gigi as a kid. Some think as a movie it is not a great musical. I've always thought it was wonderful. I'm going to see this for McGillin, Clark and Hoty. I'm glad to hear Cott is good as Gaston. Louis Jourdan is so embedded in my mind singing the title song that it's going to be hard for me to get that out of my mind. But if he's like Max that's a compliment. Max would have been perfect as Gaston but he's too busy playing another Frenchman in An American in Paris. Although I guess comparisons to Caron and Hepburn are inevitable, I don't know if most theater audiences born in the last 25 years are going to care if Hudgens is like Caron and Hepburn. And I love those two actresses. I may be wrong. But it does matter than Hudgens have a special quality as Gigi so we shall see how she develops with the previews. Maybe young girls will eat this romance up! | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | Ann 09:37 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 09:34 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| I'm not comparing her to them, but to their spark of specialness (at least to me). Other actors and actresses have it, and I think it is needed here. It's a strange romance for 2015 young girls eat up (in my opinion). But many will go to see her. (They'll more likely be thanking their parents for not pimping them out to rich men.) | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 09:43 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - Ann 09:37 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| Ann, it's always hard to be compared to Audrey Hepburn. I know they were going to do Roman Holiday as a musical. Who could possibly be like Hepburn? I do envision Ben Brantley beginning his review with: The first thing to address is: Does Vanessa Hudgens have the charm of Leslie Caron. The answer is ... And that would be tough. Well at least it appears Hudgens isn't an embarrassment. And those High School Musicals are very popular, we'll see she brings in the young people. At least they didn't cast Darren Criss as Gaston. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | Ann 09:48 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 09:43 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| As I said, I'm not comparing her to them specifically. Not sure what your Darren Criss comment means. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 09:55 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - Ann 09:48 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| It means they could have easily cast Darren Criss as Gaston to increase box office. It would have been a disaster. OK, you're not comparing her to Caron or Hepburn -- but you brought them up and others will. I was just saying that some didn't grown up with Caron or Hepburn may not care. One thing I just read online is that Hudgens's father is of Irish-Native American descent and her mother is of Filipino-Chinese-Hispanic descent. So there is some diversity casting going on here which makes it interesting. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | WaymanWong 03:45 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 09:55 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| Speaking of diversity, Darren Criss might be a better fit than you'd expect. He's Eurasian, too. His mother is Chinese-Spanish-Filipino, and his father is English-German-Irish. And granted that Criss was in ''How to Succeed'' for only three weeks, but he did sellout business. I thought he was terrific. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 07:27 am EST 01/19/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - WaymanWong 03:45 pm EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| I liked him in How to Succeed. I don't think he could pull off singing Gigi every night. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | BroadwayTonyJ 06:45 pm EST 01/19/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 07:27 am EST 01/19/15 |
|
| |
| I think Criss might make an interesting Sandomir if the role in the play is the same as it was in the film. You're right -- he could never sing Gaston's role 8 times a week, especially the title number. Jourdan's performance was pieced together from several takes and a lot of editing, although the final result is great. I liked Criss a lot in How to Succeed also -- he had better chemistry with Rose Hemingway than Daniel Radcliffe. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 10:23 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 09:55 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| I should temper my comment above. Casting Darren Criss as Gaston probably wouldn't have been a disaster but it would have been bad casting. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| GIGI genesis | |
| Posted by: | chessmate 10:29 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: "Gigi" third preview - thank heaven for true rhymes ;) - lowwriter 10:23 am EST 01/18/15 |
|
| |
| Don't know if it's widely known but GIGI was basically whipped up very quickly by Lerner & Lowe when it became apparent it was gonna take a while to get MY FAIR LADY to the screen. Many similarities in the storyline. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
All That Chat is intended for the discussion of
theatre news and opinion
subject to the terms and conditions of the Terms of Service. (Please take all off-topic discussion to private email.)
Please direct technical questions/comments to webmaster@talkinbroadway.com and policy questions to TBAdmin@talkinbroadway.com.
[ Home | On the Rialto | The Siegel Column | Cabaret | Tony Awards | Book Reviews | Great White Wayback Machine ]
[ Broadway Reviews | Barbara and Scott: The Two of Clubs | Sound Advice | Sound Advice Upcoming Releases CDs/Books/DVDs, etc. | Off Broadway | Funding Talkin' Broadway ]
[ Broadway 101 | Spotlight On | Talkin' Broadway | On the Boards | Regional | Talk to Us! | Search Talkin' Broadway ]
Terms of Service
[ © 1997 - 2015 www.TalkinBroadway.com, Inc. ]
Time to render: 0.102398 seconds.